ADVENTURES OF AVIEMORE!

Tour Diary

So I’ve sneaked the cut right on the number the last two weeks (Belgium/France) and the game does feel to be getting better, so last week it was up to Aviemore, Scotland, for one of the bigger events on the CT schedule.

   I’ve played this event twice before and missed the cut both years; the scoring always seems pretty good and I’ve never really seen how…The rough/heather is LONG!!

But when you actually think about the course, it is pretty wide open and there are plenty of chances. You won’t find your ball in the rough, but you shouldn’t really be in it round here!

And it’s only holes 11 and 12 that seem to cause the issues for most people!

So after spending Laura’s 30th birthday at home last Monday, which was great, I then set off on the 6 hour drive north with my best mate Ben as company and caddy for the week!

I can’t thank him enough for making the effort to join me, as he pretty much got off the plane from 3 weeks on the west coast of America from his honeymoon! … Or maybe I have to thank his wife Lucy!?

   So 6 hours in the car and straight to the practice ground to meet my coach, Mark Pearson, who had also driven up to help me prepare for the event this week.

We got out on the course after a quick session on the range and battled the weather for a few holes, but it was worth it…With no play allowed on Wednesday you had to complete your on course prep Tuesday!

 So off the course, we headed back to our rented house for the week, ate, slept and got back up to the course Wednesday morning to fine tune the game and try to iron out the weaknesses of the last few events.

I also managed to get some physio treatment on my recurring lower back pain, with Poora the CT Osteopath! What a great free service the CT provide for the players!

So how did the golf go?

I got off to a nice start, which is something I haven’t done for a while, -2 through 4 holes and I’d had 4 great chances. 

But I soon halted my charge with a double bogey 7 down the 5th, which was a big number in another first round – it has seemed to crop up on my first round cards and may be through lack of commitment to shots!

I made two good birdies and got it back to -2 but then back to back 3 putts on the tough stretch of holes put me back to level par quicker than I could say “Tatties o’wer the side”

I signed for 72 (+1) and it meant I had my work cut out in round 2 to make the cut, in what was forecasted to be a shocking day for weather!

The forecast was right and we ended up playing half our second round in the rain. I started on 11 and set off with 8 straight pars before three putting for bogey on the 1st (my 9th); that was not what I needed and with the cut looking at being -2, I needed a hot streak coming down the stretch.

Ben did a great job keeping me upbeat, and also having my good friends Carl and Donna up there supporting me was a huge help. 

 I then holed from 25ft for birdie on 3, hit it to 3ft on 5, and then realised it was very ‘do-able’! I played great down the finish and holed from 10ft on both 8 and 9 to make the cut on the number AGAIN!

What a relief and what a buzz!

Sometimes the feeling of making the cut is as exciting as winning a tournament! That sort of end to round 2 doesn’t mean you’re in with a chance to win the tournament but means you’re in with a chance to win your own mental battle to make the cut…And again I did it with a strong finish, three weeks in a row!

So our weekend treat for making the cut was to go fly fishing in Aviemore, and here’s the photo of our successful hour! 

   Over the weekend I played solidly, shooting level par both days! I feel like I’m creating a lot of chances, so the tough thing is to stay patient…

That’s a lot harder than it sounds – and most of the time very frustrating!

But it’s on to Open Qualifying on 30 June at Hillside, from where I have so many good 2014 memories -let’s hope it can spark the rest of a great season!!

Fingers crossed!!

It was great to have the support of Mark, Ben, Carl and Donna through the week, and on top of that to catch up with my old Myerscough College lecturer – Drew Wallace.

And also a massive thanks to Arthur and Susan for coming to show their support on Sunday!

Much appreciated!  

Last modified: June 3, 2019