After 18 years...

In 1991, when I was a boy of 51, I entered a few Senior Tour qualifiers. Yes, I'm just 6 months younger than Jack and 7 younger than Lee. I knew I could never compete with them, but I thought I had a shot.

On the third hole of the first event, I hit one poorly judged, but well struck, shot, which led to a 9. On the next hole, I clipped a tiny branch with my tee shot, made triple by missing a 6 inch putt, and tightened up as I never had before. I finished the round with a birdie on the #1 handicap hole, for a smooth 103.

Since then, I had no rounds in the 60s and damned few in the 70s. I didn't understand the damage until last Saturday.

Playing golf in mid-November in Michigan is a rare treat, and I was having a so-so round. In five holes I had a birdie, two pars, a bogey and a double...I got up to the 6th tee, the toughest hole on the course, and made myself relax every muscle in my body. I made a mediocre pass at the ball, but it had good trajectory. For the rest of the round, that was all I tried to do...relax and let the stroke occur without thought.

Best ballstriking since 1981! I had the yips and didn't know it...not the putting yips, the golf yips.

But that's over now.