April 6, 2024 Saturday at Augusta National Golf Club
In the final round of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA). University of Southern California (USC) 19-year-old freshman Bailey Shoemaker started the day four shots back of the leader, Lottie Woad, 20-year-old sophomore at Florida State. Shoemaker posted a bogey free course record 6 under 66 to take the lead in the clubhouse with the lowest final round in ANWA history. She then had an interminable wait to see if her score of 7 under would be the winner.
Lottie Woad never gave up. Her birdie putt on 16 to tie didn’t drop. She birdied 17 to tie Shoemaker at 7 under. As is often the case, the winner was determined by the last putt. Woad dropped a 15-foot birdie putt on 18 to win the championship by one stroke at 8 under par for a come from behind victory. Her plan to attack the final round worked in scoring three-birdies in the last four holes for a 3-under 69 birdie-birdie finish. “Good for her, especially under pressure, knowing she had to do it. That’s amazing,” said Shoemaker.
April 7, 2024 Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club
Eighty girls and boys ages 7 to 15 participated in The Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals held at the Tournament Practice Facility with the putting competition on the 18th green of Augusta National.
It was exciting to watch tiny 7-9 year-old girls drive the ball over 150 yards, and everyone in this division hit the fairway with both of their tee shots! In the Boys 7-9 group the winner drove the ball 209.5 yards into the fairway. The winning drive in the girls 13-15 age group was 264.5 yards in the fairway! In this division the top four girls drove the ball over 257 yards!
Listening to the youngsters talk about how they won was a litany of perfect mindsets for success. And each of the contestants received acknowledgement of their efforts with a parental hug.
Kipp Madison of Evans took the boys 12-13 division. He said the 18th green was like putting on glass. “You just need to be positive, even when you hit a bad shot because you can hit one bad shot and think there’s no way I can make it now,” he said. “You can always make it, you might just have to a do little bit better on other shots and just let the ball get to the hole. Don’t force it in. Just let it ride. It’s so fast, it’s so quick. The chipping, whatever club you’ve been practicing with, definitely use that club.”
April 7, 2024 Sunday at the Valero Texas Open
Akshay Bhatia led the Texas Open by four shots over Denny McCarthy going into Sunday’s final round. McCarthy was six shots back when he started his back nine on the TPC San Antonio golf resort course. He birdied 8 of the 9 remaining holes including the last 7 in a row to card an amazing back nine 28 to shoot 9-under 63. It would have been his first win on the PGA Tour.
And then Bhatia sunk a 12-foot putt on the 18th green to tie and force a play-off. On the first play-off hole Bhatia hit his wedge within six feet and sunk the birdie for the victory. With this win, he earned the last spot in this week’s Masters’ 89-player field. Ten years ago in 2014, as a 12-year-old, Bhatia was a finalist in the Drive, Chip & Putt competition. He will be the first alum to return to play in the Masters.
“I’m just going at my own pace, focusing on myself, keeping the blinders right in front of me. I look at that all the time because you can get caught up in a lot of things out here” he said. “If I’m just kind of doing my own thing and trying not to let outside stuff bother me, then I just can focus on myself and whatever the outcome is, it is.”
What do you believe?
The ability to focus your mind is all-important in achieving a successful performance. You will get what you focus on, but you must believe that what you desire is possible.
For most people, concentration constantly shifts from outside you between shots to inside you for the actual shots. Watching an engrossing movie, your attention is focused only on the action. In the same way, executing your golf strategy, or planning a golf shot can be just as engrossing. Being completely engrossed in the process of performing a shot is known as being in the “flow” or “in the zone” where peak performances occur.
Play “in the zone” with Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances
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“THE HEART OF GOLF, Access Your Supreme Intelligence for Peak Performances” explores and explains negative emotions such as fear and performance anxiety, the four Cs of mind blockage, the four progressive stages of learning the supreme intelligence of the heart, and the way to access the zone in competition. It is a player’s guide for developing your true inner self by returning to the joy and love of self instead of seeking praise and rewards from the outside world.
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