Continuing improvement!

Hi Everyone!

My last post was following the 2nd to last event on the Futures Tour. Since then, I have played in 3 events: The Duramed Futures Tour I LOVE NY Championship, the Pacific Ladies Tour Q School Classic and the First Stage of LPGA Qualifying. Here are some details..

I made the short drive north to Albany, NY for the final event of the Duramed Futures Tour season. The tour was going "all out" for the last event. Typically the greens start out slow at the beginning of the week and by tournament time they speed them up. They were quick from the get go! I enjoy playing courses that setup difficult and when par is a good score so I was excited about the conditioning and layout of the course.

I prepared well playing practice rounds with fellow New Englanders Lynn Valentine and Kim Augusta, among others. I have known Lynn since college days when we competed against one another. She paid me a nice compliment during our practice rounds saying how well I was hitting the ball and how solid my swing was looking. I knew these things in my heart, and from the feedback I was getting from my coach and friends that I play with, but to hear it from a competitor was very affirming!

I drew an afternoon tee time the first day and shot 77 in windy conditions. It put me just about in the middle of the pack. I had three birdies on the day and played pretty solid except for a few swings. The second round I was paired with one of my former Florida players, Sam White. Her mom Nancy caddied for her so it was fun day for me. I started out hot with a birdie on the first hole but a couple of three putts forced me to post a few bogeys. After a 2nd round 79 I was disappointed to miss the cut, although encouraged by the number of birdies I was making. 3 birdies both rounds! Also, a big thanks to Tom and Nan Lanahan for a great week in Albany. I enjoyed getting to know them and really enjoyed their comfortable home.

A few days later, after returning to New Haven for some Yale duties and packing, I left for toasty Palm Desert, CA. I decided to compete in a "low key" mini tour event on the Pacific Coast Ladies Tour called the Q-school Classic. After flying out and arriving on a Wednesday afternoon I teed it up on Thursday morning. I shot 76 the first round with 2 birdies and 29 putts for the day. Not bad considering I had not played desert golf in awhile! The second round I limped to an 82. Although I had 2 birdies on the day too many bogeys were posted. 35 putts was the killer stat but it was good to know what I needed to work on to prepare for the LPGA qualifying that was ahead.

As I continued to prepare I became more comfortable with the terrain and conditions. I had figured out a good hydration regimen (being from the east coast and more humid climates, the desert is truly a different experience) and began to better understand the greens. Although it is subtle, everything in Palm Desert breaks towards the lowest point, which is Indio. Keeping this in mind, I teed it up for the 1st round of LPGA qualifying on the Arnold Palmer Course at Mission Hills. I shot a solid 3 over 75 with 2 birdies. My worst score on any given hole was bogey so it was a good start.

The 2nd round was on the Dinah Shore Course (the LPGA's first major of the year is always played here). I had a bit of a shaky start but finished my last 11 holes in even par to shoot a 5 over 77. I had 2 birdies on the day, which was encouraging, and only 29 putts. It was a pretty good day in light of a not so great start on the first few holes.

After two days of solid play I found myself 2 shots shy of making the cut. The good news is that my game is continuing to get stronger. I truly feel like with a little "polish" I will be shooting right around par more consistently. It was a great week with many thank you's to communicate. John and Joy Richards let me stay at their beautiful home in Rancho Mirage and Carol Hogan let me practice at her course, Desert Island, when I was looking for some peace and quiet. I left California very encouraged by my play and excited about my prospects for the "2nd try" coming up in Venice, FL from October 2-5th.

I am now in Venice preparing for the 2nd opportunity to qualify which begins next week. I have played the courses here before so it's all about getting familiar with them again. I tee it up tomorrow at 8:40am on the Plantation Bobcat Course. I am looking forward to playing and had a solid few days of preparation including a visit to Orlando to see my coach, Tom Garner. You can follow results on the LPGA website!

Until next time,

MM