Round 4

Saturday morning Bryce and I woke up expecting to battle the rain and cold, instead we were surprised to see the sun shining and nothing but blue skies! We packed our bags, checked out of the hotel, and it was time to head to the course for a 9 hole thriller to complete the 2nd Stage of Qualifying School for the PGA Tour.

Birdie on the opening hole had things off to a fast start. A bogey on the 2nd hole was quickly erased by a birdie on the following hole as Bryce drained a 10 foot putt that snuck in the right side of the hole. Close calls ensued on the following two holes as two birdie chances from inside 15 feet just did not want to fall. A sand save on hole 6 kept us at 1-under par for the day and 3-under par in Round 4. Bogeys on two of the closing three holes and the score on our closing 9 holes added up to 37 for a total of 71 in our final round.

After an opening 80 in round one, Bryce rebounded with 3 straight under par rounds, unfortunately it was not enough to sneak into the top 19 places and advance to the Final Stage. This week was another step in the development and maturity of Bryce's golf game. He was so close to doing something special all week! Yes, it is disappointing to not move on, but a lot can be learned from this experience. It is not hard to recognize that Bryce has the game to compete at this level, minus 3 holes on Wednesday and he would have been right in the mix. Great things are ahead for Bryce, both in life and in golf! Learning experiences like this week only make him more passionate about pursuing his golf career and more trusting that God has a plan for him.

I hope you all have enjoyed sharing in our journey this week. I am off to Omaha and school, Bryce is headed back to Scottsdale, but Tuesday afternoon we will be meeting back in Minnesota to share in the Thanksgiving Holiday with our families. We are both so thankful for all of the support from our communities, friends, and families over the years.

God's blessings to you all this holiday season!

Bryce Hanstad and Jack Dressen

P.S. Continue to check the BHG Blog periodically as Bryce will take over the blogging and keep you all up to date on his golfing journey.

Round 3.5

Daylight was all but gone as we finished our last hole tonight. With heavy rains forecasted for tomorrow, tournament officials elected to take advantage of today's dry conditions to squeeze in 27 holes. Just 9 holes remain in the 2nd Stage of Qualifying School for the PGA Tour and Bryce is 3 over par.

At 9:20 Bryce hit his opening tee shot off the 10th tee at the Bayonet Golf Club in Monterey, California. A two putt birdie on the first hole was followed by text book pars on the following 5 holes. We missed our first green of the day on our 7th hole (hole 16) but that did not stop Bryce from making a birdie. His chip chased up the ridge and dropped straight to the bottom of the cup. Another birdie on our 9th hole of the day and we were headed for the front nine standing at 3 under par.

It looked as though as we might get to 4 under after we hit the par 5 1st hole in 2 shots, but a three putt par put a pause on our charge. Bryce had to rely again on his short game as we saved par on the following 2 holes after missing the greens with our approach shots. A couple more pars had us confident we could make a charge on the last 4 holes. A bogey on our 15th hole followed by a drive that hooked left put us in need of something special. And thats when it happened, Bryce again executed when he needed. A 5 iron from 210 yards that hooked 30 yards and chased around a green side bunker helped us to avoid two straight bogeys. Three well placed shots left Bryce a tap-in birdie on the next hole, a 618 yard par 5. A closing bogey kept us from sneaking into the 60's for the first time this week, but round 3 had moments of greatness and we looked to build on that with the 9 holes we had left to play.

Bryce and I snacked on PB&J sandwiches during our 20 minute break and then it was right back to the 10th tee for the start of round 4. Another 2 putt birdie on hole 10 made it three straight to end the week. Bryce tapped in a birdie from 5 feet just two holes later to get him 2 under through 3 holes. It looked as if Bryce would make it 2 straight birdies but his ball stopped half a roll short of the cup. Putts over 15 feet have fooled us all week, its been a struggle to match line and speed to find the bottom of the cup. Our cold streak ended on the very next hole as Bryce poured in a 30 foot birdie putt to move to 3 under through 5 holes in the 4th round. Bogeys on the next two holes slowed us down, but we came right back with a closing birdie as darkness set in.

Today was a marathon on the course and Bryce was so close to piecing together something very special. Tomorrow's 9 holes have the possibility of being that something special. Anything can happen when weather moves in, we saw a few putts drop this evening and we will carry that confidence with us on the final 9 holes. We rented a couple pool towels for the morning and I am about to go test the umbrella in the shower. Bring on the rain, birdies, and cold weather... here come the Minnesotans.

Round 2

Round 2 is in the books at PGA Tour Qualifying School at Bayonet Golf Club in Monterey, California. Today was a step in the right direction for Bryce, he hit a lot of great shots on his way to carding a 1-under 71. He found a rhythm early with his driver and made great par saves on 3 of the last 4 holes to post a red number in the second round. We are halfway through the tournament and although Bryce did not make a big jump up the leaderboard today, we put ourselves in position to make a run at a top 19 finish (the top 19 and ties will advance to Final Stage of Q School).

Bryce did not waste anytime with getting our rebound round started as he chipped in for birdie on our first hole (we started on the back nine)! We gained some much needed confidence on hole 11 as Bryce made a 8 foot downhill putt to save par and keep momentum on our side. Our roll continued as Bryce stuffed a wedge to 4 feet on hole 13, to get back into red figures. Bryce played solid golf the rest of the nine as he closed with five stress-free pars to shoot 35.

The second nine started just like our first hole, with a birdie. This time just a simple two putt from 20 feet and Bryce was 2 under on the day. Bryce saved par from the bunker on the next hole and added another birdie on our 12th hole (hole 3) as he drained an 8 foot right-to-left slider. Bryce followed the birdie with a 10 foot par putt conversion to keep our round at 3 under with 5 holes to play. Bogey on the next hole had to be a popular score for the field as the pin was in a tricky spot on these treacherous greens. It looked as if another shot would be given back to the field as we found the bunker on the next hole. But Bryce would escape with par as he played a miraculous shot, allowing the ball to funnel down the slope to within just 3 feet of the cup. Another sand save was needed on our 16th hole and Bryce was up to the challenge draining his 6 foot par putt. A bogey on the next hole put us on the final tee needing a par to sneak into the clubhouse with an under par round. The only problem, hole 9 is one of the hardest holes on the course. Not to worry, another sand save for par from Bryce and I decided I will have him aiming at bunkers all day tomorrow.

Following the round, we hit the driving range. Yesterday, we struggled with the driver and today we did not miss a fairway until our 14th hole! Today, a few errant irons left us needing some big up and downs from the bunkers. Bryce worked on his alignment and swing path and with a few minor adjustments he started knocking down the flag sticks on the driving range (he even made one). We made sure to bottle-up all of the good mojo and we are prepared for a big day tomorrow.

Confidence is running high in our hotel room tonight. Putts were falling and drives were flying high and straight today; we are prepared to go on the hunt for birdies tomorrow!

As we turn the lights out in Cali, we are grateful for all of your support and we are humbled by all that God has blessed us with.

God's Peace

Round 1

Well, today was an adventure! Bryce shot 80 in the 1st round of the 2nd Stage of Qualifying School for the PGA Tour. We started with a double bogey on the 1st hole, but came right back with a birdie on the 2nd hole by hitting an approach to 2 feet. It felt like we had dismissed the jitters felt on the 1st hole as he made par on hole 3. Another double bogey on the 4th did not phase Bryce as he responded with birdies on 2 of the next 4 holes. A missed up and down on hole 9 left us heading to the back in 2 over par (38). The driver was a little loose on the front 9, but Bryce was happy to turn in 38 considering some of the places we found ourselves on the front nine. Our goal was to just play solid golf on the back, knowing even par (72) would be a good first round. On the par 5 10th hole, we misjudged our 2nd shot that left Bryce in a peculiar spot and he couldn't quite get his par putt to drop. It was the beginning of a stretch in which we struggled to crack the code on the greens. Missed birdie putts on 11 and 12 from inside 15 feet was frustrating but Bryce was hitting great shots to have birdie chances on these tricky greens. Tree trouble on 13 left us unable to avoid a triple bogey 7. Bogeys on the next 3 holes put us on 17 tee needing two birdies to break 80. After draining a 20 foot birdie putt on hole 17, it was time to take advantage of the closing par 5 18th. A 350 yard bomb off the tee left Bryce an 8 iron from 175 yards. His approach just missed the green and left him a delicate chip down a slope which ran 8 feet past the hole. A solid putt caught the left lip and horseshoed right back at Bryce. It was just one of those days in which this great game is oh-so-humbling. As Bryce and I rehashed the round over dinner it was easy to see just how close he was to shooting a good round. Eliminate the double and triple bogeys and we shoot 73! Bryce hit a lot of great shots today, just 3 or 4 loose swings cost him. We are excited that he has a lot of golf to play, it gives us the chance to build on the good holes he had today and chip away at our deficit with greater patience than we exercised today. The weather looks like it will be turning to be more like that of Minnesota than Arizona, and for a couple of guys who grew up playing golf in jackets and stocking hats, we know that will play right into our hands. Its time for a few laughs as we tune into ABC's Modern Family. We will make up tomorrow refreshed and ready to take on whatever challenges will face us.

Goodnight from California!

Greetings from the Monterey Peninsula!

It was a full day for Bryce today; he played another practice round this morning as he continues his preparation for the 2^nd Stage of “Q” School. Today he was able to play with former PGA Tour winner Kirk Triplett. He was grateful for yet another great learning opportunity. Kirk shared many stories and much wisdom on what the road to being a PGA Tour winner entails. The afternoon was spent building confidence around the greens as the slippery contours of the green complexes will provide a challenge to the entire field this week.

Tee times were released for the first two rounds this morning, Bryce will tee off at 10:20 PST on Wednesday and then an hour earlier at 9:20 on Thursday morning. Be sure to follow scoring updates throughout the day at http://www.pgatour.com/qschool/# (click on the Bayonet Course in the left column).

As for the caddy, well I thought my job was to relieve stress in Bryce’s life, but tonight I admit, I failed. An hour flight delay, a missed connection in Denver, and a detour through San Francisco all had my arrival by Wednesday morning in doubt! Thankfully, I made it to the Monterey Airport, only 3 hours later than expected. My daily run today was in the Denver International Airport; I was excited to set a personal best by running a distance of 67 airport gates in just under 4 minutes. Carrying Bryce’s bag will be a breeze!

Bryce is asleep, and I am about to pass out in just a few minutes. He is so excited for tomorrow, it was immediately apparent when he picked me up that he is “in his element,” pursuing something he is so passionate about.

The support from friends, family, and all those that have helped Bryce get to this point, is something God has blessed him with. He and I hope through this blog you will be able to share in this incredible experience.

Check back tomorrow night for an update on Bryce’s play!

Catch you all on the flip side!

Here we go!

Friends, family, and those who just randomly found this blog, welcome!

My name is Jack Dressen and I am a good friend of Bryce Hanstad, and starting Wednesday I will be his caddy for his play in the second stage of Qualification School for the PGA Tour. We will be making our way around the Bayonet Golf Course in Carmel, California searching for birdies and pars in Bryce's quest to qualify for the Final Stage of "Q" School.

This is an exciting week for Bryce and he hopes you all can share it in through this blog. Each night I will log on and provide you an update of Bryce's play and his overall experience.

Bryce arrived in Carmel on Sunday, he was able to practice for a short hour before the sun set on the Pacific Ocean that the course overlooks. Today, he got his first glimpse of the course. The layout which plays longer than a 7,000 yard course in Minnesota because, well, its elevation is zero! The length along with the firm and fast greens should setup great for Bryce's golf game. If you have never seen him hit the ball, you know that binoculars are probably necessary to see the ball land. Bryce will play his second practice round Tuesday morning and then spend the afternoon making final adjustments to get ready for Wednesday's first round. Tee times for Wednesday will be released Tuesday morning.

As for the caddy, I will be landing on the Monterrey Peninsula in the evening. I have been following a heavy regimen of long walks with all my books in my backpack to prepare for the week. Bayonet is a course that I had the opportunity to play last year as a part of my travels with the Creighton golf team, and I hope to be able to contribute on at least one of the birdies on Bryce's card this week!!

I am off to pack and print my boarding pass! Check back for nightly updates all week!

Success is never final, failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts.

-John Wooden