There is never anything fun about missing a cut. A cut-and-dry (no pun intended) indication that you aren’t where you want to be. But, that’s sometimes the rub of the green.
After we finished up practice around noon on Saturday, we were at a bit of a crossroads… we didn’t want to hang around the Quad Cities any longer. Hanging around after a missed cut is a depressing experience. Strolling up to the practice facilities with your outfit on, clubs in hand, but without a tee time.
It’s lonely. Deflating. Embarrassing.
Fans come up for autographs. Kids ask if you played already this morning or are about to head to the first tee. Neither. There is nothing more humbling than a range at lunchtime on a Saturday. The search to find answers. Something to cling to. Something, anything positive after a rough week. We had to get out of town.
So, we had a few options… Another night in the Quad Cities that would have inevitably led us to a casino. Or a quick road trip to a major city around us. We were between Cincinnati, Chicago, and Indianapolis. Neither of us had been to Indy, but after we learned that Caitlin Clark was ruled out for the 6 pm tip, we quickly scratched Indy off our bingo card. I’m a Sky fan anyway, go Angel. And we didn’t want to go to Cincy because, well, it’s Cincy. So we settled on Chicago. Deep down, both of us wanted to go there anyway; we just didn’t want to be the one to decide.
So, we packed up and hit the road. The trip was pretty forgettable — we’ve learned that the terrain/topography of the Midwest doesn’t seem to differ. So as the minutes turned to hours, the only thing that changed were the names on the exit signs, nothing else.
Chicago
When we got to Chicago, we made quick work.
We checked into our hotel downtown. Made our way to The Bean. Snapped a few cringey, tourist photos, and then fled to the riverwalk. We hopped to a bar. And then another. And then took in a few minutes of a busy Saturday night on the river — delightful. There was nothing memorable about our trip, just the fact that we convinced ourselves to go, and isn’t that what it’s all about? Meaningless escapades. Wandering expeditions. Exploring the world. Yes, that is what it’s all about.
John Deere Recap
To close out my thoughts on last week: the John Deere was a fantastic event. The community showed out. They treat the players/caddies like kings. And they have 2–3 fun events throughout the week. Oh, and the golf course is awesome. Yet another golf course I was really impressed with this week. I always laugh when people say it’s ‘too easy’ for the tour guys out here… I see the shots that they’re asked to hit; they’re not easy. These guys are just incredible.
ISCO
I don’t know what to think of Louisville quite yet. I feel like that’s becoming a common trend on all of these tour updates — an unsure synopsis of the place we’re at, followed by complete clarity later in the week. But we aren’t there yet!
So, Louisville… extremely walkable. Extremely bridged. And that’s about it. Their culinary experiences seem to only involve three things: bars, steakhouses, and fast food. You know, I feel like if I read this to a Louisvillian, they’d probably agree. We haven’t made it to the Slugger museum yet, and most likely won’t, because museums are incredibly meh. Seriously, they’re the casserole of activities. Put that on a freaking t-shirt.
The bridges are awesome. Bridges are an underrated creation in general. Seriously, imagine your life without bridges. Probably a pretty terrible existence. But it’s a great vessel for my morning jogs — the perfect combination of traffic, serenity, and good views — tough to beat.
The Golf Course
The golf course? Pretty weird. A bunch of odd tee shots, awkward doglegs, and tiny greens. Very placementy. The par 3s aren’t easy, it’s subtly hilly, and it’s a par 70. I feel like the winner will probably be somewhere around 16–18 under, but here’s the thing with the PGA TOUR: someone always shoots 62.
Peace,
Drew Murdock aka Murda
