“Never fall to the mercy of excuses. Instead find the problems and create the habits that will have you accomplish your goals.”- VJ Trolio
Let me start by saying I still have a long, long way to go, and I always will.
But damn, that felt good!
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You must understand that as long as I am heading in the right direction competitively now, I am going to be pleased. I understand how insanely good elite golfers are, I understand what scores awesome golfers shoot, and I understand what scores are necessary to be competitive in the PGA Professional Section events that I now play in.
But I also understand where I was roughly four years and eleven months ago as I started this golf journey at the exact spot where I played my first tournament of 2024 this past Monday.
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I remember clearly the sight of that empty parking lot. It was an early Sunday morning in April 2019 at Timberton Golf Club in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. When I pulled in, there was not one car in the parking lot. I can’t remember if it was Easter morning or what, but I was there by myself, and I was ready to learn how to play golf.
I remember being on the chipping green behind the clubhouse, excited at each shot that I hit crisply and curious about each shot that I did not. I was just beginning a new life, one that saw me transition from being a banker in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, to being the only car in the parking lot that day in southern Mississippi.
I was making a ludicrous leap and an absurd bet, and I was blind in knowing what the possibilities actually were. But I started chipping, alone with my thoughts, and for four years and eleven months now, I haven’t stopped.
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When the 2024 Gulf States PGA Section tournament calendar came out, I immediately identified Timberton as the site of my first tournament of the year. Feelings of nostalgia greeted me warmly. I remember when I used to struggle to break 95 here five years ago.
The tournament format was not individual stroke play, but instead a more fun, less pressure packed mix between a four ball for nine holes and a nine hole scramble. But still, I got excited for the test. Let’s see how far I’ve come.
My boss/mentor and I play these two person events now, he a lifelong excellent golfer and me, a four year and eleven months work in process. He’s watched my progress, helped me with my game, and been very patient with me. This is a game where you can’t skip steps. You can’t suck and then all of a sudden be good. That’s why it’s a great game.
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My heart still races leading up to my opening tee shot, but I’ve found a way to handle it. I keep myself busy and occupied until it is go time, and then I walk up to the tee box, tee it up, then calmly knock the shit out of the ball. Monday, my first shot couldn’t have been hit any more perfectly: 285 yards and right down the middle. I could exhale.
It took me pieces of two holes to settle in and feel comfortable, but I did, then it was off to the races. For holes 1-9, I shot 38 on my own ball, a couple of missed short putts being my only blemishes. For holes 10-18, we scrambled, but as reasonably as I can estimate, I shot 37 on my own ball. A season opening unofficial 75 (ish) on my own ball and an official two man team score of 68 started my playing year off with a fulfilling smile.
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I hadn’t done anything spectacular all day. Good, yes. Really good, at times. Great, no. We were on our next to last hole, a par 3, and I had hit my tee ball to about 35 feet. I had an impossible putt, but hey, I practice impossible putts all the time. I looked it over, visualized it, hit it, and bam! We all yelled! Boom! One finally dropped.
I finished with a tap in par and exhaled. Did I really finally play an entire 18 hole tournament round from start to finish at a level that I deemed acceptable? First drive was great. Last three holes were great. Everything in between was more than satisfactory.
Did we really just finish smack in the middle of the pack (with me pulling my weight) in a PGA Professional Section event four years and eleven months after my being terrified of hitting the cars in the parking lot, had there been any on that Sunday morning?
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If you want to know what the journey really looks like, take this into consideration. I had a great day Monday. I was happy Monday. I was happy about Monday. I am still happy about Monday.
But I woke up Tuesday, and I literally couldn’t move. I fight my body every day.
And thus the improbable journey continues…
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Have a great week.-Benj
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