A Storied Ending of the West Coast Swing

The Genesis Invitational was set to provide a thrilling storyline for pro golf. In fact, this pro golf tournament tournament hosted by Tiger Woods on behalf of TGR Foundation is held at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. It serves as a befitting end to the West Coast Swing portion of the annual golf season.

What we got from the Genesis Invitational was way more than any of us bargained for along with most probably less Tiger Woods than we originally expected to see. The lineups and foursomes were great pairings for viewers of the event. The struggles on the course called for some sensational news like Cantlay fighting to maintain an early lead or Jordan Spieth getting disqualified for signing the wrong score on his scorecard. That all came around the same time that we heard about Tiger having back spasms and other issues on the course. It wasn’t long before we got word of Tiger pulling out of the tournament altogether.

All of that made for great fodder, but the true story was being etched out day by day on the course. Hideki Matsuyama was delivering sub-70 golf scores daily at Riviera starting with an opening round of 69 and ending with a final round 62. Matsuyama finished the tournament with a 6 stroke lead at the end. Matsuyama took home a $4 million dollar prize and an additional 700 Fedexcup Points.

Watching the final round of the tournament had me looking for who might catch up to Matsuyama and provide another playoff weekend. But that never happened here. Masuyama maintained his lead at a safe distance from his competitors and won this tournament free and clear.

After watching a post-game interview with Hideki Matsuyama sharing about overcoming back issues and his closing in on the course record during this final round, I was motivated. I was motivated to pick up my irons and chip and putt for some more practice around the green. According to Matsuyama, everything was not working for him during the entire final round, but he was able to remain consistent with his short game and his putting. That told me that we all can tee it up high and let it fly, but if we’re going to keep winging we better do it strategically to stay the course.

Phoenix Open Delivers Plenty of Memories

There were plenty of predictions about the Waste Management Phoenix Open this time around. However, with all of the hype and shenanigans going on at one of pro golf’s most fan-friendly events of the year, it all could seem to blend in and make for a bad mix.

While I might have been pulling for Charley Hoffman down the stretch, I surely support and congratulate Nick Taylor for his endurance to take the win in a stirring second playoff.

There was some good golf being played out there. I like what I saw from a lot of pros who don’t always get the shine from the press and media. Names like Theegala, Scheffler, and Spieth appeared on the leaderboard, but they also gave fans plenty to cheer about.

@dogleg_g0lf

Wait for the crowd reaction #golf #wm#fy #wastemanagement

♬ original sound – Dogleg_g0lf

Some folks show up at Phoenix for the wild weekend fanfare and fun in the sun. You have to wonder where golf fits into the entire scope of their itinerary, especially when pros have to call out bad behavior among fans. This isn’t Coachella. It’s a golf tournament. It’s becoming a bit troubling to have to share pro sports magical moments like the Taylor-Hoffman playoff along with unruly fans acting badly throughout the weekend. Let’s just agree to let this weekend die down before trying to make sense of it all. After all, this has been one of the most storied tournaments of the PGA Tour.

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North County Golf Outing

The tee time was pushing it close, but we knew that when we started. Daylight would rush our play towards the end of the day. Nevertheless, we made our way to Rancho Bernardo Inn in North County San Diego just under 30 miles from central San Diego proper.

From the first tee, I felt good swinging in the tee box. I drove it across a waterway and followed that up with an approach shot onto the green. I putted for par on the green, and then played it too safe on a par 3 that cost me some strokes. Then, I made my second par on a par 5 hole and saw my potential for breaking 90 light up.

Unfortunately, not many highlights pop up after that.

One memorable hole had me trying to work some magic by overplaying a dogleg that got me caught up with some dogwoods and eucalyptus trees. That move had me right along with my foursome who all sat in the fairway, while I wrestled with the tall grass amid the trees. I overworked for that double bogey on that hole.

I never went beyond making a bogey on the back 9. In fact, I stacked up enough double bogeys to keep me focused on fixes for my next outing.

I was too conservative on my putts, leaving myself too much ground to cover on the second putt. Also, I was overplaying a few holes when I was left with under 100 yards to the flag. Playing a 9 iron instead of a pitching wedge under such conditions makes the difference between being on the green or just beyond the green.

I learned one lesson clearly and it has been on my mind since this round. I need to manage my shot selection and choice of clubs in order to set up the next shot. If I don’t do that well, then I’m bound to still struggle breaking 90.

Flooded Fairways and Stormy Forecasts

I saw it for myself. I didn’t have to see it on the local news report. I didn’t have to hear about from others on social media. I saw the fairways of Chula Vista Golf Course flooded like the Red Sea sweeping away the army of Pharaoh in its pursuit of Moses and the children of Israel.

Stormy conditions in the San Diego area have made playing golf a futile aspiration over the past week. Right after the flooded fairways were cleared of the water and debris left from the prior storms to resume regular tee times on the local golf courses, San Diego is bracing itself for another catastrophic level of rainfall and wind over a period of two days.

Conditions like this make it a good time to focus on fitness. Whether it’s hitting the local gym or following the lead of a Peloton instructor at home, you can work out and remain fit and prepared for the next time you hit the fairways. Maybe it’s time to conduct some upkeep and maintenance on your body in order to be prepared for your next round of golf.

My hope is that the storms come and go.

I’ve got a tee time scheduled for Saturday at Rancho Bernardo Inn in the North County area of San Diego. With this storm scheduled to pass away by Friday, I’m hoping for a sunny Saturday morning that could provide a decent round of golf and an enjoyable time with close friends.

I’m going to prepare for another shot at breaking 90 and keep swinging where and when I can.

#golf

Korda and Ko Faceoff in Playoff

Bradenton, Florida, provided the perfect backdrop for a battle that took the most recent LPGA tournament down to the wire.

What was at stake?

  • Lydia Ko was looking to finish up January with back-to-back victories and qualifications for entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame.
  • Nelly Korda was looking to win her 9th LPGA title before a hometown crowd at Bradenton Country Club
Nelly Korda grabbed her 9th LPGA win Sunday.

It was an intense weekend for an entire slate of top LPGA players. Korda maintained a steady lead with consistent play, while Ko and other contenders remained on the hunt for the top spot on the leaderboard.

That was about the story until Korda had multiple errors on a three-hole stretch going into the 17th hole. It cost her four strokes. Meanwhile, Ko powered her way into further contention as Megan Khang struggled to remain in the hunt and Korda dropped strokes.

That led to a playoff between Korda and Ko, requiring both players to replay the 18th hole.

Playoff Hole 1

Playoff hole #1 was totally dramatic. Korda missed a birdie putt. Ko worked her magic for an up-and-down par save. This forced a second playoff hole.

Playoff Hole 2

While Korda ended up long on the 18th hole this time, Ko ended up on the green. Victory appeared to be in line for Ko until her par putt lipped out. That left Korda enough room to bury her par putt and claim the victory.

Why All of the Hype Over LPGA Golf?

Top-ranked players don’t always deliver on their potential. Winning a golf tournament requires either steady or stellar play on the course over an entire weekend. Unlike many of their male counterparts, LPGA players are scrambling for less prize money and fewer endorsement deals.

The LPGA is currently in good hands. I say that with all kinds of confidence.

I’ve been a fan of Lydia Ko for a while, especially after the way that she finished off last season. Korda is one my favorites, too. And Brooke Henderson is bound to rebound and show us her stuff on the course once again.

Given the degree of play demonstrated in the final round at Bradenton Country Club on Sunday, we’re seeing golf greatness on display. As the Race to the CME Globe continues, Ko still holds the top spot with Nelly Korda the next closest player ranked at number 2. Sunday gave us a faceoff of the top 2 contenders for the season’s ultimate prize.

Other coverage of the Korda-Ko Playoff:

Finding Time to Practice

The driving range is notorious for being filled with people swinging like crazy and supposedly working on their game. The truth of the matter is that we cannot be sure of what progress everyone else is making on the range. The only thing that we can be certain of in this regard is our own progress based on goals that we have set for ourselves at one point or another.

My range practice sessions are narrowed down to 20 to 30 minutes nowadays. I focus on specific techniques. I spend a concentrated amount of time working on certain aspects of my game.

What I Do

I have been struggling with my approach shots going awry. I take to the range lately to work on mechanics for such shots, especially with my irons. I will get ahold of a 6 or 7 iron just to work on those shots that need me to focus my address and alignment to a target. For those shots at 100 yards or under, I’m looking at where the ball is at address in relationship to my feet. I use an 8 or 9 iron for such shots, and then I do similar work with a pitching wedge or a sand wedge.

What I Don’t Do

I don’t take my full bag to the driving range anymore.

I will grab 3 to 4 clubs and use only those for specific time allotted. i don’t need a full bag of hybrids, fairway woods, and a driver. I just need clubs that will help me work on the specific aspect of my game where I need more focus.

I won’t work on driving or hit the putting surface. When I work on my putts, I show up with just my putter and 4 balls. I focus on roll. I focus on contact. I focus on the feel. When I am working on my driver, I am focused on tee height and following through with a balanced stance. But that’s not every single time that I hit the range.

Am I There Yet?

Practice is a time-consuming venture. It takes time to match up your progress with your goals. It can get to you.

I’m going to keep things consistent. I’m going to keep working on my game. I’m still a work in progress.

Year-End Golf Game and Golf Goals for the New Year

During the Christmas break, I usually work in a few rounds of golf here and there. I was able to squeeze in a round at Carlton Oaks in Santee, California, the day after Christmas. This is a course formerly used to qualify golfers for their tour cards. I love the challenges of the front nine versus the wide open fairways of the back nine. You can plan out your approach and attack plan, but the angled fairways and elevated decks make adjustment a big part of the game.

I love how Carlton Oaks gives off a mystique of a course much older than its 1958 start date. Its first tee has you veering to right, only to quickly force you to dogleg left for a par 4. Launching my approach shot over the green, I lost my nerves and flubbed a chip shot onto the green. That forced me to put my pitching wedge to work around the back end of the green to come out with a double bogey.

From there on, the rest of the course gave me grief. Somewhere around the 7th hole on the front where I realized that my finish on my pitches and chips had too loose and light. After that realization, I added some changes to my chips and pitches. But those approach shots were killing me.

Finishing off the front nine, I messed up by using a fairway wood instead of a hybrid to carry my third shot over a waterway. The shot went wide to the left and barely still within the stakes. I scrambled my way to pitching a nice roller onto the green, but that wasn’t enough to save par or even get me bogey on a par 5. I walked away with a 7 on that hole and a bad attitude on the 10th tee.

The remainder of the scorecard tells a different story. I didn’t do anything drastic except cut down my double bogeys. I marked down a double bogey on 11, and then I pretty much settled down. In fact, on hole 16, I hit a par from the fringe muh like I have done in the past on the same hole. Simply cutting down those double bogeys, cut down an additional 4 strokes compared to the front nine.

A New Set of Golf Goals for a New Year

I looked back at this game and considered my golf goals for 2024.

Let me correct that with complete transparency.

I walked by the mirror coming from the restroom prior to my tee time. . .

. . . and I was disgusted at what I saw.

My belly was protruding out like Santa on an off day from his sleigh. Not that my multi-striped golf shirt helped any, but I looked a lot more like a lost Christmas ornament than a golfer.

I’m an athletic coach and a former athlete, so I surely did not like seeing my reflection at the moment.

I was reminded that one of my most popular articles of the past spoke of a focus on fitness. That gave me motivation to do more than try to just shoot for breaking 90. I was motivated to leave the course after my round and work on overall health.

https://twitter.com/RevBruceJ1/status/1743347631391375679/photo/1

Part of 2024 is going to include me running 5Ks again, maybe even that Hot Chocolate 15K, and daily pushing myself to take on new adventures in health. From food to fitness, I’m taking my health seriously to combat the effects of a poor diet of the past. If that means walking around a nearby downtown venue to speak to the homeless and get a feel for what type of outreach ministry that can take place there, then let it be so. If that means pulling on some hiking books or trail runners in order to hike a local peak with a group of folks who have been body-shamed and seek to create a new image of themselves, so be it.

In 2024, I’ve got more than just golf goals. I’ve got life goals.

Fun on the Fairways in Florida

I usually don’t get out of the state much to play golf, but when I do, I like to have an enjoyable time. Good people and gracious golf course usually make for a good round of golf. And, me being me, I’ll take that every single time.

On a warm and sunny Monday in December, I got an opportunity to play golf at MetroWest Country Club in Orlando, Florida. I thought that I had seen some picturesque courses in Southern California, but MetroWest had a luxurious feel of its own.

This par 72 course made playing it so much fun that I can’t wait to get back to Orlando and take another shot at it. I mean I’d bypass a visit to see Mickey Mouse or Universal Studios in Orlando for a chance to play this course’s wide open fairways and tree-lined gateways to its smooth and lush greens. Somebody said that there was a drought in Florida, but from the look of these fairways and greens, it looked like it totally missed this part of the state.

Did I get closer to breaking 90?

Nope. I was using someone else’s clubs and playing without a glove. We even started on the back nine instead of at hole #1. Breaking 90 was not quite in the picture for me that day. But I had a great time despite all of that.

What was working?

My drives were looking solid with the exception of about 3 holes. My putts from the off the fringe were conservative plays, but they kept me in position to make bogey many times. Taking a 5 wood off the fairway on long holes also proved to be working for me as opposed to engaging a hybrid.

What wasn’t working was the approach shots and uphill putts. I was coming up short too much on both. If I could have pushed about 3 more putts by half an inch, then I’d have dropped a few more pars on this course. But that’s just part of the game.

Special thanks to Cousin Lamar for hosting me in Florida. I was glad that he shared his clubs with me, especially that weighted putter that he laid on me for the day. It had an extra thick grip that I could get used to on the course.

I might not travel with my clubs there the next time, but I will definitely travel with an optimistic attitude and a strategic outlook to continue towards breaking 90.

I know that I still have some work to do as I come back from injuries and illness, but in the meantime, just keep swinging.

Back to Playing 18 Holes Again

How I Got Here

Imagine a cloudless sky overlooking an elevated tee box that leads to a wide open par 5 split by running water.

That’s how I got back to playing 18 holes again.

Normally, Cousin Robert comes to town and we get worked up over when we’ll play golf. Circumstances caused this to be a 1-round visit for our golfing together.

The last time he hit town and we played together, we got to witness some stunning swinging from Mark Teran in our foursome at Cottonwood.

Mark Teran swinging on the approach at a long par 5 at Cottonwood in San Diego.

We took on Mission Trails Golf Course in La Mesa, California. It’s a course with a variety of terrains. The front 9 is hilly while the back 9 flattens out and runs along Lake Murray for a portion of its course. This par 71 course is picturesque with green fairways and sand trap-guarded greens. It remains a go-to course for many golfers in the San Diego area.

How it Went for Me

Truthfully, the scorecard only tells part of the story.

I entered play with a nagging shoulder injury that had me stuck with limited motion on my right side. About 90% of my chips and pitches had me leaning into my left side trying to overcompensate for the injury. Truly, it only effected about 3 holes the entire round.

What Worked:

  • Tee shots were hitting the fairways most of the time (higher than normal)
  • Putts produced precision, not perfection
  • Some key recovery shots got me in position to have a shot at saving par or at least keeping scores reasonable

What Still Needs Work:

  • Approach shots with mid irons from 125 yards and further
  • Par 3 hole accuracy

Where to from Here?

I’m playing again with a cousin from the other side of the family on the other side of the country within a week. I think I’m going to squeeze in a short 9-hole session a few days this week before taking off for Florida.

In the meantime, like I said, I have to hit the range for some swings at 125 to 175 yards on the range. I used to be able to depend on my 7 iron up to about 150 yards, but over the years my range of motion has dipped a little bit. With my shoulder back to normal, I need to see where my mid iron game stands.

Until the next time, take care of yourself and hang loose. But most of all just keep swinging.

Shop Local and Online on Small Business Saturday

Small Businesses Need Our Support

Annually, on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, many of us celebrate Small Business Saturday. We go to the little mom and pop shops as well as some specialty shops to spend our dollars directly with local small businesses.

Share about local businesses on social media. Talk about your experience and interaction with ownership. Add an Instagram Reel or a YouTube Short about your shopping experience and encourage others to join in supporting local small businesses. You could even comment on a local neighborhood site The Patch or Craigslist to spotlight a small business.

Check out podcasts and YouTube channels focused on small businesses and entrepreneurism. Offer positive feedback and encouragement to content creators and artists sharing their work via online galleries and websites.

#ShopSmall #ShopLocal