Made it to Myrtle Beach for four days of the Golf.com World Amateur Championship. Thankfully, I didn't make it to the Finals on Friday, because after the 18 hour drive there and four days of golf I was ready to drop.
Weekend after Myrtle Beach was the 3-day Hooters Amateur Tour Championship.
I lead my flight after the first day. The second day I played so poorly buzzards were circling overhead and other golfers were offering to buy my clubs just to get me out of there so they could get on with their game rather than watching my hack job. (Note: don't take a lesson that involves being coached into a complete swing change two days before a tournament. Guess who did just that?) Third day echoed the second day, until I strained my right shoulder. I finished playing but each shot, even a putt, was nothing but pain - this time for me as well as those watching me.
And so ended the 2011 tournament season.
Good news: the new swing change was from my John Daly "too much backswing for an old fart like me" swing, to a much more comfortable Steve Stricker three-quarter, "look Ma, no wrists" swing. The hurt shoulder forced me to practice the new swing at the swing speed of a snail (really, they do play golf). And guess what? Some of those teaching books are right: correct club face contact does make a difference. At 60mph instead of trying for 150mph I was able to hit the ball square and in the sweet spot. Much more accurate and incredibly, more distance. Voila, a golfer is born. Now, I just have to wait thru Winter until next season to prove to the others that I'm not the same hack I was the last time they saw me.
