Q-School

During the first week of November, I had Q-School for the Futures tour. Since I didn't make enough money during the season, I had to return to the long week of Q-School in the Winter Haven area. It was played on 3 different courses in 4 days. I wanted to set my goal high to finish in the top 20. I blew away my expectations and finished 2nd!!! I took it one shot at a time not getting ahead of myself and it paid off! I shot 70, 70, 69, 74. The last day a cold front came in with grueling winds off the lake at the course. It was very cold and I wore 2 layers of clothing. It was tough conditions for everyone, but I finished strong with a 34 on the back. I finished as the low professional finishing behind a strong college player who is still an amateur. There were 308 girls playing that week. I'm so excited for the future and this coming up season. If I can do it that week, I can do it any week!!! Unfortunately, my wrist was bothering me after that week and I went to a doctor. I have a flared up tendon and am on rest for a few weeks. Thank goodness its my off season, but when I'm clear to play, I'm excited to work on my game and play in a few Pro-Ams. I'm still finding ways to finance this next season but hopefully things will fall into place. Thanks for following!

First year down...

Hey everyone. I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I'm going to do my best to keep up to date with this, even on the off season. This season was a great learning experience for me. I traveled and played in 12 different states week to week, staying with different families. I put about 8,000 miles on my jeep driving from course to course as well as sightseeing. I was able to explore in downtown San Antonio, TX, went to a Cincinnati Reds game, see where my boyfriend grew up in Illinois, saw where Lincoln lived in Springfield, Ill. I spent a night in Chicago, a day in Boston, I took the Maid of the Mist into Niagara Falls, and Hershey Headquarters in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, I didn't make as many cuts as I had hoped, but this year was a huge learning experience for me and I expect much greater things to happen to me next year. For now, I am back home in Vero Beach working on my game. I have been playing in some small tournaments in Florida to get ready for the Duramed Futures Tour Q-School the first week in November. I am really excited that I now have a closet full of Loudmouth skorts and shorts to be able to wear this next season on tour. My boyfriend has matching shorts for when he caddies for me too! I have several Pro-Ams coming up for the off-season as well as a few tournaments in the Orlando area. I will be sure to update on here on how I am doing. Thanks for following!

New Hampshire

This week I played at Beaver Meadow in Concord, New Hampshire. I had a great caddy, John, who played in my fundraiser scramble in March in Vero Beach. He really helped me out with the greens and decisions that I was unsure on. I played great the first day and shot 72 despite having 2 3-putts. Yesterday, I played great as well with only 1 bad swing but managed to have 3 bogies and 1 birdie shooting a 74. I flew the green twice from puring a 5-iron in which I couldn't get up and down. Top 70 and ties make the cut and I finished tied for 72nd. Another cut missed by a smidge by only 1 shot. However I had a lot of fun with John and the girls I played with each day. I know I can play great out here and I'm ready for my time to come to be at the top each week. I've got 3 more weeks in a row to really shine. On to Syracuse, NY tomorrow for another grinding week!

Conneticuit

After a nice week off at home, I flew back to Baltimore and made the 7 hour drive to Conneticuit to start the first tournament of 5 in a row. It was my birthday that week, so I had good vibes of playing well. The course was in great shape but had very tough, undulated greens. It was a par 70 course and I shot 72 both days. Not bad, I'll take it, but it wasn't good enough. 3 over made the cut and I finished at 4 over. I had a costly double bogey that I 3 putted from 5 feet. Wish I could play that hole over again! But I had AWESOME host housing and they made my birthday wonderful! As well as my parents for sending a cute pink miniature golf bag cooler with all sorts of snacks in it and Travis sending me a bouquet of my favorite flowers to my house. Even though I didn't make the cut, I had a great time and I still believe that I am right there and hopefully those putts start to roll in for me.

Kentucky

Over July 4th weekend, I played a tournament in London, Kentucky. I was feeling really great about my game after a strong tournament in Hammond, Indiana. My Grandparents drove up from Georgia to watch me play on Friday where I managed to have my low round of the season, 5 under 67!! I started with a birdie and finished with a birdie. I was so thrilled and it felt great to finally feel how it is be at the top of the leaderboard. I finished the day in 3rd, 2 shots back. Saturday I struggled a bit with the putter, hardly making any birdies but managed to shot a 73. After traveling 4 weeks in a row and playing 3 practice rounds each week, I was physically and mentally exhausted. Therefore on Sunday, I woke up not feeling like myself. I knew it was going to be a struggle. I bladed it twice from 50 yards over the green on 2 par 5's and wormburned a 3 wood on another par 5. I even picked up my ball on a green without marking it, which resulted in a stroke penalty to myself and a reminder to buy extra ball marks ;) But no worries, that only cost me $14. I ended up shooting 79 (stayed in the 70s at least!) and it was a hard lesson learned. I finished 3 over for the tournament at 57th place. Another cut, another check, and another step towards the LPGA. I now know that I can't spend all of my energy on practice rounds, tournament rounds are much more important! Now for a nice relaxing week off at home to see my boyfriend, family, and friends :)

Hammond, Indiana

I did it!!! I played well! I shot 70-71-75 even for the tournament and finished in a tie for 17th. On the first day, I started birdie, birdie, eagle :) First of the season! The course was a very target oriented course with lots of water. For those of you at home, its alot like Quail Valley with crazy winds (its just outside of Chicago) On the last day, we had a 3 hour rain delay after I played my first 2 holes. I came out and birdied my first hole back with a tap in putt for birdie. I turned at even par with gusting winds. They really blew harder on the back. There was a 3 to 4 club wind. All of the scores were high and only 3 girls shot under par that day. But I'm very happy to finish at even for the tournament and make a $1030 check! I have so much more confidence now going into the rest of my season. I'm in Kentucky now and then will go home for a much needed week off to celebrate birthdays!

Indiana

This week, I'm in Hammond, Indiana which is just outside of Chicago. I was able to go to Chicago all day on Monday with Travis before he flew back to Florida. It is such a neat city and got some great pictures!! In fact, I have a facebook fan page where I have been uploading pictures all year so be sure to check them out! I played 2 practice rounds and feel ready for this tight course tomorrow. I tee off at 8:45 on #10 so be sure to follow on live scoring at www.duramedfuturestour.com

Illinois

Last week, I played in Decatur, Illinois. My boyfriend, Travis flew up to caddie for me (it was a mandatory caddie event). I only got to play 8 holes in my practice round due to a storm that flooded the course. In fact, they had to turn a par 5 into a par 3 so par 70 total. I played well with a few mistakes (I need to learn to get rid of these!) and shot 73-74. The cut was only 1 over (1 less than the LPGA event that week!) so i missed the cut. Its getting alot more competitive out here but I know I can contend. I'm learning alot and am excited about the rest of the summer!

Ohio

Its been awhile since I've gotten on to post. I'm going to do my best to do much better at that for the rest of the summer! 2 weeks ago, I played in Ohio just outside of Cincinatti at a course near King's Island. I played well the first day and shot 73 and then struggled the 2nd day to shoot 80. We had a 4 1/2 hour rain delay after I hit my tee shot on the first hole. I somehow managed to develop a pinch nerve in my shoulder and struggled with it durring my round. I felt like I was playing army golf...left, right, left, right. I left a day early and went to visit my boyfriend's family in Southern Illinois so it was a nice treat!

Rainy Kansas

Since I got to Kansas, it rained every single day except on Friday. I only got to play one practice round and only played 15 holes. The second round was cancelled due to rain and the course was unplayable. I got to play on Friday and shot 76 in very wet conditions and was only 2 shots from the cut line. I shot 40-36 so struggled to start but finished strong. There was no roll as the course was too wet. In fact, there were a few times where my drive actually went backwards once it hit the ground. You can imagine how fun this was! On Saturday, I had the first tee time at 7:15. I played in rain for 4 hours straight, not to mention it was 50 degrees. I went through 3 pairs of socks and 4 gloves. After 5 holes, everything that I owned was soaking wet and I could barely hold onto the club. The course was unplayable to begin with. There was casual water everywhere. After playing 16 holes they finally blew the horn and called it a day. They made us return the following morning at 7am to find outat 8am that we didn't get to finish our round and Sunday was also washed out. It ended up being a one day tournament in which I didn't make money since I was 2 shots from making the money. It was a very frustrating week and I think my clothes and bag are still wet.....

On a positive note, I had a wonderful housing family!! They showed us around Kansas City yesterday and made the rainy trip more enjoyable. I am now headed back to sunny Florida and play in the U.S. Open qualifier on Wednesday in Ormond Beach. Let's hope for no rain!!! :)

Kansas

Now, I'm in Leawood, Kansas which is just South of Kansas City. We have had terrible weather which cancelled one practice round day and the other I only got to play 15 holes. The course is soaking wet so there is no roll out there. I played today and shot 76. Once again I struggled to start and shot 40 on the front but came back with a 36 (if only I could play my back nine every day I could make some good money!) There have been crazy thunderstorms at night that have lightning flashes once every second. No tornados though thank goodness!! Girls are still playing so I'm not sure what place I'm in but I know I can get out to a better start tomorrow! Thanks for following!

Hey everyone! Its been awhile since I've blogged because I was having computer issues but now I have a laptop so I'm back in gear to update!!

I had 2 tournaments in Texas last month. The first was in Brownsville, TX (which is the very southern tip of Texas). I played okay and shot 75-75. Struggled to start both rounds (I even hit a porta-potty which saved me from going out of bounds) I missed the cut by 2. I stayed with a great family who cooked for me everynight! They were really great and I had a blast.

The next tournament was in San Antonio. Those greens were super fast!! Both days I struggled with my first 9 holes and then played really well on my second 9 holes. I shot 44-37 (81) and 42-35 (77). My Aunt and cousin drove down from Texas so I spent my Sunday with them at the Riverwalk in San Antonio. It was such a neat place!! I was bummed missing another cut but learned from it and was excited to spend time with my family.

New Blog Page

Hey everyone! I created a different blog site so it would be easier to follow and read. I struggled in Daytona Beach last weekend but I'm ready to play well in Texas. While I was in Daytona Beach, I was picked to be one of five girls to represent the tour at the Daytona Cubs game. We got to go on the field and be introduced. I'll post pictures on my website! I also created a facebook fan page so find me on there if you have facebook! I leave on Tuesday for Brownsville, Tx. I'll update once I get there!


Here are the posts from previous days:


March 23, 2010

What a week! I just got back from my first Duramed Futures tour event and had a great time! It was a crazy week with some interesting things that happened. I met with the Bridgestone reps and got a deal for balls the rest of my season! I played their ball in college and am very excited to be playing their ball again for this season. I also won a Sunmountain bag which I will pick up in Daytona. I'll give them one of my old bags to use for a Junior golfer and I can accumulate points using the Sunmountain bag this year to earn money. The tour has a lot of great deals to help us earn money other than just playing great golf! Now on to what happened with golf...

March 19th, Friday was the first day of the tournament. I had an early tee time and had a great group. I shot 73, which I was happy with after being 3 over through my first 4 holes. (I was definitely nervous) My boyfriend, Travis, was my caddy and he helped me calm down and remind me that I can come back and I sure did. After the first day, I was tied for 35th. That night, Travis sprained his ankle and could barely walk the next morning. It was black and blue and swollen. He toughened up though, iced it, and taped it up and was ready for my afternoon tee time on Saturday. He shouldn't have been walking, let alone carry my bag but he is so devoted and didn't want to let me down. On Saturday, I had a great front nine and was even on the turn. However, I hit a slump and bogied my next 5 holes in a row to shoot 77. I was disappointed with myself but barely made the cut. Top 70 and ties make the cut and I finished tied for 69th.

Sunday the 21st, I was ready for a comeback. I started out bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie and then had 8 consecutive pars. I was even par for the day when a huge storm came rolling in and the tour called us off of the course. On the tour, they have live scoring so they update our round every 2 to 4 holes. At the time, a lot of girls were having a difficult time with off and on rain and major wind. I moved all the way up to 42nd! I was pumped and knew I could finish my round strong. After torrential downpour and 2 hours of waiting, they called the tournament and didn't even count Sunday's round. I was pretty bummed but the course was unplayable and a lot of girls had flights on Monday so they didn't want them to have to reschedule. So I finished tied for 69th and won $536. There was a lot I learned about my swing and short game and have a lot of work to do. So I feel satisfied considering the conditions and realizing the work that is still to be done. I have 2 weeks until my next tournament in Daytona Beach, FL where I will be practicing and playing every day to prepare myself. Thanks for following me!

On a side note, Travis and I were in the newspaper on Saturday morning. The article is on www.theledger.com under the Sports/Golf section.


March 12, 2010

This past week I had my first tournament of the season, The Florida Open. I struggled with my irons but managed to shoot 75-72 the first 2 days and made the cut. The last day I shot 75 and finished tied for 32nd. 90 girls entered the tournament and only 42 made the cut. I was pleased with making my first cut and earning a paycheck. I realized a lot of things I needed to work on so its back to practice before I leave on the 16th for my first Futures Tour even in Winter Haven, FL.


March 6, 2010

Yesterday I had my Chasing the Dream fundraiser. It was such a success and I am so blessed to have such great supporters! Thank you to everyone who came out and played in the event. I had a full field of 120 players and raised roughly $11,000 so I can enter all of the tournaments I want to for the season! I had a great time being able to hit a shot off of a par 3 and chat with each group. I was overwhelmed with joy that there were that many people there to support me. I'll be uploading pictures this week so be sure to check them out!!

On another note, I'm about to leave town to head to the Women's Florida Open. You can check tee times and results at www.suncoastseries.com. I tee off at 12:30 tomorrow at Rio Pinar in Orlando, FL. I'm very excited to be kicking off my season this week!! Time to go practice...



February 22, 2010

Hey everyone! I finally have figured out how to put together my website. I'm still working on it weekly but I hope you check back for more updates as my season progresses. This past week, I played in 3 Pro-Ams. One here in my home town of Vero Beach at Ocean Village, a ladies Pro-Am at Mountain Lake in Lake Wales, and yesterday at the Future Stars Foundation Pro-Am at Errol Estate in Apopka, FL. I had a great time at all three events and even made a little bit of money :) I had 3 awesome groups and made great relationships with the amateurs I was paired with.

On March 6th, I have a fundraiser tournament at the course I work at, The Club at Pointe West, to raise money so I can afford to play a full season this year on the Duramed FUTURES tour. I have been running around town trying to get prizes and foursomes donated. I already have 24 teams signed up! I'm so lucky to have such a great support system. Go to my "Chasing the Dream" page to check it out! I'll be posting pictures after the tournament.

On another note, I have my first tournament, The Florida Open in Orlando on March 8, 9, and 10 then the FUTURES tour kicks off the week after in Winter Haven, FL. My boyfriend, Travis, will be on the bag caddying and I hope to have a great first start of my first full season as a Professional golfer. Thanks for coming to visit my website and blog and I hope you come back to follow my career!