I'm Back!
Posted by Parker LaBarge, Apr 21 2009, 10:54 PM
Hello again to all!
Due to the demand by family and friends, I'm back to blogging to allow everyone to track my progress and results. First, I want to fill everyone in with the biggest news of the year. If you haven't heard or don't already know, I got married on March 20, 2010. My wife, Liz, and I had a tremendous couple weeks during the wedding and the honeymoon. However, the honeymoon came to an end and now its back to work for the both of us. So, I am in Hampton, Georgia for a Hooters event starting tomorrow. I am here because, unfortunately, I missed the Monday qualifier for the Nationwide in Valdosta, Georgia. I shot one-under 71 on Monday finishing four shots out of a playoff. Though it wasn't the best round or I didn't qualify, I was pleased to shoot under par considering I started my day three-over through four holes. Scarier still is the fact that I didn't miss a shot through those first four holes and still ended up making three bogies. Oh well, I managed to make five birdies coming in to shoot under par.
I hope everyone is as excited for me to be back in the blogging world as I am. I look forward to keeping you abreast of my future golf adventures!
The Offseason!
Posted by Parker LaBarge, Oct 29 2008, 07:00 AMUnfortunately, my season has come to an end. I was not able to advance through the First Stage of Q-School. I was in Kingwood, TX at the Forest Course for First Stage. Boy was I confident entering the tournament. I was in such a good place both physically and mentally and was totally expecting to play well and make it to Finals where I would get my PGA card. However, as most of us know, golf doesn't always work out the way we want. It is definitely a game that will throw you some curve balls and you have to be ready for every occasion. Your mind has to be ready to deal with anything that comes your way. So, according to my score the first day, one would assume that I did not do a very good job mentally. However, I must say that, although disappointed in some of the shots I was hitting, I was very relaxed and carefree the whole day knowing that there was so much more golf to be played the rest of the week. In the end, I think that I was just not able to score well and get the ball in the hole. It was one of those days that if I could have made a couple putts and made a couple better strategy decisions that I could have come out of the round with an even to 2-over par round. I would have been totally satisfied with a score like that knowing I had 3 rounds to play. It did not come out like this though as those decisions weren't made and those putts didn't fall. The result was a 78. This definitely put me behind the eight ball as I was down, but certainly not out. I managed only a little better the next couple days shooting scores of 74 and 73. I certainly had a chance in both of these rounds to shoot under par but was just not able to. So, with one round to play, I needed a great round to have a chance to qualify. I played really well. Again, though, there were some putts that did not go down. It could have been a great round but ended up being a good round. I shot 68. With scores of 78-74-73-68, I did not qualify through First Stage of Q-School. It's too bad that it was one of those weeks of "What ifs?" I needed to do a better job of getting the ball in the hole and I was just not able to get the job done. I've played so well all year and I hate to see it come to an end. Like I mentioned earlier, I had full confidence that I would make it through First and Second Stage and make my my to Finals where I would get my PGA Tour Card. I need to take the positives away from the year and build on those in the offseason as I prepare for next year. This year has given me the confidence knowing that I can compete with anyone and that I am full ready to play on the PGA Tour. I can tell you that I will trying as many Nationwide and PGA mondays next year as I can to see if I can get status by playing my way on the tours. For the time being, I will be taking some time off. It's time to recharge the batteries so that I can be ready for the long season next year. Since I've been gone so much, I am ready to spend time with my girlfriend and my parents. I will also be hitting the gym often to continue my fitness as well as trying to put on some lbs. I tend to lose weight throughout the year traveling so much and having a couple months gives me the opportunity to put back on the weight that I lost during the year. Thank you to all of those who have read my blogs and have followed my progress. I will not be playing any tournaments for a while, but perhaps I will keep you abreast of my offseason and my weight training sessions.
Some More Work To Do!
Posted by Parker LaBarge, Sep 13 2008, 02:11 PMAfter shooting 69 yesterday to put myself at 7-under for the tournament, I was only able to shoot 71 today. I wasn't able to mount a charge and move up the leader board. However, I feel great about my game, and I have one more round tomorrow. I'm looking to play a great round and move myself up the board before I fly to Jackson, MS for the PGA Viking Classic Monday qualifier. Hopefully, I will be typing again in Jackson playing my first PGA Tour event!
Back to Work!
Posted by Parker LaBarge, Sep 11 2008, 12:26 PMI've gone back to work as today was the first round of the Capital Chevrolet Classic in Columbia, SC. It was supposed to rain all day today, but fortunately, the rain stayed away and the clouds kept the temperature down. On the course, it was an interesting day. I played four great holes. On the four par-5s, I made two eagles and two birdies, playing the par-5s in 6-under. I went for all the par-5s in two, making two eagle putts and making two birdies with up-and-downs. However, I did not play the other holes particularly well, scoring 2-over on the other 14 holes. Thus, I ended the day with a 4-under 68. I'm very pleased with the shots I hit on the par-5s, and I'm going to try and keep those vibes for all the holes tomorrow.
All Over!
Posted by Parker LaBarge, Aug 24 2008, 10:31 AMDue to all the rain creating unplayable conditions in Hawkinsville, rounds three and four have been cancelled. Thus, the tournament was made a 36-hole event. It's a little unfortunate because I wanted to play to see if I could catch the leaders. In the end, I'm still happy and excited with my second round that vaulted me to a t-7th finish! I'm traveling home now as I'll be in St. Louis for a two week break from my tournament schedule. I'll just be working on my game as I prepare for my next tournament adventure.
Let It Rain!
Posted by Parker LaBarge, Aug 23 2008, 09:51 AM
It has been raining here in Hawkinsville for about 24 hours now. Thus, our third round has been called for the day and we will try to resume play tomorrow. The course is unplayable due to the rain and the forecast calls for more rain over the next couple days. So, we'll see what happens. I will tell you now, though, that it is a perfect movie day. Any suggestions?
Anyway, I had one of my best rounds yesterday. I shot 5-under 67 in some of the worst conditions we've played in this year. It was not one of my best scores but one was definitely one of my best rounds played. As we started the day, it was blowing 15-25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. On top of that, it started raining on our sixth hole of the day. It was one of those days were umbrellas and towels become useless because you are so saturated. It was an unbelievably tough day. I was able to (after barely being able to hold on to the club) get the ball in play and make a couple putts. My highlight of the day was when I holed out my greenside bunker shot on the seventh hole, which was playing the hardest hole on the course. I was extremely happy with my round as I moved up 31 spots on the leaderboard, falling in a tie for seventh. I am hoping we can play more holes as I look to do whatever I can to catch the leaders!
My First Blog
Posted by Parker LaBarge, Aug 21 2008, 02:46 PM
I'm excited about entering the world of "Blogging!" While on the road, one definitely has some time to spare. So, I thought starting a blog would be a great way for me to keep others informed of my life on the road.
I am in my first full year of professional golf, and I have played a full schedule on the Hooters Tour. My best finish to date was a 2nd place finish in Miami, OK, shooting rounds of 64-68-67-62= 261, 27 under par. In the same event, I had my two career low rounds- 64 in the first round and 62 in the final round. My 62 was carded in the second 18 of a long 36 hole Sunday. It was the lowest score of the round by two shots. I have also played PGA and Nationwide Mondays to try my hand at qualifying for the big tours. Though I have not qualified for a PGA or Nationwide event to date, I believe to be really close and I know you'll be watching me on TV soon.
Currently, I am in Warner Robins, Georgia with Chris Naegel and John Kelly. We are playing a Hooters Tour event in Hawkinsville, GA. Although I got off to a rough start, I was able to make some birdies down the stretch to finish the day with a 69. Well, I must say, the day got off to a weird start. My alarm was set for 6:05 AM, earliest enough for me to get a shower and grab some breakfast before we drove 40 minutes to the golf course. Instead, I was awoken by Chris's voice saying it was 6:30. Panic set in as we stumbled to get dressed in the dark and get to the course as soon as possible. We finally got to the course about 7:30 AM, thirty-six minutes before my starting time. Considering I usually arrive one hour and fifteen minutes before I play, this was a very unusual start for me. I followed this with bogeys on two of my first four holes, starting the day terribly. Fortunately, I turned my game around and played my last 14 holes in five under to end with a 69!
Wow! I'm worn out writing my long first blog and recounting my day. We'll keep you informed about the week in the next few days!
on The Offseason!