Today was day 1 of Q-School for PGA Tour Canada and was a big day for me and Eric who was caddying. I have been playing really well leading up to the event and felt great about my game. However in the two official practice rounds the last two days, I had a bit of a rough go. I was nervous, played tight in both rounds and was steering the ball the entire time. My confidence was shattered and I thought this week was going to be a disaster. But after a great night last night and some much needed confidence boosting from a new, wonderful person in my life, (to be named later), I woke up feeling calm and settled. Its an hour drive to the course, in which I had a long talk out-loud with myself. Through this talk I decided what I wanted out of today and the week. The expectation and pressure that I put on myself and that I get from others can be overwhelming. So I decided what I wanted out of this experience was to have fun and be free with my swing. That was all. The entry fee for Q-School was $2,500 and I was not going to pay all that money to be stressed, tense, nervous or pissed off all week. On the range, all I focused on was being free and letting go of everything else. I felt great on the range and headed to the first tee. I had a real sense of calmness on the tee and hit a great drive down the middle. After a solid par, I was off and running. I only missed 1 green on the front and shot an easy 1 under 35. I birdied 10 and eagled 13 to go 4 under par. The last 5 holes were back dead into the wind, which was blowing 20-30 mph all day. I started thinking about my score and got a little ahead of myself. I bogeyed 14 and tripled 15, which was a killer blow but I walked off the green smiling and told Eric I am enjoying the day and still having fun. After two more pars and a bogey on 18, I shot 73. It was a tough finish but I am happy with the way I played and how free I was. That was the goal and I did it all through the round except for a couple swings coming in. I learned a lot about myself and my game today and proved once again I have the talent to play on the highest level. I just need to keep having fun and staying free, which allows my swing to be natural and repeatable. For 15 holes I played very near my potential and it was an incredible feeling.
Having Eric on the bag was an immense help and I owe a ton to him. He keep me calm, in the moment, guided me through the shot and reminded me to stay free. I cant remember a time when I thought my way through a course so well, which was all his doing. We had a great dialogue and it allowed me to commit fully to each shot.
My mindset has completely changed from yesterday and I am looking forward to these next three rounds. I feel confident and believe in myself more than ever. Its gonna be a great week!
"On the other side of fear, lies freedom"
Scott Alpi
@scottalpi
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