Golf can really frustrate, and the past few weeks have taught me just how strong you have to be if you are to survive as a professional. I went through my entire amateur career without an injury of any consequence, but this rib muscle tear that I suffered in practice prior to the Kemper Open at the start of June has meant I haven't managed to stay around to play on the Sunday for over a month.
Boy, am I glad to see the back of June!
Things are looking up, however. I returned to action in the Western Open in Cog Hill last week and, although I didn't make the cut, there were some positive signs again. Unquestionably, I was little rusty after missing so much play, but one bad hole in the second round effectively ruined me. Otherwise I would have surprised a lot of people on a really difficult golf course.
So, I'm looking forward to this week's Greater Hartford Open which is the second tournament in a seven-week stretch for me. The injury has basically cleared up and I haven't had any pain since last Friday, the first time in over three weeks that I've been clear. It all came about due to over-extension on the range at Kemper, when I spent too long hitting too many drivers and long irons.
My first round 77 in Cog Hill left me with a lot to do, but I was motoring along pretty well and was out in three under par on the second day on a tough course to get within sight of making the cut. However, I plugged into the lip of a bunker at the sixth - my 15th - and could only make a double bogey. That cost me the cut because I missed by two. But I felt my game coming back and I arrived in Connecticut yesterday and familiarised myself with the course by playing in the pro-am. I'm getting to a part of the season where I badly need to make money, and what I have to do is bring the sort of game I had for much of my second round - when I got it to five under par for 11 holes, which included a birdie on the last in the first round that helped put me in a positive frame of mind - to an entire tournament.
The other night I was wondering if I had made the right decision in missing out on the Irish Open, and there is no doubt I would love to be in Druids Glen this week. But I know I'm doing the right thing. Hopefully, there will be many more opportunities to play in the Irish Open and I send my best wishes to all the Irish players competing in the tournament. But the priority for me this year has got to be to retain my US Tour card, so it is important to focus everything on that.
The injury couldn't have come at a worse time. But I want to forget all about it now and just play positive golf. I'm all fired up for the challenge that is facing me, although I admit I get a little panicky whenever I look at the moneylist and see where I'm situated. There'd probably be something wrong if I wasn't worried. However, I feel I'm so close to getting it right that there will be a week when I get really hot, and the important thing about Hartford is not to get off to a bad start.
(In an interview with Philip Reid).
