Sam Struggles - And So Does Dad

Sam played today in the AFG Grand Prix. If he scored well, he would be picked for the Belgian national team. At the upcoming European team championships The setting was a hilly golf course called Falnuee. It runs only about 6000 yards, but has narrow, forest-lined fairways and requires many second shots to hilltop greens.

Perhaps the pressure was too much. Or perhaps the round just exemplified the vagaries of the game. Sam was cruising along until the seventh hole, a par five, when he hit a magnificent drive almost 300 yards. He had only a three wood to the green. But he sliced two shots out of bounds and ended up with a catastrophic nine.

To his credit, he fought back and hit a number of sparkling shots during the rest of the round.

But four makeable birdie putts lipped out and he ended up nine over, missing the cut by two
shots.

Afterward, he was visibly disappointed and so was I for him. I began to fear that I had moved from encouraging to pushing. By trying to help you figure out an ambitious golf program and encouraging him to be recruited, have I upped the pressure on him too much?

I am going to step back.