While there is not much in there now, I hope to post more pictures in the future. Be sure to click on the thumbs to see a larger image.

I was able to manage my game this week enough to get inside the cut to make it to the 2008 PGA TOUR Qualifying School. The tournament was held at Kinderlou Forrest in Valdosta, GA. The only thing I knew about the course before hand is that it would be long. The course tips out at 7700 yards long. To put that number into perspective, the longest US Open in history was held at Torrey Pines in California. This course was 7600 yards long. With a mix of tees the course on paper was probably a little more than 7500.

This is long by itself, but when you throw in wind gusting about 30 and a constant 20 most of the day you have a serious test and a much longer golf course. One day I played with a player who had qualified for the Nationwide Tour event at this same course earlier in the year. I asked him how the course played now compared to when he played it. He said the same except the wind didn’t blow, the fairways were firm (more roll on drives), and the rough wasn’t as high. Needless to say we had our hands full. 

The first day I played horrendous shooting an 80 to start my week. This was bad, but after seeing the scores come in I realized that one good round would change the tide awfully fast. Knowing this I regrouped and reminded myself that no matter what happened I wasn’t going to press and attempt to force something to happen. I shot 72 for my second round and was the second lowest score of the day. This jumped me up about 30 spots to T19 for the tournament. I played well enough the next two days (77, 75) to finish inside the top 37 and ties and earn a spot in the Qualifying Tournament.

RESULTS

Thanks Wiki for making this easy. Sorry for the cut and paste but I am in the middle of this and don’t have a lot of time to write. Here is a brief explaination of the PGA Tour Qualifying. The course I am playing first is Kinderlou Forrest.

Results

PGA Tour Qualifying

The PGA Tour’s qualifying school is officially known as the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, but the organization also frequently refers to it as “Q-School.” The system dates back to 1965, and as of 2008 involves four stages (see this link to the 2007 results, and also the official application, which includes the criteria for exemption to a particular stage):

• Pre-Qualifying Stage: Six tournaments held in September, all in warm-weather locations in the United States. Each is played over four rounds. This stage was introduced in 2006 with four tournaments. In each tournament, roughly 35 to 40 players, plus ties, advance to the next stage.
• First Stage: Twelve tournaments held in October (compared to 14 in 2005, before the introduction of Pre-Qualifying, and 10 in 2006), also in warm-weather locations in the United States. Each is played over four rounds. The participants are a mixture of Pre-Qualifying Stage winners and players who were exempted from Pre-Qualifying. Roughly the top 25 players plus ties in each tournament advance.
• Second Stage: Six tournaments in November, also in warm-weather locations and each played over four rounds. Like the First Stage, certain players receive exemptions to this stage. Roughly the top 20 plus ties in each tournament advance.
• Final Stage: One tournament played over six rounds in late November-early December. The field consists of Second Stage winners and players who received exemptions into the Final Stage. The top 25 players, plus ties, earn PGA Tour cards for the following year. Their priority ranking for purposes of tournament entry is 24; this ranking enables them to enter most full-field events on the PGA Tour, but not more prestigious stops on the tour unless a substantial number of players in higher categories skip the events. For example, the top 125 players on the previous year’s money list who are not otherwise eligible are at priority 19; sponsor’s exemptions are priority 11; and winners of PGA Tour events in the previous two years are priority 9.

So far my first week in September has been a bit flat. I have had one good round and a few squirrelly ones. My short game has been really good and has saved me in countless situations. I guess that’s golf. The better your short game the more you can get away with. That’s why the “money machines” on tour have deaf short games. Nothing overly impressive and nothing disastrous.

Rounds this month

Windermere C.C. = 72

Black Bear = 71

Bridgewater = 73

Legends = 69

Highlights:

• Averaged 9 greens on the middle two rounds. Great saves.
• Shot 31 (par 35) on the back side at Legends.

Full Results can be seen on Moonlight’s home page including videos. Click on results for more info.

Because I am at a hotel computer I am being timed and playing beat the clock to get in this post. Please remember that questions and comments are always appreciated.

My September schedule is pretty much set. There may be a few changes to my third week, but everything else is solid. September culminates with PGA Tour Qualifying School. There will be a better post about the qualifier soon.

Well I take back all the things I said about wilttle tunder storm Fay. She is bringing her slow, flood bearing wrath across the state and ruining my plans. Because of excess flooding, my tournament at Black Bear has been cancelled and rescheduled. She will slowly work her way up the “Forgotton Coast” of Florida and will probably do some damage to Wildwood Golf Course where my next event will be held.

Pretty good eight minutes about a guy and his ark.

The Moonlight Golf Tour hosted an event today at Huntington Hills. This course has been in their rotation for a long time. It is a public course on the north side of Lakeland, FL. 

Big Scary Hurricane

The greens were horrendous. They looked good and first glance, but due to TS FAY I don’t think they have cut them in two days. These greens were the slowest I have ever putted on. I miss judged the first two and made bogeys. That combine with the rain and wind made conditions less than favorable. The rest of the day I hit it well and left online and short. I happen to make 2 kickin birdies on the back side with a clean card to shoot 72 (E). This was good enough for 1st place.

All I wanted to do was qualify for the event tomorrow at Black Bear and thought I didn’t shoot well enough. I guess everyone else had a hard time also.

After shooting 71 on Tuesday I knew I needed to make up some ground. My second round could have been a good one, but turned out the be a roller coaster ride instead. I made 6 birdies all day and shot +1 over par. This was a very frustrating round. On those two rounds alone I had made 11 birdies and saw myself at Even par for the tournament. This made the cut on the number and I was first to go off the next day.

Thursday was a roller coaster without all the highs. More like a free fall into a black hole. I shot 78. After an evaluation I had played mostly the same game and got all the bad breaks from the first two rounds. I just did not putt as well. Several lip outs, several plugged bunkers, a couple out of play. Real sloppy to be honest.

I spent a few days in Miami and have been hard at work on my swing to tighten it up for the upcoming events. Things feel good.

After all that I made a little cash and am on my way to my next event. I will be playing at Huntington Hills Golf Course in my home town, Lakeland, FL. This is being conducted by the Moonlight Golf Tour. From there I will go to Orlando for an event and then to the Tallahassee for the Wildwood Open.

Posted by mobile phone:
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Right now I am in West Palm Beach staying with a good friend Ken Loar. He has been around the block of life a few times and is a real treat to be around. He lives right on the Intercoastal just off Southern Blvd. in West Palm Beach FL. I stayed here in 2005 when I played on the Gateway Tour. From his balcony you can see both the Intercoastal and the Atlantic Ocean. The view is spectacular.

I came down this time to play a Minor League Golf Tour event and the PGA National Resort on the Estate course. The course is nice and the greens are in good shape. With big fairways, short holes and good greens the conditions were perfect for scoring. I had it going well until half way through the back side. I made the turn in 33 (-3) and then birdied 11 to get to 4 under par. Unfortunately a fried egg lie in a bunker and a bad bounce on a cart path cost me three shots. I made 5 birdies and shot 71. My short game was very tidey and my putting was good.

This event is 3 days and can be followed on Minorleaguegolf.com