Oakmont Today

There is no better test of golf, period. I'll be playing out at Oakmont this afternoon with Villanova standouts Brett and Brock Bergman. Oakmont is probably my favorite course of all-time, as it requires you to be on top of all facets of your game. Twice I've really had it going out there and played my best golf, and there's no better feeling in golf than to take on Oakmont and come away victorious from the battle. The first was while playing with my friend Jim Usher. I had shot 60 in the Tri-State Amateur at Tom's Run, his course, and he wanted to take me out to play. It was 2 weeks after the US Open was there, so the rough was still pretty nasty. That was the US Open I missed by a shot, which was a shame because I was really playing well and felt I could have competed and made the cut had I been a participant. We went out and played, and I made 8 birdies en route to a 66 out there. Two years later, during the final round of the PA State Open, I was firing on all cylinders out there once again. And except for a double on the par-3 13th, due to hitting a 5-iron too good and over the green, I played extraordinary golf. I fired a 68 in that round. So I'm very excited to test my game out there this afternoon. It will show my progress, or exploit the part of my game that still needs work.

The last eGolf event led to another missed cut. I just didn't translate my great ball-striking in the practice rounds into the tournament rounds. That will happen, I just could have used a couple more days to practice what I was working on. No worries though, I'm on the cusp of some seriously stellar golf... just in time for the State Open out at Moselem Springs in two weeks...