2022 MILE HIGH SHOOTOUT

Location

Bigfoot Turf Farm

Setting

This was my third PLDA event. I was on my own for this trip and had a horendous travel experience. I flew in on a red-eye and had to take Lyft from the airport to La Salle, which was more than an hour away. Didn't hit the bed until 3AM. Without knowing the landscape, I'd also booked an Airbnb 10 miles from the event site and had to take Uber/Lyft everywhere. All in all, terrible start. It doesn't come close to my first event, but still very inconvenient.

My Performance

There was a lot of hype about how the balls would go 500 yards coming into the event. That didn't ring true today. This was a new grid for me, so as I did before my first event in Mesquite, I paid to enter the local qualifier the day before my event just to feel the ground in the tee box and see how the grid was laid out visually. I missed the grid with an 0-6, but had a number where a ball went out at 375 yards. That helped.

It was hot and muggy on Saturday. Zac Adams, David Mobley, Eddie Fernandez, and Ryan Gearhart were in the mix. My long of the day was 398 yards, but in the semifinal match, I was gassed and came in 3rd with a 367. Mobley ended up winning.

Memorable Moment

After the event, I went to dinner with David Mobley (who had just won his 40th career long drive event). After a few hours hanging out with him, I'd made a lifelong friend. The long drive community is already cool, but David is a gem.