I'm Back...New Website and U.S. Open Bound

I apologize for taking such a long break from my weekly blog but hopefully, after reading my words, you will understand.

Since my last post, I have been extremely busy with Golf and the travels that go along with my job.  I have journeyed all over the country and there is little doubt that my game is getting better and better each week.  I just completed an 8 consecutive week stretch of tournaments that ended in Dublin, Ohio, at one of the PGA Tour’s most prestigious events…The Memorial.  This event was once again hosted by one of Golf’s greatest players, Mr. Jack Nicklaus.  In what has become a norm at his Tournament each year, the golf course and hospitality were first class.  I finished the event in a respectable 19^th place but my results certainly didn’t justify my ball striking for the week.  The cold and blustery conditions played havoc on everyone throughout the week.  My old hip gave me some trouble on Friday but I managed to fight through it.  Tiger won the event in dramatic fashion, thanks to an impossible chip that he made on the difficult 16^th hole. My double bogey, bogey finish on Sunday didn’t sit too well but, as always, I will learn from my mistakes and move forward.  A par, par finish would have put me in 11^th place for the Tournament.  Oh well…could of, should of, would of!!

As I mentioned earlier, this was my 8^th event in a row.  I know, I know…I play Golf for a living so how hard can it really be?  However, 8 consecutive weeks on the road translates into 8 consecutive weeks of work.  My last OFF DAY was during The Masters (first week in April)!!  My job requires me to be at work 7-days a week, regardless of a made or missed cut.  But, like I said, I am playing Golf for a living.

There were two highlights during my 8-week marathon.  The first came at The Players Championship down in Ponte Vedra, Florida.  I hit the ball well throughout the week and I couldn’t help but smile as I proved several television commentators wrong after they made some very strong and opinionated comments about me on national television.  My 12^th place finish fell 11 spots short of my goal but it was a million miles ahead of where those individuals predicted I would finish.   Thanks for the extra motivation, fellas!

My good friend and Country Music Star, Luke Bryan, played on Wednesday of the event in front of a packed house.  I met him for lunch before he was scheduled to go on stage and we visited for a short while following the concert.  The Golf Channel interviewed him shorly after he arrived to Jacksonville and several of the commentators tried to pry some of our college stories out of him.  Thankfully, he kept things PG rated for the millions of viewers watching at home!  He did a tremendous job with the concert and I couldn’t be more proud of him and his success.

The second and, without a doubt, most memorable highlight occurred on Monday of this week.  After battling the tough conditions at The Memorial, I put my body and game to the test in a one day, 36-hole qualifier for the upcoming U.S. Open.  I, along with the majority of the PGA Tour, battled through the wind for 16 spots and a trip to The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California.   I bogeyed my very first hole but thankfully that was the last one I would make all day!  I played my next 35-holes bogey free and finished in solo 2^nd with rounds of 67-68.   I earned a spot into this coming week’s U.S. Open and I cannot wait to participate in my first Major (one of four each year for those of you that don’t follow golf – Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship).  Each year, the U.S. Open is the most difficult test in Golf.  The rough is so thick that golf balls are often lost, only to reappear months later like last year’s Easter eggs!  In addition, the greens are so fast that they are almost impossible to stop, especially on downhill putts.  It is, without a doubt, the toughest Tournament in the world and I cannot wait for the challenge.

Since my last blog entry, I have been working extremely hard on a couple of projects away from the golf course.  One of the two is completed and hopefully this new outlet will do a better job of keeping everyone MORE INVOLVED AND UPDATED on my weekly adventures.  This completed project can be located at www.blakeadamsgolf.com.  This website will be updated weekly and I am asking each of you to become a part of it.  My blog is extremely important to me but, in all honesty, I have run out of things to say!  I feel that I am repeating myself each week and I am at the point where I don’t know what my readers want to hear.  So with that being said, I am asking YOU to become part of my weekly blog.  I am opening up two lines of communication for questions or comments and my weekly entries will be based on your interests and inquiries.  This way, I will have a guideline for what to write about and you will be involved in the content.  I will do my best to answer as many questions as possible each week but obviously some of them will not make the cut.  Please don’t be discouraged if yours isn’t answered on that particular week because I will refer back to them for future entries.  The first way to contact me is through my email (blakeadamsgolf@gmail.com) and the other is through the Contact Tab on my website (www.blakeadamsgolf.com).   Hopefully you will enjoy this new avenue and involvement.

In addition to the “new and improved” entries, I will have contests on the website that will give my followers a chance to win prizes.   These prizes may range from equipment to autographs of certain players on Tour.  Please don’t miss out on some of these chances to win some really cool prizes.

My second project is still in the works and if things continue on its current path, it will be huge.  I cannot say a great deal about it but hopefully I will have some good news in the upcoming months.  It is very dear to my heart and something that will definitely impact thousands of people.

I hope you will become a part of my weekly entries by submitting your questions and comments.  I welcome anything tasteful and of interest to my readers.  I am really excited about this new approach to the blog and website.  Hopefully you will enjoy the new path, as well.  Please take the time to look over the site and GET INVOLVED!  I have included an email signup on the web site as well that will send out an alert when new things are posted.  PLEASE sign up so you will be included in the weekly updates.  This will also allow me to gauge the level of interest on the site.   Also, I encourage each of you to join in my Campaign to help the children of Putnam and Emanuel Counties.  Find more information under the heading “Campaign” at my web site (www.blakeadamsgolf.com).  Please get involved and good luck with the contests!