Putt like the Pro's consider Face On Putting
The weather in south Florida can change in a matter of minutes if not seconds. The wind was blowing from the Southeast and suddenly the temperature dropped 10-15 degrees and the wind changed and blew like crazy from the Northeast. This is a VERY tough wind, and today was a very tough day for golf at the famed Seminole course in Juno Beach Florida.
Sometimes it hard for me to write these updates after shooting my worst competitive round in two years (81). I made mistakes right and left and threw away shots that only I am suffering over right now. I could describe each hole to you and give you the gory details, but whats the use, people only ask “what did you shoot”. Yesterday I was excited to say 72, and today disgusted to say 81.
I stated earlier that I am NOT a proficient bunker player, and today I had my ass exposed in many windblown bunkers that just just plain kicked my ass. I think ass is okay to use here…if you object to the language let me know?
My ass kicking started at #2 and ended on #18 where I had 74 yards to the pin for my second shot, and walked off with a double bogey 6. I do not like being in bunkers for many reasons, the main reason is sometime I dig the club into the sand and leave the ball in the bunker (a wasted shot) and then sometimes I skull the shot way long and do even worse damage to my score. I just plain don’t like bunkers. This WONDERFUL golf course has 180+ bunkers to deal with and if your OFF YOUR GAME…they will get you, and beat you, like they did to me today.
Despite perfect tee shots on 8-18 I was unable to get into a proper groove other than the birdie, par, birdie start to the back nine. That wonderful start was quickly derailed with a bunker shot on 13 that I left in the bunker and made a double bogey 5. Double bogeys RUIN rounds, and I suffered through 4 of them (enough for three months). The wind from the North was strong and relentless. Well out of the tournament and looking for redemption in round 3, I hope to play well tomorrow and finish in the top 10. I will need a good score, probably close to par. The weather again calls for wind and possible thunder and lightning, with temperatures in the mid 80’s
I did have the pleasure of playing with Wesley Pate and Kelly Miller. Kelly has perhaps the best bunker game I’ve ever seen, I think we counted 6 out of 7 up and ins along with a hole out from the back bunker on the 5th hole. He makes the shot look so easy, he keeps his lower body very still and judges his distances beautifully. Even not hitting the ball as good as he usually does, Kelly shot a very solid 74 today and stands in 4th place after 2 rounds.
MID AM SCORES
1 John Engler 65-75–140
2 Tim Jackson 75-68–143
3 Mike McCoy 69-75–144
4 Kelly Miller 73-74–147
5 Jon Veneziano 73-75–148
6 Robert Gregorski 77-72–149
Michael Barbosa 74-75–149
8 Gene Elliott 76-74–150
Wesley Pate 73-77–150
10 Eoghan O’Connell 72-79–151
11 Bryan Norton 79-73–152
John McClure 78-74–152
Skip Berkmeyer 77-75–152
Kris Mikkelsen 77-75–152
15 Roger Newsom 76-77–153
R.J. Nakashian 75-78–153
Tim Hume 76-77–153
Stephen Anderson 74-79–153
Randy Haag 72-81–153
20 Trent Brown 79-75–154
Scott Harvey 78-76–154
Steve Harwell 77-77–154
Grady Brame 77-77–154
24 Gary Nicklaus 79-76–155
Tripp Davis 78-77–155
David Abell 77-78–155
Christopher Reeves 76-79-155
28 Trip Kuehne 80-76–156
Steve White, Jr. 80-76–156
Jamie Neher 78-78–156
Craig Doell 74-82–156
32 Robert Gerwin II 77-80–157
33 Roger Hoit 75-83–158
34 Bert Atkinson 82-77–159
35 Patrick Duffy 77-83–160
36 Tommy Brennan 82-79–161
Pete Williams 80-81–161
Mark Knecht 78-83–161
Justin Schulte 78-83–161
David Nelson 78-83–161
41 Stephen Summers 84-78–162
42 Adrian Reed 80-84–164
43 Arnold Cutrell 85-82–167
Nathaniel Crosby 86-81–167
Dennis Kavelman 76-91–167
46 John Fulkerson 87-81–168
47 Greg Rohlf 84-85–169
48 Tom Nolan 80-91–171
49 John Pinkham 88-87–175
50 Bill Hadden, III 88-93–181
Randy, How does a scratch mid am player get into the Coleman ?
-JB