I mentioned in my last blog that my next tournament would be the Legends (previously the European Senior Tour) Qualifying School at the magnificent Gloria resort in Turkey. The format was two rounds of Stage One, with 40 players progressing to join the exempt payers in the Final Qualifying with a field of 72 golfers playing over 72 holes for 5 cards for the 2023 season.
I arrived early and got a good look at the course and had lots of time to practise. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised, but the tree lined course was set up at 7,000 yards with little run following a few days of heavy rain. It included several par 4s over 450 yards and 3 par 3s over water around the 200 yard mark.
I didn’t make it to Final Qualifying, but actually played well. I had so many chances on the front 9 on day 1 but just couldn’t get the birdie putts to go in. But the experience was amazing and I learned so much from observing and talking to my playing partners. It also reminded me just how much I’ve progressed and I was comfortable teeing it up alongside the others.
Golf wise, and having chatted it through with Coach Pete, I learned that it’s tough playing three and four irons repeatedly into long par 4s and long par 3s. My partners both played hybrid, with a bigger margin for error and a higher, softer ball flight. When they missed a green they were around the fringe. When I missed, I was generally left with a challenging chip to save par. So we’re off to experiment with hybrids!
That said, Coach Pete made the very valid point about preparation for the course and having the right clubs in your bag……more learning for me. I reflect on my preparation and while I looked at the course on Google Earth, I didn’t go into the detail of what clubs I might need. A good exercise now before all tournaments.
Another thing was: “trust in taking on the shot”. At all the long par 3s over water I was up the back of the green because my focus tended to be on clearing the water due to fear of penalty rather than playing the shot I would in a practice round. I was trying to allow for the chance of a slight mis-hit and also the cool air over the water, rather than commit to the shot that was called for. This resulted in a mix of pars and bogeys for the par 3’s.
So all in all this is what turning pro is all about: the chance to compete at this level over a challenging golf course. While, of course I would have wanted to make it to Final Qualifying, the experience and the way we were looked after was simply amazing.
Will let you know how the hybrids go…..
Calum