I was really looking forward to the Valero Texas Open last week, a great event and a superb sponsor that does such a lot for charity.
We had some weather come in on the Thursday morning causing a delay and making for slightly tougher conditions, which made scoring tricky. I played okay, though, and was looking forward to Friday. I once again played solidly and was hitting a lot of good birdie putts but sadly not many dropped. Also, coming in I made a couple of bogeys and they ended up costing me as I missed the cut by one, which is never a nice feeling. However, I am looking at the positives and excited about my game and the next stretch of events.
Now it’s time to enjoy a week off at home with the family before we hit the road again and play back-to-back outings at the Wells Fargo Championship at wonderful Quail Hollow and then The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass back here in Florida.
Next up, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone at last week’s Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic who embraced the tournament’s designated ‘Blue Out’ day in support of Els for Autism. Following straight on from the ‘Blue Out’ day at the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage tournament the previous week, it continues the tremendous level of support we get from the professional game every year, not just for Els for Autism but for Autism Awareness Month in general. The Sunshine Tour players also got in on the act at the Zimbabwe Open and we will be putting together a selection of the great images of pro support later this week. This global initiative has really gathered some momentum in recent years, which can have only positive repercussions for the wider autism community. Hats off to everyone who supports this cause.
On the subject of autism, a quick heads-up that our 2016 Golf Challenge tees off in a couple of weeks’ time at Trump National Doral in Miami. A round on the famed ‘Blue Monster’ gives you an indication as to the quality of venues on this year’s schedule, now in its sixth year. So, how do some of these golf courses grab your attention? Hazeltine, Harbour Town, TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas, TPC Boston, East Lake, Baltusrol, Chambers Bay, Philadelphia Country Club, Rich Harvest Farms. That’s just a taster of what’s on offer. And, with a wide geographical spread across North America, there’s a good chance we’ve got a golf course on the list that’s hopefully within reach. If you’d like to take part in one of our events, please click here to view the full event schedule.
Finally, a few words of congratulations from me. First to my nephew Jovan Rebula who won the Western Province Amateur Championship at the weekend, one of many big wins he’s notched up on the SA amateur circuit these past 18 months. Also, to former Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation member James Kamte who played some great golf to finish tied-3rd in last week’s Zambia Sugar Open, including a third round that contained 11 birdies. Nice going James! Good luck for the rest of the season.
That’s it for now. Follow me on Twitter @TheBig_Easy.
