Tuesday, June 26, 2007

"R.I.P. Tony Soprano"

My thoughts on the series finale of "The Sopranos" are now available at "The Matthews House Project." Follow this link to read the article.

Monday, June 25, 2007

2007 State Games of North Carolina

Ugggh.

I had hopes for a better showing here, especially since my highest rated tournament rounds were at a short course. (Though I did have comparably rated rounds at Zebulon.) It was a one day tournament, so I thought fatigue would be less of a factor and it was a short course. I just couldn't make a 10 foot putt all day (for birdie, anyways, I made a few 15-20 footers for par). I think that's just a concentration issue as well as being tired. There's no reason to miss putts of that length. (Instead of putting the disc you just open your hand and gravity almost immediately makes the disc drop.)

Plus it always seems like someone is having a bad round and hence in a foul mood.

Still, I did get the ace in my warm up round Friday, and any round below par is a good round, even if it's an 850 rated round.

Friday, June 22, 2007

One being the number of my strokes and the number of my strokes being one...

Career Ace #4

June 22, 2007
Johnson Street Disc Golf Course; High Point, NC.

Hole #16--White Tees--179 feet.
Disc: Champion Roadrunner
Witnesses: Cindy

Was I upset that I got the ace while playing a practice round for tournament tomorrow? I was not. The rest of the weekend is gravy.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Best...round...ever.

So I was fortunate enough to get paired up with Wes at tonight's blind-draw, best shot doubles at OT Sloan, and found myself on the winning team for the second time this season.

We shot a 40, which is, I'm pretty sure, my lowest round of disc golf, ever. (If it isn't, it's tied; Chris Temple and I might have shot a 40 at Higher Ground two years ago.)

What made this one especially gratifying is that I actually contributed to the team effort, making a few medium range putts, a solid approach on 11, and a handful of drives that led to birdies. I usually joke with Wes that my strategy is for him to shoot a -11 and I'll promise to get one of the seven holes he misses. There's more than a grain of truth in that, but I'm finally getting to the point in my game where I feel like I can be an asset to a pairing and not just along for the ride. I'm still not going to carry anyone to victory, but (I hope) I can let some of the better players be a little loose, knowing they don't have to make every shot.

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Im a...what's that other thing, you know, the opposite of a loser?

Probably less than twenty showed up for this month's monthly at OT Sloan (all up in Winston-Salem, I guess). Well, I heard the ace pull was over $200, so I figured I'd go play even though there wouldn't be enough players for an Advanced-Masters division.

Because it was a monthly (I guess) we did have a division of two Masters...but it was played as Pro Masters because that's what the other guy played. I figured, okay, only real difference between that an playing open was who I gave my money to. Well, I won. (Last tourny victory of any kind...not weekly doubles...2002 Shenandoah Shag Intermediate division.)

I did manage to place in the prizes at Advanced once in a monthly...but little did I know, I have now won a pro division. (My take...$8 [paid in $12 got back $20]).

Unfortunately nobody hit the ace pool, so back for doubles on Monday.