Symetra Halftime Report
Hi friends! Sorry I've been so MIA. The last few months have been a little crazy, and its been hard to sit down and write. I did a stretch of nine weeks on the road, one week home, another 2 weeks on the road, and I've just left home again. I have struggled to find the balance of rest, practice and writing. When I am home I often have the urge to just turn off my brain and rest, but I’ve realized that doing that holds me back from fully enjoying, processing, and sharing all of memories I've been able to make. So here I am back and ready to reflect and express gratitude on a full 3 months! But, don’t worry though this post won't take an hour to read, I’ll just give you the highlights of the highlights.
First things first, let's recap some golf!
The last few months have not been my best. I've made a few cuts and a few mid pack finishes, but that’s about it. There have been some moments of greatness, but I have not been preforming at the level that I want to be.
I realized that during the first small stretch of events in the Carolinas, I was kind of a head case. I was putting too much pressure on myself and the outcome rather than the process. I would have a good round going, but fall apart toward the end due to my focus on score. After that realization, I re-grouped and reset mentally, but unfortunately still made some small mistakes that resulted in big numbers. A bad tee shot here, a short missed putt there--they all add up and end up being really costly. I realize where I've been losing is largely in the mental department; therefore, I'm really going to be working on that the next few weeks--mental discipline, course management and staying in the present.
The Highlights
Jet skiing on Lake Greenwood!
Evening fireworks show with some other players!
My first couple weeks on the road we spent time in the Carolinas and what a trip that was! I stayed right on Lake Greenwood and spent evenings on pontoon rides, afternoons jet skiing and mornings watching the fog over the water. It was such a treat! Thank you so much to the Lesko's for having me. I am so grateful for the amazing hosts and people we get to meet on the road!
I also had a great food week in North Carolina! We started the week off at a James Bread Award winnings chef's restaurant, Kindred, and then later in the week found a hole in the wall taco place connected to a gas station. The tacos there were probably one of the best things I ate during my whole 9 week trip, as the fluffy soft tortillas were made to order and meat inside was perfectly seasoned! To be honest, I still think about these tacos often!
Our sweet host kids! We took the kids off their parents hands for a night and ate some hibachi!
On my off week I went back to Washington DC! I went there late last year to play RTJ and Trump with Lucy and Jeff. Of course, I returned to see them and it was an absolute blast! A couple of the Aussies girls on tour also came along with me to America's capital, and so we did some sightseeing around the city as well. Its always cool to learn more about America's history.
Lucy and Jeff, thank you for always treating us to the best time!
The highlight of my whole DC trip though was seeing my sister! She happened to be in DC at the same time as me, so all of us got together for ice cream! I love ice cream, my friends, and my family, and so I can't think of a much better combination then all of them in one place!
We spent the second half of the long 9 week stretch in the mid-west, which meant a lot of driving and a pit stop in Chicago! This was especially awesome, because one of my great friends, Connor, who played soccer at Davis, lives there! It is so fun traveling and stopping in cool cities, but even better getting to reconnect with old friends.
Random highlight: It's a little harder to get into the gym when I'm on the road, but it helps to get a little group together because its more fun! Sometimes we will even mess around and shoot some hoops.
In the last few months, I've only been home a couple weeks, so I have really cherished my time in San Francisco. I realize now after being away so much that I take this amazing city for granted, so my past trips home have been full of the best SF has to offer: views, food, and family. My Aussie mate on tour also came to spend the off week with me so I showed her around and got a little touristy! On top of that, my best friend from college, Bri, who knows lives in Paris, also happened to be home at the same time, so we got to spend time together as well!
Island Resort Bassers Fishing Competition
Practice round with some of my Korean little sisters on tour!
It's been a jam packed few months full of new challenges and lessons. I have had to adapt to a new style of travel, learn new courses, and realize the need to adjust my mental process. We are a bit over half way through the Symetra tour season and its been a grind. I'd bee lying if I said it hasn't been hard, but it has also been such a valuable time to learn my physical and mental boundaries. There is lots more to come for the rest of the season and I'm excited to get it started!