Charlie’s Corner: Rekindling Passion For The Game

Welcome to Charlie's Corner, the blog home for Golf Channel analyst Charlie Rymer. A lifelong Myrtle Beach golfer, Rymer, with his characteristic wit and unique perspective, will be weighing in on all things for Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday.
 

Well it's over.  My first golf tournament in two years. 

I managed to survive four full rounds of keeping score at the Taylormade/Adidas Golf Pro-am in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  I was well back of the winning score of 15 under par by Bob Sowards, but I managed to reach my competitive goal of beating my old friend Jim Woodward. 

Jim Woodward is a former PGA Tour Pro from somewhere in Oklahoma.  He is currently a professional at Oak Tree in Edmond, OK.  I say that Jim is from “somewhere” in Oklahoma because it’s unclear where in Oklahoma he is actually from. 

No city will claim him and he's not smart enough to remember where he went to high school.  Jim is famous for his sense of humor and for being the only known PGA Tour member to break a leg while hitting a shot in a PGA Tour event. 

He was playing his second shot to the 17th at the Houston Open and broke a bone in his leg during his swing.  After impact he plopped right over his feet and into the pond in front of him.  It was the final round and he had to finish to get a check.  And to his credit that’s exactly what Jim did. 

I know he's been practicing lately and it sure was fun beating him.  Although I have to admit that I didn't beat many of the other players.  I was scared to death on the first tee of the first round but managed to scrape a 3-wood down the middle. 

I made par and it felt like an eagle.  The thoughts that went through my mind were pretty scary.  “You are going to blow this way right.”  “You might whiff.”  Some thoughts aren't suitable to be written here. 

I went through a period of about three years where I was mentally incompetent to play golf.  The wounds from a golf career gone astray can be difficult to overcome.  I lost my passion for playing the game.  I am now determined to get it back. 

In the first round I actually birdied the second hole and remained under par for most of the day.  Three late bogeys that weren't really my fault – they hardly ever are – pushed my opening score to 74.  I started poorly the second day with four straight bogeys (those were my fault).  But still I managed to get it back to 2 over par with three holes to play. 

On day three, I had it at 1 under par on the 18th green with a 4-foot birdie putt in front of me. 

I made bogey.  You do the math.

I went to bed grumpy that night. 

On the final day I was even with 2 holes to play.  I hit it to 4 feet on the 17th and didn't touch the hole with my putt.  That rattled me and I responded with a bogey at the last and that bogey wasn't really my fault either. 

So there you have it.  I shot 74-76-72-73. 

What I learned is that so many things I took for granted and seemed easy when I played this game competitively on a daily basis aren't so easy now.  Four foot putts are a great example.   So is hitting a driver into the wind on long and tight par 4.  And pitching the ball to kick-in range after missing a green isn't the “no-brainer” task it once was. 

I also learned that playing this game can be fun again for me.  And that's my main goal….along with beating Jim Woodward.