Stage 1: Let the Journey Begin
Hello Illini Nation!
It feels like it has been too long since my last Chip Shots Blog! My professional golf career kicked off in June, and it is been perhaps the most rewarding, exciting, humbling, and eye-opening six months of my life. I am loving every minute of it! Coach Slone reached out with an idea to share some thoughts on my LPGA Qualifying journey, and I immediately jumped at the opportunity. LPGA Qualifying School (Q-School) involves three different tournaments/stages, so it is safe to assume that I am going to have plenty to share about my experience! We will start with Stage I, which took place back in August in Palm Springs, California.
My first time at Stage I was in the summer of my junior year at Illinois in 2019, so I knew which areas of my game needed to be sharp leading up to my second trip out to Palm Springs. The months and weeks leading up to Stage I were filled with many long conversations with my swing coach, talks on the phone with Coach Slone and Pina, and days where I was out on the course from daylight until dark. I wanted to ensure that my physical and mental state were where they needed to be, as Q-School can be an intense grind!
My dad and I flew out to California on August 13th, which gave me a few extra days to practice and adjust to the much warmer temperatures. The heat can be extreme (around 120 degrees!), so each player is required to use a golf cart for the duration of the tournament. This can be a big change for players, especially having grown up walking all throughout junior and collegiate golf. Thankfully, a few of the state open tournaments I competed in over the summer provided some great insight into my process and routine preferences while riding carts in a competitive round.
Practice rounds began on the 16th and ran through the 18th, as we compete on three different courses for Stage I. Each competitor plays one round on each course (Shadow Ridge, Pete Dye, and Dinah Shore) before the cut is made. The players inside the cut line play the final round at Dinah Shore. I made sure to bring along my yardage books from 2019 to assist in my preparation and practice rounds!
I played my first round on the Dinah Shore course at Mission Hills (host of the ANA Inspiration). While it certainly was not the most exciting round (birdies were extremely scarce), I still took away many positives from the day. I managed my round and made smart decisions, which was my commitment for the entire week. I ended the day with a 76, which put me at T-205. I knew that there was plenty of golf to be played, and anything could happen. I got a few hours of practice in after the round, then made sure to get some rest for the next day!
I played the second round on the Pete Dye course at Mission Hills, and my third round at Shadow Ridge. While both days were not my best, I was able to post two rounds under par (71-71) and climb my way up the leaderboard to stay inside the cut line and play on Sunday. My next mission was to climb my way into advancing onto Stage II. The top 95 players and ties advance, and I was sitting at T-99 as I went to sleep on Saturday.
I typically do not experience nerves before or during a round (apart from first tee jitters), but nerves and excitement were running high on Sunday! Before I teed off, I made sure to allow myself to feel and embrace the nerves, anxiousness, and emotions I was experiencing. I have learned over the years that these feelings are not inherently bad! Nerves, excitement, and anxiousness meant that I was passionate and motivated to play golf that day. I had no expectations surrounding my performance, and the only thing I was focused on was my process and things that I could control.
To be completely honest, Sunday truly felt like a blur. I recall playing the first hole, then things get pretty fuzzy until hole 17. If you have ever heard of the state of "flow", that is exactly where I was during the final round. I was so intensely immersed in the present moment, that I had no awareness of results or shots other than the one I was standing over. All week, I made smart decisions and was 100 percent committed to every single shot, but it all clicked on Sunday. As I finished out on 18, I realized that I had just posted my lowest competitive round to date: 65. I'm so grateful to have had my dad on the bag to witness the round, and to celebrate that I had secured my spot into Stage II of Q-School!
I have many more words to share about the next chapter of my qualifying journey, so we will save that for another blog. The last thing I want to share about Stage I is that the final round on Sunday would not have been possible without Illinois. Coach Renee Slone, [assistant coach] Pina Gentile, my teammates, and the Illinois community have all played such a monumental role in my perspective, mentality, and adoration for this game. Finding that "state of flow" is a direct result of the values, lessons, and goals instilled by the Illinois Women's Golf culture. Be prepared to have this reiterated many times as I continue to share my Q-School journey.
Until the next chapter,
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December 31, 2021 at 01:21AM
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Chip Shots: Nowlin's Journey through Q-School | Stage I - University of Illinois Athletics - Fighting Illini
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