Golf Games: Bounce Back

While watching the Valero Texas Open yesterday, I felt for Kevin Na.  I watched as he went through something all of us as golfers have done, and probably will do again, the one hole nuclear meltdown. Na's 16 On the 9th hole, Na drove his ball deep into trees and scrub brush on the right.  After searching for a while, he had to return to the tee, where he then hit another shot in almost exactly the same spot.  He then teed up a provisional which he pulled left into the left trees. Na found the 2nd ball and this is where the bad decision making started.  He elected to hit it, the ball bounced off a tree and hit his shin.  That is a penalty.  Then he had to take an unplayable lie penalty drop to get the ball into a place he could make a swing, but still deep in the trees.  Na then took "about" five more swings until his ball was out of the trees. Na's eventual score, after making a solid five foot putt, was a 16.  It was originally thought to be a 15 on this par-4, but after the tour watched the replay, they added one shot for some unknown reason. Microphones on Na and his caddy revealed a great conversation.  The caddy said to Na, paraphrasing, "we have 27 holes to make the cut."  Na then shot 33 on the back, to card an eight over 80.  Despite a par-4 on the scorecard with a 16 written on it, Na actually is positioned ahead of three players. Na's goal today (Friday) is to shoot low enough to make the cut. McIlroy After melting down in the Masters last week, 21 year old Rory McIlroy is in the Malaysian Open this week.  After shooting a 69 in the first round, McIlroy smoked the course with a 2nd round 64.  He is tied for the lead going into the 3rd round. Think McIlroy has gotten over the Masters? Bounce Back We all have bad days, holes, swings, rounds.  How we handle those adversities and bounce back is part of what can make golf so challenging, and fun.