Grinding Away

Its been a pretty rough couple of months with my golf. My game has been up and down like a yoyo and there just hasn’t been any consistency.

The NSW & Australian Opens were two of my worst performances for some time and after being extremely excited for a big couple of weeks I was left very flat and deflated after two sub-par performances. The lead up had been a little more positive with a win and second-place finish at 2 Pro-Ams (Elanora & Concord) and I was looking to take that momentum into the bigger events. But at both events, I got off to very bad starts and I felt like I was behind the 8 ball straight away.

After looking back at the 2 weeks I’ve learned a few things about my performances and what went wrong. I had built the 2 events up so much and had put so much pressure on playing well that I had taken away all the enjoyment out of the actual game. I play my best when I am enjoying myself out on course, talking and interacting with playing partners, etc

I played the Campbelltown Pro-Am the last 2 days and my results were marginally better than the previous weeks. I shot 72(+2) & 70(E) to finish T-17th. It was, however, a similar scoring pattern to the rest of the year….first day I made a triple bogey on my 3rd last hole and the second day I made a double bogey down my finishing hole. I am just struggling when I hit a bad one to limit the damage, it’s blowing my scores out of control.

There are 2 events left in the year, the Ryde-Parramatta Pro-Am tomorrow and then the Australian PGA Championship next week at Royal Pines. At this stage I am 10th reserve for the PGA next week, if it does not slide down to me I will pre-qualify on Monday. Looking to be more relaxed on course and finish the year strong.

There will only be a short amount of time between events over the Xmas/New Year period, it is looking likely that I will have to head back to Australasian Tour Q School in early January to secure some better status for the 2020 season. The Q School will be held over 2 stages, the first stage will be at Sandhurst Club and the final stage is at Moonah Links GC.

 

Tournament Update

It’s been a few months since I have posted something on here and there has been a lot happening during that time. Since the middle of August I have played tournaments in Darwin, Vanuatu, Port Macquarie, Tuncurry, Hawks Nest, Tahiti, Merewether, Wyong, Shelly Beach, Waratah and Kalgoorlie.

Been a pretty frustrating period really, game has felt really solid for the most part however I just haven’t been able to capitalize and put the scores on the board….yet!

The Tahiti Open was probably my best opportunity to post a good result. After opening with a 64 (-6) to take the lead I was unable to keep that momentum going. The week was very up and down, I finished the week at 282(+2)  and in T-11th but managed 19 birdies and 1 eagle in that….so the good stuff was awesome but there was just too much not so good stuff, too many silly bogies. Would highly recommend playing the Green Pearl Golf Course in Moorea if you are ever over there.

Last week saw me in Kalgoorlie for the WA PGA. It is a fantastic venue which is completely different to anything else we play on throughout the year. On the 6 hour drive from Perth you don’t come across much at all, so to get a championship golf course in awesome condition in the middle of the outback is something pretty impressive.

Day 1 we were faced with temperatures up around the 40* mark with gusty winds all afternoon, this was definitely an uncomfortable round of golf. Apart from 2 drives into the desert I actually hung in there pretty good…once you are in the desert you need a bit of luck to grab a decent lie. Shot 75 (+3) which left me in about 85th position and in need of a good one to be around on the weekend.

The morning tee time on Day 2 presented much nicer conditions, although I think anything would have felt better than the previous day! After making the turn in 33 (-3) I was feeling really good about what I was doing and felt in complete control. Really good chances on holes 10,11,12 and 13 slid by which hurt as I felt like I could have easily been a couple better. An average bogey on my 15th hole hurt but felt like there was still 3 good chances to come. Hit a great approach on 16 to about 4ft but couldn’t make the birdie to bounce back. Standing on the 18th tee I thought to myself that a birdie would probably be needed to be around on the weekend, my drive just drifted a little bit to far right and caught the fairway bunker. A solidly hit 8 iron from the bunker to the centre of the green gave me an opportunity for birdie from about 30ft. I hit a great putt which gave the hole a scare but slid by the edge and went to about 3ft…the next putt I hit will comfortably be one of the worst I hit all year. A very disappointing way to end the day and ultimately my week, it was easily a day that could have been 65 or 66 instead I had to settle for a 71 (-1) which had me at 146 (+2) and missing the cut by 1 shot!

That’s been a bit how the last couple of events have felt, if I can start to take some advantage on the greens I know that the results are very close to happening, I just have to keep putting the work in on the greens and stay patient.

There is still a big 10 weeks of golf left in the year, we still have 5 Australasian Tour events remaining,  Vic PGA, Gippsland Super 6, NSW Open, Australian Open and Australian PGA  as well as a handful of Pro Ams scattered in around them.

I’m confident that there are some low scores close by which will lead to good results. My next event is the VIC PGA which will be played at RACV Cape Shank in a weeks time.

 

Recent Results – PNG & Sydney Invitational

The yearly Tour stop in PNG has come and gone once again. This year it was my 11th or 12th trip up there and over the years I have had many good results so it’s always a couple of weeks that I look forward to.

The first week is the Morobe Open at the Lae GC. It’s a good fun course which is not overly long but rather tight off the tees, so keeping it in the short stuff is a must. I came out of the blocks firing, shooting 65(-6) & 66(-5) to be 1 shot behind going into the weekend. Day 3 was a big rollercoaster ride with many ups and downs. I started hot and was -4 after 6 holes whilst Brett Rankin who was the overnight leader played that 6 hole stretch +1….so all of a sudden I had a 4 shot lead!! From there things didn’t go as planned. I didn’t feel any different, wasn’t nervous or anything but things just didn’t happen for me. I made a soft bogey on the 7th hole from nowhere and struggled to get momentum back. I ended up dropping 3 more shots on the back 9 whilst Brett played the back 9 in -6…so the 4 shot lead disappeared to a 7 shot deficit. This was very disappointing however I was still in equal 2nd with a round to go. Knew it was going to need something special on the final day to have any shot at winning and over the first 13 holes I played some nice golf and had myself at -5 for the day. A couple of wayward drives over the concluding holes derailed any chance of making some birdies to finish and I ended up shooting 68(-3) to finish in 3rd position on 270(-14)

 The second week we were back in Port Moresby for the PNG Open, this event is part of the Australasian Tour schedule so its a great opportunity to get some money up for the OOM. Was confident that I could back up the play from the previous week so was looking forward to making it happen. The Royal Port Moresby GC is pretty different to Lae, there is a lot more elevation change and there is more shape to the course as well…the fairways are probably wider than Lae but once you are in the trees they are much harder to get out of, they are much thicker and denser.

Wasn’t able to keep the gameplay going from the previous week, battled so hard to keep the ball in play but just couldn’t make it happen. The story of the week was 17/56 fairways which around that golf course makes it extremely difficult to have a good score. Was proud of myself the way I was able to hang in there after continually missing the fairways, grinded my ass off and feel that I did really well considering where I hit it. Shot rounds of 69(-3) 72(E) 72(E) 70(-2) to finish in T-31st. Overall it was a successful trip to PNG, thanks to Wayne and James from Dunlop PNG for looking after me in Lae and to Judi & Mike in Port Moresby..I look forward to going back next year and having another crack to get the W over there.

After a week at home with no events to wind down after PNG the Sydney Meriton Invitational was on across 3 days, NSW, St Michael’s The Lakes were the venues.

Everyone plays Stableford and there is a team scratch and nett event as well. We couldn’t have asked for better conditions on all 3 days, Sydney really turned it on. I’ve got to be honest after the way I drove it in PNG the second week I was a little nervous with how I would go around these courses….they aren’t the friendliest off the tee!!

It’s funny how different things can be, after driving the ball probably as bad as I ever have my driver for the 3 days was overall very good, the last day at the Lakes, in particular, I drove it awesome. Scored ok for the week but felt as though I left a few shots out there each day. Shot scores of 33pts, 37pts, and 38pts to finish in T-13th

Thanks to my teammates for a great 3 days, Brad Fensom, Duncan Blyth and Danny Barton….look forward to another crack at in 2020.

Playing Update

The year is well and truly underway now after a busy month of golf. Have certainly felt the ups and downs so far with my game being really good at times whilst at others feeling very ordinary.

Started off in Toowoomba for the QLD PGA, this was my first look around the course and I liked what I saw and I was looking forward to getting my year started. What happened over the 2 days certainly left me scratching my head wondering what had happened!! It was 2 of the worst days of golf I have had in some years, could not get anything to go right and I was battling everything….the harder I tried the more it seemed to go wrong, obviously MC’ing and having the weekend off. Disappointed with how things had gone in my first event I flew back home to do some work with the coach in order to get back on track in the NZ PGA the following week.

A couple of solid sessions with the coach had me feeling better with my game, however I was still a bit shattered from my performance in QLD so was unsure what to expect. The NZ PGA was played at Pegasus GC in Christchurch, I had played there many years ago and remembered that I was a fan of the course and was looking forward to getting back there. Its amazing how this game changes from one week to the next…..from feeling like nothing was working at all in QLD my game felt like I had total control for the 4 days in NZ. Played really solid from tee to green all week and created many chances, probably shot the worst score I could have for the week which was frustrating but good at the same time, I felt as though I was heading back in the right direction. Scores for the week were 71(-1) 70(-2) 71(-1) 69(-3) T-28th

After returning from NZ I have been down in the Riverina for a week of Pro Ams. These have always been alot of fun as each course and community get right behind the event. Probably didn’t get the results I was hoping for as I have had success down there before and I felt like I was close to putting it all together. Although I did so much right across the week I was just a little inconsistent and not as clean as I would have liked, wasting too many shots which prevented me from shooting a real low one. Shot the below scores

Leeton Pro Am – 75(+3) 71(-1) T-37th

Griffith Pro Am – 70(-1) T-8th

Yenda Pro Am – 46(-2) T-16th **12 hole Pro Am

Wagga Wagga Pro Am – 70(-2) T-26th

In town for a week before heading down to Canberra for 3 Pro Ams, Queanbeyan, Yowani and Murrumbidgee.

 

2019 – Ready, Set, Go

After a great Christmas and New Year break where I was able to spend some awesome time with the family, the 2019 season is about to get underway. I was able to finish 2018 on a good note by finishing 15th at the Australian Q School Final stage in December which will give me a solid schedule for the Australasian Tour this year. The category I got out of Q School should guarantee me starts in the Australian Open and the Australian PGA later in the year and I am close to securing automatic starts for the VIC Open and the NZ Open. Either side of these events there should be about another 8-10 State based Opens/PGAs that I will get straight into.

In addition to the Australian Tour events I will still hold my status on the Asian Development Tour under the ‘Winners’ category. My aim will be to play 6-8 of the bigger events on that tour if it matches up with the Australian schedule. I will also keep my game sharp by playing in various Pro Ams across NSW/ACT.

First event on the Australasian Tour is the VIC Open which begins in 2 weeks time. I am currently about 10th reserve and I am hoping that over the next few days I will move up some spots. With the event being co-sanctioned with the European Tour it is hard to get the exact number of players that are coming from that Tour, so hopefully we move up and gain an automatic start. If I was still a reserve come next week I will head down to Melbourne on Sunday and attempt to Pre Qualify on the Monday at Portarlington Golf Club where there will be 3 spots for about 80-90 guys competing.

Looking forward to having a massive season, it has been a number of years since I held decent status on the Australian Tour and I’m confident that I can post some good results. Excited about the opportunities that will come this year.

Below is a link to the first part of my years schedule, I will update this as more events get locked in.

https://martindivegolf.com/schedule/

 

Australian Open 2018

What an awesome week!!

After not having played an Australian Open since 2013 I was stoked to Monday qualify for another crack this year. Getting through the qualifying round is never easy with 80 guys teeing it up for 3 spots so I was happy to have progressed through that.

The opportunity to play in your national open in your home town is something that I have wanted to do ever since turning pro, it’s something that I will remember for many years.

After qualifying on Monday the tournament rounds snuck up really quickly, however I was feeling good about my game and I was ready for the challenge ahead. The Lakes was in good condition and it was going to depend on the weather as to what the scores would be like.

Day 1 saw the worst conditions of the week, it was very windy from early on and as the day progressed we experienced some rain as well as the temperature dropping which made it rather cold. After a slow start I steadied things up through the middle of the round and got it back to +2 after 10 holes. Some poor swings coupled with some unlucky breaks saw me drop a few shots coming home and finishing with a 77 (+5). For a day where it was pretty tough conditions and i felt that i was struggling with my swing and timing all day i wasnt that far away from saving it pretty well. A few small putts were missed which should have easily been made and things could have been much better….but with the tough conditions I still felt I was a chance to be around on the weekend.

An afternoon start on Day 2 allowed me to have a relaxing morning and a really good warm up. The weather was much better than Day 1 and I knew that there were plenty of birdies out there to be made. I played really nicely the first 10 holes and had managed to get to -2 for the day and be back around the cut line. A good drive down the par 5 11th had me in perfect position to go for the green in 2….i didn’t even hit that bad a shot, it leaked a little right off the downhill lie and just drifted away to find the water…this was a momentum killer. I couldn’t regather the momentum and dropped a couple more shots coming home. Ended up shooting 75 (+3) to finish 152 (+8) for the 2 days and missing the 146 (+2) cut. Really disappointed to not be around on the weekend but apart from 4-5 shots I controlled my shots well and play pretty nicely.

Really enjoyed the week and I’d like to thank everyone for the messages of support. It was great also to have friends and family walk around with me for the 2 days, it’s a real buzz getting to play in front everyone.

Next event is Australian Q School Stage 1 at Riverside Oaks GC in a couple of weeks time. A good result there will see me progress to final stage the following week in Melbourne where I will get the opportunity to get a good card number and set up a good schedule on the Australasian Tour in 2019.

Recent Results & Upcoming Schedule

After having a little bit of time off after my last stretch in Asia the last few weeks have been pretty steady with Pro Ams up around the Central and North Coast. The disappointment of my last stretch in Asia still hurts and I am keen to turn my form around and finish the year on a high. Its been great being at home with the girls and they managed to take my mind off my poor finish over there.

I certainly feel like my game has steadied ship however I am failing to capitalize on a the good things I am doing. In alot of rounds I am putting myself in a great position but making sloppy mistakes which end up hurting alot as the Pro Ams are generally 1 round events. Very frustrating, it feels like I am getting beaten up every round and I have had the worse score I could have…but there are so many more positives as well. Feel like I am so close to putting it all together and getting the results I feel I should be having.

Recent results

Hawks Nest Pro Am – 74(+2) 16th

Muree Pro Am – 70(-1) 16th

Nelson Bay Pro Am – 77(+5) & 71(-1) 20th

Wyong Pro Am – 74(+3) 36th

Shelly Beach Pro Am – 72(+1) 11th

Kooindah Waters Pro Am – 75(+3) 17th

Morisset Pro Am – 71(-1) & 74(+2) 16th

Castle Hill Pro Am – 70(+2) & 67(-1) 8th

My game has been much more consistent which is what I was really lacking in my last stretch of events, I have managed to tighten it up, there is still more work to be done but I can now see that I am moving back in the right direction. My confidence is still a little low but I think that once I get a good round under my belt (one that I really finish off) it will give me the boost that I am needing.

My plans for the remainder of the year have now shifted a little as my time over in Asia on the ADT has finished for the moment. 2018 wasn’t that kind to me over there and I wasn’t able to carry last years form into any of the events I played. I also missed a large portion of the events which then caused me to apply too much added pressure on myself in the events I did play in. I’m certainly not done over there by any means, my win last year will still give me a Winners category in 2019 so I can play any of the events I want. 

My focus will now shift back to events in Australia, I will attempt to Pre Qualify for both the NSW & Australian Opens which I would dearly love to play. I will then head to Australian Q School in December and look to get my category back on the Australasian Tour for 2019. I am also looking at potentially heading to PGA Tour China in early 2019, the tour over there has grown over the past 4 years and Is now a place where you can play 12-15 events for decent money.

Below is a link to my upcoming schedule

https://martindivegolf.com/schedule/

Great time of year to really get stuck into the practice and playing with the warmer weather and longer days. It doesn’t take much to turn things around and whilst I don’t feel completely happy with how this year has gone so far it can all change in 1 week!!

 

 

 

 

PGM Northport Championship & Louis Philippe Cup

After having a couple months without any tournaments I was excited to get back to Asia to kick off the second half of the year. I had done some really good work during the break and I was keen to put it to the test in a competitive environment. First up in the 5 tournament stretch was the PGM Northport Championship in Malaysia.

 

 

Having my first look at the Glenmarie G&CC I was very impressed. Condition of the course was awesome and the greens were firm and fast. The rough was thin, however it was quite spongey so the ball would nestle down and it would be hard to control.

Got off to a good start by shooting 69 (-3) after not really having my best game, grinded away and made the most of my opportunities. This however would be probably my most comfortable round all tournament. The rest of the week was really difficult, I really struggled to put the ball in the fairway which had me hitting too often from the rough where I would get very little control on the ball. My short game and putting was my strength for the week and it really kept me in it. Ended up shooting 69 (-3) 74 (+2) 76 (+4) 69 (-3) 288 (Even) to finish in T-27th. Next up was the Louis Phillipe Cup in Bangalore, India

Having never been to India I was unsure of what to expect….but what I was met with was certainly not how India was described to me. Prestige Golfshire was the tournament venue and it was absolutely fantastic! It was situated about 45mins out of town and it is an awesome facility, really big, modern clubhouse with a top quality Golf course to match. Course was in fantastic condition and it set up perfectly to host a tournament. Being at the base of the Nandi Hills the course was exposed to wind everyday which provided a strong challenge.

 

I liked the way the course played, very strategic with a lot of emphasis on position off the tee so that you could have a good angle in for your approach. After a good practice round I was ready to get stuck in.

Following last week’s difficulties off the tee I had worked hard on keeping the ball in The fairway more so I could have better control over my approach shots, whilst I was able to do this a little more I still really struggled with consistency. My game for the week was so up and down and it felt at times like a lucky dip standing over the ball….really wasn’t sure what I was going to get. Pretty tough week overall and I shot 73 (+3) 69 (-2) 72 (+2) 72(+2) 286 (+6) and T-40th.

Whilst the results have not been as good as I would have liked there have certainly been a lot of positives to take from both week’s. Every round has felt like hard work so far but my mental game has been really strong and I have been able to grind it out and get in with the best score I could for the day. Have been behind the 8 ball a lot so far but during the second round in India I made 2 double bogies in the first 5 holes which placed me way outside the cut line however I was able to regroup and grind out a score to make the cut on the number….this was very pleasing as I feel that earlier in the year this might not have happened and last week I made the 3rd most birdies in the field  (19)….so there is plenty of good stuff happening.

Back in Malaysia for this week’s event at Sabah Golf Club. With a bit more consistency and a few less errors I’m confident that I can be in the mix come the back 9 Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

Frustrated

What a crap way to finish this stretch of events. Being back at a venue where I had a good result last year I was confident of playing well again.

What happened over the 2 days which led to a MC shooting 75 (+5) & 71 (+1) had me feeling the most frustrated I have been on a course for some time. Looking back at it now after a couple of days off I realised that whilst I did hit some horrible golf shots there where still stretches where I played pretty nicely, however when I was playing I did not acknowledge these periods, I was very caught up in the bad stuff. Normally I handle myself on course very well, stay patient and remain very positive but these 2 days were very different. I was very frustrated and emotional after every shot and at times I felt like I was fighting a losing battle….this is not what I normally do.

I feel that this being the last event after being on the road for 6 weeks it was a combination of poor play, a bit of fatigue and 6 weeks worth of frustration coming out . Back home now for a few days to recharge and refocus and get ready to go again next week. The beauty of this game is that now that week is over I can move forward and prepare better for the upcoming events.

I will be back in Bangkok, Thailand next week for the Betagro Championship.

Looking forward to turning the form around.

Been a Busy 3 Weeks

It’s been a big last 3 weeks for me with events in Lae, Port Moesby and Penang and currently in Phuket for the last event of this stretch. Have caught 10 flights over this period with a lot of time spent at the airport.

My game has been a bit hot and cold over this period with stretches of brilliance surfacing and at other times it has been very average. Over the last 3 tournaments (12 rounds) I have managed to make 57 birdies and 1 eagle however my total score for the 3 weeks is -12, there has just been too many bogeys and others. I have not been completely happy with how my swing has felt for the most part SO I’ve been very happy that I have been able to hang in there during the times that I have felt like it’s been a battle.

During last weeks event in Penang my game did start to feel better after a tough start to the week. Flying from Port Moresby on the Monday I arrived in Penang after transiting through Singapore with no golf clubs….this meant I was unable to have my Tuesday practice round I was hoping for. And with Wednesday starts in Malaysia I was going to be playing the course for the first time in round 1. I was able to work my way around the course pretty well considering and was happy with how I handled the situation. Apart from a 4 hole stretch to finish round 3 (+4 for those holes) I did feel more in control.

Back at Laguna Phuket for this weeks event and after having a great result here last year I am excited to be back in familiar surroundings. The course is looking fantastic and I can’t wait to get the week started. Looking to finish the 4 weeks off strong.

Results from the past 3 weeks

Morobe Open – 70(-2) 68 (-4) 71 (-1) 67 (-5) T-10th

SP PNG Open – 73(+1) 70 (-2) 72 (E) 75 (+3) T-47th

PGM Penang Championship – 70 (-2) 71 (-1) 75 (+3) 70 (-2) T-27th