The funny thing is, none of those feelings are new. They are simply the “price of entry.” Nerves. Pressure. Rust. That strange little awareness that every loose shot suddenly feels like it matters just that little bit more. Competitive golf has a different weight to it, even when the game itself has not changed. None of that is unique to me. It is just golf doing what golf does best: quietly exposing the parts of your game you hoped might not be mentioned.

So, what actually happened?

For me, there was a bit of a chain reaction.

I struggled to hit my distances. Was that nerves? Was it the swirling wind catching me out? Was it just rust from not competing for a while? Probably a bit of everything.

Then, because my numbers were slightly off, my short game started from the wrong places. It certainly wasn’t terrible, but by the numbers I was always just on the wrong side of good.

Six feet, not three feet.

A decent chip, not a tap-in.

A chance, but not a proper chance.

Then came the putting. I actually hit a lot of good putts, but they simply didn’t want to go in the hole. Short in the heart. A few lip-outs. A few breaks that seemed to have been invented purely for the occasion.

Now, it would be very easy to blame the greens. Or the soft fairways. Or the wind. Or that one spike mark. Or the mysterious golfing forces that appear whenever a scorecard is involved.

But that would just be lying to myself.

The conditions were the same for everyone. And that is still the first rule of golf:

” Play the ball as it lies” and “the course as you find it.”

So, what do I take from the round?

This is the important bit.

Not “I played badly.”

Not “the greens were hopeless.”

Not “I need a new putter,” although every golfer is legally allowed to think this at least once per round.

The real question is:

What do I work on next?

For me, the answer is clear.

I’ll be working on hitting my numbers inside 140 metres. That is a full 9-iron for me at the moment and, according to Tiger, it is an area where scoring actually starts to happen.

I’ll also be doing more proximity testing with a wedge in my hand. Inside 10% of the shot distance is the target. Inside 5% is where you really start to score.

I’ll be spending more time with a putter in my hand. Not hoping it improves. Not blaming the greens. Just doing the work.

Finally, I’ll be out on course more. The range is where we acquire and test our skills. The course is where we see if they implement.  

That is the plan. Analyse the round. Find the pattern. Work on the bits that matter.

That is how we move forward.

And thankfully, G50 has something for all of it. 

See you on the range,