Today, at Tannenhauf, we start our road to the NCCAA Golf Championships. Last week at Cumberland Trail, we made huge strides towards that goal. The first day we started off well shooting a 304 as a team. This is a pretty good score at this course when two things are considered: 1. We started three freshman that day that had no college experience (and they all did AWESOME!) and 2. The course was playing about 7200 yards which is equivalent to a PGA Tour course. Ridiculously long and many holes on the course are very tight. Back to our freshman, Preston Robinette and Matt Crouch stepped it up huge! They handled themselves very well in the pressure of their first collegiate tournament (much better than I can say I did in my first collegiate tournament).

Many people think that golf is golf, no matter the venue, no matter the stakes. I'm here to tell those people that statement is completely false! Anyone that has ever played competitive golf knows what it is like. There are so many mistakes to be made in a golf swing as opposed to the things that can go right. When the pressure is bearing down, muscles get tight, minds wander, and bad things happen. It has happened to not only me, but also PGA Tour players. Just a few weeks ago, the whole world witnessed as Tiger Woods became mortal by losing a 54-hole lead in a major. This is something he has never done, especially to a no-name player like Y.E. Yang, but you have to give credit to Yang because the shot he hit on the 72nd hole of the tournament was one of the greatest shots I have ever witnessed. 210 yards to a tucked front pin, over a tree, with a long iron and the shot requires a cut and quick stop on the green. He puts it to 10 feet. Heroic, amazing, awe-inspiring. These are the things that I and every other golfer at my level dream of every night. Hitting that clutch shot to win a tournament in the biggest pressure cooker on the planet. Once again, amazing.

But back to the tournament. We won't talk about the second round. It was terrible, we were all fatigued, unfocused, and just generally mad at the idea of playing 36 holes in one day. The toll that takes on your body is hard enough without the mental strain golf takes on you. Playing 18 holes and grinding through every shot is hard enough, you feel tired, weak, and drained after doing this. But after doing it for 18 holes and realizing you're only halfway there, disgusting. Golf may seem like an easy sport, but you can trust me when I say it's not for the faint of heart or mind.

After a good night's rest (maybe? right, Coach? I mean this is college - do we really ever sleep?), the team came back focused on our goal which was to pass Roberts Wesleyan that day as we seemed to be right on the bubble against them and a few other teams for an NCCAA spot. WE DID IT! We came through in the clutch and ended up passing them. Needless to say, everyone was tired but extremely happy.

Back to Tannenhauf! After the long two-hour drive through what always seems to be the whole state of Ohio, we finally got the chance to see what we were made of. We played terrible. What a disappointment. I had a mediocre first day shooting 77, but the second day was flat out disaster. It was the worst round I have ever played. I missed four putts inside four feet on the front side. That never happens to me and it shouldn't happen. I usually rely on my putting to help me save rounds or shoot low numbers. That day it just wasn't happening. What a disappointing weekend. The hotel was fun. It always is. The guys on our team are just nuts. I felt like we bonded more as a team and got closer. I just wish our play would have reflected that. The verdict on nationals comes down soon. Hopefully we get lucky. Until next time!