Well, I have come to the conclusion that I am not going to play in any more tournaments this season. I so desperately wanted to play in one more in an attempt to achieve one more goal for the season, but the reality is that I would rather spend the time and money next season to go and play more big events across the country. So, here is a quick run down of the goals I posted before the season and a brief response as to how well I have done.
1. Have More Fun - Well sure, of course I was having more fun. Especially because this season was significantly better than last year from the stand point of all those reasons I attempted to forget about with this goal. Hmm, maybe I didn't do as well as I thought.
2. Contribute More To The Growth Of The Sport - This is still a work in progress. I put some feelers out there but never followed up. I helped out a a junior event. I did not do nearly as much as I had hoped. I think there is still time left in the year to start a discussion but I am going to call this one a fail. I think I want to keep this goal for next year but be more realistic next year.
3. To Qualify For Am Nationals - Had to wait all the way to the end of the year, but success! I finished in the top 10% at the Colorado State Disc Golf Championships, one of two local A-Tier events this past season. As long as the standard is the same as previous seasons I am good to go.
4. To Finish Better At Am Worlds Than I Did In 2012 - Yuppers! Although let sbe honest, once I started playing well at Am Worlds the expectations went up and then I failed at the new goals. This is one of the disadvantages of playing well. Next year the goal will be to make the Semi Finals and to have a good 6th round as I have failed at that the last two years.
5. To Win A Tournament In Advanced - Boo Yaa! Thank you Wyoming! Thank you first 1000 rated round! I had a great time at this tournament and was able to hold on for the first victory. The only advanced tournament I played after this event was Colorado States and I suspect that I will only play the two Am Majors next year.
6. To Improve My Rating By 20+ Points - This one should be solid. So, I started the year at 915. I am currently at 946. That is 31 point increase. There are still a few rounds to be put into the rating and hopefully some from last year to get taken out but it all means that I only expect my rating to go up.
7. To Qualify For Pro Worlds in 2014 - This is the reason I want to play one more tournament. I am at 468 pro points through five pro tournaments. I believe that it will require 500 pro points to qualify for pro worlds. The bottom line is that it would have been nice to get my am win earlier in the year with the ability to play in a few more events as a pro. 32 points, only 32 points. Hmph.
8. To Look Back At 2013 And Say, "Wow, I Improved So Much This Year!" - I know it is not the end of the year yet but, Wow, I improved so much this year! There is still a lot of work to be done and I now know that I have the ability to go toe to toe with the top guys in the state, thank you Peak One Open. If I keep having fun and keep playing my game, anything is possible.
Now I am looking forward to playing and practicing as much as I can this off season. I am looking forward to working some new Vibram discs into the bag. That is if they release them early enough. And of course I am looking forward to Winter Warriors. I think we may raise more money this year with Winter Warriors than ever before. Exciting!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
What A Great State
This past weekend was the Colorado State Disc Golf Championships at Edora Park in Fort Collins, CO. Edora is an amazingly nice park that has dealt with park use issues since the course was put in several years ago. There have been many redesigns of the park and it is constantly in a state of flux as the city appears to want to shut down the course. There is a strong club in the area that is working hard to keep this course and have done a good job of rolling with the redesigns in order to attempt to keep this beautiful course. The good news about this for the tournament was that we got to play 27 holes three times over three days. This included holes from just about all of the redesigns including the brand new holes of the latest redesign. That being said, there was a lot of work put in on this course in an attempt to get it ready for this event. New holes needed tee boxes and pin positions. Old holes needed some re-work to make them what they used to be. Hats off to Vinnie the TD and his team for all the work they put into this event.
My hope coming into this tournament was that it would be my last Amateur event outside of the Amateur majors next year. In order to accomplish this task I would need to finish in the top 20% in order to qualify for The United States Amateur Disc Golf Championships. What I found out is that this played into my emotions during this tournament way more than it should have. Goals are certainly great things, but you also need to keep them in check in the middle of a tournament or it will cause you to play outside of your own game. You'll push and things will not turn out as you hope.
This event was a true test of Colorado Disc Golf outside of one fact, this course is not a mountain course. This is a great park course, and should not be down played because it is not a mountain course. The weather is really what helped make this a true Colorado event. Over three days there were some similarities, but each day had its own unique challenges. The first day was cold and windy with times of snow and rain. The second day kept getting warmer and warming and the wind kept howling. By the last day it was simply sunny and nice. You do know that we get over 300 days of sun here in Colorado. The fact that each day was so uniquely different just screams Colorado.
The first day was interesting as I played a round with four guys named Ryan. Yeah, that is right, I was the odd man out because my name was not Ryan. It was a good close somewhat because I played my first tournament round of the year with one of these Ryan's. The round did not start off so good for me but I was able to keep it together and ultimately win my card in the first round. The weather made it very difficult to shoot well and even the top pros shot over par this round. I was 10 strokes worse than the top pro and eight throws out of first in the advanced division. I struggled a lot in the wind and this was sort of confusing to me simply because I had learned so much this year about plying in the wind.
The second day was also difficult but I was also able to shoot one throw better than my first day. This round was fun from the stand point that I was able to really connect with another player from out of town. I am always amazed at the people you meet playing disc golf and how fun and unique we all are. Disc Golf is really a sport that is for everyone and it is so much fun to meet and play with new people. Derek was from South Dakota and shot amazingly well in this round. He beat me on my card but was the only person on my card to beat me this round. While it was a better round it was rated several points lower because the pros finally remembered how to play in the wind. Or perhaps they didn't play in the wind as much as the Ams did because they got the early tee times.
Sitting at home after the second round I became incredibly bummed out. Sure I was able to move from 7th place to 6th place, but the reality was still setting in that there was a chance that I might not meet my goal of finishing in the top 20%. To be so close to your goals and then to see the possibility of them slipping away is really difficult. It is not a good feeling and does not provide encouragement. Sure it should drive me to play better and harder, but that will also cause one to stop playing their own game. Sometimes you just have to remember to play your best and leave the results up to God.
The third round finally brought about really nice conditions and made scoring very easy. Even so, I started out shooting exactly the same as I had the day before. Unfortunately on hole 5 I went OB twice and ended up taking a 6. Right then and there it would have been easy to pack it in and stop caring about my round. This is where the power of forgetting really comes in. I pulled myself together and had a couple of really good strings of birdies. I didn't let the bad get in my way and a part from one more hole I did a good job of not comparing this round to previous rounds. This ultimately ended up being my best round and I won my card for the second time in this tournament. I took the biggest jump I had made in the tournament and ended up finishing in 4th place. This put me in the top 10%.
I am sad to think that this might be the end of my tournament season. I am still hoping to somehow play in one more sanctioned event. I would like one more chance to earn a spot in pro worlds next year even though the odds are that I do not want to play and travel to three major events next season. It is a lot of time and money to be able to do these things.
What I learned from this tournament is that it really is important to know the course. Even though there were plenty of holes that I had played before, not having played them for a while really put me behind for the first couple of days. It is also really important to play your game. This is so much more important than just about anything I can think of in Disc Golf. trying to paly someone else's game or pushing too much in order move up ultimately will cause the biggest falls. The emotional side of things is also very important. I watched player after player on my card fall because they were not mentally strong enough to keep it together when something bad happened. Ultimately this allowed me, someone who played my game and did not let bad holes get in my head, to move up instead.
One of the best things I did during this tournament was the time I spent encouraging those around me. I think everyone wants to feel encouraged, and I worked hard to make sure I was about to encourage the guys I played with at least once during the rounds that I played with them. I also made sure to say hello to them afterwards or before and during other rounds as well. It is amazing to think that something so simple can make such a big difference.
My hope coming into this tournament was that it would be my last Amateur event outside of the Amateur majors next year. In order to accomplish this task I would need to finish in the top 20% in order to qualify for The United States Amateur Disc Golf Championships. What I found out is that this played into my emotions during this tournament way more than it should have. Goals are certainly great things, but you also need to keep them in check in the middle of a tournament or it will cause you to play outside of your own game. You'll push and things will not turn out as you hope.
This event was a true test of Colorado Disc Golf outside of one fact, this course is not a mountain course. This is a great park course, and should not be down played because it is not a mountain course. The weather is really what helped make this a true Colorado event. Over three days there were some similarities, but each day had its own unique challenges. The first day was cold and windy with times of snow and rain. The second day kept getting warmer and warming and the wind kept howling. By the last day it was simply sunny and nice. You do know that we get over 300 days of sun here in Colorado. The fact that each day was so uniquely different just screams Colorado.
The first day was interesting as I played a round with four guys named Ryan. Yeah, that is right, I was the odd man out because my name was not Ryan. It was a good close somewhat because I played my first tournament round of the year with one of these Ryan's. The round did not start off so good for me but I was able to keep it together and ultimately win my card in the first round. The weather made it very difficult to shoot well and even the top pros shot over par this round. I was 10 strokes worse than the top pro and eight throws out of first in the advanced division. I struggled a lot in the wind and this was sort of confusing to me simply because I had learned so much this year about plying in the wind.
The second day was also difficult but I was also able to shoot one throw better than my first day. This round was fun from the stand point that I was able to really connect with another player from out of town. I am always amazed at the people you meet playing disc golf and how fun and unique we all are. Disc Golf is really a sport that is for everyone and it is so much fun to meet and play with new people. Derek was from South Dakota and shot amazingly well in this round. He beat me on my card but was the only person on my card to beat me this round. While it was a better round it was rated several points lower because the pros finally remembered how to play in the wind. Or perhaps they didn't play in the wind as much as the Ams did because they got the early tee times.
Sitting at home after the second round I became incredibly bummed out. Sure I was able to move from 7th place to 6th place, but the reality was still setting in that there was a chance that I might not meet my goal of finishing in the top 20%. To be so close to your goals and then to see the possibility of them slipping away is really difficult. It is not a good feeling and does not provide encouragement. Sure it should drive me to play better and harder, but that will also cause one to stop playing their own game. Sometimes you just have to remember to play your best and leave the results up to God.
The third round finally brought about really nice conditions and made scoring very easy. Even so, I started out shooting exactly the same as I had the day before. Unfortunately on hole 5 I went OB twice and ended up taking a 6. Right then and there it would have been easy to pack it in and stop caring about my round. This is where the power of forgetting really comes in. I pulled myself together and had a couple of really good strings of birdies. I didn't let the bad get in my way and a part from one more hole I did a good job of not comparing this round to previous rounds. This ultimately ended up being my best round and I won my card for the second time in this tournament. I took the biggest jump I had made in the tournament and ended up finishing in 4th place. This put me in the top 10%.
I am sad to think that this might be the end of my tournament season. I am still hoping to somehow play in one more sanctioned event. I would like one more chance to earn a spot in pro worlds next year even though the odds are that I do not want to play and travel to three major events next season. It is a lot of time and money to be able to do these things.
What I learned from this tournament is that it really is important to know the course. Even though there were plenty of holes that I had played before, not having played them for a while really put me behind for the first couple of days. It is also really important to play your game. This is so much more important than just about anything I can think of in Disc Golf. trying to paly someone else's game or pushing too much in order move up ultimately will cause the biggest falls. The emotional side of things is also very important. I watched player after player on my card fall because they were not mentally strong enough to keep it together when something bad happened. Ultimately this allowed me, someone who played my game and did not let bad holes get in my head, to move up instead.
One of the best things I did during this tournament was the time I spent encouraging those around me. I think everyone wants to feel encouraged, and I worked hard to make sure I was about to encourage the guys I played with at least once during the rounds that I played with them. I also made sure to say hello to them afterwards or before and during other rounds as well. It is amazing to think that something so simple can make such a big difference.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Ratings Update
Well, the new PDGA ratings are out. Somehow my rating jumped up 17 points to 945. This is 10 points above my stated goal at the beginning of the year and I am crazy excited about this. So far the round ratings at the Johnny Roberts Memorial tournament, the only tournament I have played not to be included in the latest ratings update, should help keep this rating above my stated goal. If I can do this at States next weekend I should have accomplished this goal that I thought may be one of the toughest to achieve this year.
There are still some goals that I am working on finding a way of accomplishing. Unfortunately it may mean finding one more tournament to play in this year.
There are still some goals that I am working on finding a way of accomplishing. Unfortunately it may mean finding one more tournament to play in this year.
Johnny Roberts: Memories of a Man I Wish I Had Known
This past weekend was the 2013 version of the Johnny Roberts Memorial Disc Golf Tournament. The 20th time this tournament has been played. I know I have missed one since I moved to Colorado but this is another one of those tournaments that you play in simply because of what it is. I honestly wish I could have known Johnny Roberts as he seems to have been the player I wish I could be. It is all about fun. Every shot that goes closer to the basket is good. And before you start you get to howl like a wolf. I have been frustrated playing disc golf and I have literally forgotten about the glory of the game. But Johnny was one of those players who always kept things in perspective and knew how to have fun and how to encourage others to do the same.
As for the tournament, I first have to give a shout out to Tom, Ponto and the rest of the gang that helped run this tournament. I was once again reminded of just how much work it takes to pull of a top notch tournament. The courses they used for this tournament this year are quite possibly the three best in the state of Colorado. Saturday included rounds at Beaver Ranch and Bailey disc golf courses. Beaver Ranch has newly poured cement tee pads on every hole. Bailey was the best I have ever seen it. So much work was put into this tournament and it was clear. In addition to that all you had to do was look at the payout and you would know. There was so much added cash that it felt like more than a simple b-tier tournament.
I was once again playing in the Open division and had the goal of beating or tying at least 20 people including myself. I did not accomplish this. I was once again on a card with Joe Rovere, the top rated player in the state, and this was good as my previous two rounds with him were both rated over 1000 (sadly the ratings dropped a few points since I posted about them as milestones). The first round at Beaver Ranch was not so bad minus a couple of holes where I made a few mistakes. I had a couple of 5's that were tough. I also had a couple of really good holes. I was able to take a par 4 on a hole with a brand new basket position that was over 600' away and had huge elevation change down and then back up with lots of trees in the way on the way back up. I took a three on another hole that was not so kind to Joe. I also was able to throw at least one perfect thumber which gave me CTP on a hole that I would not expect this. After finishing with my second 5 of the round I was rather disappointed.
The second round was a lot of fun as well, but not what I had hoped for. This became rather evident as the bad bounces started to stack up. On one of the holes that gives me a serious advantage over other players I had my birdie putt hit the rim of the basket and then roll 70' or so down a hill forcing me into a bogey on the hole. I also had a few putts that hit plenty of chains and then fall to the side of the basket on the ground. Still there were some great shots like my drive with my new unLace from Vibram on hole 1 that somehow made its way near the basket to hole 4. If you were looking at simple distance from the tee this one traveled over 600' by my estimation as my second shot was nearly 90 degrees back to the basket that is over 700' from the tee.
The third round on Sunday at Colorado Heights University in Denver was just a further example of bad bounces and lessons learned. My putting was off a bit and I missed several putts that I should not have missed. I had one putt hit dead center and bounce back out, likely because the chains were slightly out of place. My confidence was then shaken a bit and I had a few more missed putts, either high, low or slightly off to the side. I was still able to get a birdie on a hole with a new pin position that I had yet to birdie. So, you know, there was always good with the bad. I am choosing to remember the good shots and work on the things that did not go my way.
The biggest lesson learned is to try and find a way to really embody the spirit of Johnny as much as possible. I can often remember during the rounds times when I was not doing this and ultimately it got me down and kept me from really enjoying the moment. How in the world did I let that happening playing on these courses? They are such incredibly beautiful courses and they are so much fun to play. It really shouldn't even be close to possible not to enjoy every moment. I also learned that you cannot let the bad bounces get to you. Things happen and sometimes it just isn't your day or weekend. It really isn't your fault and the frustration only leads to more mistakes. I have also learned just hoe important it is to know what baskets you are playing on. You need to know what to check for before you putt to make sure you give yourself the best possible outcome and the smallest chance on getting a bad bounce. You can't think about that log that kicked your shot well over 200' off course. This really is a fun game.
Next up is States back in the am advanced division. Lets hope I can fix my mind and my game in a week.
As for the tournament, I first have to give a shout out to Tom, Ponto and the rest of the gang that helped run this tournament. I was once again reminded of just how much work it takes to pull of a top notch tournament. The courses they used for this tournament this year are quite possibly the three best in the state of Colorado. Saturday included rounds at Beaver Ranch and Bailey disc golf courses. Beaver Ranch has newly poured cement tee pads on every hole. Bailey was the best I have ever seen it. So much work was put into this tournament and it was clear. In addition to that all you had to do was look at the payout and you would know. There was so much added cash that it felt like more than a simple b-tier tournament.
I was once again playing in the Open division and had the goal of beating or tying at least 20 people including myself. I did not accomplish this. I was once again on a card with Joe Rovere, the top rated player in the state, and this was good as my previous two rounds with him were both rated over 1000 (sadly the ratings dropped a few points since I posted about them as milestones). The first round at Beaver Ranch was not so bad minus a couple of holes where I made a few mistakes. I had a couple of 5's that were tough. I also had a couple of really good holes. I was able to take a par 4 on a hole with a brand new basket position that was over 600' away and had huge elevation change down and then back up with lots of trees in the way on the way back up. I took a three on another hole that was not so kind to Joe. I also was able to throw at least one perfect thumber which gave me CTP on a hole that I would not expect this. After finishing with my second 5 of the round I was rather disappointed.
The second round was a lot of fun as well, but not what I had hoped for. This became rather evident as the bad bounces started to stack up. On one of the holes that gives me a serious advantage over other players I had my birdie putt hit the rim of the basket and then roll 70' or so down a hill forcing me into a bogey on the hole. I also had a few putts that hit plenty of chains and then fall to the side of the basket on the ground. Still there were some great shots like my drive with my new unLace from Vibram on hole 1 that somehow made its way near the basket to hole 4. If you were looking at simple distance from the tee this one traveled over 600' by my estimation as my second shot was nearly 90 degrees back to the basket that is over 700' from the tee.
The third round on Sunday at Colorado Heights University in Denver was just a further example of bad bounces and lessons learned. My putting was off a bit and I missed several putts that I should not have missed. I had one putt hit dead center and bounce back out, likely because the chains were slightly out of place. My confidence was then shaken a bit and I had a few more missed putts, either high, low or slightly off to the side. I was still able to get a birdie on a hole with a new pin position that I had yet to birdie. So, you know, there was always good with the bad. I am choosing to remember the good shots and work on the things that did not go my way.
The biggest lesson learned is to try and find a way to really embody the spirit of Johnny as much as possible. I can often remember during the rounds times when I was not doing this and ultimately it got me down and kept me from really enjoying the moment. How in the world did I let that happening playing on these courses? They are such incredibly beautiful courses and they are so much fun to play. It really shouldn't even be close to possible not to enjoy every moment. I also learned that you cannot let the bad bounces get to you. Things happen and sometimes it just isn't your day or weekend. It really isn't your fault and the frustration only leads to more mistakes. I have also learned just hoe important it is to know what baskets you are playing on. You need to know what to check for before you putt to make sure you give yourself the best possible outcome and the smallest chance on getting a bad bounce. You can't think about that log that kicked your shot well over 200' off course. This really is a fun game.
Next up is States back in the am advanced division. Lets hope I can fix my mind and my game in a week.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
On The Other Side Of The Bag
Often times when playing in tournaments I will have my dad caddy for me. When my dad was unable to early this year due to injury I even had my mom carry my bag in a few tournaments. It is very nice not to have to carry around my bag as I tend to carry a lot of discs. Well, this past weekend was the 3rd annual Rocky Mountain Women's Disc Golf Championships and I had the privilege to carry a bag for Tracy who, along with her friend Kari flew all the way from Atlanta, GA to participate in this phenomenal event.
There were over 120 ladies from 7 years old to well over 60 years old. There were over 140 men that signed up to caddy. They payouts were crazy high, mostly because of the very hard work of Doug, the TD of the event. In reality, this is what disc golf should be about and this is how a tournament should be run. I hope that Doug continues to run this event even though I know he hopes to pass the duty off in the future. It really was an amazing event, the likes I have not seen a comparable of. Even Worlds, as amazing as it was, does not quite compare to what Doug was able to pull off.
Tracy, the player I was a caddy for, played in the Advanced Grandmaster Women's division. There were only 4 competitors in the division and as such, we got to play with the same people all three rounds. All the ladies at this age were there for the fun, even though there was a tad bit of competitiveness at times. Tracy was not expecting to win and invited suggestions very early on. By the end we had experienced the whole range of emotions. With the sun shinning and the shots going well we were really happy. With the rain falling and the shots going poorly, pure sadness and frustration.
This leads me to my one big lesson from the other side of the bag. The emotions that you play with are almost as important as how you are playing. When things get tough, what are you thinking? Even if you have forgotten about the bad shots, you can feel frustrated and down. That usually means that your next shot is a lot less likely to be good. Small thoughts, solve the problems, keep it simple. Most importantly be prepared for anything. That is one of the great things about playing in Colorado, we experience just about every different kind of weather condition. I have played in snow, rain, wind, hot sun and show knows what else.
Now it is back to the other side of the bag and playing. Good thing I have a nice new hot pink practice basket to do my putting practice on.
There were over 120 ladies from 7 years old to well over 60 years old. There were over 140 men that signed up to caddy. They payouts were crazy high, mostly because of the very hard work of Doug, the TD of the event. In reality, this is what disc golf should be about and this is how a tournament should be run. I hope that Doug continues to run this event even though I know he hopes to pass the duty off in the future. It really was an amazing event, the likes I have not seen a comparable of. Even Worlds, as amazing as it was, does not quite compare to what Doug was able to pull off.
Tracy, the player I was a caddy for, played in the Advanced Grandmaster Women's division. There were only 4 competitors in the division and as such, we got to play with the same people all three rounds. All the ladies at this age were there for the fun, even though there was a tad bit of competitiveness at times. Tracy was not expecting to win and invited suggestions very early on. By the end we had experienced the whole range of emotions. With the sun shinning and the shots going well we were really happy. With the rain falling and the shots going poorly, pure sadness and frustration.
This leads me to my one big lesson from the other side of the bag. The emotions that you play with are almost as important as how you are playing. When things get tough, what are you thinking? Even if you have forgotten about the bad shots, you can feel frustrated and down. That usually means that your next shot is a lot less likely to be good. Small thoughts, solve the problems, keep it simple. Most importantly be prepared for anything. That is one of the great things about playing in Colorado, we experience just about every different kind of weather condition. I have played in snow, rain, wind, hot sun and show knows what else.
Now it is back to the other side of the bag and playing. Good thing I have a nice new hot pink practice basket to do my putting practice on.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Tournament Round Ratings Milestones
While I will not find out official numbers until the ratings update currently scheduled for October 1st. I am quite excited at the potential of three rounds of mine to break milestones.
My first round at the WYOpen is currently listed at 1008, which would make it my first 1000+ rated round.
My first round at the Peak One Open is currently rated 1017, which would make it my first 1010+ rated round.
MY second round at the Peak One Open is currently rated 1031. I guess I just decided to skip the 1020's and move right on to the 1030's.
I have not been playing nearly as well in practice rounds since Peak One but I am ready to start making the tough decisions and making some lifestyle changes that will allow me to get more serious about the reality of being a professional disc golfer. Hopefully that will mean many more milestones to come.
My first round at the WYOpen is currently listed at 1008, which would make it my first 1000+ rated round.
My first round at the Peak One Open is currently rated 1017, which would make it my first 1010+ rated round.
MY second round at the Peak One Open is currently rated 1031. I guess I just decided to skip the 1020's and move right on to the 1030's.
I have not been playing nearly as well in practice rounds since Peak One but I am ready to start making the tough decisions and making some lifestyle changes that will allow me to get more serious about the reality of being a professional disc golfer. Hopefully that will mean many more milestones to come.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Peak One Dream
As I sit down to write this post I am still not entirely sure that what happened this past Saturday at the Peak One Open actually happened. The Peak One Open is a great tournament run by Jeremy who works for the Town of Frisco, CO at their Adventure Park. I got to know him well when I played a couple of rounds with him earlier this year at Sakuna Matata. He clearly put a lot of work into the event and minus the lack of hearing what anyone was saying during awards, it was a great tournament. The best part was the free lunch that was included in the players pack, even for the pros, that included food from the Octoberfest festivities that was happening in the park during the tournament. Maybe there is something about cheese filled kielbasa with sauerkraut and spicy mustard on it that makes me happy.
Last year at this same event I played horribly. I was near the bottom of advanced and for some reason could not put two and two together. This year I have clearly been playing better disc golf, but after winning in Wyoming I stepped up to play in Open. And of course when I see the cards for the first round, I saw that I got the joy and privilege of playing with the top rated player in the state of Colorado. I had so many excuses as to why this should be a bad tournament for me. Prior to the first round though I went up to a friend of mine who I met playing out in California before I ever moved back to Colorado and said, I am playing with the best player in the state, what advice do you have for me? His response is perhaps the best piece of advice I seem to be hearing over and over again. Play your game. You can't play the same game as anyone else because they do things that you can't. For some reason hearing those words put me at ease.
It only took one hole to realize that there was something special happening at this tournament for me. I had a good drive but put myself in a place where making my putt would take one of my crazy push putts through the smallest gap in some pine trees that I have ever though possible to get a disc through. I watched the top rated player in the state miss his putt that was slightly longer before I hit my putt without really being able to even see the basket. I went on from there to shoot my best round ever. 43 throws is all it took my to complete the 18 hole course and somehow it meant I kept pace with the best player in the state who did end up beating me in the end by just one throw. There really were no words to describe the round other than I simply kept making good throws and kept making putts for the most part. There were still a few places where I would have liked to have done better which means there is still room for improvement. That is a scary thought. My favorite moment from this round came on a hole where I could not quite figure out what shot to throw. I watched the top rated guy in the state throw a thumber and said, hmm, that looks nice and I have that shot in my bag. So I threw the shot and ended up five feet closer. We both made our putts. This was about the only moment in the tournament when I let my decision be affected by this top rated player, but I still played my game.
In the midst of eating my amazing kielbasa, realizing that I would be on the lead card in Open for the first time in my life and only one throw behind the leader I literally said, no matter what happens in the second round I am so happy with shooting one good round that it really doesn't matter how well I play. I mean, I am playing with three of the top disc golfers in the state this next round, what could be better? I mean sure, I could win the tournament, but there is no way that is going to happen.
On the first hole of the second round I threw a tee shot that went way off the intended line and by all appearances, it was going to be a tough round. I managed to get my par and moved on to the second hole. That is when I got a glimmer of the possibility that it wasn't just going to be one round of amazing. I had five birdies in a row and then just missed number six. I just kept playing my game and kept having fun and kept shooting well. With about five holes left the rain started to come down and the temperatures cooled off a little bit. I really worked hard not to think about where I was in relation to the other players and focused on just having fun. It must have worked. When I looked back at what happened over the last three holes I figured out that I was tied with two other 1000+ rated players for second place and we were all three throws behind the top player in the state. I proceeded to birdie the last three holes and watched the two guys I was tied with go par, par, par and bogey, par, par. Of course, it was not my day to win the tournament as the top rated player in the state finished with three birdies of his own.
I am not entirely sure what happened. There is no explanation I can give for anything I did. I can only give the credit to God. I had a blast and focused on having fun and doing the best I can do. I have not seen round ratings at this point as the scores have not been uploaded to the PDGA site, but the estimates I got from the guys I played with put both of my rounds near 1020 as far as a rating is concerned.
I learned that if I play my game and have fun, there isn't a single disc golfer out there that I can't beat on the right day. I may not always win, but I know I can keep pace with the best. Don't worry about the bad shots, and forget about the good ones in the moment. Play your game and not anyone else's. I think that with my improved consistency, this could be the start of something amazing. Up next is The Johnny Roberts Memorial, once again playing with the pros. If I keep the same attitude and mentality, there is no telling how much fun I am going to have.
Last year at this same event I played horribly. I was near the bottom of advanced and for some reason could not put two and two together. This year I have clearly been playing better disc golf, but after winning in Wyoming I stepped up to play in Open. And of course when I see the cards for the first round, I saw that I got the joy and privilege of playing with the top rated player in the state of Colorado. I had so many excuses as to why this should be a bad tournament for me. Prior to the first round though I went up to a friend of mine who I met playing out in California before I ever moved back to Colorado and said, I am playing with the best player in the state, what advice do you have for me? His response is perhaps the best piece of advice I seem to be hearing over and over again. Play your game. You can't play the same game as anyone else because they do things that you can't. For some reason hearing those words put me at ease.
It only took one hole to realize that there was something special happening at this tournament for me. I had a good drive but put myself in a place where making my putt would take one of my crazy push putts through the smallest gap in some pine trees that I have ever though possible to get a disc through. I watched the top rated player in the state miss his putt that was slightly longer before I hit my putt without really being able to even see the basket. I went on from there to shoot my best round ever. 43 throws is all it took my to complete the 18 hole course and somehow it meant I kept pace with the best player in the state who did end up beating me in the end by just one throw. There really were no words to describe the round other than I simply kept making good throws and kept making putts for the most part. There were still a few places where I would have liked to have done better which means there is still room for improvement. That is a scary thought. My favorite moment from this round came on a hole where I could not quite figure out what shot to throw. I watched the top rated guy in the state throw a thumber and said, hmm, that looks nice and I have that shot in my bag. So I threw the shot and ended up five feet closer. We both made our putts. This was about the only moment in the tournament when I let my decision be affected by this top rated player, but I still played my game.
In the midst of eating my amazing kielbasa, realizing that I would be on the lead card in Open for the first time in my life and only one throw behind the leader I literally said, no matter what happens in the second round I am so happy with shooting one good round that it really doesn't matter how well I play. I mean, I am playing with three of the top disc golfers in the state this next round, what could be better? I mean sure, I could win the tournament, but there is no way that is going to happen.
On the first hole of the second round I threw a tee shot that went way off the intended line and by all appearances, it was going to be a tough round. I managed to get my par and moved on to the second hole. That is when I got a glimmer of the possibility that it wasn't just going to be one round of amazing. I had five birdies in a row and then just missed number six. I just kept playing my game and kept having fun and kept shooting well. With about five holes left the rain started to come down and the temperatures cooled off a little bit. I really worked hard not to think about where I was in relation to the other players and focused on just having fun. It must have worked. When I looked back at what happened over the last three holes I figured out that I was tied with two other 1000+ rated players for second place and we were all three throws behind the top player in the state. I proceeded to birdie the last three holes and watched the two guys I was tied with go par, par, par and bogey, par, par. Of course, it was not my day to win the tournament as the top rated player in the state finished with three birdies of his own.
I am not entirely sure what happened. There is no explanation I can give for anything I did. I can only give the credit to God. I had a blast and focused on having fun and doing the best I can do. I have not seen round ratings at this point as the scores have not been uploaded to the PDGA site, but the estimates I got from the guys I played with put both of my rounds near 1020 as far as a rating is concerned.
I learned that if I play my game and have fun, there isn't a single disc golfer out there that I can't beat on the right day. I may not always win, but I know I can keep pace with the best. Don't worry about the bad shots, and forget about the good ones in the moment. Play your game and not anyone else's. I think that with my improved consistency, this could be the start of something amazing. Up next is The Johnny Roberts Memorial, once again playing with the pros. If I keep the same attitude and mentality, there is no telling how much fun I am going to have.
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