Making it back is the next challenge
I was hoping to get back to even par. That's what I would have liked to have done. Things didn't quite fall the way I wanted them to.
I got here about 5 after 10. I felt good. I felt normal. I had a normal warm-up.
I felt pretty nervous on the first tee again. I put a bad swing on it. That's not the way I wanted to start. The first hole has got to be one of the toughest on the golf course. It's just not an easy tee shot to be hitting for your first one. It's a tough hole. It feels good not to bogey the first two again.
I was walking to my tee shot at No. 3 and felt a little twinge. I felt it going down my neck into my shoulder. I was really freaking out. I couldn't believe how much it was hurting me. I couldn't take a practice swing on the front nine. I just had to suck it up.
(Taylor's fifth and sixth vertebrae were out of place.) I slept wrong, and any little thing can set it off. I did that earlier this year in San Diego. My back just kind of twinged on me. People have always joked to me about how fragile I am. It's always little things. It's frustrating.
It was killing me on 4, 5 and 6. Pretty much the whole front nine. I hit a good shot on 9. Then the trainer came up to me on 10. That's the best thing that could have happened to me. I was hoping he'd straighten me out. As soon as he popped me back into place I could feel it. It was still hurting, but it felt better.
On 13, I hit 3-wood off the tee. I pulled it just a little bit. I didn't hit a bad shot. I was trying to hit it just right of the trees and I just drew it a little bit too much. I went back and took a drop and laid it up to 95 yards. I didn't hit a good (fourth) shot. Tough pin when it's close to the creek like that. I tried to fly it by and suck it back.
I hit a good putt. I actually got kind of lucky for it to go in (to make par). It hit something and knocked it back on line. I thought it was going to miss right. Then it hits something and wiggles off and goes in. It was probably 20 feet.
On 15, I had 220 to cover the right side and 227 to the hole. When you can reach, it's tough to lay up. I thought about laying up. I thought about the best way to make birdie. The yardage I had, I was really in between clubs. I hit a little, easy, soft 5-wood. I hit a good shot. Anything on the green there is a good shot. (He two-putted for birdie to get to 5-over and needed another birdie to make the cut.)
I didn't know the situation when I teed off at 18. I knew I had to make birdie. After I hit my second shot I asked my caddie what the deal was. He told me he thought (the cut) was 4 over and it could possibly go to 5. Walking on the green, I knew I had to make that 18-foot putt. I really felt like I had a good read. I hit a really good putt. It just burned the edge.
Overall, it was a great experience. I'm disappointed. I really wish I would've made the cut. Maybe this weekend I'll look back and think about all the positives and move on.
It was a great week. It's a new experience when you walk inside those ropes. Playing in this tournament is a feeling like none other. It's pretty special. I hope to get back. I've got to play well. Hopefully, I'll get to the weekend and maybe one day win it. Just pull it out one day.
I'll probably take a couple of days off. I'll definitely watch it on TV at home. I'll probably go to Hilton Head (for the Verizon Heritage) on Monday.
I feel good. The last few weeks I've kind of come on to a few things. Hopefully, I can get it going again.
