Its been a minute - Tour 2026 edition

Early June 2026, a flicker of light appeared, an idea, not quite a conviction but an intention, lets enter some tournaments, playing ok, lets see what happens.

The Shooter had entered and played Fiji, not too shabby, made enough cash to go back next year, then the Hawaii Pro Invitational and made a little more cash and played solid, fuck it, lets enter some stuff.

First up, Maitland for the NSW Foursomes, Feathers played ok, Shooter flushed the driver and holed a few putts, good start to a week of Tournaments. We had 74 and missed $ by a couple but it was a pretty good showing.

Jesus, I forgot how cold it is in NSW at 5:30am, fuck me, glad I only bought shorts. 7:30 on the 7th tee, a nice wide par 5 to start, driver hits the fairway, bit far right to rip it around the corner so the voice of reason tells me to lay it up, the 7 iron is good, perfect position 124 from the hole. A smooth 9 iron hits a tree 40 meters left of the green, fuck that was close, yip a quick chip and 2 putt for a bogie, welcome back fuckhead.

The driver off 8 tee doesn't cut and now its a half pitch/knockdown from 88 mts into the trap, glad that plugged, gives me an opportunity to practice my fried eggs at 7:50am in 8 degrees.

After a lip out from 12 feet another bogie to make 2 in a row. Plantar fasciitis is now starting to act up.

9th is a slight dog leg right, the OOB fence is 70 meters right, to get there you have to hit it through a forest. What The Shooter didn't realise at the time was the deepest and darkest forest was 90 meters left. That became apparent as the Titleist 3, went over the top of the tallest tree.

After that high hard left hook, calmer heads prevailed.

The 2nd Titleist 3, went hard left also, it did however hit the tallest tree and fall down into metre high grass, phew, that was lucky. Cant believe how much fun this is.

Chunk out of the grass, hit a tree, the next 110 metre 54 degree wedge only advanced 25 meters because it had half a tree on it and I had to hit a stick at the same time because I couldnt move it, so of courseit hits another one of the thick trees. After a couple of flubs and 1 other tree, I have finally found the surface. The first 30 footer went 40, the 10 footer back went 15 and the 5 footer hit the right lip. 11.

3 holes in +9, fuck yeah. Fuck my scaphoid bone is sore and my heel and Im pretty sure I've had a stroke.

I now feel a bit faint, the blood pressure has increase to 220/150, not through anger, more because I have 15 more to play, this could be a bloodbath.

Flush the driver down 10, 66 meters, requires a deft touch, a soft hand and a good technique, the resulting birdie from 4 feet capped off a bounceback that Tiger Woods would be proud of.

The next bogie on 11 and then the next wedge into 12 from 119 that flew the green into what looked like a cabbage factory were not what was required. Cabbage factories are hard to hit out of.

Birdie number 2 came on 13, a nice left to right breaker from 12 feet, read to perfection, the bleeding has stopped.

A lip out on 14, followed by a bladed chip over the back from 30 yards on 15 followed by the fat pitch that flew 5 feet and the failed up and down attempt for a beautiful double. 16 was another bogey followed by a thin knife 9 iron on 17 into the bunker and a lip out makes 4. I have to be bleeding now.

Wow, we need a change of luck here. Flush a driver up 18, hit an 8 iron to 30 feet and casually 2 putt for a par, fuck thats not many pars for 12 holes.

2 more pars come on 1 and 2, what is 3 pars in a row ? Today its called a miracle.

Another bogie on 3, I've had a few hits today and now my mind turns to the score, its going to be big but not a disgrace, oh hang on, flub chip on 4 from 20 meters short of the par 5, then the bladed wedge from the front edge just hangs on to the back edge 60 feet from the hole, the 3rd putt finds the bottom of the hole, nice double, fuck it, fading fast, need an ambulance.

OK Shooter, having a few, you have some short game issues, get in the fucking house before you have 90 fucking hits. 2 to play, short par 3, 148 downhill. The problem was I only hit it 128, short right of the bunker.

On the hardpan, surrounded by rocks and sticks, need to hit it 15 yards, over a bunker, landing on a downslope. Fucking nightmare fuel.

The bunker shot finishes 9 feet away and the 2nd putt makes another double bogey. 90 is looking like The Shooters Project next start at Shepparton, an unbackable short price favourite.

Last hole, short par 4, slight dogleg right, 304 meters. The perfect play is driver down the left with a slight fade. Do not go right, its dead there.

The Shooter flushes the driver, down the left, 2 yard fade. Absolutely perfect, couldnt have dropped it in a more perfect spot, flag high with the opening of the green looking at me.

The Amateurs have hit theirs and I have a 20 yard chip to a green the slopes back to front.

Just as well, I blade the shit out of it, it races across the green and fortunately hits a ball from one of the Amateurs and slows its progression toward the hazard and certain death.

I manage to get the next one back on the green 6 foot under the hole.

The only putt I make all day and its the hardest fought 89, I've ever had, what a cock up.

Who said going back on tour to play some events was a good idea. Got a few more days of this to come, cant fucking wait.

Humbled Shooter out.