The Canadian Tour began its Canadian swing last week in Victoria. After a couple of weeks off from tournament play I was excited to get in the road again. This past week in Victoria was a good start to the summer schedule. I shot 70-68-66-69, to shoot 7 under, a tie for 11th and five off the lead. I felt like I played very solid all week with very few mistakes but couldn’t get it going enough to win. A putt here or there could have gone a long way but it didn’t seem to happen at the right time.
1st Major
I’ve always wanted to go to New York but never really had a reason, until now. Yesterday I was doing the Sectional Qualifying for the US Open in Washington. There were 36 players trying for the 2 spots. I had just left Victoria BC the night before, just finishing a Canadian Tour Event, were I started playing really well but had mediocre results. I knew I was on to something and had a good feeling about the qualifier.
When I teed it up in the morning and the wind was blowing 20MPH I knew it was going to be a tough day. I didn’t get off to the ideal start after I hit my first putt on the 1st hole off the firm fast greens and made bogey. What a start! I made another bogey early and was fighting back all of the 1st round. I ended up making a few birdies on the back to save the round at even par 71 and give myself a chance heading into the afternoon.
I didn’t get off to a good start my second round either making a bogey at the 3rd hole, but I kept telling myself that I was going to pull this off, some how. I chipped in on the 6th hole to get back to even. I knew I would have to shoot 4 under on the back to have a chance. I hit a 5 iron on the 11th, a 193 yard par 3 to 5 feet and made an unlikely birdie. I then birdied the two par 5’s and with three holes to go I was 3 under and had a chance. On 16 I hit a bad drive in the right rough a left my approach in the front greenside bunker. Then hit my bunker shot to 3 feet and tapped it in for par. The 17th hole was a 222 yard par 3 into the wind, I ripped a 4 iron to the back of the green and left myself a tricky 45 foot putt down the ridge. When you tell yourself it’s your time all day, those putts seem to drop and that one did!! That birdie put me at 4 under and that proved to be the clincher. So I’m off to New York to play the US Open at Bethpage Black. I’m really excited, but before I head there, there is a good chance I will play this week’s Canadian Tour stop in Vancouver. Still undecided but I will keep you posted.
Andrew
About Andrew Parr
Andrew Parr, of London, Ontario is a graduate of Texas A&M in business administration. He grew up playing the Greenhills Golf Club in London and, later, the London Hunt and Country Club, which has played an important role in Canadian golf. He also plays the challenging and exclusive Redtail Golf Course in nearby Port Stanley.
Parr was on the RCGA team that finished second in 2007 in the World Amateur in South Africa.
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