Played the first five holes in three under gross in the medal today. Was still two under at the turn. Limped home with a 77 (par 72, sss 71) and a competitive 67 nett.

So far, so banal, but the point of my post is that I was hitting the ball so well, I kind of played my way out of it. I think instead of just playing on and enjoying it, in some way it freaked me out. I was thinking I was on for breaking par (my ultimate aim - once I do that I'm going to give up, or so I think).  

As soon as a score comes to mind before the round is over, I am in trouble, and it's true I rallied to finish well once I was no longer so aware of where I was vis-a-vis par.

So the point is for Creo, Wormburned, BoB - anyone who's broken par...

How do you do it without realising it? How do you stay in the zone when you're scoring and playing so well it begins to cut into your concentration, and the moment is lost.

I'm confident I'm playing better than ever, so I reckon I can score low next time or the time after. Does it take a couple of near misses? I've scored better before, but never played as well as today.

You always know it. All the good players I know have an in-built running total in their head. They cant help it, just happens. But there's a difference to knowing to reacting to what it is. When I am rarely onto a good score I just try and do whatever it is I have been doing all round. Protecting doesnt work, being aggressive doesnt work, passive doesnt work. Just keep going doing the same and see how the dice roll. If its your day its your day, if not then it isnt.

You also have to accept that we are humans and wil react to playing well. But the key IMO is to just to keep playing in the same vein as before, If you have been firing at pins keep firing at them, if you've been playing safe then keep playing safe, dont alter your game and your idiom, jus keep doing what works, if it stops working its a stupid game anyway.

PS I once stood on the 18th 8 under par. I decided I would play safe and take a bogey to protect my score, a good decision, at the last moment I thought sod it. I hit driver, 8I, holed putt for birdie and ended up 9 under. Of course I could have screwed the pooch and got a treble. But the good part of the decision was to keep doing what I had done before. 

Creosote wrote (see)

 ....just keep doing what works, if it stops working its a stupid game anyway.

PS I once stood on the 18th 8 under par. I decided I would play safe and take a bogey to protect my score, a good decision, at the last moment I thought sod it. I hit driver, 8I, holed putt for birdie and ended up 9 under. Of course I could have screwed the pooch and got a treble. But the good part of the decision was to keep doing what I had done before. 

Hard not to like this Creo, bloke. But picturing bricktop playing Golf makes me feel violent tendancies...

"Errol! Feed 'em to the pigs!"

hehe so true hes scary! good post though creo.

dont bottle it!

Like the advice Creo. Enjoyed the post.

As a post script, I won the comp and qualified for a nice knock at Slaley Hall in a regional final. Got cut a shot too, so pleased all round.