Will Portfolio

My Mass. Open qualifier was very similar to last year’s….oh, except for the fact that I played well! Rainy, cold weather was the theme most of the day, featuring an hour rain delay from 10-11am. I had only played a half a hole at that point, quite unsuccessfully due to the down pour of rain. After returning to the course, I would finish my first with a double bogey. Not the ideal start! Afterwards, I calmed down to make 7 pars and a birdie to go out in +1. After cruising with mostly pars, I made bogeys on 11 and 12, failing to get up and down from sand traps that were wet and packed down. I was protecting against hitting really bad shots that could ruin my round with one swing, and was perhaps too tentative. After a bogey on 15 due to a tough sidehill lie, I knew I was on the cut line and needed birdies. I had a good look on 16 that I failed to convert, but stayed patient, and was able to make a long birdie putt on 17 and par 18 for a 3-over 74. This put me in a six-man playoff for 4 spots and 2 alternate spots. I liked my odds considering I had a 66% chance of getting in. Four of us made par on the first hole, and two others made bogeys, granting us the four final qualifying spots! After a long day that started at 830 am, I was back on the road to NJ at 5pm with a spot in the 2012 Massachusetts State Open!!