2019 Apogee Investment Management Championship

[Berg Ryman]

Hey spies. So, for 2019 I'm dipping my toes back into the competitive golf realm and attempting to qualify for my local amateur tournament as my main golf goal for 2019. It was formerly the Post Standard Amateur, now the Apogee Investment Management Championships due to horrific naming rights deals.

So, a little bit about me (and yes this is a copy/paste from my Mizuno review)

"Played for 5 years in high school, earning 3 MVP trophies, two first team all leagues, and competing against guys who would play at high level D1, D2, and D3 schools. In college I tried walking on at Oswego State and would have likely made the team, because I had beaten some of their players in a practice round there by multiple shots, if not for the fact my swing left me two holes into tryouts. After that failure I put up the clubs and focused on education and music, earning a Bachelors in Journalism right about the time the newspaper bubble burst. I got back into golf the summer I finished college, then went to law school and joined a local league at my old high school stomping grounds. Why did I come back after such a public failure? Well, to prove that I could, to find peace. I never really fit in all that much and the golf course was the one spot where I felt I did. I'm happy to be back, and I can play to my 9 pretty regularly."

Interestingly enough, the first round I picked the clubs back up for was a qualifying round for the PS Amateur, I shot 95 after not touching a golf club for nearly 2 years, needless to say, I didn't qualify. So why I am doing this now? Well, to prove to myself than I can compete a bit. I know it's unlikely I win the whole enchilada because we've got some players here in CNY who can really play both young and old and I'm just a kid who learned the game on his own and is trying to stage a comeback. Also, and this sounds weird to say, I turn 30 in March and in between my relationship and my job prospects, I don't think I've got much more time for competitive golf being a potential focus and I want to give this one good attempt before I go totally casual. Lastly, my club didn't have a club championship this year due to lack of players, so I wanna play for something important.

So, let's talk the structure of the tournament. The dates and venues have yet to be announced for 2019 but there are three qualifiers played two weeks before the actual tournament. I'll need to qualify through those. I'll describe each course when they get announced, but normally a score of 85 is required, so +13. Courses usually line up around 6300 yards, which is a bit longer than my home course which plays a shade over 6K, but not by a lot. Then the tournament itself is four days, cuts after 1 and 2 to the top 32. with the weekend rounds after that. Tournament rounds are usually on the better and nicer tracks in the area, normally private, and usually places I don't play so I'm at a disadvantage there. My hope is simple, make it through qualifiers, don't embarrass myself in round 1, that's it. 

How to do it? Well, practice will be key. I'm actually going to work on getting into better shape and hitting balls this off-season at our indoor range at a casino once every couple of weeks. Then it's play a lot of golf. Hopefully nab some rounds at the qualification site and create a book and plan for this course specifically. Perhaps some range sessions, but I primarily play my way into shape and knowing how to get around the course is paramount to me. Second will be equipment, I plan on making a loft adjustment to my Mizuno driver going to 9.5 to square up the face, regrip everything and add a club to sit between my FW and 4.5 iron, probably a hybrid although I'm uncertain of which one (probably should have used the Tour Edge deal I got emailed about for MGS). Lastly, making a ball choice paramount in early season (thinking either Q Star Tour or Elixr, but will test a lot). Third, hopefully get a friend to caddy for me. This is not a golf decision as I have very few friends who play, but it's more about getting someone on the bag who can keep me loose. I'll be making every call, but you can never have too much support.

So, that's it. I'll keep this thread posted with updates, especially when the course selection gets announced, maybe open it up to a poll to see where you think I should go qualify, so that we all feel in this together. 2019 is gonna be fun fellow spies, hopefully we can get this done!

 

[HardcoreLooper]

Good luck, my friend. If you have a non-golfer loop for you, be sure to teach him the basics of etiquette. At least he won't need to tend pins. 

[Berg Ryman]

19 hours ago, HardcoreLooper said:

Good luck, my friend. If you have a non-golfer loop for you, be sure to teach him the basics of etiquette. At least he won't need to tend pins. 

true thing to consider HL, thanks for the reminder. Also, a big shout out to everyone getting behind this, it's pretty inspiring. The dates and venues are probably two months away from announcement. Currently thinking through my bag and where improvements can be made.

[PING Apologist #9]

Best of luck to you and keep us updated with your equipment changes if any. Geeks like me eat that stuff up! Cheers!

[HardcoreLooper]

8 hours ago, Berg Ryman said:

true thing to consider HL, thanks for the reminder. Also, a big shout out to everyone getting behind this, it's pretty inspiring. The dates and venues are probably two months away from announcement. Currently thinking through my bag and where improvements can be made.

I've only been on the other side of the strap a few times, and I've never had a non-golfer on my bag.  But I was just listening to the NLU podcast with Max Homa, where he recounted the time he had to use a local airport baggage handler who did not play golf as a caddy in a tournament in Bermuda.  I can't imagine how much mental energy it would take to maneuver a guy around a golf course if he'd never set foot on one before.

[Berg Ryman]

10 hours ago, HardcoreLooper said:

I've only been on the other side of the strap a few times, and I've never had a non-golfer on my bag.  But I was just listening to the NLU podcast with Max Homa, where he recounted the time he had to use a local airport baggage handler who did not play golf as a caddy in a tournament in Bermuda.  I can't imagine how much mental energy it would take to maneuver a guy around a golf course if he'd never set foot on one before.

I probably worded this a bit wrong, it wouldn't be someone who's never played golf before, but isn't someone who's avid or be able to help me make decisions. But, I will say in my 9 hole round I played last year for my Mizuno test with my girlfriend with me taking photos, she had no idea what she was doing and I shot +1 on a course I hadn't seen before while helping her get in the right spot for good shots. Time will tell, still in the planning stages and may decide to go a different route than the caddie thing anyway.

[Berg Ryman]

So, just when you thought this thread was dead, it isn't! The AIM Qualifier sites have been announced so I figured I'd give them a run down and let you into my head as far as to what I'm thinking as far as the sites to go

May 11: Cortland County Club. Playing at 6,003 yards for this year's qualifier. Last year, a score of 86 (+14) was necessary to make the field. Advantages are that this is the only track I've played before in the qualifying rotation, having played it in high school and apparently shooting a +4 on the front side off the blues (nearly 300 yards longer) according to an old newspaper link I found! Another upside is the course's length, being very similar to my home course. Disadvantages, it's the first qualifier in the rotation and with the long winter here who knows where my game will be on May 11th. Also, it is a private course. In the past they've allowed practice rounds, but I'm uncertain if they will this year.

May 15: Lake Shore Yacht and Country Club. Playing at 6,162 yards, and first time hosting qualification rounds as it's normally a pick to the actual official tournament rotations. Advantage, it's the nearest course to me of the three. It is hosting practice rounds (albeit for $50 a trip around). Disadvantages, never played it, will likely have the most talent of any of the three qualifiers since it's a top tier private course.

May 21: Camillus Country Club. Playing at 6,338 yards for this year's qualifier. Last year, a score of 86 (+14) was necessary to make the field. Advantages is that it's the public course of the three (really semi-private but fair pricing for rounds) therefore I can get the most practice on this course. Also, not that far from me, closer than Cortland but further than Cicero. Downside, longest course of the bunch may neuter potential scoring options not only on par fives, but longer par fours. Also, because of location and availability, perhaps the largest field.

So, if I had to pick one course right now I'm leading toward Cortland being the spot for my run. What's more interesting to me is the way the rotations for the main field shakes out. They must be looking for this year's tournament to be a birdie fest because they are playing all the courses short. First is Yahnundasis GC, playing a touch over 6,400. But the next three locations all are listed at playing around 6,000 yards. Drumlins East (private) is a track which can be got, Tuscarora (private) is a place most the field who have private memberships have played and should know pretty well, and Oswego (private) can be tricky, but can also be got as well. It's a weird set-up in my mind, but I guess it's been that way to allow for some good and exciting scoring since the tournament's been over by Saturday the last few years.

So spies, leaning Cortland, but if you think better of it, give me your thoughts, we're all in this together!

[edingc]

On 1/2/2019 at 2:13 PM, Berg Ryman said:

After that failure I put up the clubs and focused on education and music, earning a Bachelors in Journalism right about the time the newspaper bubble burst.

Hey, a fellow (must be close to class of 2011) journalism alum. Yeah, never wrote a single story for a newspaper after college. Awful timing.

Best of luck to you on your journey!

[Berg Ryman]

3 hours ago, edingc said:

Hey, a fellow (must be close to class of 2011) journalism alum. Yeah, never wrote a single story for a newspaper after college. Awful timing.

Best of luck to you on your journey!

Finished J-School in 2011, so you know the deal!

[Berg Ryman]

Figure it's around time for an update. If I play in the tournament it's going to be at Cortland, not for any interesting reason, it's the only qualifying site on a weekend so it means I won't have to use a sick day at my new job. However, you'll notice there's an 'if I play' up there. You see, registration for the qualifiers is on May 5, and because of CNY's typical crap weather and wet spring I have played no golf yet this year and outside of some limited range sessions, I've hardly picked up a club.

I'm hoping to see the courses around me open up this weekend into week so that I can maybe play a bit and work my game into some kind of shape where I can feel good about where I stand, but I'm not throwing $85 away for no reason. I hope to bring a happier update to you in a few weeks with a tee time and info on where to follow me, but we're a bit away from that right now.

[Berg Ryman]

Final update in this thread:

I have decided not to compete in the upcoming AIM Championship Qualifier, and the reason may surprise you. As some of you may know, I have recently started a new job in Syracuse working for a legal aid organization. Now, I picked the Cortland Qualifier because it fell on a weekend day, meaning I wouldn't have to use any time off.

However, with the dates of the tournament facilitating a need for 2 consecutive days (a Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun schedule) off roughly 45 days into my new job, I figured that taking the time would be disrespectful of the new job and paint me in a bad light, as well as using 2 of my three mandated personal days for the entirety of year one, putting me in a corner in case of an emergency.

As such, my focus has shifted to the 2020 AIM Championship and with it, a goal to qualify to make the weekend as one of the top 36 players in the area. Since I have the time I'm going to focus on working my game this season, completing a through review of the Odyssey Stroke Lab putter MGS has so gratefully selected me to review, learn where my focus needs to be to become a better player, get a fitness plan in place, and perhaps take a couple of lessons to work on some deficiencies in my game.

Thanks for the support in this endeavor everyone, sorry to have delayed it and let you down. Onward to 2020.