Toronto, EH?

Hello again from Canuck/Maple Leaf -land!

Following the conclusion of the CN Canadian Women's Tour event outside Montreal, I drove back to the airport and flew to Toronto to spend the weekend with friends. I really enjoyed playing Toronto Golf Club with them and getting in some good practice between tournaments; what a treat! I had never been to Toronto before but I liked it! It is a very clean and pretty place, but like all major cities it definitely has its traffic problems, so make sure you leave early enough to make your tee time! I remember the first time I was in Heathrow Airport in London. I felt tiny in the massive terminals and that's also how Toronto's main airport made me feel. I appreciated the friends' hospitality and had fun meeting some of their friends as well. I even tried a new South Carolina themed drink called Boot Scootin' Bourbon, which was still tasty up here North of the border. Practicing and recharging between tournaments while visiting familiar faces is invaluable when traveling to multiple events in a row... And who doesn't love great food, awesome company, and a big fun sailor dog named Monty? I can't wait until I can come back to check out more of this cool busy city!

Off to catch my tiny propeller-plane to the next event Windsor, Ontario! 

Brooke

Wait, I mean't "Merci", not "Gracias!"

Bonjour! So in my first trip to the Great White North, I flew into Montreal and expected it to feel like the Northern U.S. but maybe hear a little French. Well, when you play a course out in the country 90 minutes Southeast of Montreal, you hear a LOT of French. It wasn't always the case but I was surprised to walk in a couple small restaurants and find that only 1 person spoke English in the establishment. There were a few good laughs when I replied, "gracias", without hesitating to a gentlemen holding the door for me. Apparently when I'm in a place where I know English is not the main language, I automatically switch to my 2nd language, Spanish. Haha  Anyway, as for the golf...

It rained a lot! Surprise, I know. (Note the sarcasm there for my 9 tourney trips in a row with dramatic rain). After 4 days of rain in a row there before I arrived, then a nice dry practice round, it started raining the night before the 1st round and did not stop until after I was done playing. I was actually excited to play in it since I'm used to playing in so much rain now and thought the conditions were to my advantage. However, I unfortunately did a poor job of managing my frustrations during the soaking rain. One thing they did that I had never seen before was grounds maintenance crewmen squeegeeing greens between groups while we were playing. Although finding relief from standing water and casual water was difficult, I kept telling myself to stay patient. After the round, I realized "thinking" and "doing" are two different things. I managed my game decently in the first 9 holes, and actually got up & down for par 6 holes in a row. However, when I finally hit a green in regulation on #12 and then aggressively three putted from not feeling the changing wet speed of the greens outside 5 feet in 7 holes' time, I let my frustration consume me. I would let it go to hit a good tee shot, but then while telling myself to commit to the next shot I actually began to expect the same kind of missed approach shot. I bogied several of the closing holes and left myself somewhat behind the eight-ball heading into the final round. In the 2nd/Final round, I was poised for a comeback in my first 9 holes, making sure I stayed committed to my targets and in the moment on every shot. I sadly fell victim to results-oriented thinking again with 5 holes left in the round, and put too much pressure on myself to make birdies. Yep, you guessed it, I closed with a few bogies that caused me to finish in the bottom of the money list for the tournament.

I really learned a lot from the experience of managing my mental process and emotions in those incredibly soggy rounds. The golf course was a great design that I enjoyed, and I left knowing that I had to make staying patient, and thinking of nothing but committing to my target before every shot, my main focus upon which to improve before the next event. Next time I'm in Quebec, put your betting money on me keeping my emotional energy consistent in how I approach every hole that I play. "Brooke, par is always a good score!!!!"

Learning & excited! But time to go rest... "Je suis fatigué."

Brookie B.

 Practice Round

 

Final Round

How to practice "trashy" pitches after your practice round, knowing it will be soggy the next day....

I'm guessing this place looks a lot different in the Winter! Eskimo-land road signs.

On the way to the course through the country back-roads...Mini llamas/alpacas shaved so it looks like they're wearing UGG Boots! Absolutely hilarious, precious, weird, and epic all together!!! :)

 

CT Open

I got back from the Women's Connecticut Open a few days ago and I'm enjoying a nice week of practice now before heading to Canada for my next events. The trip to CT was fun because I got to visit a lot of cousins that I had not seen in over a decade, and I was especially impressed that even my great uncles came out to walk the course and cheer for me! It was also a great tournament, as I finished 4th overall and 2nd in the Pro division to finally cash my first solid check as a new professional golfer.

I wasn't very pleased with my mental game in the first round, hitting many of the same types of misses because it was almost as if I expected them to happen. Though I tried to let go of any anxiety in a swing thought, I remained somewhat frustrated throughout that round, salvaging par from very thick rough. I realized later that night that I probably rushed too much when I started feeling frustrated on the course. Actually, I think I spent too much time making decisions, and then rushed through my pre-shot routine too quickly. The next day I arrived at the course with one single mission; to remain more calm or consistent in the rhythm of my pre-shot routine. I did not want to play any slower, but rather trust my instincts more in making quicker decisions, and then feel calmer while walking into the shot. Thankfully, that difference helped tremendously and immediately improved my ball striking. I was -3 under par at the turn, and although I had a few hiccups on the back nine I was proud of myself for staying in the hunt. I left CT feeling very encouraged and glad that I learned the importance of keeping a consistent pace in my pre-shot process. Next on the tournament schedule is a Canadian Women's Tour event near Montreal, then another in Windsor, right across the border from Detroit. I can't wait to tee it up again!

Have a great week!

Brooke

Prep for CT Women's Open

I flew to Hartford, CT yesterday and went straight to Tumble Brook Country Club to play my practice round for the Connecticut Women's Open May 28-29. I was a bit in shock at first because it was very cold and windy but the course is a neat design. It has some rolling hills and fairways that slope drastically from a high side that kicks golf balls down to a low side. The course is in great shape, and a bit wet, so the bent grass rough is thick and plush. I'm still hitting the ball well so I'm looking forward to practicing more today before teeing it up for the 36 hole championship Tuesday and Wednesday!

Brooke

Symetra Tour in Asheville, NC

Well continuing with my busy couple of weeks, I drove to Greenville, SC Monday night after I finished playing in Atlanta, then drove to Asheville, NC Tuesday to register for the Symetra Tour's event that week, the Friends of Mission Charity Classic. Before teeing off in the 1st round Friday, I had barely stopped moving... From Orlando, Greenville, and Atlanta, to then all the events associated with the tournament in Asheville, I was having a blast. I enjoyed the Pro-Am cocktail party, giving a clinic at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, and playing in the Pro-Am at CC of Asheville. There were even wild turkeys all over the mountainous golf course that I loved watching strut around. (For those that do not know, I was on a turkey hunting TV show in high school).  I was very confident in my ball striking and hit 14 greens in the 1st round Friday, but my score did not reflect that because I had 5 three putts all due to poor speed control. Luckily a great friend, along with my caddy, changed my putting setup and posture drastically after that round so that I could release the putter head more consistently.

Saturday I tried to feel like I stood much taller and crowded the ball in my putting setup (see pics below). I hit the ball beautifully, finding 16 greens and making 6 birdies on the way to a 69. I definitely had my chances but ended up missing the cut by 1 shot. Though it hurt to miss the cut by 1, ironically it was a very encouraging experience because I saw how well I can compete when I remove the horrendous 8 three putts in 36 holes. I am very grateful for my friend that changed my putting setup, my caddy that helped me believe in myself, and for all the people that came out to watch and support me. Also, another special thank you is due to the tournament sponsors and other individuals that helped me secure the invitation into the event. It was a great experience, a great week, and I'm moving on to become a better putter knowing I belong inside the ropes!!

Next up, the Connecticut Open May 28-29!

Brooke

U.S. Open Qualifying in ATL

Wow, busy busy busy! After flying back Thursday from my last tournament round at Reunion Resort in Orlando, I practiced in Greenville for 2 days then drove to Atlanta Sunday for a practice round at Druid Hills golf course. I'd never played it before but absolutely loved the long, challenging, hilly layout. Thanks to a great friend who helped me figure some stuff out on the course Saturday before I left, I was able to explain expectations to my caddy, Director of Instruction at the Cliffs, Sean Kennedy, so that we had nice communication during the U.S. Open qualifier Monday.

I played with the medalist, Jane Park, and really enjoyed competing for all 36 holes Monday. I was excited to play against a tough field of 95 that included a lot of LPGA players. We played basically non-stop for about 10 hours trying to grab 1 of the 8 spots into the U.S. Women's Open. I hit the ball well and fought hard all day, making 6 birdies and 1 eagle when I hit a 4 hybrid to a foot on a 511 yard par 5, but unfortunately also had a few tough holes that caused me to shoot 74, 74. I missed a playoff by 1 shot and missed a spot in the top 8 by 2 shots. I wish I had qualified but I'm proud of how hard I fought all day and how well I kept my mind in the moment. I definitely have lots of positives to take with me to Asheville this week!

BB

Happy Friday! I just got back from 12 days in Orlando and I'm looking forward to a couple full days of practice to prepare for my upcoming events. Next up is the Women's U.S. Open qualifier in Atlanta, followed by the Friends of Mission Charity Classic in Asheville, NC, which is a Symetra Tour event. I am continuing to work on my process of picking the right targets and committing to every shot. On a sunny day after a practice round last week at Grande Pines golf course in Orlando, a good friend and supporter of the women's Tour showed me his full set of old fashioned hickory clubs. He plays twice a week with them and challenged me to hit them... I nearly asked him if he wanted to trade 5 irons! Haha It's amazing how much club technology has changed! Hitting hickory sticks, persimmon woods, and even a mashie with a bamboo shaft made me appreciate the scores and swings of golf's legends. Although I hit them well I think I'll stick with modern materials for now, but it's always fun to go old-fashioned for a little while!

Have a fun weekend!

Brooke