After shooting a 12-over-par 84 in the first round, John Smoltz has resigned himself to not making the cut in the Nationwide Tour’s South Georgia Classic.
But the former Braves pitcher is going to do his best not to let his performance ruin the experience.
Blogging on pgatour.com, Smoltz said he would try to play more golf Friday afternoon after his round at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta to get rid of the feelings of disappointment.
“I don’t think I’ve shot 84 in the last five months, or maybe even the last five years,” he said.
He said he felt like he wasn’t releasing the clubhead properly, which resulted in not getting through the ball. As a result, many of his approach shots were short. His chips were decent, but he consistently couldn’t drain the par-saving putts. He finished with nine bogeys, two double bogeys and one birdie.
“I never felt like I could roll them in the hole,” he said. “They got close, but never in. I’ll take this round and use it in the way you should use it. I’ll take some valuable lessons and grind out a really good round tomorrow.”
He’ll tee off at 9 a.m. Saturday in the second round and said he hopes to break par. Weather delayed the end of the first round, which is why Smoltz didn’t finish it until Friday. He said that didn’t help his performance.
“I think the biggest thing is just the patience of it,” he said. “You’re waiting a lot. You’re having to think a lot. And once I get through that process of knowing how to wait and how to think then golf will be a lot different for me. When I get in a golf cart and race up to my ball and play it — I’m pretty good. But I have to learn, especially from yesterday. I was tested. I’ll attempt things differently tomorrow.”
