Short on luck...

Played in my first bogey comp today and didn't fair too well finishing -5. I didn't halve my first hole until the 11th and was frustrated by my short game. So many putts burned the edge or lipped out. A couple of chips caught the hole but rather than drop spun off at 90 degrees. A few beautifully struck approaches hit the green, refused to bite and rolled on over the back. Bad bounces kicked my ball behind trees and bad connections on subsequent shots meant I hit them.

On occasion the thought of I need this putt for a half entered my head and consequently the ball refused to enter the hole. My playing partners commented as another one refused to drop on 17 about how many times that had happened today. There are times when you just have to throw your hands skywards, offer up a prayer of apology and accept that it isn't going to be your day.

But despite all of that today was a massive positive. I struck the ball really well and was much better off the tee than I have been for a long time. I thought my way around the course, and my tempo was vastly improved. My short game might have gone AWOL but I can live with that. 38 putts which should easily have been more like 31 is seven shots in itself. I had a lot of chances to score today and I didn't take them but that's golf. Not the result I was looking for, another 0.1 back but I am sure I am heading in the right direction.

105 (71)
4(3), 8(5), 5(3), 8(4), 6(5), 5(3), 8(5), 6(4), 4(4), 6(4), 4(3), 6(5), 5(4), 7(4), 7(4), 5(4), 6(4), 5(3)