Progress...Progress...Progress

A busy and exciting week has come to an end as I reflect on all that has happened. The week started out with the 3rd Gateway event of the season at Whirlwind Golf Club. Despite coming off the course with a score of 74 in the first round, the confidence I had been lacking in my ball striking had improved greatly. After working with my coach last week and beating balls to try and groove it, things seemed to have taken a turn for the best. My short game held me back some, but it wasn't for lack of good putts as the ball just didn't want to disappear into the hole. I knew if I just kept putting my self in good position to make birdies, they would eventually start falling. Round two produced much of the same without the couple mistakes that came the previous day. A bogey-free round of 67 that included 5 birdies was enough to put me inside the cut-line and eligible for the third round. Another great ball striking round followed by lip outs and burned edges kept my score from being even lower. I wasn't shaken however, as I knew I had to be patient and they would start to fall soon. Sure enough, when my ball striking wasn't quite up to the quality of the first two rounds, my putter seemed to pick up some of the slack. A final round 69 in some windy conditions vaulted me up the leader board into a 13th place finish. I got off to a hot start making 3 birdies and an eagle through 10 holes to get to 5 under on the day. Following some good pars, a couple bad swings on my 15th hole led to a triple bogey. I kept grinding to finish out the last three holes and post a good score, and did so making a birdie on my 17th hole. I was very pleased with my top 15 finish after a rocky start to the year. There are still things to fine tune as always, but it was a nice confidence boost to hang in there throughout the week. However, there was still one more competitive round to play on my schedule the very next day. That round was the pre-qualifier for the PGA Tour's Waste Management Phoenix Open. On another blustery day, the qualifier plotted 103 golfers for 9 spots into Monday's official qualifier for the Phoenix Open. Finishing with back to back birdies on 17 & 18, I grabbed one of the 9 qualifying spots shooting 67 for a fifth place finish. Yet again, my ball striking was very solid, allowing me the opportunity for many birdie chances. The putter again felt great all day, but the putts just wouldn't fall. Patience kept me going as I made the turn at 1 under. Finally, a few birdie chances fell when it really counted as I made 4 birdies on the last 7 holes to get inside the number and qualify. As I look back and reflect on the past week, I'm so thankful to be blessed with patience and a trust in God that things will always work out in the end. I trust and embrace his plan, along with the highs and lows that come along with it. If I take care of the little things and just keep getting better every day, great things will come along with them. I'm excited for the coming events, and can't wait to test my game against the best players in the world. Next up: the Waste Management Phoenix Open Monday Qualifier at McCormick Ranch GC! Current and former PGA Tour players, Nationwide players, and many others will compete for the final 3 spots in the event starting next Thursday at the TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course. The results for the qualifier should be posted on the following website after its conclusion: http://southwest.pga.com/ (scroll down towards middle of page) That's all for now from "the tips", but until next time remember....."the harder you work, the luckier you get!" Bryce

Ace in the Hole!

If I were to have drawn up how the first two weeks on the Gateway Tour would have gone, they would have turned out much differently than they actually have. It's been a tough start to the year, but that's the course this game seems to take us on. Through the highs and lows you just need to keep plugging along, learning from mistakes, and putting the past behind you. I've tried to do this knowing the sun will rise again tomorrow, and there's always another tournament to perform better. Last week did however have a couple high points. One of these being my 3rd career hole-in-one during my first round (2nd in competition and 2nd in 11 months). An 8-iron from 187 yards hit on the right ridge of the green and funnelled back towards the pin. For a moment it disappeared on the backside of the mound, but reappeared for a split second before hitting the center of the pin and disappearing into the cup! This sparked a miniature rally towards the end of the round, but didn't carry over to the second round enough to make the cut. The second positive outtake from last week was the way I chipped both rounds, and putted the ball the 2nd round. When my ball striking went south, my chipping stepped up and saved me many strokes in both rounds. Chipping has always been one of my strengths and something I've enjoyed practicing my whole career. Also, after making the switch back to the standard length putter after round one, I rolled the ball very well the next day. Now that I've had time to practice with it the last few days, I have a new found confidence and enjoyment around the greens that will hopefully carry through the coming week. A very busy week lies ahead for me as we get into the last week of January. The Gateway Tournament #3 will play out Monday-Wednesday at the Whirlwind Cattail Course in Chandler, AZ. You can follow the progress of this event at: http://gatewaytour.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gway11/event/gway114/contest/1/leaderboard.htm Following the Gateway event, I will be trying to qualify for a PGA Tour event right here in Scottsdale. The Waste Management Phoenix Open pre-qualifier will take place for me at Lone Tree GC on Thursday where roughly 100 guys will compete for 9+ spots in the Monday qualifier to get into the main event. It'll be a great week to test my game against some of the best players in the country and I'm very much looking forward to it! That's all for now from "the tips", but until next time remember.....a smooth swing with good contact always goes further than a hard swing and poor contact! Bryce

New Week, Clean Slate...

After a disappointing week last time out at the opening tournament of the Gateway Pro Tour, the time came to put the nose to the grindstone. Most of my bag from mid-irons to the driver and putter just would not seem to cooperate last week. Finding the center of the club face was a major challenge, and the ball just couldn't find the bottom of the cup even when I seemed to hit good putts. With that, I'm hoping there are plenty of good shots to be had this coming week. A lesson with my swing coach and some long successful practice sessions has my game feeling closer to where I want it. Now, it's time to put it to the test at this week's Gateway event at the Raven GC in Buckeye, AZ. The first round kicks off tomorrow and runs through Thursday after a 36-hole cut. Putting last week behind me, and refocusing on the task at hand the next few days will prove critical. Playing one shot at a time, and getting lost in the process of getting better each day now become the focus when things aren't clicking on all cylinders. My 2011 stint on the Gateway Pro Tour will be one where I'll need to stay very patient. As a rookie on this tour, I will be seeing a new course each week for the very first time. Most of the guys on this tour have been playing these courses numerous times for many years and know all the ins and outs. I'll have to make sure I pay very close attention both in tournament rounds as well as practice rounds to get as comfortable as I can with the courses. Each piece of information is extremely valuable when often times tournaments come down to just one shot. Becoming acquainted and comfortable with a golf course is very important in easing the stress of the unfamiliar layouts and contours each one provides. You can follow the progress of this week's event on the Gateway Pro Tour website, as well as my Twitter feeds. My screen name is @bhanstadgolf. That's all for now from "the tips", but until next time remember....."straight is long"! Bryce

Starting Fresh in 2011

First and foremost, I'd like to wish you all a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed lots of food, fun, family, and friends over the holidays just as I did.

As the new year begins, we are given the opportunity to look back and reflect as well as look forward and strive for new accomplishments. I've been so blessed throughout my career with support from those around me. I can truly say I wouldn't be at this place in my life today without their encouragement and guidance. To think that just 5 short years ago I was a Cardinal athlete in Alexandria, MN boggles my mind. Follow that with 4 amazing years as a Ram at Colorado State, and here I am a professional golfer in Scottsdale, AZ. Time sure does fly, and I've been fortunate to fulfill mine with great memories and milestones thanks to a great support system.

Now that 2011 is upon us, I look forward to and welcome the challenges and opportunities of a new season. After finding success in my early professional career the last 7 months, I look to build upon and expand off those learning experiences in the new year. Setting goals and high expectations for myself help me to continually strive and hunger for more success. As for a playing schedule, I plan on spending the the early part of the year playing the Gateway Pro Tour in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area in Arizona. The website where you can follow my round-by-round progress can be found at: http://www.gatewaytour.com/index.html. This competitive tour will help me to gain experience and put myself in position to contend for my first "W". The rest of 2011 could vary with events on the Canadian Tour, Dakotas Tour, and some Nationwide Tour qualifiers. I will be sure to keep you updated on my results and whereabouts.

That's all for now from "the tips", but until next time....keep it in the short grass!

-Bryce