Golf is a mental game….
Day 1: Going into my second tournament of the season, I was in the winning mood. Driving to the course on Wednesday morning at 6 A.M, I had already won the tournament in my head. I went through my warm up routine and then headed to the putting green. Stepped up onto the first tee and ripped my opening tee shot right down the center of the fairway. Walked into the next shot ready to hit one tight and have a tap in birdie on the first hole. after a rough stretch of hole from 1-14, I ended up birdying 2 of my last 4 holes with a near hole out eagle on the 15th hole. This gave me a lot of positive thoughts going into the second round.
Day 2: After a long day on the course and a lot of gained experience, I had a more realistic perspective of what I needed to work on to be able to play my best golf (so I thought). I then proceeded to try and shoot a crazy low number to make up for my first round and got completely lost in the arbitrary numbers. After the 16th hole I was mentally checked out and was ready to be finished for the day. Finished up a few shots better than the first round and remained positive, looking forward to the final round. Later that night I received a phone call from a close friend and solid golfer. We talked about my mental game and the things I was trying to make happen. After an hour on the phone we agreed that my ability to play the game was not the problem. We soon discovered that the approach I was taking into each shot was from a very timid position. Which if you have met me is nothing like my personality! I redesigned my process and went to sleep that night confident and relaxed.
Day 3: I woke up the last day with an aggressive and positive mindset. When I got out of my car at the course my entire demeanor had changed. I walked with a clear and direct purpose. After warming up I headed to the first tee ready to walk into each shot and focus on following my new process. I went on to shoot my lowest round of the tournament which was 9 shots better than my first round. This was/is a huge stepping stone for me and my professional career. I am very excited for my season this year as I continue to pursue my passion to play at the highest professional level on the PGA Tour.