The second day is complete. The course conditions and weather did not change, but the scores were different from the previous day. Many players shot a higher score, which was a bit surprising. However, that is the nature of golf tournaments and Day 3 will likely be different again.

As I stated yesterday, I was tied for 6th heading into today. My goal was to shoot a couple of strokes lower and to stay focused for the entire 18 holes. I had a good strategy to be patient and not to force shots in the attempts to make a lower score. The fact that it was moving day did not change my strategy because I felt that if shot the same or slightly lower score, the movers would be behind me. Well, as it turns out, that was a pretty good strategy.

I shot another 79 today. I am still tied for 6th spot; only two strokes out of 5th place. This is a very close competition and any mistakes could be very costly. I followed my game plan to the letter for most of my round.

After shooting par on the first two holes, I striped my drive to the centre of the fairway on a reachable par 5. Instead of following my game plan of hitting the ball to about 120 yards because of the hazards surrounding the green, I decided to go for it. Well, this mental error resulted in the dreaded ‘snowman’! Yup a smooth 8! After I gave myself a mental beating, I routinely birdied the 4th hole. This did take some of the sting out of the previous hole, but reinforced my need to follow my strategy.

I played very steady for the rest of the nine and ended with a 41. One better than yesterday. So with a triple on one hole, I was feeling fairly confident heading into the back nine. After hitting my ball in play on the 10th hole, I smoothly duffed two chips and walked away with a double! I never realized that it was possible to have steam come out of your ears, but it is possible. After laughing at myself, and yes I actually laughed out loud, I played the last 8 holes only 1 over par. I hit some good shots played steady most of the time.

The highlight of the back nine was the 45 foot putt I sank on the 15 hole for par! I gave a little whoop and a fist pump! I felt like I stole a stroke there. Carding a 38 on the back nine, I shot a 79 overall for the day.

The biggest challenge we have for this tournament is the length of each round. We are averaging 5 hours and 45 minutes per round. It feels like a battle of attrition out there; but I will have to parse my words by stating that the level of play ranges from 72 to 120 strokes per round. The course is difficult to play for the low handicappers and the more inexperienced players are finding it even more difficult. However, we all knew this; so we are prepared with lots of water and towels to sit on while we wait.

The team competition was much closer today. We actually lost ground to our main competition, Petawawa. We are still 4 strokes up, but Petawawa is looking to raise the pennant tomorrow. As we tell every player, it is important to grind out the lowest score you can, no matter how you are playing! The pennant means bragging rights and hardware for our home unit!

My golfing is pretty solid for the most part. I have left a few shots on the course, but tomorrow, I plan to not leave anything out there. I will stay focused and play my game. I might have to pick selected times to press the issue, but overall I must make sure it is the right time and in the right location.

Thanks to everyone for all the positive support. It is great to hear from you and it does help me stay focused!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!