For the second time in less than a week, I was on the 18th hole with a chance to make birdie to shoot an even-par 71. However, today at the Golf Club of Incline Village I parred and once again just barely missed shooting even-par for the first time.

The front nine was incredibly routine. I was like a robot built to make pars. I was striping the 3-wood to get into good spots. I had mostly wedges into greens. I hit 6 of 7 fairways and 8 of 9 greens. The only green I missed was on the difficult, long par 3 7th that has had a strong crosswind the last couple days coming off the lake. I hit just an OK chip with my 60-degree from pin-high right, but then sank a bomb to keep myself even.

The back was a little more eventful. I hit 5 greens and 4 fairways. My first bogey came on the downhill, short par 4 13th (pictured above). I hit a decent 5-wood but crushed (no idea why I tried to swing so hard) a 60-degree way over the green. I hit a good chip back on but missed the putt due to a misread. I then bogeyed the par 3 15th by hitting the farthest purest pitching wedge of my life over the green and was unable to get up-and-down thanks to a so-so chip and a putt I read too much break into and left above the hole.

I clawed one stroke back on the 17th. I love this hole. Something about having to hit it over the tree guarding the fairway makes me hit absolute bombs. I landed just short of the green with the high draw and almost hopped it up the hill into the group in front of me putting. I hit a nice easy chip on and made the easy uphill putt.

The 18th is downhill and downwind and with it dry I decided I was better off hitting a 3-wood hard then trying to guide a driver trying to not be dead on the left, in the trees to the right, or in the water if I hit an identical bomb to 17. It was a good decision because I hit a great 3-wood into the speed slot and almost ran out of fairway. I hit a good 60-degree across the water and left of the pin. I was a little nervous, so I tugged it just a little. Those nerves must have still been working because I left the 20-footer short to get back to even for the day.

My game is in a great spot. I am rolling it pretty well. Mixing in my 3-wood off the tee is a great move I can now do with the new Cobra Tour 3-wood upgrade. The last one today ended up over 300 yards. This club allows me to “lay-up” by ripping one and I don’t lose all that much in distance and worry a lot less about big two-way misses. My iron striking is also the best it’s been. I absolutely pulverized a 5-iron from the rough to get back into the par 5 14th today after two terrible shots from 190 yards to the green on the huge hill and got it all the way to the back pin. I replicated that swing on the next hole which is why I somehow hit a pitching wedge 150 yards. If I can make that kind of contact with that swing, I might have to tear up my iron distances.

My game is peaking at the same time as the golf season. Can you really ask for more?