Sunday, December 6, 2009

Q School is in the Books!

If I said it once, I’ll say it again. Everything happens for a reason. My destiny is already set and it’s something that I have to accept. God’s plan for me is bigger than I even know and I need to realize that I’m not in the driver’s seat. Knowing and understanding that will allow me to have a good night’s sleep tonight. The past week and a half was a tough one but one that I would do all over again if I ever get the chance. Some say that Q School is grueling and intense, which it is, but I took a different outlook on it. I knew that if I enjoyed myself, I would play my best golf. Well, I was wrong…I didn’t play my best golf but at least I can look back on the week and say I learned a lot, made some friends, made some memories, and bettered myself as a golfer.

It was a unique week to say the least. I played four practice rounds and the tournament started on Wednesday. I started off with a 75-75, and was extremely frustrated with not selecting the correct clubs coming into the greens and then not being able to get up and down once I missed a green. I loved the way I hit my driver this past week. I don’t think I’ve ever hit that club as consistently as I have which is exciting. Being in the fairway makes things much easier, who would’ve known? The third round was Friday and we played the first 6 holes in dry conditions but things got wet quickly. Once we reached the 9th green, I hit my 20 foot putt then heard the sirens sound. We had to mark our balls and go in immediately because lightning was everywhere. We were all scattered throughout the clubhouse and waited and waited and waited until the rules officials decided that an ark was needed if we were going to keep playing. My posse went to see Brothers and rested up for a Saturday of 27 holes.

We woke up Saturday morning and received an email that we wouldn’t tee off until 1pm. Just an hour after that I received another email saying that we wouldn’t be playing at all Saturday. So we were able to watch Florida get their butts kicked and play many games of Two Bounce. I’m officially back in basketball shooting shape. It’s been a while but I can seriously say I want to try out for Sherri Coale’s team. I know she’s only down to 9 girls since Whitney Hand tore her ACL so I think I can come in and make a huge impact. I’ve been playing the wrong sport for so many years. Ask my caddy for the week how he liked my shooting. Not only was he my “b*tch” on the course but he rebounded very well for me as well. Hahahaha!! Just kidding! Chad and I talk a lot of crap to each other and that was one thing I mentioned to him while we were playing basketball. I sure hope he doesn’t think I’m a diva out there on the course. I had a lot of fun with him on the bag. We told my playing partners all sorts of things, made up stories of how we knew each other. People thought we were related but we both laughed out loud and for a long time at the thought of that. I call him dad now that he’s soooo old (35). I’ve known Chad since I was 9 years old so for me to be able to experience this week with him on the bag was memorable and a lot of fun. I was so comfortable out there and I could trust him. I gave him many heart attacks in the 4 rounds I played.

So I bet all of ya’ll are wondering how and when I finished my 3rd and 4th rounds. Well, we woke up bright and early this morning and I began my day tapping in for par on my 9th hole of my third round. I went on to bogey and birdie two to shoot -1 for the round and move up 30 spots. I was a happy girl and had a half hour break before we moved to the other course and played our 4th round. I was in good spirits and ready to make a lot of birdies. Little did I know that I would not make a single birdie for the entire fourth round. I had plenty of opportunities, hit great shots, hit 12 greens but shot an awful 79 to finish 3 shots off the cut. Looking back I would have done many things differently but thankfully it wasn’t bone head mistakes that I will lose sleep over. I know that I have enough talent to make it on tour. I have the right mindset to make it out there…I can control my emotions with the best of them. My nerves were in check all week and never played a factor in any shot during the tournament so I can be proud of that. I know success is a process and can’t happen overnight so when/if I do make it on Tour, I will appreciate it and know how hard it is to make it. I’m still motivated and still have the passion to give it my all to fulfill a dream.

Since I’m an awful person and didn’t make the putts, I screwed up my parents and Chad royally by having them switch our flight from tomorrow to Tuesday to go back home. …I thought I would be playing tomorrow so my mom changed the flights yesterday and now we are stuck in Florida until Tuesday. I guess things could be worse, we could be bored in cold weather in Oklahoma so I think we will see The Blind Side, possibly some putt putt, and definitely one last night on the basketball court. We’ve made some enemies at the pool by Chad’s air balls over the fence, bless his heart.

My thanks to everyone who kept up with me this week, who prayed for me and gave me encouragement. I cannot tell you all how much that means to me. I’m not done yet, I will keep chasing after the dream.

As Happy Gilmore would say, “Only 364 more days till next years hockey tryouts. I gotta toughen up.”

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Round One in the Books


#18 on LPGA Int'l Legends Course

Michaela and I on Daytona Beach

Chad and I in front of the sports medicine trailer

Welp, it's official. Round one of the LPGA Final Stage Q School is in the books. I've been here since Friday and played 4 practice rounds with my friend Michaela Cavener. The tournament is being played on two different courses so we had to use that many days to chart out the holes. I'll be honest, I have a horrible memory and sometimes won't remember certain holes until I walk up on the tee box. I guess that's a good thing, I won't be fearful of any shots while I'm back at my hotel thinking about golf....not to say I'm ever fearful. I have Chad Lamb, a past Greens CC assistant pro and now the head pro of Rose Creek in Edmond, caddying for me this week. I've known him for over 12 years now and we have played countless rounds together. He knows my game and in the 18 holes we had today, he learned even more. My advantage over others is distance but sometimes I don't trust it and will take more club to account for miss hits. Well, I guess I need to realize I'm a pro now and really don't have huge miss hits anymore. I'm going to do a better job tomorrow with it, that's for sure! We had a blast out there today even though I threw away shots here and there. Random thought but for those who play golf, do ya'll ever get songs in your head while you're out playing? I sure do. Today's songs were "Empire State of Mind" and "Run This Town" by Jay Z and I hate to admit it but "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga. I'll be sure and change up the songs tomorrow. I've got tendinitis in both ankles but they are going to hold up for me this week. Ice ice and more ice. I am so excited because our hotel has a lit basketball court so we were able to play "2 bounce" tonight. It's a Mike Dye original, one of my favorite basketball games...one that won't kill my body. We let my dad feel good about himself and win 4 of the 5 games but we will definitely have a rematch tomorrow night. I tee off early in the morning so I'm going to get in bed. I have good feelings about tomorrows round and am keeping my head held high even though todays round wasn't what I wanted. It's all a learning experience, I'm giving it my all, but know that the goal is to get better each and everyday. Thanks for everyone's support. I couldn't do it without you guys!

What I'm Reading: "I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell" ...I don't recommend this book but if you want a raunchy, raunchy read, this is it.
What I'm Listening To: "Play On" Carrie Underwood

Thursday, November 26, 2009

What I'm Thankful For

What I’m Thankful For:

My Heavenly Father

God has blessed my life in more ways than I’ll ever be able to count. I know that He has a bigger plan for my life and that He is in complete control. I am so thankful for the people that God has chosen to be in my life. I strive everyday to give it my all for and to God.

My Parents

Without the love and support of my parents, I would not be the person I am today. They have told me since the day I was born that I could do anything I put my mind to and have believed in me more than I have ever believed in myself. I know what I’m trying to do is expensive but my dad has not once brought it up as an issue. My mom works so hard at booking trips, packing, and making sure everything else is in order so I don’t have to worry about anything. I don’t believe anyone has it as good as I do.


My parents and I at the 2009 NCAA Regional Championship in Columbus, OH

My Family
I’m one lucky girl to have family spread out all across the country who keep up with me and are just as excited as I am with what I’m trying to do. I love them so much and wish I could spend more time with them.


My brother and sister-in-law, Adam and Jennifer with their puppy Lily


My mom's side of the family in Maryland this past spring

My Friends
My friends show me how to enjoy life and are one of the main reasons why I find the fun in everything. I will probably live a long life because of all the laughs I have with my friends. My three best friends, “The Crew,” doesn’t know much about the sport I play but that’s why I love spending time with them so I can escape the world of golf. I have sacrificed a lot over the years with my friends by missing birthdays and other big events but thankfully I have them to lean on when I’m in a not-so-happy mood.


The Crew

Coaches
I have had many different teachers and coaches over the years who have made a huge impact in my life. Carol Ludvigson, my coach at OU taught me so many things on and off the course that I will take with me until the day I die. I think of her every time I step on the golf course because she invested four years in me and molded me into a better player and person. I hope to one day follow in her footsteps and be half the coach she was. I don’t think there’s a better motivator than Coach Carol. The reason why I still have a passion for golf is because she taught me how to have fun with the game, and to remember that it is just a game. Brent Cryer, The Greens C.C. head pro is another coach I am so thankful to have in my life. I’ve known Brent since I was 8 years old and we have spent countless hours together talking about life, ragging at each other about sports, and working hard on each others golf games. I give him a hard time because every time I ask him for help on the range, it always turns into me watching and critiquing his swing. Brent is another huge factor in why I see golf and life as a ball of fun. He sees the bigger picture and reminds me daily that if I ever saw in myself what he sees, I would be unstoppable. If I make it big one day, I promise I will promote him to either write a book or host his own tv show because he is the most funny guy you will ever meet.


Coach Carol and I at the 2007 Big XII Championship


Brent and I at the 2007 Oklahoma State Match Play Championship

My Sponsors
Without the generous help of a few individuals I have known over the years, I would not be living out my lifelong dream. These kind people have taken a huge chance on me and have such a big heart to financially and emotionally support me. I will never be able to thank this group of people for the experiences and life lessons they are allowing me to have. I hope to one day be able to give back like they have for me.

My Teammates
In my 10 years of playing on golf teams, I have had the best teammates I could ever have asked for. They are my sisters and I have so many fond memories because of them. I miss playing on a golf team but I still receive encouraging words from them at every tournament I play in. I keep up with my teammates and will forever call them that because they pushed and challenged me into being a better golfer.


OU Women's Golf Team at the 2009 Betsy Rawls Invitational in Austin, TX


2005 Santa Fe Womens Golf Team

My list could go on and on about who and what I’m thankful for. I realize most people consider the game of golf as an individual sport. If you happen to look at the list above and see all the key players I have in my life, some might reconsider that idea. There is no way on Earth that I would be playing the game of golf, have the success I’ve had, and have the dreams I have if it wasn’t for the people in my life. It can be a lonely life out on Tour but I feel the love and support daily by the great people I have gotten to know over the years in my journey across the country. I thank each and every one of you who have followed me, encouraged me, and prayed for me. Any bit of success I have is a direct reflection of you.

I am off to Daytona Beach for the Final Stage of the LPGA Qualfiying School. The tournament starts December 2 and runs through December 6. There are 119 girls playing and the playing field will be cut down to top 70 after the 4th round. Top 20 will receive full exempt status to play on Tour next year, with the following 20 receiving partial status. I’m having my long time friend and head pro Chad Lamb caddy for me so it’s going to be a fun week. You can follow live scoring on lpga.com. Thanks everyone and God Bless!

What I’m Reading: Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life by James Blake
What I’m Listening To: Battle Studies – John Mayer

Friday, November 6, 2009

So Long Sunshine State!

Hey everybody! Happy November! I left Oklahoma in the middle of October and come back and it's well into November! I've been down in Lakeland, Florida for the past 10 days. It's been hot and windy but I can't complain. My skin got a little loving because of the UV rays except for the fire ants that attacked me yesterday when I walked alongside a hazard. I think they are going to leave a mark. A little side note here that I'm super excited about....I'm currently posting from 35,000 feet in the air ON AN AIRPLANE! I know this will be nothing new in a few years but I'm one excited girl right now. I've got the perfect little set up right now, I have an empty seat to the left of me with a little cranberry apple juice sitting on it's tray, I've got my mother remaining quiet to the right of me, and unfortunately I have a gassy little kid behind me but I guess that's what keeps it entertaining. We have a three hour flight to Dallas then on to OKC and I cannot wait to get home and see my little hairy dog, friends, and family.

I don't know where to start since I've been gone so long but I'll try to remember how it all went down. I chose to fly into Orlando this time because I've never been there and I grew up an Orlando Magic fan....Penny Hardaway was my favorite baller, that's why my dog is named Penny. We were not disappointed. As we drove to our hotel, we got a free showing of Disney's fireworks. The following four days I played practice rounds, trying to learn the four courses that the Futures Q School was being played on. The weather was nice, hot, with calm winds. I played three of my practice rounds with my good friend Lucy Nunn. We had bets going on for the entire tournament that were worth 25 cents. It's a good thing she's tight with her money or else I'd be broke!

I played with some really neat people this past week. One girl was on the Golf Channel's Big Break in Hawaii. She talked me in to applying for next years show...I'll keep you all posted on how that goes. Another girl was getting back into competitive golf because her husband had been killed in Iraq and she wanted to do something that she loved instead of being a manager at a restaurant. How inspiring is that? Other girls I played with were from Australia, Kenya, Columbia, Peru, Mexico, and Canada. I even played with a girl I call "Egg Roll" who's more American than me. She represents the asian homegirls out there even though she's from Dallas...she's just a wannabe Asian :) (She wanted a shout out so there you go Cung). It's a pretty sweet sport I play because I've got friends from all over the world. It was one of the worst weeks with slow play though. I'm a pretty patient player but I've never wanted to rip out my hair more than this week's tournament. 6 hour rounds can kill a person. I'm happy with how my game is going. I had three chip ins in my round today which is probably a personal best. I wouldn't know because I don't have a memory to remember but it was pretty special. I had a 4th chip hanging on the lip but I guess Jesus just wanted me to have 3 today...which is fine by me. I made a 35 yard pitch shot in my first round so 4 chip ins total is a great week to me. I had one horrific round in the middle of the week. For some reason, after going 73-70, I woke up the third morning with absolutely no confidence in my game and a head full of doubts. It's weird how the body works but I am working on understanding it, recognizing it, and changing it for the better. I'm going to meet with my sports psychologist in the coming weeks to get that sort of stuff under control so I will be healthy in the head for my next tournament.

Thankfully I played really well after my major hiccup round and made the four day cut and played well today, therefore I gained full status on the Futures Tour for the 2010 season. I have one more small tournament back in Daytona Beach, FL at the beginning of December. It's a small one that doesn't mean much at all....JUST KIDDING! It's the LPGA Final Stage of Qualifying School. Something I've been working toward for years and years. This past week really prepared me in knowing what I need to do next month in order to make it on the big tour.

Now while I was gone, I didn't just golf. I would go crazy if that's all my days were consumed of. We decided to go to Downtown Disney yesterday afternoon and go check it out. We took my friend Lucy with us and we had a blast. Since I owed her a few quarters from our bets, I bought the two of us these two foot Mickey pencils so that when we did our pin sheets on the first tee this morning, we might get some stares, maybe a laugh or two. I told her that if she shot under par, she had to use it at the scorers tent. They are hilarious looking so hopefully we can start a trend. I worked on sharpening mine for two hours last night and still didn't get it looking right so that's what kept me entertained for my six hour round today. My cart driver from Peru probably thought I was crazy. I also bought this sweet Jamaican guy keychain...I needed a new keychain because my mom said I needed to get rid of my OU lanyard...since I'm not an OU student athlete anymore :( I guess I needed a more mature, sophisticated one so I bought this:



Lucy and I got a little crazy at Downtown Disney...



Welp, we are about to land in Dallas then on up to OK City! I hope everyone is having a great week and an even better weekend! Boomer Sooner!

What I'm Reading: Lovely Bones
What I'm Listening To: Lady Antebellum

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Leaving Town

I'm off once again back down to Lakeland, Florida for the Futures Tour Qualifying Tournament. This is my second go at it and hopefully I can play a little better than I did last year. We are there for 9 days but it's going to be a fun time because a lot of my friends will be down there playing as well. You can follow our progress at www.futurestour.com.

I've been home for less than a week but I'm ready to get back into competition. I've enjoyed being at home for a short time, seeing friends and family once again. I'm still going strong with the P90X workouts, I'm on to week 3 now. I got a massage tonight and he mentioned that I've definitely gotten better with my flexibility so I'm happy with that even if I haven't lost a whole lot of weight yet.

I'm seeing "This is It" with my friend Mindy tonight so I'm really excited about it. I hope it's as good as everyone is saying it is. Welp, this is a short entry but I figured I should let everyone know where I'll be for the next week and a half. The first round starts on November 2 and runs til November 6. I have to head home that night because there's a big wedding on the 7th that I'm soooo excited about! I hope everyone is staying healthy and enjoying the cooler weather!

What I'm Reading: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
What I'm Listening to: The Blueprint 3 - Jay Z

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Hey Hey From Our Nation’s Capital

Welp, Mama Dye and I have found our way to Bethesda, Maryland this week. We flew into D.C. yesterday and were welcomed with some wintery temps. I played a practice round by my lonesome yesterday (which I secretly love to do) and jammed out with a little with Michael Jackson. Girls were looking at me like I was smoking crack. Some people take state opens a little too serious. My mom and I drove around and around until I took control and said we are going downtown for dinner! We got some grub and she was a happy girl because she got her ice cream fix for the day. You know, that lady has an addictive behavior. It used to be Sonic Diet Cokes but now that the doctor said no more for you, she turns to ice cream like it’s going out of style. I started doing P90X this past week and these ice cream trips have got to stop! By the way, I officially completed my first full week of P90, only 13 weeks left. Holy moly. People laugh, but you know if I’m going to be on Tour next year, I don’t want to get embarrassed by Wie Wie. This 5’4 frame has got to hold her own.


My high school friend Rosie and my Aunt Cathy

#17 Par 3 at Bethesda Country Club

#9 Par 3 at Bethesda Country Club


#2 Par 3 at Bethesda Country Club
I had my first round of the Maryland Womens Open today. I had a late tee time, which I love, so I slept in and woke to the sound of the deliveryman with my hot breakfast. I promise you, my life sucks. ☺ My longtime friend/high school teammate Rosie, came to watch me for the first 9 and I felt as if I was playing sloppy. I decided to get even sloppier when I made the turn. I actually felt a little anger flare up but I decided that’s no way to be out on a golf course so I decided to go birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie, lip out birdie putt and made par. The birdies were more exciting for the gallery than for me because I just wanted to erase all my nastiness that I had done earlier. I shot 75 and I’m 4 shots back of the leader. My crazy Aunt who also came to watch told me tonight at dinner that I have to make 18 birdies tomorrow, but to not put too much pressure on myself. Ha! Easier said than done but she predicted my birdie string today so we will see if she’s right again. I’m off to bed but will check back in tomorrow when we make our journey over to Winchester, Virginia to see my grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins. So excited to see them!


What I’m Reading: Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
What I’m Listening To: Michael Buble, Crazy Love Album

My bad...

Hey everybody,

I’ve been meaning to write but it has taken me a while because I have been a busy little girl. Now that I am on the road again, I have time to update!

A quick little refresher of the past 2 weeks (this is more for my own self because I have the memory of a 90 year old thanks to a large consumption of Diet Coke the last 22 years):

My parents and I went the OU-Miami game and sat with the player’s families. I’m pretty sure everyone knows the outcome of that game so we will just leave it at that. Flew back home to OKC to some freezing cold temps. I completely missed the transition of seasons and my sun burned skin wasn’t prepared for goose bumps and under armor. I took off a whole week because I was slightly tired of golf, okay, realllllly tired of golf. Heck, I played for 3 straight weeks without a day off, my muscles and bones were aching.

I spent some time with my brother and sister-in-law, with friends, and catching up on some sleep. I was able to go down to Norman a few times and see the team and hang out with them at the OU-Baylor game. I sure do miss being down there and I really miss the convenience on game days…driving down from the city on a game day is no fun at all!



I’ve been having some problems with my left hand so I talked to a few OU trainers and it looks like I have a ganglion cyst underneath my left pinky finger. I told them I was just going to take a needle to it because it’s pretty painful but they freaked and said NO! …I was only kidding but I want to do something to it so it’ll go away, any suggestions?

Anywho, I was able to run/walk in a 5k marathon for Race for the Cure. I wasn’t exactly excited about paying money to wake up at the butt crack of dawn on a Saturday morning to run that many miles in freezing cold temps but once I got there and saw how many people had shown up, I decided I was where I needed to be. I was with my best friend Whitney for the whole 3.1 miles and we had a blast! I am now going to look into doing more 5k runs and see if I can actually run the whole thing and do it in a respectable time.



I played in a fun 4-man scramble with my long time friend Reece and I played from the ladies tees. I probably wasn’t supposed to play in it, especially from those tees but I had taken a full week off so I was rusty! Reecey and I went on to the Thunder game and sat with some friends and saw Taylor Griffin and the Phoenix Suns play. It was a really fun day and I was able to catch up with some of my favorite people. I saw Couples Retreat with Mindy (waste of money) and Law Abiding Citizen with Cung (I recommend!) and spent the rest of the week practicing and playing at my club and down in Norman.

I decided to watch the OU-Texas game at home even though we had a flight out of DFW at 8am Sunday morning. I’m kind of glad we chose to do that because now I know that I’m not the reason why OU loses on the road. I just found out that we aren’t even ranked in the top 25 and I’m not sure what to think about that. All I want is for Sam to get healthy, maybe get that surgery so he can swing a golf club again and move on to the big leagues. People are always going to remember him as a Heisman winner, one of the best quarterbacks college football has ever seen, and more importantly a stand up guy who is going to be successful no matter how his NFL career goes. Okay this post is getting way too long. As Al Eschbach would say seeeee yaaa!

Best Caddie in the World

I feel like I should tell people my secret. It’s been on my mind lately, as a lot of things have, and I think everyone would benefit from hearing it:

September was the month of LPGA Q School. Very strenuous, very long, very tiring. California’s sectional did not treat me well and so I was shipped off to Florida for a second chance. I had a rough first round but knew that if I kept going, and kept up the good attitude, things were going to turn around, they would have to.

I was told before I left for California that my destiny was already set. I wouldn’t be able to change it, and to just enjoy the ride as it came. I believed the man who told me that because he is a man of faith and has also been successful on Tour for years and years and knows what he’s talking about. He also told me that no particular golf shot was life or death, which comforted me in knowing that no single shot had greater importance than another.

When I arrived in Florida and met my caddie, I knew that something wasn’t right so I decided to play the whole week on my own, or so people thought. I knew that this would be my last shot for an entire year and I didn’t want to have any distractions or excuses. When people saw me playing that week, they only saw me hitting the shots and only me driving the cart. Little did they know that I had the best caddie in the entire field that week. Some can call me crazy but God was with me every step of the way. I know that my good shots are because of Him and my bad shots are because of Him. When I put my ball in jail, I truly believe that God helps me out of there. I’d like to think we are a pretty good tag team. When I put my approach in the water on the 72nd hole, I knew that my chances were slim to none for qualifying for the final stage. I was so grateful for being in that tight situation, for playing tough for 4 straight days and I knew that God was teaching me a lesson for my future. As the time passed and I saw my name jump up into the top 30, I thought, “geez that was a wonderful lesson but man, I promise I’m a fast learner and can take it with me to the Final Stage for this year!” Sure enough, I made it and my destiny was written in a dramatic fashion.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7

You know, when I was watching the OU-Texas game the other day, most would say that Colt McCoy struggled in the first half. I saw that after a 3rd and out he was running off the field and he pointed to the sky. I knew right then what he was thinking. No matter the situation, praise God, stay patient and things will turn out alright. Things turned out alright for Colt and the Longhorns but I just thought that was an awesome sight to see when he could have been down in the dumps. No matter what you are doing, stay tough, stay positive, and give God your absolute best.

I have one more story that’s been on my mind that people may or may not believe but I’d like to share it:

My good friend just lost his dad in a car accident. I was in California when it happened and when the funeral occurred. I knew his dad and what a fun guy he was so I knew that my friend had been hurting. I spend a lot of time at my club with him and so last week we decided to play 18 holes together. He hadn’t played in a few weeks due to the recent events so I figured it would be good for him to get out and play. Right off the bat he started off strong and found himself a couple under par at the turn. Every time he made a birdie or made a great shot, I thought of his dad. I’m really not sure if he thought the same thing but it just made me sad to think that if he wanted to call his dad after the round to say he shot in the 60s, he wouldn’t be able to. It broke my heart because I report to my family after almost every round, especially if it was a good one. On the other hand, it made me smile every time he made a great shot or a birdie because I knew that his dad was able to see every single swing. On one tee shot, his ball was heading straight for the creek and he got a little upset but I told him, “Hey you never know, you might’ve gotten lucky!” Sure enough, we drove down there, the ball was sitting pretty and he goes on to make par. He got a lot of breaks that round and made a lot of good shots as well. He’s a talented golfer but I just can’t help in thinking that his dad was on the bag for that round and I’m pretty sure he will be on there for a long, long time.

(He shot in the 60s if you were wondering.)

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Halle...Lu...Yuh!

When most people think of Q School they think of the horror stories of missed tap ins on the 72nd hole, they think of going into the water or out of bounds late in the tournament, or they think of missing the cut by just a shot. Believe me, I'm well aware of those stories without having to read the books that have been written. I walked off the 18th green yesterday thinking I was a victim of that awful recurring story.

I was in the first group off for the final round and began with a bogey. Something that I haven't done in quite some time. I recovered with a birdie on the par 5 fourth but followed that up my putting my approach on five into the water for a double. I knew that I had plenty of golf left so I didn't press. I made another long bomb on the ninth for a birdie to go one over at the turn. I can promise you this, I don't remember the last time I hit my irons so poorly. I don't know what was up with me this week but they were nasty nasty. I am pretty sure I hit the ball better as a middle schooler than I did the past few days. I had a really dumb bogey on 11 but came back with a great birdie on 14. I was trying not to get ahead of myself but by being one over with four holes to play, I thought one more birdie would be a great round and give me a good chance to make the cut. I felt like the entire day was a struggle and to be able to score around par would show that it doesn't matter how I'm hitting it, I can find the hole other sorts of ways. I had birdie putts on 15, 16, and 17 but failed to make them so I went into 18 wanting to hit driver but decided to go with the three wood since I had only used my driver twice on the back side. The driver worked well for me all week but for some reason, I used the three wood. No regrets I thought....

I aimed out the right side of the fairway, relying on the big ol' draw I had going this week but it didn't come back to the left so it stayed in the right rough. I get down to my ball and it's sitting down in a crap lie. I have about 162 to the flag with all water to carry and wind that was not in my favor. There is fairway over to the left that goes all the way to the green but I gave that option about 3 seconds and then went back to deciding what club I was going to hit. As soon as I hit the 5 iron I reacted negatively by seeing that ball come out low and short and I did not want to see it splash. I went down to the water, dropped another, hit a 9 iron up and over and two putted for double. The life and energy was completely out of me as I walked off the green. I shook my head and could not believe what a bone head mistake I had just done. That is what a caddie is for, but I should be more experienced to know that I should hit over to the left side, rely on my up and down game and worst case scenario take a bogey and go tally up the scores. But instead I went for it and shot 75. One of the worst decisions I have made in my golf life. I will promise you all that I will never do something like that again.


I think Jesus was shining on me here for the birdie putt


Sitting here in shock, not believing what I just did on 18.

My parents and I left the course and I was planning on going to pack up and head to Miami for the weekend but instead we went to grab some lunch and watched the leader board on our phones. At first my name was one shot below the cut line and I figured that would be a great lesson learned for myself. But as we finished lunch, I jumped ahead of the cut line so I looked at it and tried to figure out how I could be bumped back down below the cut line but it was looking like there was no way that I could be dropped. So we went to our condo, packed up, and headed back to the clubhouse and watched as the news became official. I had made the cut by one! I was so drained that I didn't really celebrate, more relieved than anything. We had a mandatory meeting to discuss the final stage tournament in December held in Daytona Beach, FL. I'm so thankful that there is another day and something to look forward to through the fall.


Izzy B and I representing the Sooner Golfers at Q School

My parents and I drove through Alligator Alley and made it to Ft. Lauderdale. We moseyed on over to Hollywood Beach and walked the boardwalk and found an open air restaurant to eat a late dinner. There are some crazy lookin' people in Miami and it makes you feel kinda normal ha! I went to bed before 11 and never heard my dad snore and never heard the train outside my window go "choo choo!" I think I was a little tired.

We are up and ready to go to Miami Beach, maybe take a little visit to Dash to see if the Kardashian sisters are in town. It's going to take a while to get to Land Shark Stadium tonight because of the traffic so we will head over there pretty early. Say a prayer for my Sooners, my road record is not very good so if we come out on the short end then I promise not to go to another road game this year, especially not the Big 12 Championship because I'll be in Daytona Beach! Thank the good good Lord!!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Swine Flu in the Swamp

Welp, I think I'm officially getting sick. I started feeling like dog doo yesterday on the course. I almost ralphed on 16 green yesterday but held it in thankfully. Not sure what my problem is but I'm not eating much so that's great news! I am thinking it's swine flu because I've had bacon every morning for breakfast. Ha just kidding! I just finished up my third round today. I made the cut last night which was great news. I started off the tournament with a 77 and followed it up with a 73 yesterday. I played pretty steady today...at least it felt like it. I only hit 9 greens which is not a good stat at all but I shot one under so I guess I loved my wedge and putter today. People that know me would be shocked to hear that statement out of me.

I read Play to Play Great by Dr. Rotella this past weekend and I highly recommend it to every golfer. It has some great things in there and I've taken it to the course. It's not an overnight change but by putting his ideas into practice really makes golf a lot more soothing and enjoyable. I hit some nasty shots out there today and afterwards my parents thought that I was losing focus. I think it was because I didn't react in a negative way to the bad shots. One thing Dr. Rotella said was you have to understand that you are imperfect and are bound to make mistakes. I am trying to forgive myself quickly for my shortcomings and understand that those things are going to happen. There is never going to be a perfect round of golf so in order for me to improve, I have to be the best caddie I can be for myself. Like I said in my earlier post I got rid of my caddie this past weekend and I'm thinking that might have been a good move because I've been really focused and I have no outside advice. I kind of like that. At first I was a little leery of how this week might go but people kept telling me, "you've played plenty of tournaments without a caddie and won so don't be so dependable on a caddie." I just had such a great experience in Palm Springs with my caddie so I guess I found out this week that I can play with or without one!

My dad has been with us for the past four days now and he has added more entertainment to the group. My parents are troopers for watching me play tournament after tournament. I sure hope I have as much patience with my kids as they do with me. I think they are enjoying their time down here but we are all ready to get back home and see our dog Penny and the rest of our family and friends. I feel like we have been gone for a month, which we have!

We are taking my dad to Sharky's tonight to eat seafood on the beach. We have been going to the beach everyday and getting seashells. Yesterday my dad and I got in the water and it felt great! One more day of being in Venice and then we are heading east through Alligator Ally to Miami and resting up for the big game Saturday night. I just learned that Sam won't be playing which might be a smart move. I've got all the faith in Landry, it's the big boys blocking for him that worry me.

All of my aches and pains are holding up so far, I just need 18 more good holes and then I can take it easy for a few days. I moved up a billion places in the last two days and am only one shot back of top 30. I love coming from behind so this should be a fun day tomorrow. I'm curious to know what's wrong with my ankle so I will go down to OU next week and have a little visit with the trainer. Back in the day when I was ballin' for the YMCA, I told my dad (who was the coach) that my foot was really hurting and I needed to see what was wrong with it during a timeout. He told me "not now Kendall! Wait 'til halftime you gotta go play." So I was an obedient child and went back out and played. At half time I took my shoe off and there was blood everywhere. Somehow I got a staple in my shoe or sock and it was lodged in my foot. To this day, my dad has not forgiven himself. It's hilarious to all of us now but danget I will play through pain!

Well, we are leaving Panera and heading back to the range to figure out this dang swing of mine. Hope everyone had a great week! Be sure to tune in to ABC and look for us at the game! Boomer Sooner!

What I'm Listening To: I warmed up to the dirtiest song ever, praying no one could hear my music but I'll admit to you all what it was...."Every Girl" by Lil' Wayne. I'm pretty sure the next song on shuffle was a nice Christian song.

What I'm Reading: No energy to read this week...recommend The Last Song by Nic Sparks...it's my fav!


Teeshot in round 2


My parents at the beach

My gallery...Randi was a little too close to the gators...hope she made it out alive!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Call us the Gypsies

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been so long since I've last updated. We are down here in Venice, FL for the LPGA Sectional Qualifier. I was in Palm Springs last week for the first sectional and unfortunately did not make the top 30 so that is why I'm down here this week, getting a second chance to make it to the final stage in December. Since I missed the cut in California, my parents and I drove back to San Diego for the weekend to stay with my aunt and uncle. It was a nice and relaxing weekend, full of home cooked meals which were amazing. The LPGA was playing at Torrey Pines so I called up my friend Petra who I met in Hawaii last year and happens to caddie at Torrey and she hooked us up with some free passes. It was pretty neat to get up close to those girls and see them play. The sad thing was, the crowds were awful. Something needs to happen fast before the LPGA disappears for good...can Tiger help some girls out??

We came home for two days and I was able to have a birthday dinner with my three best friends and another birthday dinner for my brother and our families. I had a great time with them at night but worked hard during the two days with my head pro Brent Cryer. That guy may struggle with his own game on certain days but I'm so lucky to have him help my game. A lot of credit goes to him because he works hard to help me improve my game.


My best girl friends out for Whitney's birthday dinner.


Adam was happy with the golf shoes I bought him.


Crazy Lily! She put a hole in my face two seconds after this picture was taken.

My mom and I flew out last Thursday morning to Tampa and drove down in a storm to Venice, FL. We are pretty adventurous for two girls so we found a restaurant called Sharky's on the Pier and had dinner there. It was in the middle of nowhere but on the ocean so the scenery was great. And I can't forget to mention that watching drunk old people dance is probably the best free entertainment you can get. Since Friday, I've been playing practice rounds and sweating gallons and gallons. Palm Springs was hot but this place is like a hot shower. It's rained everyday and the course can't take much more. I have a feeling that in the morning it will be lift, clean, and place.

I've gotten to play some rounds with my good friend Sydney from Edmond so we have had fun with that. Friday's round was the first time I've ever been scared on a golf course. We were on a teebox and look 50 yards down the fairway and saw a Bobcat running! What a coincidence that the course name was called...The Bobcat!!! I held on to my 5 iron the entire hole and got to the next one to see a huge alligator in the water! I promise you I will have a dream about sharks or alligators by the time I leave this place. The courses are alright and there's only 113 girls this week so good things are bound to happen. I was planning on having a caddie this week but it didn't work out so I'm doing this all on my own. I think it will be good because I will have no distractions and can take 100% responsibility for my game plan.

My dad is flying in tonight so my mom and I are driving back up to Tampa to get him. I don't think he has a clue how hot it is going to be. He's been used to the 75 degree OKC weather. I am paired up to play with my friend from Pasadena for the next two days so we should have a good time. There's a cut after Wednesday and then two more rounds are played. We will drive down to Ft. Lauderdale Friday night and get rested for the big ABC Saturday night game with OU and Miami. I'm not putting money on the game but I have good feelings for us and hopefully Sammy B can get back out there and play! I hope everyone is having a great week and adjusting to the fall season. Until next time...fairways and greens!

What I'm Reading: Play to Play Great by Dr. Bob Rotella and True Believer by Nicholas Sparks
What I'm listening to: Miley Cyrus....it's true. :(

Friday, September 18, 2009

Done in the Desert


Welp, this pretty much sums up my time spent in the desert. Temperatures reached up to 109 and my skin was loving it. It's a shame that my feet didn't get any loving.

Today was the second round of LPGA Q School and once again, I got off to a good start. Hit lots of greens and made lots of pars. I wasn't hitting the ball the best on the range so I decided to take my little 3/4 knockdown shot to the course. I think that was the smartest decision I could have made because I didn't have all these swing thoughts running through my head like I did late in the round yesterday.

My caddie and I talked about my round yesterday and came to the conclusion that I didn't play bad at all. I had an unlucky break with a lost ball off the right side of the fairway and one or two loose tee shots. I believe it was Hogan who said that you only have 5 perfect shots in a given round so overall, I was happy with how I played. I'm getting better and better on bermuda greens and my putting stroke feels solid right now.

I learned in the last two days that it takes robotic golf to make it out there. It doesn't necessarily have to be perfect golf but just ho-hum fairways, greens, two putts if not one putts. Take your pars on every hole but capitalize on the short birdie putts when they come. I know that I have it in me to do this, it's just a matter of time of putting it all together.

My caddie John was awesome this week. One of my all-time favorite caddies. He knows that course like the back of his hand and could read putts super fast. He swore he would teach me how to plumb bob but he never did. I am trying to figure out a way that I can fly him across country next week so that he can caddie for me down in Florida for my second chance. We worked well together and I think he enjoyed his time out there as well.
This is my awesome caddie John and I after the second round. He wore his Sooner red to represent for me.

After my round today we drove out to the west side of Palm Springs to ride a tram up a mountain. Unfortunately they were closed so we drove over to the northeast side of town and found Thousand Palms Park I believe. It was out in the middle of the desert and had lots of tall palm trees and some walking trails. We were the only ones out there and mountain lion signs everywhere. I was thirty years younger than everyone else so I figured I could out run them all.




My mama in the palms

My aunt way down there
We are heading back to San Diego for the weekend. Going to the beach tomorrow and cooking out tomorrow night. Going to relax and enjoy some college football. My friend who plays for San Diego State who I met in Hawaii is hooking me up with two passes to the LPGA tournament at Torrey Pines so my dad and I are going there on Sunday. We fly home Monday. I'll have a quick two days of practice and birthday dinner with my brother then head to Venice, FL on Thursday. Hopefully I can fly John out there to caddie for me once again and play solid for four rounds. I'm looking forward to it! Thanks for everyone who kept up with me this past week and sent warm wishes. I really appreciate your kind words out here on the road, it means a lot!!!!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Day One in the Books



Well, I had my first qualifying round this morning and it was one that I would like to have back. I got off to a great start. Parred the first(which was the tenth hole), birdied the second. Had some lip out birdie putts but was chugging along just fine.
I get to the 18th hole at Dinah Shore, 80 yards out, and didn't hit it, put it in the water for a double. It kind of interrupted my nice, easy round but one over at the turn was going to be okay with 9 more to play. I get to #2, par 5 and pull it almost out of bounds, I made a great par there and get to the third and pull another well out of bounds and make a triple there. I get to the fourth and push it out to the right, and we never found the ball. Kind of weird because it was just trees and grass, with 10 people looking for it. I go back to retee and hit it in the same spot, but found it just fine and proceeded on to make a double.

Best drive of the day

I get to the next hole, par 3, hit a good 6 iron to 20 feet right. We overread it and went on to three putt. Next hole, par 4, hit a chip up to 3 feet and as my caddie said "damn bermuda," missed it. Made a great up and down par on the 7th hole and 3 putted the par 3 eighth. I will tell you, I miss the bent greens but there is absolutely nothing I can do about that. Everyone else is playing on the same course with the same conditions. Thankfully I almost holed out my last shot on number 9 and made a birdie to finish off the day. A big 'ol 80. I thought those days were long over but I did accomplish one goal of starting out great. It's a shame that I started thinking/doubting my swing that was working so well for me on the first nine. It's looking like tomorrow I'm going to have to fire at almost every pin and see if I can come away with a stinkin' low round. I know it can happen, I just need to trust that little swing of mine.

My gallery of the day, plus my dad, plus Kathleen Sullivan, an ABC News anchor...don't be fooled, my mom isn't that tall.

So you're thinking my day at the course is over, let me tell you, it was far from over. We go straight to the scoring table and tally them up. One of the girls in my group easily shot in the 90s, if not in the 100s. It was a long and tedious day because of that. However, when she said "I had an 86," I did a double take, "saaayyy whhaatt?" So for the next hour, we went hole by hole, arguing, nicely conversing and finally agreeing to a 91. I'm pretty sure it was much more than that. This girl had loooonng blonde hair, not pulled back, no hat, no sunglasses, and it was 109 degrees outside. I'm not sure how she did that but I'll say it took talent! I wanted to go off but I held back and sat there for AN HOUR! If you shoot 88 or more, you are automatically DQ'ed so that's why she was trying to plead an 86. We will be in a twosome and I will be making it rain. If not, then I will be heading to Florida on my brother's big 25th birthday and making it rain over on the east coast. Until then....

Monday, September 14, 2009

Howdy from the Hills


Well, I've officially made it to Palm Springs, CA. This is my first time here and I really like it. We flew in to San Diego and drove two hours to get to our home for the next week. I met my caddie John yesterday and played in a practice round with a long time Edmond friend Sydney. The course was nice and the pace of play was even better. We finished in three hours and I was able to catch up on a little sleep in my nice Westin white down comforter bed. Heaven! If I make it big next year, I might have to invest in the whole set, it's amazing!


This morning I woke up and my mom made me breakfast. She's a good personal assistant! Got to the course and played the Dinah Shore course with two nice girls from Australia and Illinois. I liked the Aussie's accent but she apparently thought mine was much better, I have to strongly disagree with her. I wish I had a cooler one. I've played well the past two days so I'm taking the next two pretty lightly. Maybe 9 holes each day and good solid practices. My dad flies in Wednesday night and my aunt and uncle are bringing him on Thursday so that will be fun. It's going to be his first time to see me play as a professional. I'm glad I'll have both of my parents here with me. Not many girls get to have both parents out so I'm fortunate. Well, I'm pooped and that bed is calling my name!


Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Countdown to Q School

Well, well, well, look at me again. I have failed yet again on updating this dang thing!!! I tend to have very eventful days in my life but by the time I get home at night, I am just plum tired! I will do my best to recap the last few weeks of my life in an efficient, yet entertaining manner. Here we go:

On August 29, I was the maid of honor for my very good friend/college teammate Jaclyn Stelzer. It was a wonderful weekend down in Norman with old teammates as fellow bridesmaids. Jac was by far the most easygoing bride I've ever been around and it was sooo nice! I gave a speech that night which made the crowd chuckle a time or two. I am proud to say that my song request, "Cupid Shuffle" got everyone off their feet and had an absolute blast! It was almost like the scene in the classic movie "She's All That" with Freddie Prinze Jr. where everyone was dancing right on cue. I hate to admit it but I was sore the next day from dancing...

This past weekend I traveled down to Arlington with my good friend Megan to the OU-BYU game. We had 8th row seats which were amazing and ended up getting on the jumbotron 3 times! That place is indescribable, everyone should make it a personal goal to go see a game in that stadium. Ridiculous. Unfortunately, the Cougars came out on top and left a sour taste in every Sooner's mouth. For me personally, I couldn't be too upset because they were a classy bunch, players and fans alike. We shot ourselves in the foot and brought the loss on ourselves.


For some reason, I was not too upset. I wouldn't call it a lack of being competitive but maybe I'm maturing, or just realizing that there are more important things to worry about in this world. This is not because we are 0-1 and I think the season is a complete loss. I haven't given up hope. However, my mindset might have changed once I saw Corey Wilson rolling his wheelchair out on the field for the first time. It gave me more chills than any opening OU football video I've seen. It was so neat to see him out there, shaking hands with the other players and at the coin toss. It put everything in perspective for me. He was out there for a reason and I think we should be reminded that a loss in football is nothing compared to having a healthy and enriched life. After seeing him, I had a calmness about me, whether that be because of Corey, or the sweet comfy leather chairs we were sitting in, or the lovely BYU fans surrounding us, but I knew that the outcome was already decided before the football was first kicked off. Hopefully Sammy B will recover fast and get back out there for us.

Anywho, to change sports to the actual one I play, I have 8 official days until I tee off on my first hole of the 2010 LPGA Qualifying School in Palm Springs, California. It's being played at Mission Hills and starts on September 17. There is a cut after the second round with two more rounds on the weekend. Top 30 and ties go on to the final stage in December in Daytona Beach, FL. If I happen to not have my A game in Palm Springs then I will head to Venice, FL on September 24 and play in the other LPGA Q School Sectional on September 29-October 2. The nice thing about that trip is that OU happens to play Miami in Miami on October 3 so I will just have to finish that trip off with a football game!

I've been doing my best to use all the resources I have around me in order to prepare myself for Q School. I decided that I needed to play with some extremely good players and positive players leading up to California so I called some local pros and they were so kind to play with me this past week. Tim Fleming had me out at Oklahoma City Country Club which was great and Jim Woodward hosted me at Oak Tree National this morning. Both guys were wonderful to play with and gave me great advice about what to expect in the coming weeks. I've been working hard with my head pro Brent Cryer and I feel pretty good about going and playing solid golf.

I've got two golf dates tomorrow which will consist of 36 holes but will have a much lighter schedule going into the weekend. Quick shout out to Lucy Nunn in this weekends LPGA tournament in Arkansas. Be sure to watch out for her! Also, Milena Savich, out of the University of Georgia, representing her team well in the Hooter's Match Play tournament this past week. And last but not least, the OU Womens Golf team heads down to Bryan, TX to play in the "Mo" this weekend. Good luck girls!!!

What I'm reading: The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
What I'm hearing: Kings of Leon

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Buckeye Country!

I hope everyone had as good of a week as I did! My most recent trip was to Defiance, OH. It is a small farm town in the northwest corner of Ohio. I was told that by my personal assistant (my sweet little mother) that we would be flying into Ft. Wayne, IN and driving over to Ohio. Hoowweeverr, once we flew into Cincinnati, I looked at the television screens and saw that there were not any flights to Ft. Wayne. I panicked for about 5 seconds until she started dragging me away and had a funny look on her face. Turns out, she surprised me by flying us to Indianapolis! Many of you probably do not know this but I tried all summer long to get up to Indiana to see friends but my plans kept changing and I never made it up there...until now!


We landed in Indy and we drove to meet my really good friend Milena for lunch. I directed my driver (my sweet little mother) in the wrong direction so that took away time from hanging out with Mel. We finally made it and had a super fast lunch with her before she had to leave and get ready to move the next morning to her new home of Athens, GA where she is now a Bulldog!

Mel and I after lunch in Carmel, IN


We drove on to Defiance and quickly realized that we should have stayed in Indianapolis. There was absolutely nothing to do! We saw Julie & Julia one night. Get this...two movie tickets, two popcorns, and a large drink = $14. That was about the only good thing in this town. That's okay though because we were here for the golf!


It was a two day tournament and I must say, I really enjoyed myself. I played with some neat people and played well. I ended up getting 4th so it was a worthwhile trip up north. Once again, I don't know what the pay check is going to be because I left without finding out. It's kind of a nice surprise when I get it in the mail. In my last round, I was paired with Katy who I played with in my first professional tournament at the beginning of this summer. She's an Aussie and absolutely hilarious! We have basically played in every tournament together this summer. Australians have a decorative language and I must admit that four letter words tend to make me laugh so as you can see, we laughed a lot:


Once the tournament was finished, we booked it back south towards Indianapolis so that we could make our flight the next morning. We stopped in good ol' Muncie, IN to see my teammates hometown. The sad thing was my teammate was already back in Norman for summer school but I still got to experience her home and see her awesome family! We had a good time and they ordered me my own Pizza King pizza! It was pretty dang tasty so if anyone is ever in that part of the state, I recommend getting one for the road. I had to get a picture with the family dog Bear just to prove that I was in fact in Funcie/Muncie!
I've been home for a few days now and have spent time catching up with friends and trying to earn some cash here and there by giving lessons and working junior tournaments. I've learned that I love being on the road and I love being on the go. The new school year is approaching and I can't believe that I'm not down in Norman getting ready for it. It's going to be a good change for me and I'm excited to buckle down and start preparing for Q school. I leave on September 13th for Palm Springs so I have a few weeks to tune my game up. I hope everyone soaks up the last bit of summer before the school year gets in full swing. Until next time!


What I'm reading: The Art of Racing in the Rain
What I'm hearing: Eric Hutchinson "Sounds Like This"