He does like it there. Coach Haas is a GREAT guy. Tons of energy, smart, great player, facilities are amazing. It’s a great place. I did a 4 hour seminar there and was blown away how great a place it is.

He is on the Palmer scholarship so they have met, and Arnie wrote him an INCREDIBLE letter about being honored to have the US Junior champion be on his scholarship. Great man.

I do think that winning a major is largely luck of a players “hot week” happening to fall on a Major week. That said, some players games do fit majors better and I do believe his will.

I fully recognize that I’m making some big statements on behalf of an 18 year old, but I’m telling you guys, you’ve never seen anything like it when this kid is flushing it. Last week on the range watching him next to Mahan was silly. He was BY FAR the better ball striker. I understand that isn’t all there is to golf, and Will has a TON of work to round out his game. I simply believe I can see the progress being made and I can see where this bus is headed.

Tons haven’t, the list is almost endless. However, the list is just as long of non-elite amateurs that did win. The professional game is simply different than the amateur. Some people adapt and others don’t. Some are great from the age of 12 (Spieth), and others come into it progressively over time. I do think that had I taken a more proactive role with Will a few years ago he would have had a better junior resume and been more like Spieth at this point. I wasn’t confident enough at the time to get really aggressive with my views and potentially offer the wrong advice. With what I’ve worked on and created over the last year now I have certain insights to how the game is played most efficiently that simply don’t exist anywhere else on the planet.

Patton was a great amateur but has so many demons he simply doesn’t count. Ty Tryon never had an amateur career really. Got hot on what turned out to be the WRONG week at Q School and likely killed his chances. There is nowhere worse to go through learning to play the game that the Tour….ask Justin Rose how much fun it was when he turned professional. It worked out long run for him, but likely cost him years in the process.

Bump, just saw the kid made all-ACC, and was the only Freshman on the Hogan Award Watch List. One article says he has finished under par in every tournament this season, incredible if that is true.

Wake is in the NCAA Regionals starting Thursday.

wow

T6 after two rounds, team seems to be sucking

welp the kid now has no future now in golf, Riverman jinx

So if I am understanding it correctly he doesn't get to move on to the finals even though he finished 6th since his team finished outside top 5 and he wasn't the top finisher not on one of those teams. Got unlucky that 2 kids who made it there while not being on a team and they shot 136 and 139. Kinda of a bummer to get left out while shooting well.

You may have missed the fact they play 3 rounds.....

BO

lol it appears I missed the key part

Just read the whole thread. Great story. I've played Castle Hills a bunch, where Will shot 59 in a non competition round. Props to Ship and Will for a great run, and wishing him continued success. Love to see local boys make good!

Texas Am qualifier recap – Spoiler at very bottom if you want to know whether I made it or not. Was 12 spots for 92 but about 10 no-showed including Ship--this.

Rain-soaked, not mowed, tight 6800 yard, par 70 72.5 rating course.

Hole 1 - 400 yards

I have bad demons of pull hooks on this hole, so naturally I hit a big flare into a tree. Leaves me a really tough shot to start. I punch a 4-iron that has no chance to get there leaving me a 20 yard pitch shot which I catch thin. I then pitch to about 3 feet and make that. Bogey (+1)

Hole 2 – 530 yards

Hit a hard cut on a dogleg left par 5. Leaves me 250 middle off of a downhill lie so I decide to lay up. That goes 2 paces too far and I have 100 yards out of uncut rough. Play a solid shot to 20 feet but cannot make. Par (+1)

Hole 3 – 162 yards

Back into the wind and over is dead so I try to hammer 7-iron. Don’t quite pure it and it’s 30 feet short. Play way too much break on first putt leaving me tough 5 footer which I make. Par (+1)

Hole 4 – 400 yards

Learning my lesson from first 2 drivers I hit 3-wood here right down the middle. Leaves me 8-iron which I don’t allow enough wind for and I shortside myself. I manage to again catch a chip thin and it settles 25 feet past the hole. Hit a perfect putt which hangs on the right lip. Bogey (+2)

Hole 5 – 405 yards

Another hole where I decide to hit 3 wood. Leaves me 135 stick, knock down a 9-iron that I catch a half-groove thin but it ends up just 6 feet left of the hole. Hit a good putt that finds the right edge and falls. Birdie (+1)

Hole 6 – 480 yards

Really tough par 4 because you have to hook it off the tee. I almost pull it off but it hits a big tree and leaves me 205 middle under the limbs. I hit an incredible punch hook 4-iron that I think gets swallowed by the wet conditions short of the green but it actually rolls up to 20 feet. Over-read the putt but par is good here. Par (+1)

Hole 7 – 170 yards

Way uphill par 3, aim 20 feet right and pull it right at it, looks tight from tee but is actually 18 feet short. Hit a good putt that falls over the front lip. Birdie (E)

Hole 8 – 380 yards

Downwind downhill probably should have hit 3wood but I hit driver. Pulled it left and got lucky to have a shot from 75 yards where I can hoist a LW over tree. Unfortunately I catch it high on the face and end up just short. Think I play a good chip but it checks up early. I manage to knock in the 8 footer. Par (E)

Hole 9 – 410 yards

Downwind left-right hole where fairway runs out at 260. I instantly grab hybrid and pure one, leaves me 145 stick. Try to hit a little 9-iron but pull it a touch. Roll the 30 footer to within a foot. Par (E) 35

Hole 10 420 yards

Tough hole but I think I have the proper strategy. Come off a 3 wood a bit and it hits the path and leaves me another fun punch hook 4-iron from 190. I hit an incredible shot, best of the day, and it uses the contours of the fairway. It should be close to the pin but it hits my playing competitor’s ball 40 feet short and leaves me a tough 2 putt. My speed remains good and I tap-in for par. Par (E)

Hole 11 – 370 yards

I really want to hit 4 iron but the wind is stiffening so I opt for hybrid. It’s a really tight tee shot as the right half of the fairway is protected by a large tree. Hit a great drive leaving me 135 pin but I have a mudball. I hit a good shot about 20 feet past the hole and two putt for par. Par (E)

Hole 12 – 390 yards

Perfect hole for my 3 wood, play it up the left side with a cut and I have 147 stick back into a little breeze. Hit a solid 8-iron that leaves me 20 feet up the hill for birdie. Hit a good putt that grazes the right edge. Par (E)

Hole 13 – 170 yards

Uphill shot, make my first real mistake of the day and tee up on the right side of the box mainly because the left side wasn’t mowed. Wind is R-L and I tug the 6 iron a touch and ends up in a tough spot chipping back downhill. I catch this one slightly fat and it rolls out instead of checking up. I wuss out the 8 footer. Bogey (+1)

Hole 14 – 550 yards

Downwind downhill, plan here was to hit 4-iron off the tee if I thought I was safely in, but now I felt I needed driver. Hit a big pull that leaves me 250 off a sidehill lie in the rough which would call for a hook to hit green in 2. Manage to hit a great lay-up to 97 yards. With un-mowed fairway distance control is especially downwind. Flight at 56 degree down but it ends up 20 feet past. Hit a great putt that never leaves the middle of the cup. Birdie (E)

Hole 15 – 410 yards

First and only really bad break of the day (10 wasn’t great either). Hit what is usually a great tee ball on a hole with 3 different distinct levels of fairways. Unfortunately it sticks on the downslope behind a massive tree. I hoist a 52 degree over but it leaves me a 45 footer which I misread grossly and have 10 feet for par. I hit a good putt but forgot not to give hole away and miss high. Bogey (+1).

Hole 16 – 380 yards

Good 3 wood leaving me 125 stick a little downwind. I block a 52 degree a touch leaving me 15 feet for birdie. I again don’t hit a R-L putt hard enough and it never has a chance. Par (+1)

Hole 17 – 138 yards

Uphill shot with R-L wind, I try to get a 9-iron starting right because I think I need to get to Even to make it. It never moves but I still have 20 feet up the hill. I pull it a touch and it has no chance. Par (+1)

Hole 18 – 450 yards

Uphill but playing downwind making a very tough hole much easier. I make a poor swing and block driver right but into an open area. Leaves me 182 stick which I’m trying to land at 170 but I flush a 7-iron and it lands right next to the hole and runs 25 feet by. Hit a very good putt which touches the right lip but doesn’t fall. Par (+1) 71

nicely done on both the round and the write up.

Spenda.
Prepare thee for the Zalatoris floor mopping to come.

Nice job and great write up.

Woot Spenda! Good luck!

Good job. The only thing you did better than your round was throwing ship--this under the bus!

BO

Turns out he already qualified but failed to mention that here.

Is there a handicap cutoff to participate in the qualifying events for the Texas amateur? I couldn't find a cutoff on their website.

Also, it says you have to belong to a TGA member club/course. Does this mean you have to be a member of a club, or is it possible to "belong to" a TGA member public course (assuming there are public courses that are TGA member courses)?

I'm wanting to get back into competitive golf and thought it may be fun to play a few of the qualifying events next year.

I've never had an official handicap before, so what's the best/easiest way to get an official handicap?

Think it's 6.4 and the txga membership is an inconsequential amount of money.

You could still play in the mid-am qualifier, it's much later in the year.

Thanks for the response. So do you just have to be a member of the TGA? The website makes it seem like you have to belong to a TGA member course/club, but I'm not really sure what that means.

Think that basically means you keep your handicap at one of them. That cost is something like $30/year.

I'd email or call them, it's actually a well run organization and all the people are nice and accommodating. They accepted my request for a late/early start in last year's mid-am.

We (that's caddie speak) just got an invite to the Nelson.

One time....for realz.

I've been following this thread for awhile now, and though I don't have much to add, I just want to say this is one of my favorite threads on 2p2. Thanks for the insight ship, and good luck to both you and Will.

Oh damn. Gogogogogogogo

How does something like that work? (The invite.)