Finally had a good tournament, playing in the Brewer Park B-tier this past weekend, and for a twist, it was the first long layout sanctioned tournament I've played as an oldster. I'm all short game and control and don't really get to 300' anymore and figured my rating would tank if I ever played in something like that.
I was wrong. All of my MA-50 competitors had big distance for our age and skill level, one of them had very good forehand power, but I only finished 3 strokes out of the win and tied for 2nd. My upshot and putting game is so strong I was able to hang in there with them. I made each and every C1 putt, three or four of them between 25-33', a couple of jumpers to boot. Lots of bullseyes on upshots with my JK Aviar, or Harp in the wind. The guy with the big forehand was wild in the wind and tanked. Even though he beat me in the first round by 2 strokes, I got him by 10 in the second round. I just kept plunking accurate 275-foot drives in play, never once out-of-bounds all day, rarely having to scramble, stuck to my game plan and wound up with my best rated tournament and round in 2 years. A 917 is stellar for me! I tied the winner in round 2 to boot. Because he isn't planning on playing the states, and the very talented 63-year-old I tied for 2nd place already has his berth, I got in! It'll be my first MDGO state finals since I made the cut to play the final 9 back in the year 2000.
Moral of the story: 100 putts from 30' a day all winter pays off! And it was fun playing holes where I didn't have to pin every other tee shot to shoot a 900-rated round.
Oh, and MPO was there from the same tees so I got to say I shot "X" versus immortals. Luke Taylor fired 1050 and 1053 rated rounds and only beat me by 31. I've lost to Climo by 83 over 120 holes at worlds and Al Schack by 11 in 24 holes, etc. etc. over my career. Love getting to play the same tees!