They say in life you can only count on two things, death and taxes. Well, an addendum to that statement might be the heat and humidity of Florida in July. As I walked onto the tee box of the final hole, I started feeling somewhat faint. I was playing well, but the combination of heat, adrenaline and nerves were starting to take their toll. As I look back on that day now, with a touch of silver and recession in my hairline, I realize that mentally I was carrying an extra load from the excessive heat, one that led to confusion and uncertainty.

Normally, my nerves after playing the first hole are but a vast memory, but not that day. The accelerated walk with my caddie to the next hole led to an unexpected wait, and the teacher in me started taking over. “What happened to the swing that was on the driving range?” I thought to myself. After a wait of more than 10 minutes on the par-3 second hole, and a quick swing critique, I hit a horrible iron shot and made double bogey. I then followed up with another bogey, and my pre-round confidence had turned into a mental golf clinic, with yours truly as both student and coach. I was now three over par.