Welcome to my official website!

My Philosophy

When I started to play golf and became involved in junior golf tournaments it was fun and interesting to see how you would do against the other kids. As I got a little older the competition got better but one thing remained the same, attitude. No matter how hard you practiced on the off days and how good your swing and putting stroke was if you didn’t have a positive attitude going into the match and during it and perhaps more importantly after the day was done then you could throw strokes away. This could happen because your focus was off, you became intimidated or angry due to a poor shot or a less than satisfying round. Someone once said all the top athletes have amnesia..they take what positives they can from a round , a game or a performance, analyze these as well as their mistakes and work on the soft spots without emotion, without beating themselves up about a poor performance…taking what they can out of the situation and moving on. That has always been my mindset and I know that is one of the strengths of my game…a positive attitude, learn from my mistakes, prepare and never lose strokes on the course because of temper or other negative emotions.

Today everyone who plays any sport has to be in top physical condition. It is rare to see a top performer who is not in top physical form. I follow a weekly routine and consider it as much a part of the success of my game as chipping, putting or playing a practice round. I really started working in the gym when I was at Vanderbilt and I learned pretty quickly how a strong body lends itself to peak performance and also positively effects the mind, your outlook on life and your game. Our strength and conditioning coach at Vanderbilt, Curtis Turner is a great teacher and he really challenged me to focus on that aspect of my life. I believe it has paid huge dividends and will continue to do so and it is an integral part of my everyday life.

To be a solid player and to compete at the highest levels in golf I believe you have to have a lot of help. One of the crucial areas quite obviously is the golf swing. I have always had a professional teacher helping me with my swing. It is important to find someone who you can feel comfortable with and who is available to help and who above all can impart the knowledge in a way you can understand. I have been extremely fortunate to have two outstanding teachers: Ken Chrzan who works and resides in Massachusetts and Jim McLean, PGA National Teacher of the Year and acknowledged by pros and amateurs alike as one of the top teachers in the world.

Putting is the part of the game many players don’t like to work on; they just want to see how far they can hit their drives. While driving is critical, putting can be the difference between a good round and a great one, between a disaster and an ok round. I practice my chipping and putting twice as long as I practice any other part of my game…if I spend an hour on the range, I spend two on the practice green. Chipping and putting…many amateurs could care less…but at the end of the day it is always the missed putt that is the topic of conversation at the 19th hole…think about it!! I work with my swing coach on chipping and putting as well.

And finally, I have always tried to play as many tournaments at as many different venues as I could possibly fit into my schedule. When I played junior, collegiate and amateur golf nationally and now playing at the professional level I recognize playing often against the best competition available has been very beneficial to my game. It has helped me “learn” to compete.

I started serious competition by playing in the US Challenge Cup tournaments (www.uschallengecup.org) run by Dave Adamonis headquartered in Rhode Island. US Challenge Cup alumni can be found all over the national landscape and many on the pro circuit. If I meet a player from the northeast, it is a sure bet he/she is a former Challenge Cup player. We are all very fortunate to have Dave and the Challenge Cup to introduce us to the real world and real competition. Check it out!