So I stayed in a hostel the last two nights with my wife’s family (and plenty of strangers), and this is relevant.  Monday night, the night before Worlds began, I was asleep with a stranger in the bunk above me.  (This is the same woman who spent over a half hour getting ready for bed, which involved leaving and entering the door at least 10 times, and climbing up and down the bunk at least 3).  At 5am, her alarm goes off.  I sorta hear it, but manage to ignore it.  less than a minute later, THE PHONE FALLS OFF HER BED AND LANDS ON MY FACE.  I scream out, at first in pain, but then more in shock.  I had no idea how symbolic this would be.

ROUND 1 – DELAVEAGA – Shaking off some nerves, I have my first good drive on hole 3, giving myself a 25′ deuce putt.  I turn it into a four.  That could have set me into a tailspin early, but I managed to pull my head into it a bit, and ended up only +3 after the first 19 holes.  I figured that would be a great round, and holes 20-27 were ones that I managed to go -2 on in practice.  On hole 20, I have a lousy drive, but stay safe.  I throw a good 150′ up shot that would have netted me a 15′ putt, except I hit the ONLY root on the ground, and the disc shoots up and rolls 30′ down the hill.   I have no shot whatsoever.  I take a 4.  While walking to hole 21, I slip on another root and slam my low back on that root.  What the hell?

Hole 21 is a shorty short with lots of trees.  I throw too hard, miss EVERYTHING and go 100′ down the hill.  Manage to save my 3.

Hole 22 I have a good drive, hits a tree, drops straight down.  Not an easy up, despite being only 60′ away, and I take another 4.  Hole 23, another okay drive, another bad placement (tough up shot), another 4.

Then, and here’s where the symbolism happens, as I have had my luck take a comedically tragic turn for the worse, I go to take a leak.  AND THE BUTTON COMES OFF MY PANTS!!!  I manage to jerry-rig something with a key-ring, but I 4 the next hole as I’m worried my pants will fall down as I play.

I finally get a safety pin and finish with 3′s, but that stretch of 5 holes cost me 4 strokes, and the difference between a 971 965 rated round and a 994 989 rated round.  I was still happy overall, but felt like I played so much better than my score.  That much bad luck will do that to you.

ROUND 2 – CSUMB – I start off with a drop-in deuce, something I very rarely do in disc golf.  Many of my early drives were turning very sharply over and I was scrapping to get by.  After 9 holes, though, I was -1 to course par, so not too shabby.  I start to play better, and aside from the par 4s, none of which I birdied – unusual for me – I was shooting pretty well.  After 18, I was -3, which was right around that 1000 rated mark the day before.  I just wanted to end solid and keep up the round.

Then, much like Tuesday, I started wavering.  I don’t know if it was the length of round or what, but I threw two 4s and a 5 (with a three) on a stretch of holes I was hoping to go 4 3 2 3.  I manage to hit two deuces near the end.  Finally, with an 84 on  the horizon, I throw a great drive on my final hole (18), but get stuck deep in a tree.  I have a pretty awesome out to put me within 15′.  THEN I MISS THE PUTT.  I end the round with a 993 984-rated 85.  I’m very happy with the round, but even a couple of drives different and I could have really crushed it.

My putting as a whole has been great.  However, when it’s for birdie, I’m having trouble (I’ve only hit 2 putts outside 20′ that were birdie putts).  If it’s to save a par, I’m clutch (I’ve probably hit 8 putts outside 20′ for par).  It’s crazy.

Where does this put me?  IN THE A POOL!  I had thought there was no chance at me making the top 108 (after all, there was something like 75 players who were 990+ ratings alone).  But not only did I make it, I cracked the top 100 (I’m 98th).

Now I just have to make up 7 strokes to make the cut and the cash.  Hmmm, that seems difficult.