KEVIN HALL
Blog: May 2013
“What’s Going On!”
Hello Friends,
I write to you as I return home from competing on the National Golf Association Tour in Seneca, SC and McCormick, SC. It was the first time I have competed on Tour since last November.
I had three weeks at home to prepare for the tournaments and during the last week before we left for Seneca, the excitement began to build. My father and I put in a lot of work at my home course, Glenview Golf Course and we had a lot of productive sessions.
We got to Secena on Sunday and I hardly got any sleep at all before getting up early Monday for a practice round. Dad and I got to the first tee just before 7:30 a.m. I remember standing on the tee looking down the fairway and watching the sun peeking out in the horizon. I told myself how blessed I was to have the opportunity to be back competing against some of the best players in the country. I put in a couple days of solid practice and I really enjoyed going through the preparation.
Cross Plantation Golf Club is a Pete Dye design and during the practice rounds, I found out how hard the course was going to be playing. The fairways were a little bit wet from the rain but the greens were going to take over the show for the week. Every single green on the course had at least two or three slopes which forced the players to hit quality approach shots or else they were looking at a three putt or a tough up and down. Not only did we have to deal with that, we also had to deal with the firmness of the greens.
There were some holes where you couldn’t even hold the green with a pitching wedge in your hands. I struggled with my tempo all week and hit some loose shots but my short game saved me. I shot 70-74 and made the cut. I faded a little bit on the weekend but it was a good experience.
The second tournament was in McCormick, SC at Savannah Lakes Village which is one of the Tour’s favorite stops on the schedule. The SLV community always create such a wonderful atmosphere for the players and the course was in magnificent shape. The week was extra special because of the couple that my family and I stay with when we come to Savannah Lakes.
Anthony and Phyllis Eaddy are two wonderful people that always go out of their way to make our stay comfortable and I can count on them to be out on the course rooting me on. They have become a part of our family and we appreciate their friendship.
The greens at Monticello Golf Club had changed from Bent grass to Bermuda grass the year before and they were brand new and that meant they were going to play firm and fast. I prepared well all week for the event but what I really enjoyed the most was the junior clinic that I was asked to participate in and playing in the pro-am.
I realized that when I spend time with kids and I see the smile on their faces when they hit a good shot, it really makes me feel good. My group for the pro-am was hilarious and we had a lot of laughs. Having had a tournament under my belt, I felt good about things. I hit the ball very solid and I hit a lot of quality shots. Unfortunately, because the greens were new, I struggled to read the breaks and I didn’t putt well. I did make the cut for the second week in a row and that helped build some confidence.
After five months away from competition, it felt good to be back and see the boys. It felt good to go out on the course and do my homework, make a game plan for the week. It felt good to stand on the first tee on Thursday and feel the rush of the competitive juices. It felt GREAT to be on the course executing shot after shot.
I made the cut twice on courses that weren’t playing easy at all. I still have a long way to go before I get my game to a point where I can peice together four good rounds but to come out and still play decent, that was very important for my confidence going forward. I have a week off and I will be spending it working hard on my game then I will play in the US Open Qualifier as well as two NGA events in Kentucky and Tennenssee. God has blessed me with the opportunities to be competing and I am very excited to see how I’ll do.
I will keep you updated on my progress. Please feel free to write me and leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you.
As always, I would appreciate any help I can get to make this the best year ever. To support me in my efforts, just send me an email to get in touch!
I welcome anything that you can do to help.
Have a Blessed Day.
Kevin
