"80 Hours & Some Change In The Car"

I picked up Johnathan Nielsen—my roommate last year at Clemson—in Charlotte, and we hit the road for Prince Edward Island, Canada. To break up the long drive, we stopped in New York City, where Coach Byrd connected us with a member at Meadow Brook Hunt Club on Long Island. The course was incredible and gave us a much-needed mental break from the road. We rode the subway into Manhattan and hit some of the classics: Times Square, Grand Central, and Hudson Yards. After the pit stop, we made the final push north. The house we stayed in up in PEI had a beautiful view, and the evenings around the fire after our rounds were some of the best memories of the trip. Ryan Pollman from College Golf Fellowship joined us for the week. He led a study, caddied for me, and walked through 2 Timothy with us during the sunsets. That time together—faith, friendship, and a view—was a highlight for sure. Going into Q-School, I was pumped. But Round 1 hit me hard. I shot an 82—my highest score in over a year. It was frustrating, especially after all the work and travel, but I stayed composed, which is something I credit to God’s steady work in me over the years. After the round, I went back to the range and felt something click in my swing. Over the next three rounds, I was able to bounce back with solid scores. After Q-School, I drove four hours to a Monday qualifier in New Brunswick. I was playing well—especially around the greens—thanks to some recent help from Colby Patton, a former Clemson golfer who really sharpened my short game. I saved a bunch of pars throughout the round, which is key in a Monday Q. Coming down the stretch, I knew I needed to eagle the last hole to have a chance at a playoff. The final hole was a dogleg right par-5. I tugged my drive into the left rough, but found a decent lie—211 yards to a front-right pin. I overdrew a 5-iron into the left greenside bunker. When I got up there, I had a good lie, about 16 yards out. I knew I needed to hole it to reach -5 and have a chance. It was a left-to-right breaker with a touch of cut spin—typical from that lie. I hit it absolutely perfect. It tracked the whole way... and lipped out on the high side for a tap-in birdie. I finished at -4. After posting an 82 just five days earlier, it felt like a win in a lot of ways. But the lip out on the last and missing by one shot? That stung.

The next day Johnathan and I packed up and left from Portland, Maine at 7 a.m., driving 1,100 miles straight back to Easley. I walked through my front door at 4:00 a.m absolutely exhausted!

Time to reset and figure out what’s next for the summer.