As one chapter closes, another begins!

I hope this post finds everyone doing well and having had a great summer! It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is behind us and Christmas plans are starting to take shape.

The up and down year continued as my season wrapped up at Q-School in October. As in years past, the Dayton Valley course proved to be a difficult track.  A couple poor swings in the middle of the first round became costly, leading to some big numbers. I continued to fight and persevere through the last three rounds but it just wouldn't be good enough. The first round collapse was too big a hole to dig out of and advance to the next stage. I left everything I had out on the course, and that's what I want to accomplish each and every time I tee it up.

As the season came to a close, I had to made a difficult decision as to my future as a professional golfer. After much thought and consideration, I decided to pursue other career options outside of playing professional golf. I was extremely fortunate to be able to chase a lifelong dream, but sometimes dreams end and others begin. My passion has shifted to a career that uses all my personal skills to positively impact a business and the world. Golf was fun as a game and I loved the competition, but as a profession it is much different. Depending on a little white ball for stability, the constant alone time and travel just wasn't for me. I have been called to live out my mission in a different arena, which involves offering my services to others. Life is bigger than me and I’m excited to share a successful career and life with my wonderful new bride, Ann.

Thank you all so much for your continued support, whether it was financial or emotional, it is very much appreciated. I was overwhelmed at the constant love and encouragement I received over the past 18 months as I went forth on my journey. There’s no doubt in my mind I wouldn’t have been able to pursue this dream without your contributions. Because of that I am forever grateful.

My pursuit of a professional golf career proved to be a valuable learning experience. Starting and running a business, goal setting, overcoming adversity, problem solving, and the gained friendships and support are things I’ll never forget. Each encounter of success and failure provided a lesson to be learned and cherished. This is something no one can take away from me, and I’m excited for what my new future has to offer. I'm happy to pass along a bit of good news as another year comes to a close. As of yesterday, I have officially  accepted a consulting position at SPS Commerce in downtown Minneapolis. I'm very excited for the growth opportunities and work environment within the company.

My wife, Ann, and I wish you a safe and wonderful holiday season!  I hope to see all of you very soon.  Thanks again! 

Sincerely,

Bryce

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” ~Gandhi

Fall Finish!

As the summer season comes to an end, I turn my complete attention to the Fall season. With PGA Tour Qualifying School on the horizon, my preparation efforts will be solely focused on being physically and mentally ready. Last year was a great stepping stone with a successful rookie summer, followed up by qualifying for the 2nd Stage of PGA Tour Q-School. This fall I'll look to improve upon last year's performance, and continue to gain valuable experience from the Q-School grind. Because of my performance last year, I am exempt through the Pre-Qualifying stage and can go right to 1st stage. My location has been confirmed in Dayton, NV at Dayton Valley GC from October 18th-21st. I'm excited to continue working hard and looking forward to a great Fall!

An up and down summer wasn't the consistent outcome I was looking for. My game feels the most mature it has ever been in my young career, I'm just trying to be patient and let the scores and results come to me. From the beginning my team and I had a plan to put the "nose to the grindstone" and continue working to improve for the future knowing there were going to be speed bumps along the way. I'll continue to do just that after a frustrating spring and summer of mixed results. The amazing support of my wife, family, and friends constantly pushes me to be both a better person and golfer. For that I am truly thankful and blessed.

That's all for now from the tips, but until next time remember "Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out."
-Robert Collier

Take care,
Bryce

In Full Swing!

Hello bloggers & golf fans!

It's now the middle of summer and my golf schedule is in high gear for the next two months! Since my last post, things have been extremely busy on and off the golf course to say the least. As many of you know, I've been engaged to my high-school sweetheart Ann since February of this year. We had a beautiful wedding day on July 9th in Eden Prairie, MN with family and close friends surrounding us. I'm so very blessed to have an amazing and supportive wife. After a fun honeymoon at a cottage on the north shore past Duluth, MN, we were off to Waterloo, IA for the Waterloo Open.

With Ann on the bag caddying for me, we did our best to survive the extreme heat and humidity. In the first round, things started off slowly on the front nine. Rallying with a late birdie, I made the turn at even par. On a course that surrenders lots of birdies, I knew I'd have to pick up the pace. After making eagles on the par-5 12th & 14th, I quickly jumped to -3. Two holes later I added another birdie, only to bogey the 18th for a round of 69. This score would later prove to be just enough to play the final round as I made the cut right on the number. Feeling good about my ball striking, I was off to the putting green to find a little momentum to climb the leaderboard on Sunday. The final round would turn out to be a better day on the greens. Making the turn to the back nine at -1 on the day, a few putts started to fall the last nine holes. Birdies on three of the last five holes helped cap off a solid round of 67, and a 14th place finish in the field of 193 players.

Following a couple days of rest and practice back home in Alexandria, we were right back on the grind this past weekend at the Minnesota State Open at Rush Creek GC in Maple Grove. The beautiful layout would be a great test of golf that would challenge all parts of the players' games. My first round afternoon tee time saw the greens playing firm and fast. A solid start over the first few holes, followed by back to back birdies to round out the first nine found me turning to the back at -1. Making just one bogey and one birdie on the next nine holes allowed me to card a one under 71. This was one of only a handful of under par rounds in the afternoon, so I wasn't too disappointed with the result. I'd been hitting the ball so well, but just unable to correctly read the putts and hit my intended lines. I was trying to be patient, but frustration was starting to set in. My second round score of 75 was very similar to round one, minus a big number hole that set me back. Another great ball-striking round on the final day was once again held back by the "flat stick." A final round score of 72 saw only two conversions on eight chances inside of 15 feet for birdie on the last 9 holes. A 33rd place finish wasn't the result I was hoping for over the three days, but I could take away great confidence in my ball striking into the next  tournament.

I wouldn't have to wait long for my next round as my first appearance on the Dakota's Tour would happen the very next day in Marshall, MN. Another course that tends to yield plenty of birdies, was doing so again this year with soft conditions and smooth quick greens. A trio of 69's (-6 for the tournament) at the end of the three days placed me in 12th position. The surprising part was the change in how I hit the ball. Each day I struggled with my full swing and wedge-game, not giving myself a lot of opportunities to make many birdies. My chipping around the greens is what saved my score during each round, going 20/26 in successful up & downs. Putting was pretty streaky again through the first two rounds, so I decided to make a change for the final day to try and find some magic. I brought my belly putter out of the trunk after the 2nd round while I was practicing and it felt great in my hands. The results showed in the final round as I started to hit my intended lines. I'm okay with misreading greens or an occasional misjudgement on speed as long as I'm committing to and hitting the putt in the direction I want to.

Once again, there isn't a lot of rest between events as we kick off another three day event tomorrow here in Yankton, SD. Today was a great day to get my legs back some and touch a few things up on my game to prepare for the tournament.

Upcoming schedule:

July 29-31: Yankton, SD (Dakota's Tour Event)
August 1: Omaha, NE (Nationwide Tour Monday Qualifier)
*August 4-7: Omaha, NE (Nationwide Tour Event - if qualified for)
*August 4-7: Yankton, SD (Dakota's Tour Event)
August 11-13: Rapid City, SD (Dakota's Tour Event)

That's all for now from "the tips," but until next time remember..."your true opponent is always the golf course!"


Bryce

Practice, Practice, Practice...

The battle at the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am turned out to be just that with my golf swing over the three days. I struggled each round to get comfortable with my grip, alignment, and take away from the ball. Fortunately however, I was able to fight through the struggles and play some good stretches of golf to make the cut on the number. My swing would come and go quickly, and the up and down numbers on the scorecard were and indication of that. A first round 74 was not the start I was hoping for to get into contention. I knew I would need to improve in order to make the cut and be able to play the final round on Sunday. Saturday I got off to a hot start going -4 on the day through six holes, including two chip-ins to quickly get to -1 for the tournament. From there however, things went downhill fast as I had to birdie the last hole just to shoot 72. The final round was much more steady and included fewer mistakes. A couple late birdies got me into the clubhouse with a 69 and a tie for 21st. The upside was how great my putter felt all three days, even though the results weren't there. It was one of those weekends where I hit my lines, but a slight misread or too much/too little speed made all the difference and caused me to keep burning edges.

A slight change in schedule unfortunately happened while I was at the Tapemark event. Because of the recent tornadoes around the Joplin, Missouri area, the Hooter's Tour felt it was best for us to not interfere with the relief/clean-up efforts in the area. Many people hit by the tornado were being housed or living in or around the Miami, OK area where the tournament was supposed to be. The event has been rescheduled for later on in September. I'm hoping to make the trip down this fall to compete to see what the Hooter's Tour is all about.

Next up on my golf schedule is the Waterloo Open in Waterloo, IA. The tournament will take place on July 16th-17th. In the mean time I will continue putting in long hours at the practice facility, as well as playing on a regular basis to prepare for a busy summer of traveling. Also, this Tuesday I'm headed to "The Kingdom" on the Reynolds Plantation east of Atlanta, GA to get a tour fitting from TaylorMade. This facility is one of their two "tour fitting facilities" in the country for professional golfers. This is a great opportunity to get clubs that match up to my exact specifications and golf game characteristics. Check out their website: The Kingdom at Reynolds. If the fitting goes well and the equipment will benefit my game, I'll have the option to play and represent the TaylorMade brand. As one of the top club manufacturers in the world, I'm excited for the opportunity to try out and see what TaylorMade has to offer.

That's all for now from "the tips", but until next time remember...."It doesn't matter how you get the ball in the hole. There are no pictures on a scorecard, only numbers."


Bryce

Back in the swing of things...

After a few weeks off from competitive golf to practice and recharge, I'm ready to get back at it this weekend at the Tapemark Charity Pro-Am. The tournament takes place at Southview CC in West St. Paul, MN. This is where I made my professional debut one year ago, and I can't wait to tee it up again this year. The tournament is doing great things for local charities by helping to raise money for those in need. In just 40 years of its existence, they have raised and donated more than $6,150,000 to the agencies it supports. I'm proud to be a part of the tournament and everything they represent for the second year in a row. The event runs from June 10th-12th, and the field will be cut down after 36 holes for the final round on Sunday. I hope to get myself back into contention again this year after doing so last year through two rounds before faltering some on the final day. You can follow the action through their website at Tapemark Charity Pro-Am website.

My schedule doesn't slow down after the Tapemark however, as immediately following the final round I will be on to road to Oklahoma. The "Buffalo Run Casino Classic" is being put on by the Hooter's Tour in Miami, OK from June 15th-18th. I was fortunate enough to be able to get an exemption into the event, and am excited for the opportunity to see what the Hooter's Tour is like. I've heard great things about how the tour is run and their treatment of the players. The four round event will have a cut after 36 holes to the top 65 & ties. You can follow the scores through the Hooter's Tour Leaderboard.


That's all for now from "the tips", but until next time remember...."As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round."
-Ben Hogan

Take care and thanks for all your support!

Bryce