It has been a week since Q School ended for me in Houston, Texas. It was a brutal week from a results standpoint. I finished at the bottom of the leaderboard after struggling mightily with my game all week. I just couldn't get it going with my iron play and my putter was ice cold. I wouldn't wish the feeling I had walking off that course the final day on my worst enemy. I have a picture above of a Ferrari in a garage. This exemplifies how I felt about my season. All year I felt really good about my game, but the results in competition were an absolute disaster. It was as if I had a Ferrari in the garage ready to be uncaged, but I could never find the keys to start it up.
It has been a long year that has taken me to some remarkable places. It is hard to believe the season came to an end so quickly. All year I was unwaveringly positive and the top of my blog reiterates just that. I really thought that this was my year. Walking off the course in Houston, Texas last Friday that all came crashing down. I flew home Friday night in a blur and for much of all this week I was still digesting the reality that I didn't reach my goals this year from a production standpoint, and quite frankly I didn't come anywhere close. It was a bit like I was a lost soul out there at times this year, never finding any rhythm throughout the year. Without any rhythm or results you can imagine it is really hard to find any confidence along the way. Don't get me wrong, I had an absolute blast this year competing, but it just isn't any fun losing for a long period of time.
So the big question is, where do I go from here? Lucky for me the Holidays are quickly approaching, so this will give me some time to reflect on this year and enjoy the company of my family. As any successful person does, I have to take an inventory of what I did well this year and what needs my focus heading forward. For me, I believe a substantial break from competitive golf is in the works. Like any athlete in any other sport there is a competitive season and then there is an off season. Last Winter, I don't believe I took enough time off to recharge heading into 2012. I more or less just played straight through from late 2011 into 2012. Looking back on it, I was partially burnt out for a lot of the summer from not catching my breathe last off season. I'm by no means saying that I am going to shelve my clubs for the next several months and just sit on my hands. That would be insane. I am going to continue training at an elite level, but I am not going to play in a single event until next April.
Have a look at a baseball player for example. If all goes well, a major leaguer plays 162 games plus the playoffs from the beginning of April until late October. That gives each ball player a 5 month window of an off season. I used baseball for an example because this is the most grueling sport from the amount of games played compared to any other sport. I have to do a better job this winter of shutting it down for a longer period of time on the competitive side. I am going to stay sharp by grinding it in the gym and continue letting it rip on the range and on the course back home. It just got a bit monotonous and I found myself just going through the motions come the second half of the year from overdoing it.
Golf is absolutely my utmost passion, but I need to rekindle that love with a competitive break. Nothing in this world makes me more happy than the simplicity of being outside with my golf clubs. I am a simple man and lead a simple life, but this break is going to be the best thing I have ever done. I look up to the top of my blog and realize in fact that I was right. This is my year. I found myself. I didn't obtain my PGA Tour card this year, but when it's all said and done when I look back on my career, I know I can see 2012 as the year that made future success possible. A year of setbacks from a result standpoint, but I grew leaps and bounds as a man in terms of maturity.
The PGA Tour just announced that they have taken the Canadian Tour under their wing. This is great news and now makes the climb up the PGA Tour ladder a bit more efficient. The top 5 players at years end on the Canadian Tour money list will advance to the Web.com Tour. The players finishing 6-10 will advance to the Final Stage of Q School. This makes the Canadian Tour the place to be in terms of getting to the next level. Their schedule fits perfectly into my break. The Canadian Tour Qualifying Tournament is in early May, so this will be what I will be gunning for coming out of my Winter break. I'm ready to shut it down competitively and get that fire back. I wish everyone a Happy Holidays and thank you for your unwavering support. Now it's time for me to go find the keys to that Ferrari. Until next time.
~John Kelly~
