
Date: 16th - 18th August 2012
I had been thoroughly looking forward to this week. My first home tournament which mean't family and friends could come and watch. I had also heard great things about the condition of The Buckinghamshire and it certainly didn't disappoint, what a lovely place. The greens were by far the best I have ever seen this year, they were like snooker tables; pure and fast.
I was also lucky enough to have Neil on the bag this week, which gave me the opportunity to relax a bit more, think less and just do as I'm told. :)
We came up with a good plan to tackle the course, I had started to hit some better golf shots and was generally feeling more positive about things. The only niggle was a tight left forearm, I had it checked by the Tour Physio who gave me some acupuncture and strapped it up for extra support.
Despite being a little anxious on the 1st tee, I felt good. I was slightly bewildered by a careless bogey on the par 5 2nd, but I was determined to refocus. I dropped a couple more shots, finding myself 4 over through 9. I was on the edge of tears. I was getting more and more uptight. It was at this point I discovered why my left forearm had given me some issues; I had been gripping the club so tight that I was putting a strain on the muscle! I managed to return home much stronger, finishing with a 75 (+3). I had left many silly shots out there, I knew there a good score to be had out there.
I started well, giving myself a great chance for birdie on 11 (my 1st), but it narrowly slipped by. I made up for it by hitting my approach to the 12th to 2ft to secure my 1st birdie of the day. I finally felt some momentum, which unfortunately was quickly extinguished. It was a downward spiral from then on and my confidence had taken a beating.
I was so desperate to have a good week. I wanted to do so well, especially at such a great venue. For some reason, missing the cut this time was even more of a disappointment to me.
This was a time to take some advice and get myself back on track. Somebody on the outside looking in, who could point me in the right direction. So that's what I did....