Carlings QSchool Experience

Walk a Mile (or a Golf Course) in Carling Coffing’s Golf Shoes

Shake, shake, shake! Dance, dance, dance! I made it through LPGA Qschool Sectional Qualifying! After a 79 in the first round, the rest of the week was a full out battle to fight back  into the top 30. It was horrible, aching, and mentally exhausting, but an experience I will never forget.

We have all been there before. You play excellent for weeks and then all of the sudden BAM! I seem to be hitting a little fade. Oh, now a slice. Oh no! Push slice! I made six straight cuts on the Duramed Futures Tour and never felt better about my game. I even shot -2 in the first round of LPGA Qschool in Palm Springs. Unfortunately, I followed it up with a spirit-breaking 82 to miss the cut.

I tried to not lose my cool. I might have thought about getting a ‘real’ job for like ten minutes, but then remembered that I had one more shot to make it in Venice, Florida! After playing eight tournaments in 10 weeks, I was exhausted. My family practically used our last $5,000 to go to QSchool, and I couldn’t give up yet. My mom, dad, and I drove 16 straight hours and put eight hours of practice in everyday. Hit balls, chip, putt, play, hit more balls, yell at each other, make up, hit balls again!

During the first round I was privileged to play with Vera Shimanskaya. She has three gold medals from the 2000 Olympics in Gymnastics. She is six feet tall, long blonde hair, not one ounce of fat. THIS is an athlete! Unfortunately, she struggled with a high score, but had only been playing golf for three years. Was I impressed! If I practiced gymnastics moves for three years, I might be able to pull of cart wheel…might.

Even with all our practice, it was still not coming together. I shot 79. I felt like my dreams had been shattered. But my game felt so close! We didn’t give up. I played better and better throughout the next couple days. I had early tee times, so we practically lived on the range ever night. Tension was high as my dad and I tried to not point fingers at each other (although we both slipped a few times). I shot 73 to make the 36 hole cut right on the number. Then another 73 when the conditions were windy. I went from 85^th to 65^th to 49^th place. One more day.

We calculated that I probably needed to shoot -3 to make the top 30. It was business time. My dad and I didn’t say one word to each other throughout the whole round.

Just, “130-8iron” “170-5iron”. I was -2 after four holes. OMG! I think I’m going for it!! Try not to get excited, just play your game, Carling. Then the winds kicked up high and the pin placements got tougher and tougher. Every hole I would get to I would think, “Oh wow, birdie isn’t possible here today, and I’d scratch in a beautiful par.” After 11 straight pars, I felt like I was running out of holes. Just one more birdie, you can do it! Then when my par putt lipped out on hole 16, my heart dropped into the pit of my stomach. NOOoooOOo!!!

I had 180 yards into the 17^th hole and made a fantastic 2 putt from 45 feet. I was seriously panicked, but then my dad said, “Keep your cool, sweet 2-putt, let’s finish this thing.”Last hole…I figured I was off the pace, but in the back of my mind I thought, “I’ve played some of my best golf today to be -1, maybe…just maybe…other people are struggling too.” So I didn’t do anything stupid on the long par five. Driver-5iron-8iron to 25 feet, and then two-putted my way to a very classic par. I walked out of the ropes feeling slightly disappointed, but then I saw the most beautiful sight in the world. From across the way my mom gave me a “thumbs up,” and I know what that means…

It turns out the conditions were even tougher than I thought, and the whole field was high. I made it! I made it! I had the second lowest score of the day! I’ve never been so happy that I never quit fighting. I’ve never been so grateful for my dad to pick the perfect club all day long, he was hot…and turns out I needed to save every single stroke. I didn’t want to be dorky, but I couldn’t help myself! I danced all over the clubhouse and took pictures of my name on the leader board. I might have called like everyone I know. ‘Hello, Judy? Yeah this is Carling, um Carling Coffing. My mailman is your like nephew in law…well anyway, I made it!” Haha, it was almost that bad.

Well the season is over, and I’ve got 2 months to get ready for the second stage in Daytona Beach. I’ll be doing the P90x intense exercise program to get into shape, and moving down to Florida when the weather turns cold. Wish me luck!….I’m still in shock by the way…seriously, can you believe I made it!????

Yes, Carling…we can believe it and are totally excited for you moving one step closer to your dream of an LPGA Tour card.  You have allowed us access to your world this golf season and what it’s like to live the grind form week to week.  All of us here at Ladies on the Tee at www.sherrytabb.com wish you all the success in the world!  We’ll be pulling for you in December!!!

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