MY GOAL IS TO PLAY FULL TIME AT THE PROFESSIONAL LEVEL

I just want to answer one simple question: How good can I get at this game? I am currently playing at the mini-tour level and playing in qualifying tournaments to gain status on tour. 

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HOW I GOT HERE
My story starts in Southwest Virginia, where I picked up a golf club for the first time when I was 5 years old. From then on, it was full speed ahead. At 7, I was playing tournaments on the Blue Ridge Junior Golf Tour and in high school, I was a two-time state champion at Giles High. In college, I played Division I at Radford University and played all 4 years while completing my M.B.A. in the process. 

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In 2016, I finished up my degree and married my high school sweetheart, Emily. We moved to Blacksburg where Emily would be in school for the next 4 years. To provide stability in our marriage, I traded in my clubs for a desk and worked as a mortgage loan officer. Though I had to put golf on hold, a part of me hoped for an opportunity to revisit that dream in the future. When Emily graduated and got relocated to Virginia Beach in 2020, I knew that it was now or never. 

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In August 2020, I hired a swing coach and started working on speed and distance. Over the next few months, my clubhead speed with the driver increased 10 mph, equaling about 35 yards of added carry distance off the tee. With the help of Mark Houston, Josh Koch, and Dana Dahlquist, I went from carrying the ball 255 yards to carrying it upwards of 290 yards. The PGA Tour average swing speed is 114.3mph and after 6-8 months of technique changes, I was able to attain 115mph cruising clubhead speed with top speeds in the 120mph range.

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2023 SEASON REFLECTION​

This season, I made some pretty major equipment upgrades that included new irons, driver, and a new golf ball. As my game evolves, I am learning to adapt. This season, I was able to drop my scoring average from 74.38 (2022) to 73.15, with the latter half of the season averaging 71.89. I just missed status at Canadian Tour Q-School in February by 3 shots, shooting 73-75-73-72. One of the biggest changes I saw in 2023 was my mental game. My confidence on the course grew - not out of thin air - but out of proper preparation, successful performances, and consistent reflection on those successes. In the past, I may have had a bad shot and spent the rest of the round worried and confused, not really understanding what went wrong. Over the last year, I have sought out a much deeper understanding of my swing and my game, truly embracing being a student of the game. Now, I can more easily identify what caused a bad shot, and more importantly, know what I need to feel in order to correct it. This has given me the freedom to play more fearlessly and focused. 

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I look to 2024 with much excitement, knowing that I have built a game that is good enough to compete and win at the professional level. At this point, there are no missing pieces; it is just a matter of putting those pieces together at the right time. As Kevin Kisner puts it, "this ain't no hobby."

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2022 SEASON REFLECTION

This was my first full season to really get into tournament play. I was able to learn the courses, familiarize myself with the tours, and learn how to travel. I mostly played on the G-Pro tour, but also played in the State Open and some Coastal Players events.  I played Canadian Tour Q-School in March and Latin America Tour Q-School in November. I consider my successes for the 2022 season becoming more comfortable in tournament settings, working on the mental game, and seeing an average 2 stroke per round improvement between the beginning of the season and the end. I concluded the season by just missing the cut for the Latin American Tour. In the midst of tropical storm Nicole, on a tough and tight golf course, I was just 2 strokes away from gaining status on PGA Tour Latin America. 

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To be so close to a big finish at the end of my season was a success and the encouragement I need to take on the 2023 season. Overall, I am right where I hoped I would be by the end of 2 full seasons. 99% of the PGA Tour players went through the same process I now find myself in. This year, I have learned that I am just as good and capable of doing the same thing, but realistically understand the time and patience required. 

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2021 SEASON REFLECTION

Overall, I learned a lot about myself, my game, and the competition that exists at the professional level. I feel that I successfully prioritized my limited budget in ways that would build a solid foundation for the future, like lessons and necessary equipment upgrades. As a bonus, I did have a good finish at my first State Open and earned my first professional paycheck. I saw the benefits of my coaching as I watched tournament scores start to trend downwards as the season progressed. 

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