Supercoach Kev had sent me some swing advice based on the swing I had emailed him. Modern technology is awesome with the ability to video my swing on my iPhone and email the swing to him. Making a slight change helped me feel a little more in control of the ball and head to the first tee with a little more confidence.
That confidence transferred to the course as I felt much more at ease today over the ball. Scoring wise it wasn't happening though with two bogies in my first four holes. The first of which was on the first hole where my approach shot pitched jut near the hole but I spun the ball back off the green and then down a hill. My pitch shot lipped out but I missed the downhill four footer for par after misreading the break. Faultless golf continued for the next three holes before I hit my first putt too hard on the fourth and subsequently missing the par save coming back. So two over through four holes and feeling like I hadn't done much wrong.
Nathan said not to worry as I was hitting the ball great so to just be patient and the birdies will come. I birdied the next and then had chances on the final four holes but none of the putts would drop, reaching the turn at one over for the day.
Birdies at ten, thirteen and fourteen helped me arrive at fifteen, the par five at two under par. I hit a great drive and had 211m to the pin. I decided to go for it but just leaked the shot to the right and found the green side water. A great up and down saved par and sent me to the tough closing holes in a good spot and good frame of mind.
Par on sixteen was followed by a bogie on the seventeenth before facing the daunting eigtheenth. I hit a great drive and was left with a six iron in to a pin tucked just over the front right bunker. My shot in looked superb but came up just short finding the deep bunker. With the pin only about 3-4m over the lip. Walking up to the green I said to Nathan that I just needed a good lie and hopefully an upslope to help stop the ball. We got that and I then said to Nathan "this is going to be a crowd pleaser!" The last hole has a big grandstand which was full on the Saturday. I played a great shot nearly holing it before tapping it in for par.
So a solid day and I went from tied 47th to tied 34th going into the last day. Hopefully my best round of the week to come!!