Finally, after 8 months of grinding, practicing, working out, and waiting, the national tournament is here! For the four of us who are seniors, this is our final collegiate experience, as our graduation was this past Sunday. We are simply trying to live in the moment and enjoy every minute of this week. We have had a great time the last two days playing both of the courses and getting ready for the tournament. It's nice to be able to swing a golf club without two or three layers of clothes on to stay warm! Two nights ago we went to a clinic with PGA Tour Professional Olin Browne and the Golf Channel's Tim Rosaforte. It was great to hear from, and be encouraged by, a tour pro before the tournament began. Last night we had the NCAA banquet, which is always a fun evening. This is the first year the men and the women are at the same site, so the PGA Village has been packed all week long. I think all the family, friends, and spectators are in for a real treat!
We got off to a good start today, shooting even par (288) as a team. Methodist shot a great round of 279, and we are currently in second place, nine shots back. Joey Polingo, who shot 69 in the final round of last year's national tournament, picked up right where he left off and fired a four under par 68. We can't complain, although we all agree we each left a few out there today. However, you definitely can't win this golf tournament on the first day, but you sure can lose it, so we are happy to be right in the mix of things. We are looking forward to tomorrow and doing what we do best...playing our game, one shot at a time.
For those of you following along on-line on Golfstat, keep your refresh button close by...the next three days are going to be fun! As always...
...Keep your head down,
Joe Daly
