August 3 - I competed in the Boston Open at William J Devine Golf Course in Dorchester, MA. My first experience in the event. It consists of multiple divisions, pro and amateur. The pro field attracts players from out of state and is some serious competition. The first place score was 66 (4 under par). My preparation for this event was not top notch. I wasn't well rested and nutritionally deficient. Shot 77. I still hit many good shots and got around the course fairly well for never seeing it before. Temps were in the 70s. It was windy. Course conditions were very good. Another solid Donald Ross piece of work; would have been helpful to see the course due to some blind tee shots and lay up requirements.
This tournament was a great mix of fun and competition. The tournament staff, including starters, scorers, etc. were very enthusiastic, nice, and welcoming people. I look forward to coming back.
Keep remembering the good shots,
Kurt
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Club Championship - Final Two Rounds - Too Many Putts
July 27-28: Going into the final weekend one shot back, it became a 36 hole tournament. I started my third round strong going out in 36. The back nine was a very different story...
I had 5 three putts and a painful triple on the 11th after hitting my tee shot into an unplayable lie along the left out of bounds fence. Shot 46 and dropped myself into 4th place and 5 shots off the lead held by Brett Douglas.
On the final day, my plan was to play aggressive on my approach shots. It worked well right off the bat, hitting my approach on one to 15 feet above the hole, tucked in the left corner. What did I do? Three putt! This couldn't be more discouraging after my putting mess on Saturday. I really was not comfortable with the speeds. My putting woes continued until the back nine on 13 when I hit a 15 foot birdie putt. This ignited by adrenaline and confidence coming to the final holes. On 14, I just missed a 30 foot birdie try. On 15, I made a 35 foot birdie in front of the clubhouse! Going into the horn, I felt great about my chances to birdie at least one of three. The 16th tee was up and the 17th pin (back left) was prime for a tight shot. My intentions felt right, but the wait on the 16th must have taken something out of me. I was trying too hard, finished par, bogey, bogey to shoot 75 and ended up runner up by three shots. The winner finished birdie, par, par...our performance on the horn ended up being the difference.
My eighteen hole was dramatic as usual for me. I caught a flyer 8-iron from 170 that hit the back side of the green. According to the gallery, it bounced over the bunker, off a cart tire, off the clubhouse, and then rolled down the cart path between the first tee boxes. A fortunate break. I hit a great flop shot and just missed the par attempt.
Something about playing in front of the crowd gets me excited. Love it.
B. Douglass was the winner at 305. High scores for the tournament. Course was playing tough. Another good weekend for weather, 80s and mostly sunny. My Dad was excellent and big thanks to my Mom and Uncle to watching my final 9 holes.
Congrats to all the Lex members who participated in the four rounds. Its a great test.
Kurt
I had 5 three putts and a painful triple on the 11th after hitting my tee shot into an unplayable lie along the left out of bounds fence. Shot 46 and dropped myself into 4th place and 5 shots off the lead held by Brett Douglas.
On the final day, my plan was to play aggressive on my approach shots. It worked well right off the bat, hitting my approach on one to 15 feet above the hole, tucked in the left corner. What did I do? Three putt! This couldn't be more discouraging after my putting mess on Saturday. I really was not comfortable with the speeds. My putting woes continued until the back nine on 13 when I hit a 15 foot birdie putt. This ignited by adrenaline and confidence coming to the final holes. On 14, I just missed a 30 foot birdie try. On 15, I made a 35 foot birdie in front of the clubhouse! Going into the horn, I felt great about my chances to birdie at least one of three. The 16th tee was up and the 17th pin (back left) was prime for a tight shot. My intentions felt right, but the wait on the 16th must have taken something out of me. I was trying too hard, finished par, bogey, bogey to shoot 75 and ended up runner up by three shots. The winner finished birdie, par, par...our performance on the horn ended up being the difference.
My eighteen hole was dramatic as usual for me. I caught a flyer 8-iron from 170 that hit the back side of the green. According to the gallery, it bounced over the bunker, off a cart tire, off the clubhouse, and then rolled down the cart path between the first tee boxes. A fortunate break. I hit a great flop shot and just missed the par attempt.
Something about playing in front of the crowd gets me excited. Love it.
B. Douglass was the winner at 305. High scores for the tournament. Course was playing tough. Another good weekend for weather, 80s and mostly sunny. My Dad was excellent and big thanks to my Mom and Uncle to watching my final 9 holes.
Congrats to all the Lex members who participated in the four rounds. Its a great test.
Kurt
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
2013 Club Championship - Rounds 1 and 2
July 20-21: Best time of year! My Dad and I set off the quest to repeat as club champion. First round was 97 degrees and humid. Second day was in the 80s and still humid. A big thanks to my Dad for carrying in this heat. I was steady through the first two rounds, no score worse than bogey. At the same time, I was scrambling and never got too much momentum. Finished strong both days, going -1 under on last 4 and even on last 6. Shot 75-76. Led after first day and currently in 2nd place, one shot back. Below is a recap from Lexington GC website.
Round 2: Several players used round 2 to make a serious move up the leaderboard. Brett Douglass made the most of the ideal scoring conditions to fire low round of the day, a 1 under par 70. Combined with his opening round 80, he is your half way tournament leader at 150 (+8). Round 1 leader and defending champion Kurt Flionis stumbled a bit on the back nine, opening with 3 consecutive bogeys. However, he held on the shoot a 76 for a 2 day total of 151, good for 2nd place. Also making a big move up the leaderboard was Steve Geldart. His 1 over par 72 - 153 total was good for T3. Also at 153 was Rob Lynch (76-77).
Rounding out the top 10, we had Steve Keegan (154), Chris Barry (155), Dave Rubin (156), Kenny Collina (156), Jim Magliozzi (157), and Brian DelGreco (158).
In all, there are 12 players within 10 strokes of the leader. With 36 holes to be played next weekend, anything can happen. This years tournament may well prove to be the closest on in several years.
After Round 2, my family and I headed to Foxwoods to gamble and party with my 97 year old Gram. And that we did at Scorpion Bar, David Burke's, and Cedars. Amazing trip.
Looking forward to the final two rounds,
Kurt
Round 2: Several players used round 2 to make a serious move up the leaderboard. Brett Douglass made the most of the ideal scoring conditions to fire low round of the day, a 1 under par 70. Combined with his opening round 80, he is your half way tournament leader at 150 (+8). Round 1 leader and defending champion Kurt Flionis stumbled a bit on the back nine, opening with 3 consecutive bogeys. However, he held on the shoot a 76 for a 2 day total of 151, good for 2nd place. Also making a big move up the leaderboard was Steve Geldart. His 1 over par 72 - 153 total was good for T3. Also at 153 was Rob Lynch (76-77).
Rounding out the top 10, we had Steve Keegan (154), Chris Barry (155), Dave Rubin (156), Kenny Collina (156), Jim Magliozzi (157), and Brian DelGreco (158).
In all, there are 12 players within 10 strokes of the leader. With 36 holes to be played next weekend, anything can happen. This years tournament may well prove to be the closest on in several years.
After Round 2, my family and I headed to Foxwoods to gamble and party with my 97 year old Gram. And that we did at Scorpion Bar, David Burke's, and Cedars. Amazing trip.
Looking forward to the final two rounds,
Kurt
US Amateur Qualifier at Weston GC
July 15 - What a great experience and opportunity to compete for a spot in the US Amateur at The Country Club, marking the 100th anniversary of Francis Ouimet's US Open victory. I came in swinging awesome. Played the day before at Lexington in our Memorial Scholarship tournament with the Keegans and D. Brennan. I was loose and ripping it. The bad news was my caddy got sick. I scrambled to find a replacement, but ultimately ended up carrying myself for 36 holes at Weston. Conditions were hot, low 90s and humid. Course conditions were excellent, fast greens and thick rough. Pin positions were very difficult. My game plan was solid and I rarely got myself in bad spots on the green. My self-inflicted pressure and strong desire to make it translated into some tight swings that cost me and was scrambling. I managed a 78 in the morning, which surprisingly put me 4 shots off the cut line. After a short 15 minute break, I stepped up at #1 and knocked my approach stiff for birdie. Here we go! (short lived :( ) I was up and down to shoot 39 on the front. Then my final nine included three consecutive disaster holes on 11, 12, and 13. It was the end of a hard fought day. Was really bummed about missing a dream opportunity, but felt so good about the experience and will try every year I can in the future. Great vibe, great competition, great tournament operation. Played with K. Rourke which was a pleasure. He and I actually competed in high school at St John vs. Woburn matches and local NEPGA events. Good times. Lesson learned: Caddy is very important in this thing! (Score 78-86; Cut was 150, very high for this event; typically its under par, course was playing very difficult)
Onward,
Kurt
Onward,
Kurt
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Lucky Eight – 2nd Annual Sunday River Trip – US Open Weekend (June 14-16)
Swen, Teller, Flio, Bates, Lukey, Chico, Murph, McDonough
packed up Teller’s van with golf clubs, clothes, pink sleeping bags, beers,
laptops, and strapped the beer dye table to the roof, set to take on Spring
Meadow Golf Club, Fox Ridge Golf Club, and Lake Winnipesaukee. We dropped Sunday River GC from the schedule
without choice as the course was closed due to winter damage. Thanks to Big Time Teller and his
connections, we got out at the exclusive Lake Winnipesaukee and what a treat
that was. In short, this was a
phenomenal weekend where everything was left on the table, literally for some,
and we all probably needed to get the heck away from each other after 3 nights
and get back to reality. Some highlights
from the trip:
- Bates opens with a 1 under par 70 at Spring Meadow
- Some 60 year old dude makes his first hole in one behind us at Spring Meadow with Murph yelling for vodka sodas
- Team Woburn (Flio, McDonough, Chico, Murph) dominate Team Bentley at Lake Winni, led by Murph’s smooth 75 (kid was striping it, this guy is good)
- Both Murph and I eagle the 1st hole at Lake Winni by driving the green on the 344 yard par-4
- Kyle joining the crew at Lake Winni
- McDonough and myself taking down the house at Oxford Casino, hitting big on black 26
- Bruins defeat Blackhawks in OT Game 3 Stanley Cup
- Tiger has no chance at the US Open and guys are shanking it out there; not a single birdie on the 18th at Merion all weekend
- Listening and watching the US Open in the van; resorting to Bates’s cell to get audio of Mickelson’s disappointing finish after Swen’s laptop battery ran out
- Justin Rose wins at +1 on a course under 7,000 yards
- Luke chipping it off McDonough’s head at Fox Ridge
- Chico and Flio losing credit card roulette at diner and Buffalo Wild Wings, with Chico buying out for the game at Buffalo
- Eating competitions, non stop Bates-McDonough dollar bets (like the truck one)
- 6 guys at one black jack table
- Bates wins longest hole one with 15+ pace putt
- $20 Tiger-Phil bets
- PBR glasses
- First father’s day for Swen and Teller
Great golf shots.
Great golf courses. Great
competition. Great company. Great weather (70s and sunny everyday)
Cheers,
Flio
(Lake Winni par 4 16th below)
Sherrill Cup – June 5
I’ll keep this one short and sweet. Team Lexington just didn’t have it this
year. Keegan, Lynch, Geldart, and myself
never got it going. I shot 80 (40-40) in the
morning; my putter never got hot and left myself grinding all day. Lynch and I battled
Appreciating another special day,
Flio
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Playing with the Pros - NEPGA Pro-Am Championship
May 28 - I had the NEPGA Pro-Am Championship marked on my calendar since winning the Lexington club championship last July. Its a 36-hole scratch event at Pinehills GC, played with my golf pro Kevin Wilczewski. We competed against 80 other two-man teams on the Jones and Nicklaus courses in one day. A full 12-hour day! The weather was absolutely amazing, mid-70s and sunny almost all day. The late afternoon cooled off and the wind picked most of the second round. Our playing partners were Bob Miller, PGA professional at Golf Club at Yarmouthport and his amateur partner Steve Mathias. We couldn't have asked for two nicer guys to play with. Mr. Miller made the putting look easy and Steve was strong in the bunker. It was enjoyable to watch how they made their way around the courses.
Something about playing with the pros lifts up my confidence and game. Maybe its knowing I have a professional backing me up as my partner. Maybe its the belief of lower expectations as the amateur. Maybe its the challenge of beating a professional. Maybe its the influence of watching a professional's focus and grace playing the game. I think its all of these factors.
It proved to work out again. I played probably my best golf of the year and maybe in multiple years. My irons were landing around the pins all day. My driver was splitting the fairways. I made 5 birdies and an eagle. I made multiple putts over 15 feet and really was in control of my golf ball. My wedges from awkward distance for me, 100-120 yards, were smooth and accurate. These type of rounds I want to bottle up the feeling, focus, and tempo and re-create it every time. It certainly helped having a very well manicured golf course to move around, especially the greens. They were rolling perfect.
Kevin and I started off well with good chances on the first four holes and left many free birdie runs short! Can't do that! We did make birdie on the par-5 third. Kevin made a 15 foot birdie putt and I had a free run for eagle from just inside 15 feet and left in inches short! We had consecutive bogeys later in the front nine and then went a tear on the back nine shooting 4 under 32. After lunch, we headed to the Nicklaus off #10. Man its a long ride, 10 minutes, to get to that tee! And very easy to get lost! Give yourself plenty of time to make your starting time. When we tee'd off, my body and mind were messed up. Not being used to playing 2 tournament rounds in one day, I felt an uphill battle to keep my focus and good swing going. I managed three good pars on the front, otherwise I struggled to stay sharp. Kevin came through big on this stretch to keep us at +1 for the front nine. On the back, I got the second wind Kevin and I talked about (he said that usually happens over this many holes). I just missed birdie on 3, birdied 4, missed a 5 foot birdie on 5, and eagled the par-5 6th with a 6-iron to 10 feet. We closed with a 3 under 33 on the final nine.
69-70 = 139; 5 under total which tied us for 14th place and in the money. The winning total was 11 under by Pinehills Golf Club.
Overall, a very memorable day. Thanks to Kevin for good play and for entering this tournament. Thanks to my playing partners for great company. And thanks to Coach Mickey Herron for being the starter on #1 Jones at 750am. A total surprise!! Glad I hit it down the middle because he made me extra nervous!
Some of my keys to good swings were a quiet lower body, trust in my setup, keeping the chest down through impact, and a slow takeaway. Most of all was great focus, perseverance, and confidence.
Looking forward to more play.
Weather is warming up!
To good greens,
Kurt
Something about playing with the pros lifts up my confidence and game. Maybe its knowing I have a professional backing me up as my partner. Maybe its the belief of lower expectations as the amateur. Maybe its the challenge of beating a professional. Maybe its the influence of watching a professional's focus and grace playing the game. I think its all of these factors.
It proved to work out again. I played probably my best golf of the year and maybe in multiple years. My irons were landing around the pins all day. My driver was splitting the fairways. I made 5 birdies and an eagle. I made multiple putts over 15 feet and really was in control of my golf ball. My wedges from awkward distance for me, 100-120 yards, were smooth and accurate. These type of rounds I want to bottle up the feeling, focus, and tempo and re-create it every time. It certainly helped having a very well manicured golf course to move around, especially the greens. They were rolling perfect.
Kevin and I started off well with good chances on the first four holes and left many free birdie runs short! Can't do that! We did make birdie on the par-5 third. Kevin made a 15 foot birdie putt and I had a free run for eagle from just inside 15 feet and left in inches short! We had consecutive bogeys later in the front nine and then went a tear on the back nine shooting 4 under 32. After lunch, we headed to the Nicklaus off #10. Man its a long ride, 10 minutes, to get to that tee! And very easy to get lost! Give yourself plenty of time to make your starting time. When we tee'd off, my body and mind were messed up. Not being used to playing 2 tournament rounds in one day, I felt an uphill battle to keep my focus and good swing going. I managed three good pars on the front, otherwise I struggled to stay sharp. Kevin came through big on this stretch to keep us at +1 for the front nine. On the back, I got the second wind Kevin and I talked about (he said that usually happens over this many holes). I just missed birdie on 3, birdied 4, missed a 5 foot birdie on 5, and eagled the par-5 6th with a 6-iron to 10 feet. We closed with a 3 under 33 on the final nine.
69-70 = 139; 5 under total which tied us for 14th place and in the money. The winning total was 11 under by Pinehills Golf Club.
Overall, a very memorable day. Thanks to Kevin for good play and for entering this tournament. Thanks to my playing partners for great company. And thanks to Coach Mickey Herron for being the starter on #1 Jones at 750am. A total surprise!! Glad I hit it down the middle because he made me extra nervous!
Some of my keys to good swings were a quiet lower body, trust in my setup, keeping the chest down through impact, and a slow takeaway. Most of all was great focus, perseverance, and confidence.
Looking forward to more play.
Weather is warming up!
To good greens,
Kurt
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