When you think of failure, what instantly comes to mind? Is failure something that you couldn't achieve or something that caught up to you and decided to quit. Well, failure for me is something that I've tried to doing over and over again, but just could never get done. This as happened a few times for me, but one especially will definitely be a part for me for a long time.

One experience of failure will be apart of me forever. If you don’t know me, I am a very competitive person and like most people, I love to win! I love to play golf competitively in junior golf, but mostly playing with best friends. I have been playing golf for about about 12 years, and won’t change that time for anything. Some of my favorite memories playing golf is playing over summer break with my friends and also playing in junior tournaments. Summer is the time when I start practicing hard for before the upcoming season of high school golf. The past couple years, I have been able to play in the Regional Tournament for high school golf. Every year, I have been improving any getting a lot better mentally and physically on the golf course.

This past year, I was fortunate to win the District Tournament, so heading into the Regional Tournament this year, I was definitely bringing in confidence, but also a little nervous. I enjoy playing at this high of a level in junior golf because it motivates me to want to get better and also playing with better players gives me the confidence to try to want to succeed. the only thing that bugs me is since the school that I play for isn’t known for its athletics, are school isn’t fortunate enough to try to recruit incoming students/athletes to come play for the school. With that, our school size is not that very big, so the class or division is 1A and with that, some of the best athletes play for the schools that are in the 1A class because they are mostly private schools that can afford to recruit. The bad thing about playing in 1A in the Regional Tournament is that a majority of the schools in the tournament are private and they only recruit the best in the state to play for them……
“Regional Tournament is finally here.” My goal is to of course make into the state tournament because making it to state will help my chance to get noticed by college coaches and scouts. My dream is to play Division 1 college golf and then hopefully go pro and play on the PGA Tour. Playing for a Division 1 school could be the best opportunity to play with the next best upcoming professional golfers. After winning the District Tournament, I was bringing a lot of confidence into Regionals. At that time, I was playing some good and consistent golf so at the time I was feeling that I could qualify and make it to States. I told myself, “if i don’t qualify for States, I might have to reconsider what i really want to be in the future.” I was think on the car ride to the course that what will happen if I don't get a chance to play at States and wont get recognized by any college coaches or scouts that might think of me as a potential valuable asset to their team. I told myself, goals are meant to be reached and I ned to reach my goals because the only goal of mine is to be a successful and play professional golf.

As the Regional Tournament gets going, I'm saying to myself, its going to be good day and I can achieve whatever I want as long as I stay positive though the course of time. I am practicing on the driving range, getting warmed up to go out and have some fun. I feel great and loosed and excited to go out and play some awesome golf. I am heading to the first tee and ready to start the day off strong and thinking to myself in order to make it to States, I need to hit fairways and greens. First tee shot was a success and went straight down the middle. After that, I felt relieved and was ready to go low. After making 4 straight pars was when I felt something. There was a switch in direction of wind and the tee shot on the 5th hole went straight right. I wasn’t able to find the ball, so I had to go back to the tee and rehit. That tee shot some how found the fairway, so I was thinking to myself, why couldn’t I do that the first time. Well, thats golf! After the horrific tee shot, I made a disastrous triple bogey. Through holes 6-8 made pars. Then came to the 9th hole. I felt something again, but something great this time. I made an awesome birdie to get one back from awful 5th hole. Making the turn in at 2 over par

After the 9th hole, I told myself, I really need to get things going and start hitting some good shots. After that little discussion with myself, I made 2 birdies in the next three holes, going back to even par. I once was feeling a little more confidence in myself. But, with a little too much c***iness and not being patient with myself, I put myself in a bad place making a bogey on hole 14. Making a great save for par on 15 and par on 16, I made a great birdie on 17, going back to even par. Number 18 just got to me and really didn’t try my best and made a mother bogey to finish a 1 over 73. I knew than I didn’t make it, but I definitely learned not to get ahead of myself and to stay patient After seeing that I didn’t make into the State tournament, I told myself that I can still reach my goals and dreams, but in the long run, have fun and keep practicing the game I love to play, GOLF!