This tournament is tough, and I don't just mean the competition. It is walking for 5 hours straight, three days in a row. It is early tee times that have you up before the sun and out on the course warming up for a grueling day playing alongside some of the best. It is three days of mental grit that literally has you fighting back tears as exhaustion hits you mid-round. It is that feeling of losing an entire round when you let your mental game slip even the slightest. And as hard as it is on the boys, it is equally hard on us caddies in much the same way, yet completely different all at the same time.
These tournaments rip at this momma's heart in impossible ways.
Roen is our athlete, he is our natural go-getter, a true mental giant. He has a swing that is both beautiful and fierce. There is literally no one he wouldn't go head-to-head with, out on the course- any day, anytime. He isn't afraid to lose, afraid to fail and can pull out the round of a lifetime after a bogey, triple, double back-to-back (which he did on day 3). When this boy is in his zone, he plays golf in a way that comes so naturally to him, that it is a blast to watch.
Remi is our perfectionist and seeks impossible level of play from himself. Golf is all about taking bad shots and turning them into pars. On a good day, you can even turn bad shots into birdies and a bad hole into a winning round. He lets the pressure weigh too heavy and worries about messing up a good streak before it even ends. This is something he has to learn all on his own, and as much as I know that, it's still hard to watch that internal struggle. Remi has the skill and he has the know-how, he just needs to get that mental strength to a better place. On our last day, I watched Remi play the first 6 holes almost perfectly, only to watch him blow it, because he was nervous about doing just that. That's tough!
Roen: Day 1- 86, Day2- 81, Day 3- 76
Remi: Day 1-98, Day 2- 94, Day 3- 94
Roen's goal was to break 80 and Remi wanted so badly to break 90. When Remi finished up hole 17 and realized he wasn't going hit his mark on that last day, he walked over to me and asked for a hug. As he finished out his round, he was so disappointed, but he looked over at me and said "Thanks for being my caddy, mom". That was the biggest low for him in this tournament, yet, even at that time, he was grateful and kind- that was a moment highlight for me.
Roen got better and better each day and not only met his goal, but crushed it out there on day 3. If he would have played like that all three days, that little booger would have been top 5! He has high hopes for next year, and had an absolute blast finally getting his turn at this tournament.
It's always an emotional roller coaster when they are competing against each other. As I finished Remi's round, I was fighting back tears as I felt his disappoint deeply and knew how badly he wanted it. An hour later, as Roen finished his round, I was fighting back tears as I felt his joy in not only meeting, but surpassing his personal goal! No way around it, this stuff is hard on a mama's heart!
I met a man during day one, that was a family friend of a golfer in Remi's group. Bill was an older man with a kind heart, who came over and visited with me between holes and as we waited on tee boxes. That afternoon as we stood around the green watching the boys putt, he came over to me and commented on Remi's golf etiquette and manners. He said Remi seemed like a good kid and he was really proud of how he handled himself on the course. Even though Remi struggled his way through the tournament, Bill reminded me what this is all about. Later, on day 3, that same boy got to play with Roen and what an experience it was for Micah and Roen to get to know that very same family that made such an impact on my heart! It felt full circle!
The biggest thing I took away from this tournament is the respect I have for my boys as golfers. Not once did they belittle others on a bad round, gloat and brag about their own good rounds, run up to other golfers asking their scores... they are my humble golfers who stay in their own lane and for that I am so very proud.
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| Mr.Fix-it for little brother |
1 comment:
Oh my goodness…this post has me reading and rereading!! I am so proud of all that Remi and Roen have done on and off the course. They both played great and I think it’s awesome that they set goals and strive to achieve them with each round. I can only imagine how your heart feels ♥️. Congratulations to both boys and to their awesome caddies. Thank you for capturing some amazing pictures and sharing! Love y’all 😘
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