Road to Success: My Life as a Professional

2011-08-17T06:55:00.000-07:00

Good Morning,

This week thus far has been everything I thought it would be!

After making the 5 hour drive to Seaforth, Ontario on Monday morning, I got in some good practice before taking part in the Ladies Pro-Am at 2:30pm. It was a 9 hole pro-am on the front 9. I played with some great ladies! We shot 31 and came in 3rd. I hit it well but could of made some more putts.

Having played the front 9 in the pro-am on Monday, I played the back 9 last evening. The golf course is not that long and it reminds me a lot of Amherstview. Having my best friend here this week has helped me be comfortable on the golf course and has allowed us to set out a pretty good game plan for the week.

Of the 18 holes, we are going to only hit 3 drivers and the rest of the tee-shots will be with my 3wood, hybrid and 4 iron. The golf course definitely suits me as I play a course like this one on a daily basis at home.

With a late tee-time on Thursday, I am trying to get into the same routine as I will tomorrow. I slept in today, got some breakfast and read the paper. I will leave for the golf course shortly and go through my warm-up. I don't know how many holes I will play today but I feel very comfortable with my game, the process/routine and the golf course.

This week is a great opportunity for me and I just need to go out and play my game and make a lot of birdies. Thank you to everyone for the support this week! It is maybe the biggest week of my summer to this point and all of the messages I have received are greatly appreciated!

Talk to everyone tomorrow evening after my 1st round. I tee-off at 2:20pm.

Take Care,

Ryan

2011-08-09T05:06:00.001-07:00

Good Morning,

As most of you know, last week was very exciting for me. I was sitting at work Thursday and it was just a normal day here at Amherstview Golf Club. The clock read 11:00am and I was just thinking about how I was going to spend my afternoon. It was then that I received an email that changed my mood, tournament plans for the next few weeks and my outlook about my first summer as a professional golfer. The email that I received was from the Canadian Tour office telling me that I had received an exemption into the only full field event being played in Ontario. I was thrilled but at the sametime my mind was racing as I had committed to other tournaments that week in case I had not Monday qualified for the Canadian Tour event which I thought I was going to have to do.

I will leave this Sunday August 14th to head to Seaforth, Ontario. My plan is to get 9 holes of practice in both Monday and Tuesday and hopefully play 18 before or after the Pro-Am on Wednesday. I am playing well right now and have a lot of confidence. I need to go into this tournament as I do any other one and just play my game.

This is a week to show that I have the talent and ability to play at the highest level. No matter what, I am going to enjoy the week, have fun and try to learn as much as I can.

Thank you to everyone for there continued support and encouragement. It is good to know that I have so many people behind me and wishing me the best.

I will do my best to post everyday while at the Canadian Tour event.

Take Care,

Ryan

2011-07-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

Last week I shot 74 at RattleSnake Golf Club in my 5th Great Lakes Event of the summer. I hit it alright but did not make a putt. Build off the positives and keep working hard.

After the event last week I took a couple days off to recharge and clear my mind. This past weekend I got some good practice in and also played twice. The 2 rounds I played went really well. I have been hitting it well for awhile but went through one swing change a couple weeks ago. This past weekend was probabaly my best ball striking rounds in sometime! That helps the confidence level going forward.

I leave tomorrow for Ottawa. I am playing in the Camelot Golf & Country Club Pro-Am on Wednesday. To what I have heard the golf course is amazing and the team that I got paired with is really good. They are some great guys and looking forward to playing with me. I am looing forward to it as well and hopefully the good play transfers over.

I will let everyone know later this week how it goes.

Until then, Take Care.

Ryan

2011-07-02T06:03:00.001-07:00

Good Morning,

The month of June flew by! The month was busy for me from a playing standpoint and at the golf course. It is good to see the golf course busy after the terrible spring we experienced.

For myself I played 3 tournaments in the month of June (Smiths Falls Pro-Am 77, Great Lakes Tour Event at The Briars 77 & Great Lakes Tour Event at Otter Creek GC 73). I hit the ball well for the most part in each of my tournaments but some inconsistency and bad putting cost me. I continue to take a lot away from each tournament I play and build off of the positives. With each round I begin to feel a lot more comfortable and relaxed on the course.

With it as busy as it was at the golf course I did not get a chance to play/practice as much as I would like. I really do enjoy working here at the golf course and interacting with all the members who I have known for so long. Golf is my future and like any other job, I have to continue to excel in the field.

With the month of July now upon us, the golf course will continue to be busy! We have Junior Golf Camps starting on Monday, Men's and Ladies Club Championships will be taking place and many other tournaments. We are looking forward to it.

As for my playing schedule, I will head out Monday to play in another Great Lakes Tour event. The event this week will be at RattleSnake Point in Milton, Ontario. After seeing my instructor last weekend I am feeling very good about my game from tee to green and I have a lot of confidence. Hopefully this week I can I can finish up at the top of the leaderboard and get the monkey off my back. A couple shots in each round I have played this summer has held me back.

For now, it is back to work and then a busy afternoon of practicing and playing.

Sorry for the extended absence from keeping everyone updated.

Take Care,

Ryan

2011-05-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Last week I played my 2nd Great Lakes Tour event of the summer. I shot 73 which put me in a tie for 16th out of 80 guys. I am still hitting the ball really well but have been struggling with the putter. Just need some more putts to fall and those 1 over par rounds will be red numbers.

I am off for 2 weeks now. I will be working in the pro-shop as usual and continuing to work hard on my game.

This past weekend was Junior Opening Day. Thank you to everyone who came out to play!
Junior Clinic this Wednesday starting at 6:00pm.
The Junior Fun Days will start June 23rd.

Talk to everyone soon.

Ryan

2011-05-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

Good Evening,

I thankfully got my passport this morning after being approved for my B1 Visa. I left Kingston around 11am and arrived in Syracuse, NY around 1pm.

Though the golf course was wet and it did rain for about 5 holes, it was great to get out and play golf after the terrible weekend Kingston experienced.

I tee-off tomorrow morning at 11:03am at Bellevue Country Club.
Their are 47 teeing it tomorrow for 3 spots and 2 alternates.

I feel really good about my game right now. Just need to stay patient tomorrow and play 1 shot at a time.

Looking forward to tomorrow!

I will let everyone know about the round once I arrive home in Kingston.

Take Care,

Ryan

2011-05-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

Hello Followers,

I had said I update everyone after my practice round on Monday night but unfortunately the internet connection at my hotel was terrible.

The practice round went really well. I had already played the golf course a couple times so I was out their more to see what to hit off each tee as my game has changed quite a bit in 2 years.

I shot 72 on Tuesday in the 1 day Great Lakes Tour event. That was good for 8th place. The winner Michael Gligic shot 1 under and their was 6 players tied for 2nd at 71. Overall I was happy with how I played. The wind blew all day which made the golf course a little bit tougher. It was a good start to my Great Lakes Tour season.
My next Great Lakes Tour event will be played Wednesday May 25th at FireRock Golf Club.

As for my next event, I will be playing the 18 hole Local Qualifier for the U.S Open next Tuesday in Syracuse, New York. Their are 45 guys for 3 spots so you have to go out and play a error free round of golf.

My game is sharp at the moment and I am very happy with the changes I have made with my equipment since being home in Canada. I would like to thank everyone at Accra for taking the time to make sure that the changes were the best for my game! The only thing I am going to be working hard on this week is my putting.

This past Monday night was the start of the Molson Monday Night Men's League. To what Joe tells me, it was a great success and hopefully the good attendance continues throughout the summer.

Tomorrow night will be the first night for the Thursday Ladies League. By looking at the tee-sheet, it looks like their will be a good turn-out!

Talk to everyone soon,

Ryan

P.S- Remember that the FREE Junior Golf Clinic will take place on Sunday May 15h at 2:00pm!!!

2011-05-09T04:28:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone,

The course is drying up each and everyday with this nice weather we have had over the past 4 days. Men's Opening Day got some great weather on the weekend and everyone who played took advantage. Everyone had fun on and off the golf course.

Congrats to Scott Beaubien on shooting 69 and be low gross for the field.

I have been working hard on my game over the past 4 days to get ready for my first tournament of the summer tomorrow in Alberton, Ontario at Heron Point Golf Links. I am leaving Kingston shortly to get up there and get some practice in and also play the golf course.

I played the golf course 2 years ago in the Bell Canadian Open Qualifier, so I know the course pretty well and looking forward to playing it again. The golf course should be in great shape as the staff their takes a lot of pride in the piece of land that they own.

I will post again this evening about the conditions of the golf course, my tee-time and where you can find live scoring.

For now, I better get packed and get on the road!

Take Care,

Ryan

P.S- Amherstview Golf Club is having a FREE Junior Golf Clinic this Sunday May 15th at 2:00pm. Members and Non-members are welcome!! Hopefully have a good turn out.

2011-04-23T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

I got back to Kingston after Canadian Tour Q-School on April 5th.

As most of you know by now, I finished 15th at Q-School. Unfortunatley I missed getting my tour card by 3 shots.

I took a lot of positives away from the week. I finally got into a grove during the tournament both physically and mentally. The mental part of my golf game is very important at the level I now play at and it is good to know I found my comfort/ideal focus level.

Since being home, the weather in the Kingston area has not been great. I have only played three times and hit balls at the range twice. I have been hitting some balls indoors over at Accra Golf Shafts. I have been working on the game and doing everything I can to take my game to the next level. I had been hitting my driver, 3wood and my hybrid well over the winter but with some new Accra shafts my ball striking with those clubs has got even better.

It has been good though to have some time off from golf after working so hard for 3 months. For the next two weeks though I will be working extremely hard as the first tournament of the summer is fast approaching.

This summer I will be playing the Great Lakes Tour while also doing some State Open's in the Northeast of the USA and a couple Nationwide Tour Monday qualifiers. I am looking forward to the summer!

Before heading south for the winter I knew I had a lot of talent and could compete with any other professional. Of course with more experience, your confidence level will slowly increase. At this point right now there are no thoughts of second guessing my talents and ability.

While I will be playing a busy schedule of golf this summer, I will be working in the proshop again this summer. We have been working hard to get all of the new merchandise up on display and making sure everything is visually appealing. In my mind, the proshop has never looked better!

It was great to see some people at the Cocktail party a week ago!
I am sure I will see a lot more of you as the weather gets better.

And on a side note, I would like to remind all of the male members that Men's Opening Day has been changed to Saturday May 7th.

Take Care.

Ryan

P.S- My summer golf schedule can be found on the left side of my blog.

2011-03-31T18:56:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

So my 2nd round was a mixed bag. I had a terrible start to say the least. I was very frustrated and upset with myself on the 3rd tee but I knew I had to gather my thoughts, calm down and play my own game for the next 16 holes.

For the next 16 holes I hit the ball like I did in Round 1. I had some bad breaks along the way but I was very proud of myself for grinding it out and letting the bad thoughts of the first two holes disappear.

I finished with 77 which did put me in an uncomfortable position going into Round 3. I was looking forward to the opportunity today of playing but the weather had other plans.

I was up early and it was still raining and thunderstorms were echoing in the skies. For the next 7 hours I could be found on the couch either watching television or surfing the internet. It was a shock to me when I got word that we were going to start Round 3 at 4pm. I turned on the news and it had rained here since 3pm yesterday and rain was falling at a rate of 4 inches per hour.

I got to the golf course this afternoon and it was hard to get prepared to go out after doing nothing all day. I had a good warm-up session but did not know how many holes I would play. Well I got 3 holes in today and have to re-start my 3rd round tomorrow morning at 8:30am. The goal is to finish the golf tournament tomorrow so that means I will be playing 33 holes tomorrow.

I am heading to bed now.

I have a great opportunity infront of me tomorrow and I am looking forward to it.

Talk to everyone tomorrow.

Take Care and God Bless.

Ryan

2011-03-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

Good Evening Everyone,

Today was the 1st round of the Canadian Tour Qualifying School.

The day started off early when my alarm went off at 5:30am. I was out of the house by 6:20am and on my way to the golf course. I was the first to arrive at the golf course at 6:45am. It was still dark outside and there was heavy fog in the air.

Because of the darkness and the fog, my warm-up session was kind of rushed but when I stepped on the 1st tee I was calm and confident.

On the front 9 I struggled with my driver and did not give myself good opportunities to go at flagsticks and give myself birdie putts. I finished the front 9 with 38 but knew that in my next 9 holes I had lots of birdie chances.

I missed a putt on 10 but my luck changed when I holed a bunker shot on 11 for birdie. From there I played solid golf. I did leave some shots out there on the back 9 but 35 was a good way to bounce back from the 38. I finished the day with a 73.

At the end of the day that 73 put me in a tie for 11th. I am happy with my start and the opportunity I have infront of me the next 3 days. Anything can happen and only being 4 out of the lead, I know that I can learn from my mistakes today and hopefully my scores get better each day.

My 2nd round tee-time is 9:30am. I am going to get to bed here very shortley.

Looking forward to tomorrow!

Talk to everyone tomorrow evening.

Take Care,

Ryan

P.S- The link to the Canadian Tour website can be found under "My Achievements" on my blog.

2011-03-28T13:21:00.001-07:00

Good Afternoon,

Today was supposed to be the Official Practice Round for the 2011 CanTour Q-School. Unfortunately the weather has not co-operated and the state of Florida has been experiencing thunderstorms and rain since early this morning.

I am disappointed that I did not get to play today but I put in 2 good days of work at The Dunes Golf Club this past weekend. The course was very firm so I am sure the course will absorb the water and drain well.

I am one of the lucky people who have got drawn to be in the 1st round. I will tee-off at 8:00am. Not only will I will in the first group but I will hit the first tee shot that will get the tournament started. Hopefully I can take advantage of this and get out to a quick start.

I am looking forward to the week. I am playing well and feel that my game is in good shape.

I am going to play my own game, play one shot at a time, be patient and stay confident.

You can follow my play on the Canadian Tour website (the link is located on my blog).

Talk to everyone after Round 1.

Ryan

2011-03-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

Phil 4:13: You can do anything through him who gives you strength

Hello Everybody,

The last week I was in Myrtle Beach I got some quality practice in, got to play everyday and the best part of the week was I did all of that with my former college teammates and coach!
It was great to see the team and catch up.

I left Myrtle Beach, SC on Saturday March 12th. I had a great time in Myrtle Beach and was excited to get down to Florida because it meant that Canadian Tour Q-School was right around the corner!

My first destination was Haines City, FL where Carol and Mike Sheedy were so generous in offering for me to stay with them for 10 days. They stay at Southern Dunes and the golf course that is on the property is excellent! I have got to play the course 4 times and it has been a good test and has helped me prepare for Q-School next week.

Tomorrow I leave for Brooksville, FL. I am playing a 1 day tournament Thursday on the West Florida Golf Tour. It has been awhile since I have played in a tournament so I am itching to get back into the competitive mode. (I will post the results on the blog Thursday evening)

Ever since getting to Florida, all the hard work I put into my game in Myrtle Beach has paid off. My ball striking is really good, I am hitting a lot of fairways and I switched back to my trusty Scotty Cameron putter and I am rolling it very good.

This Sunday will mark the beginning of Canadian Tour Q-School. This is a very important tournament and I know that if I play my game, be confident, believe in myself and be patient that I will be making the 24 hour drive home to Kingston with a tour card in my pocket. It should be a great week and I will have my parents outside the ropes watching me play. Having them there will make the tournament that much more special.

After Q-School, I will driving home and spending the month of April in Kingston. I have not been home in sometime so it will be good to relax, see family and friends and continue to work on my golf game.

I will post after my tournament on Thursday!

Until then, Take Care and God Bless.

Ryan

2011-02-23T17:39:00.000-08:00

Psalm 18:2 - God is our protector.

Good Evening Followers,

I have not played in a tournament since the second week of February.
In the meantime I have continued to work on my game at St.James Plantation.

The tournaments I played in my irons were very inconsistent and that hurt my scores. It sucks in golf when you hit 10 or 11 fairways a round but shoot 76 to 79. I have continued to work hard my game and even though I still have a not perfect ball striking day here and there, it is alright because you have to learn on the practice range/golf course each day.

This week I have got in 2 really good days of practice and believe from here my ball striking will get back to where it was during the first tournament I played in 2011.

I have seen and played with some fellow Amherstview Golf Club members while I have been here in Myrtle Beach and it is always good to see familiar faces. Anyone else who is in the area until March 11th, please feel free to get in touch with me because I would love to see other familiar faces.

I have 14 more days here in Myrtle Beach and I plan on taking advantage of the good weather. I will be putting all of my time into my game from now until then. I am not only working on my golf game but also trying to train my mind to be a better player. I am sure by the end of the week I will once again be 100% committed to every shot, confident and believing in my talent and abilities.

I am leaving for Florida on March 12th to prep for Canadian Tour Qualifying School. Will work on my game for 10 days and get used to the Bermuda grass in the sunshine state. I plan on playing one tournament on the West Florida Golf Tour to get my competitive juices flowing again. The last week of March will be one of the most important weeks of the year and I know I will be ready to compete!

Going to watch some television for the rest of the evening.

Talk to everyone soon.

Take Care,

Ryan

2011-02-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

Good Evening Everyone,

Just here in the condo relaxing and doing some laundry.

The last tournament of the 2010-2011 Hooters Carolina Winter Series starts tomorrow. I am teeing off at 9:20am at The Love Course at the Barefoot Golf Resort. This morning I played a practice round with a couple of buddies. I really like the look of the course and it is in good shape. The Myrtle Beach area has got a lot of rain lately but the course is holding up well.

After last weeks tournament, the weather here got pretty bad. It rained off and on Thursday and then rained for 2 days straight. Even though you want to practice or play everyday it was good to have some time off and just relax/hangout with friends.

Yesterday I went up to St.James Plantation in Southport, NC where I am now practicing and playing. The general manager there was generous enough to give me privileges at the 4 courses and practice facilities in the plantation. It was good to get back at it and my 3 hour practice session went really well. For a couple of week I struggled with my irons and I figured a few things out and back to striking it consistently well! After practice I went out and played 9 holes in 1 under. The day was definitely a confidence boost for this week!

Have to be up early tomorrow morning so I will be getting to bed here soon.

Will post tomorrow after my round.

All my best,

Ryan

2011-02-03T12:56:00.000-08:00

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I am sorry that I have seemed a bit distant as of late with my blog posts, which is not like me.
I have been busy with golf and a couple of off the course issues.

I will get back into my routine of posting 2 to 3 times a week!

Today is an off day for me as I have been working hard as of late to work out a couple of flaws. The weather is not great today so definitely a good day to spend indoors and watch some golf.

So since the first tournament I played of 2011, I have not been as happy with my game. It was tough to miss the cut in the first tournament by 1 shot but the Hooters Tour is the hardest mini tour around to make cuts. One shot, one putt or one error in judgement can be the difference between going to the ATM to cash a cheque or having to wait until the next week.

Even during the 2nd tournament in which I played I was able to take some positive things away from it. I have been hitting my driver better then I ever have. I missed 7 fairways for 36 holes which is really good! The problem with my game as of late is my iron game. I keep giving myself looks in the fairway but my tempo was off by just a bit and putting myself in some tough spots. Even with my short game I cannot get up and down every time with some of the pin placements.

I worked hard last weekend and it got better but was still not back to where I wanted it.

As for this week, I actually hit the ball alright. I shot 78, 74 and unfortunately missed the cut by 5 shots. The difference this week of being 75, 72 and making the cut was a combination of a couple things. I had some shots in which I was not 100% confident and also did not make enough putts. My putting stroke feels great and I did make my fair share of putts but I made a lot of par putts when I missed greens and did not make enough birdie putts. I hit it better in round 2 yesterday so hopefully can build off of that and work hard for the next 4 days.

The Hooters Carolina Winter Series ends its season next week at The Barefoot Golf Resort at the Davis Love course. I have heard good things about the course and can hopefully play a lot better and make the cut.

For the next 4 days I will be going up to Southport, NC to practice and play at St.James Plantation. When I was in school at IUP our team hosted a golf tournament here while we were on spring break. The general manager, John Brown, has been nice enough to allow me to use the facilities there. There are 81 holes of golf and 4 practice ranges so it is a great place to work on my game.

For the remainder of the day I am going to watch the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Should be some good golf! And the 16th hole is so exciting to watch.

Talk to everyone soon.

All my best,

Ryan

2011-01-20T20:41:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,

Going into this week I had very high expectations as I was very happy after each of my practice sessions last week.

To start the way I did on Tuesday was great! It was a good feeling that all the hard work in the off-season and the 1st week I was here in Myrtle Beach had paid off. I was looking forward to Round 2 on Wednesday.

I went through the same routine as I do before every round on Wednesday morning. I was happy with my warm up. The round started out a little bit rocky but I leveled out until the back 9 started. Shooting +2 on the front 9, I knew I had to be better on the back 9 to make the cut as the golf course was very scoreable. My approach shots with my irons on the back 9 were not my best and it was a bit frustrating. I tried to hang in there and I made a good birdie on 14 but it was thrown out by a missed short putt on 17 which in the end was the difference of making the cut on the number and missing it by 1 shot.

Looking back at the week, I believe there are a lot of positives to build off of but I also know what I need to work on before next week.

I have now missed 2 cuts in the Hooters Carolina Winter Series by 1 shot and I don't think missing cuts will get any easier. When you play well and miss the cut it is hard mentally. But you have to let it go quickly and jump right back into practicing hard the next day.

For the next 4 days I will continue to work hard on my game!

Until next time, take care.

All my best,

RYAN

2011-01-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

Good Evening Everyone,

I hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year.
My blog continues into 2011 and I am very excited about the upcoming year on and off the golf course.

While I was home I had a great off-season! I did not put the clubs down for long because I knew I had to stay sharp. I worked very hard on my game, spent quality time with friends and family and also was fortunate to meet a great girl who is now my girlfriend.

I left Kingston on January 6th and arrived in Myrtle Beach, SC on January 8th after a brief stop to see friends in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Since I got here the weather has not been ideal. It has been in the low 30's each day and the winds have been blowing. That did not stop me on Sunday from getting up and practicing for about 4 hours. I did wake up on Sunday feeling a little bit under the weather and I only got worse. All of Monday I felt like dirt and was unable to get out of bed. The whole day was miserable as it was also raining outside. Tuesday I was feeling better but was still very weak from battling the flu. Also all of Myrtle Beach was covered with ice so again could not do more then putt and chip before the cold weather had taken its toll on my body.

The last two days I have got out to Grande Dunes to practice. I have been working hard and feel good about my swing. The one thing in the coming days that I will be working on is consistency. I know it is still early but I need to be hitting more quality shots on a consistent basis. Tomorrow I will be practicing hard again and looking for results.

I have already signed up for the tournament next week on the Hooters Tour which will be played at Brunswick Plantation in Calabash, NC. Looking forward to competing for the first time in 2011.

As always I will continue to update everyone on a daily basis with both my Facebook and Twitter accounts. And I would like to tell everyone, please feel free to email me (rkennedy_golf@hotmail.com). I would be more then happy to answer any questions that any of you have.

I would also like to take this time to again say thank you to everyone who has continued to support me as a professional golfer. It means so much!

For now I am going to get back to watching some movies.

Talk to everyone before the tournament starts next Tuesday.

All my best,

Ryan

2010-12-25T11:41:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

This is a very special day in so many ways. It is the birth of Jesus Christ and also a day where you get to spend valuable time with family.

I am blessed for everything that I have and have been given in my 23 years on this earth.

Since my last post I worked for 3 weeks as soon as I got home for Zomer and Sons Landscaping. It was good to help out the company at the end of the season and make some money that I did not expect to make. Other then that I have been hitting balls 3 or 4 days a week and spending time with friends, family and my girlfriend.

As for my golf, like I said I have been hitting balls 3 or 4 days a week. It has not been very busy at the dome so I have been getting in some great work. When I first got home I worked on a couple simple things with my golf swing to make it more reliable and consistent. For the past 2 weeks I have been swinging great and have been told by my swing coach that my swing has never looked better. On a day to day basis, when you hear that positive feedback it definitely builds my confidence and gets me excited to be playing golf again!

I am going to leave Kingston, Ontario on Thursday January 6th, 2011. I will arrive that afternoon in Harrisburg, PA and spend a couple days with my college roommate and his girlfriend. I will leave Harrisburg, PA on Saturday January 8th, 2011 and drive the 9 hours to Myrtle Beach, SC.

I have sat down and at the moment this is my short term schedule for the 2011 golf season;
January 18-20, January 25-27, February 1-3 and February 8-10
Hooters Carolina Winter Series

March 14 and March 24
West Florida Golf Tour (1 day events in Tampa, FL)

Canadian Tour Qualifying School
March 28-April 1
The Dunes Club in Weeki Wachee, FL

After the Hooters Tour events end in Myrtle Beach, SC I plan on coming home for 15 days to work on my game with my coach and spend some more time with my friends, family and girlfriend.

I am looking forward to the rest of my off-season in Kingston. This will always be my home and no matter how far away my golf career takes me, I will always get excited to be home.

Looking forward to 2011! I have a good feeling about the year ahead.

All my best,

Ryan

2010-11-28T17:34:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,

Had a good time today at the Christmas Open House!

Good to see everyone and thanks for the continued interest and support.

Around work and other engagements I have been working hard on thank-you notes for everyone you generously helped me as a professional golfer. Thanks for your patience.

All my best,

Ryan

2010-11-17T18:43:00.000-08:00

Good Evening Everyone,

So this week was tough for me on the links. I did not hit it as well as the first 2 tournaments but by no means was I disappointed by my ball striking. I was just not hitting it as close to the hole as I was in the first 2 tournaments. The big thing that cost me was my putter. I was making a lot of good strokes but they were just not falling in. That is golf sometimes.

Yesterday I was proud of myself to staying composed and I kept grinding. I finished with 2 birdies in my last 3 holes but it was to little too late.

As for today, I made some loose swings but for the most part gave myself opportunities to make birdies. When all was said and done, I was 74 today but it felt like I had scored better then that. It felt good to be lower then Round 1 and end the 2010 golf season on somewhat of a high.

I really enjoyed my time while I was in Myrtle Beach, SC. I got to practice hard each and everyday. I learned something from every round I played and got my feet wet in tournament play. I know I can compete with the other players on the Hooters Tour and minus my round yesterday, I played very consistent. I am happy with my swing at the moment and will continue to work hard while I am home.

I am leaving tomorrow to come home to Kingston. I will take a week off and then begin to hit balls at the dome. As for 2011, I plan on coming back down to Myrtle Beach, SC the first week of January. I will play 3 or 4 more tournaments and the goal is to make the cut in each tournament.

The attitude that I am taking into my short off-season is that this time in my life is a learning experience. I know there are going to be ups and downs and they will teach me something and also make me stronger as a professional golfer. It was disappointing to play like I did this week but I know I will play well in 2011!

As for now I am going to get to bed as I will begin my trip home early tomorrow.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me while I have been here. I will continue to blog a couple days a week while I am home.

See everyone at the Christmas Party on November 28th.

Take Care,

Ryan Kennedy

2010-11-14T10:10:00.000-08:00

Good Afternoon,

Since Wednesday I have been practicing hard at Grande Dunes. The practice facility is amazing and everyone is very welcoming. A bunch of the guys I have met who also play the Hooters Tour practice at Grande Dunes as well.

Friday played over at Possum Trot Golf Club.It was in good shape and each hole I played it brought back great memories from when I played there with my dad as a kid.

In the practice round of the 1st tournament I met a young man named Corey Sell. Since that first tournament we have been practicing and playing everyday. Nice to have someone there to talk to.

As for today, I just returned back to the condo after putting and chipping for an hour and a half just up the street at Arrowhead Golf Club. I am going to eat lunch and watch some of the PGA Tour event and then go back to Arrowhead to hit some balls.

My swing feels great right now and each and everyday I am excited to wake up and get after it.

The 3rd Hooters Tour event is being played this week at Black Bear Golf Club in Longs, South Carolina. I drove up yesterday to go around the course and get a feel for it. It is a very tight golf course, not overly long and the greens are firm and fast. I am playing a practice round tomorrow at 11:56am and my 1st round tee-time is 8:51am on Tuesday.

I will play in the event this week and then will make my way home to Kingston. I will be in Kingston until the end of December and then come back down to Myrtle Beach to play in 3 or 4 more Hooters Tour event before Canadian Tour Q-School in March.

Talk to everyone after my 1st round on Tuesday.

All my best,

Ryan

2010-11-10T21:01:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

Yesterday in the 1st round of the 2nd tournament of the year on the Hooters Carolina Winter Series I shot 72. Yes that is a good round but I hit it so good and left a lot out there. I worked a little bit on the short game yesterday afternoon and then relaxed last night.

Today I teed off again early and was ready to go low. I hit it well again today and was happy with the outcome. I shot 70 but figured from the moment I made my 4 foot birdie putt on my last hole that I would possibly miss the cut. The cut ended up being 3 under par so in fact I missed it by one. I missed a couple shot birdie putts which would of been the difference.

For me I need to continue to build off the positives in each and every round. You look at my stats from the 2 rounds I played and I was impressed. I missed 7 fairways and 7 greens for 36 holes. If I continue to hit it in the fairway and hit greens then I know the lower scores will come. I am putting well right now and the key putts just are not falling.

I just got home from hanging out with a couple of the boys on the tour. I am going to get to bed soon and will get some much needed sleep after being up at 5am the last two days.

I am going to do a little bit of practicing tomorrow afternoon. Mostly just work on some wedges, short irons and putting. Hopefully after practicing tomorrow, I will still be happy with my game and looking forward to competing. If I do infact want to redeem myself for missing the cut this week then I will stay an extra week in Myrtle Beach and play one more tournament. After that tournament I would be home until the end of December.

Talk soon.

All my best,

Ryan

2010-11-07T16:29:00.000-08:00

Good Evening,

On Friday, I went over to Legends and hit a bucket of balls. Just hit some wedges and short irons to keep the swing consistent. After that I went over to Myrtle Beach National to get familiar with the greens. Myrtle Beach National-West Course is the site of the tournament this week. The greens are bent grass where last week they were burmuda. From living up north, I am used to putting on bent grass. The greens are quick right now and should be in great shape.

Yesterday I went to Myrtle Beach National-West Course to play a practice round with another fellow pro I met. We teed off at 2:00pm and got done a little after 6:00pm. The course is in good shape and you can score. Looking forward to going low this week!

Today I hit balls over at Legends and then went over to Myrtle Beach National to get some work in on my short game. I am very happy with my chipping/pitching and my putting stroke is very good. When I step up to a putt, I feel as if I can make everything which is great for the confidence.

As for tonight I am just relaxing and working on a few things. I will be up early tomorrow as I am playing another practice round at 8:10am. Get another look at the course and be ready for Tuesday. I tee-off bright and early on Tuesday, 7:14am off the 10th tee.

Looking forward to another week on the Hooters Tour and I most likely will be back in Kingston on Sunday. Never know though, if the week is a success then maybe I will stay and play the 3rd week. Have to wait and see.

Talk to everyone this week.

Cheers, Ryan.

2010-11-04T18:15:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody,

Today was a very successful day for myself. I shot a final round 69. My round included 10/14 fairways, 15/18 greens and 30 putts. I made 5 birdies and 2 bogeys. I did not have a birdie putt outside of 15 feet today. I hit it very good today, my yardages were dead on and I played smart golf. I moved from tied for 11th to a tie for 5th. My tie for 5th got me $1,125.00.

My round today was one of the best ball striking days I have ever had in my career.
Each and every shot this week has increased my confidence level. I know I can go out and make 6 or 7 birdies in a round and post a low number if some more putts fall.

As I said in previous posts, I know I can compete with other pros.

I am looking forward to next week at Myrtle Beach Nationals West Course!

As for tomorrow, I will hit some balls but nothing to exhausting. I will probably just hit some wedges and short irons, putt and chip and call it a day. Before the next tournament I plan on playing 2 practice rounds again. I will play Saturday and Monday at Myrtle Beach National.

I have been very excited ever since my round concluded and a smile has not left my face.
In my mind, this is the start of something special and it will only get better from here.

Cheers,

Ryan

2010-11-03T17:05:00.001-07:00

Good Evening,

Great news today!

I shot a 2nd round 72. So I made the cut in my first Hooters Tour event which means I am guaranteed to make a pay cheque! Really excited that I have accomplished this so early.

As for my round today, I was 3 under thru 4 holes and for the most part put it in cruise control from there. Other then the 14 hole and the 18 hole, the round was exactly what I was looking for. The putts started to fall today and if they did not go in, they were hitting the hole. I am looking at all the positives of the round and building off of that. Not only has my swing been good this week but I have been impressed with my mental game and attitude. I have played smart golf, played one shot at a time and stayed in the moment. When I have a bad swing or a bad hole, I easily have forgotten that and moved on to the next shot/hole.

Tomorrow I tee-off at 7:50am. I am looking to hit the ball well again and go low!
I am 4 shots out of 2nd place and with a low round I am hoping to move up the leaderboard.

Thanks for the continued support, encouragement and interest in my golf career.

Will let everyone know how I play tomorrow. For now I am going to relax for the remainder of the evening, get to bed early and get a good nights sleep. Another early wake-up call tomorrow but I am used to that.

Take Care,

Ryan

2010-11-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen,

Just a quick update before I head to bed about my 1st round.

My tee-off time was 8:20am this morning. While driving to the course I did have some butterflies in my stomach but once I hit the range upon arriving at the course, I was focused and ready to go!

I shot 75 today and I sit in a tie for 15th place right now. I am currently on the 36 hole cut line but looking forward to another good round today. Now 75 is not the best score but with the cold weather and windy conditions today I was happy. My ball striking was good, and when I missed greens I got up and down. The greens are not in the best shape and not many putts fell for me. I had 2 bad swings today and it was the difference of 2 or 3 shots.

Getting to bed soon as I have to be up at 5:30am tomorrow and tee-off at 7:40am.

Looking to shoot a low number tomorrow and make the cut!

Talk to everyone tomorrow afternoon.

GO HARD AND NEVER GIVE UP!!!!

Ryan

2010-11-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

Good Evening everybody,

This past weekend I worked hard on my game. Saturday I went out to River Hills Country Club to where my first Hooters Tour event is to play a practice round. I did not hit the ball that great but I got some great pointers from the member I played with. Sunday I went over to Legends to practice and I played 9 holes. The swing was a lot better a day after playing bad.

Today I went over to River Hills Country Club again and played another practice round. Today I hit it well but did not make any putts. I shot even and I am really looking forward to the first round tomorrow. I will tee-off in my first Hooters Tour event at 8:20am tomorrow off the 1st tee. I know I can compete and if I just trust my swing and stay confident then everything will be great.

So far I have loved my time in Myrtle Beach and look forward to the next week.

I am going to relax for the remainder of the night, get to bed early and have to wake up at 6:00am. Leave the condo around 6:45am and will be at the golf course by 7:15am.

Check the Hooters Tour website for how I play tomorrow afternoon.

Take care for now,

Ryan

2010-10-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

So I got to Myrtle Beach, SC yesterday around 5pm. I left Indiana, PA at 6:00am, it took me 11 hours to drive. I was happy when I finally pulled up to the condo but to be honest I was not tired at all from the driving.

I got settled in, called my parents and then headed to Walmart in Conway, SC to get some groceries. Got back to the condo around 8pm and then just laid in bed watching television and talking to family and friends on my computer.

After getting a good nights sleep I woke up and was looking forward to the day. The first thing I had to do was to find a golf club where I could practice and play full time. I first went to Arrowhead Country Club which is 2 minutes up the road but they are over seeding right now so the range and course is a little soft. Next I went to Legends and talked to the Assistant Pro. His name was Ian and he said that whenever he is working that I can practice there for free. Playing was going to be $40 a round but could get better once they are into there winter rates starting November 1st. Still though, $40 to play Legends is pretty good but I will probably wait to play there until after my first tournament.

I practiced for about 2 hours and then came back to the condo for some lunch. I had some lunch and watched a little bit of the Nationwide Tour Championship on the Golf Channel. After lunch, I packed up the car and headed to Myrtlewood Golf Club. I played a lot there as a kid when I would go on vacation with my parents and stay at the Breakers. It was not that busy as they were supposed to over seed as well but with the rain showers they couldn't. After talking to the Pro he basically said the same thing as right now they are in there fall rates and $39 was the best he could do. He suggested I go to Grand Dunes Golf Club and talk to the Pro. I went there and he said I could hit unlimited range balls and use the other facilities for $10 a day but playing the course was going to be $50. The facilities there are incredible and will take him up on his offer whenever Ian is not working at Legends. I got back in the car and headed back to Myrtlewood. I asked in the pro-shop if I could play 9 holes and it was not a problem (they charged me a cart fee). I warmed up for 15 minutes and went out to play. I hit 6/7 fairways, 8/9 greens and had 15 putts en route to a 2 under front nine. I was very happy with my ball striking and I could of been lower but it was tough to get used to the speed of the greens (they are a lot slower then Indiana Country Club). Can't wait to get back at it tomorrow.

My evening ended by going to Martins to look around and then a walk around Broadway on the Beach with a coffee. It was a beautiful night to relax and just enjoy myself.
I came back to the condo and made some dinner and I am currently just sitting here watching television.

Tomorrow I plan on going to a couple other golf clubs to talk to the Pros. Hopefully will get another great day of practice and play in. As for Saturday, I am going to drive to River Hills Country Club where my first tournament is and play. I get a practice round there on Monday but the more I can see the course, the better advantage I will have on the field.

I will post again this weekend. Hopefully add a video!

Take Care,

Ryan

2010-10-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

Good Evening,

Well so far, I have enjoyed my time in Indiana!

The weather this past weekend was perfect for golf (sorry to rub it in Canada). I practiced and played on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Each day the temperature was around 70 degrees. It was good to be at the golf course and not have to wear a sweater.

Each round I have played my ball striking has been really good. I have been 1 or 2 under in each of my rounds. I have had opportunities to be much lower but the thing that has hurt me is the greens. My stroke is good but it has been hard to get used to the speed of the greens. The greens at Indiana Country Club are running about a 13 on the stimpmeter. They are so fast! I would not doubt that they are some of the best greens at the moment in the state.

Today it rained in Indiana so I did not get to practice or play. I went and saw Dr. Jim Strong of Chestnut Ridge Chiropractic in Blairsville, PA. I had never been to a chiropractor but from the scans he did I was right side dominate and had some imperfections in my spine. I felt good when I arrived at his office but after an adjustment, I felt a lot lighter. Thanks Doc!

After that I drove back to IUP. I had to run some errands which included getting some essentials for the condo in Myrtle Beach, going and seeing some people in the IUP Athletics Department, got a haircut at Big League Barbers(love going there), and then had some dinner/hung-out with some former and current IUP golfers.

Tomorrow I will get up to ICC and get 1 more day of hard work in before leaving for Myrtle Beach. I will leave early Wednesday morning. Cannot wait to get there.

As for tonight, I am going to watch my New York "Football" Giants play the Dallas Cowboys.
GO GIANTS!!!!!!!!!!

Talk to everyone soon,

Kennedy

P.S - This has been the first time I have been on the road for an extended period of time as a professional golfer. Every morning I have woke up, I still have to tell myself that this is real and I am in fact working towards fulfilling my dream!

2010-10-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

Good Morning,

I got to Indiana yesterday safe and sound. It is good to be back in town!

I went and visited with some friends and the current IUP golf team yesterday afternoon. Everyone was excited to see me as it has been awhile since I have seen them. I am staying at Coach's house while I am here. I have missed Coach, so it is good that I get to spend some time with him. His wife made a delicious dinner last night but he assured me that I should not get used to it.

As for this morning, I slept a little longer then I usually do because with driving yesterday and then staying up to watch the baseball game I was really tired. I woke up and went down to campus and visited the athletics department and the hospitality management department (my major while at IUP). I did not see everyone I wanted to but I still have time to get in contact with them.

For the rest of the day I plan on going up to Indiana Country Club to practice and then play this afternoon with some of the guys on the team. From what Coach has told me, the golf course is in great shape so I am looking forward to it.

This weekend with a members tournament at ICC, I will be playing a couple of great local courses which will be good for my game. I will work hard in the coming days and will be confident and ready to get to Myrtle Beach to compete!

Talk to everyone this weekend.

Take Care,

RK

P.S- Not everyone may know, but last week before the fundraiser at the golf course I got some great news. Quagmire Golf, a Canadian clothing company, is going to give me some complimentary outfits to wear in my professional events. I am hoping to have them for Canadian Tour Q-School in March. This is an great opportunity for me. If I can get full status on some professional tour, then hopefully my relationship with Quagmire with be a long one. Everything is falling into place for myself and I am looking forward to post some low scores!

2010-10-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who generously donated money towards the next chapter in my life. It means a lot to have so many people support, encourage and care about my golf career. At the end of the day it was overwhelming to say the least.

I would to thank all the members and fellow employees for a great summer! I enjoyed every hour that I spent at the golf course, and trust me the total number of hours I spent at Amherstview would even blow me away. Thanks again for all the wonderful memories.

As for myself, I will be leaving shortly on a journey that will take me first to Indiana, Pennsylvania to practice, play and hangout with some great friends. I will be there from October 21st to October 26th. From there I will be travelling to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I will arrive on Thursday October 28th and leaving Saturday November 13th.

While I am down there I will play 2 tournaments on the Hooters Tour Carolina Winter Series
(http://ngahooterstour.com/carolinawinter/). The first tournament is November 2nd to 4th at River Hills Golf and Country Club and the second tournament will be played November 9th to 11th at Myrtle Beach National-West Course. These tournaments are 54 holes with a 36 hole cut. If you make the cut you get a pay cheque!

I have been working hard for the last 5 days and I am very happy with the state of my game. My ball striking has been getting better each and everyday and my short game at the moment is very sharp. With my game right now very good that in part means that I am also mentally sharp and full of confidence.

When I am in Myrtle Beach, I will try and update my blog on a daily basis and let everyone know what my daily activities have included. I will even try and post some photos or a video.

If anyone is interested, my email is rkennedy_golf@hotmail.com. Please feel free to send me an email and I will do my best to respond to each one.

For now, I am going to head to bed as I have an 8 hour drive ahead of me tomorrow.
Good night and remember, GO HARD AND NEVER GIVE UP.

Talk to everyone soon,

Ryan

2010-09-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

This time of year means that is a little bit colder, shorter days and some unpredictable weather. For myself I have been practicing and playing hard. I love playing golf this time of year because I appreciate and value everyday that much more because the season here in Kingston is coming to an end.

As most of you know, I did not play my best in my first 2 tournaments as a professional. I am not all discouraged from my rounds as I hit a lot of good shots that showed me that I am meant to be out here competing. The things I have to work on to me are minimizing my mistakes and making more putts. My swing is good right now and with my putting I feel as if it is something very small and easily fixed.

I played with some people that I am very familiar with in my first 2 tournaments and they both told me that I have the raw talent and short game to compete in the professional ranks. This defiantly helps me to stay positive and build confidence.

My next tournament is scheduled for November 2-4 in Little River Country Club in North Myrtle Beach, SC. This tournament is a part of the Hooters Carolina Winter Series. I will be heading down to Indiana, PA for the last week of October to play and practice. From going to school there I know their are many places for me to practice and play. The weather will also be that much better there. I am looking forward to seeing a lot of old friends, hanging out with my former teammates and spending some time with Coach.

As for right now, and most of you know, the McKeown and Proderick families are organizing and running a fundraiser for my golf career on Friday October 15th. I am very appreciative for them doing this and looking forward to socializing with all the members.

In advance, I would like to thank everyone for the support of my golf career. Every time I tee it up I am not playing for just myself but for all the members of Amherstview Golf Club. Amherstview has been a big part of my life since I was 9 years old and I cannot thank the McKeown and Proderick families enough for everything over the years. Without all the help, I would not be the golfer I am today.

Well I have to make a decision, to go to bed now and wake-up to watch the Ryder Cup or stay in bed and watch the tape delay. If I don't wake up then I will have to stay away from my computer and television so I do not see results from the Foursomes and Fourball matches.

See everyday at the course.

And remember, GO HARD AND NEVER GIVE UP.

Take Care,

RK

2010-09-20T04:20:00.000-07:00

Good Morning,

Just sitting in here in the pro-shop after getting all of the opening duties completed. Is it ever cold this time of year in the early hours.

This past weekend Ladies Closing Day was played. It marked the end of another successful and exciting year for the ladies. Congrats to all of the winners of the club matches!
The men will end their golf season next Saturday morning. Looking forward to a great day with all the guys.

The Queen's University golf team hosts their annual golf tournament today here at Amherstview. I am not to sure of how many teams they have attending but with a strong team and excellent golf course knowledge, I am sure Queen's will battle for the W.

As for myself, I am working today until 1:00pm and then hitting the road. My professional debut is almost here and I am very excited. The tournament as I have said in previous posts is at Wooden Sticks Golf Club (http://www.woodensticks.com/) which is located in Uxbridge, Ontario. I have never played the course and unfortunately will not get a practice round but I am going to walk the course this afternoon to get familiar with what to hit off of each tee and the greens. I have the pleasure of having a good friend on the bag for the tournament. Steve McKellar will be caddying for me. Steve caddied for me last summer at the Bell Canadian Open Qualifier and did a great job. He is very knowledgeable about the game, has the right things to say whether I am up or down on myself, and he is a great putter so he will come in handle while reading the greens. Steve has been one of my friends out here for some time now and each and every summer he continues to support me and my golf career. My parents cannot be with me at my first tournament due to work obligations but I know Steve will be at my side, cheering and encouraging me no matter what.

I have been hitting the ball well and I am really looking forward to tomorrow. At this time I do not know what my tee-time is but will find out shortly.

I don't know when the Great Lakes Tour will put the results up but if you are interested you can go to their website at http://www.greatlakestour.com. If you have Facebook, I will update my status after the round of what I shot. You can also go to my Twitter page, http://twitter.com/ryankennedy87, which I will also update with what I shot.

For now, I have some work to do here in the pro-shop.

Thanks for the continued support and encouragement and see everyone around the golf course on Wednesday.

Take Care,

Ryan Kennedy

2010-09-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hello Again,

So I played well on Saturday at Cataraqui to advance to the finals of the Men's City Championship for the first time. The final was held on Sunday morning at Amherstview. Though I played well, a couple bad swings and a cold putter did not help. I was down after 9 holes and could never cut into the lead. Sean Lackey played very steady and solid. He more then deserves to win this championship for the 2nd straight year. Congratulations to him.

Of course I wanted to end my amateur career with a win. The Men's City Championship is a very great tournament and it would of been nice to know that my name was on that trophy with some other great local players. That is how golf is and I have to keep my head up, move on and learn from all of it.

I am very excited to say though that last evening I filled out the paper work to turn professional! I have been working towards this day ever since I started golfing. My parents are very supportive of my decision and know that they will continue to be my best cheering squad.

So as of right now, I am playing in the Great Lakes Tour events on September 21st at Wooden Sticks Golf Club and September 27th at Eagles Nest Golf Club. Both of these tournaments are at great golf courses. I am looking forward to getting some experience in pro golf and hopefully can cash a cheque in each event.

If you would like to follow up on my golf activities, my tournament results and schedule, please feel free to add me as a friend on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @ryankennedy87. I am going to start to regularly update both so that everyone can stay connected.

I would again just like to thank everyone for the support and encouragement over the years. I am looking forward to this next chapter in my life beginning and hope that everyone is ready to be along for the ride.

Until my next post, take care.

Kennedy

2010-09-09T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

It has been business as usual at the golf club for the last couple of weeks. The weather has been good until this past week, so hoping that this is not an indicator that the golf season is going to come to a end earlier then expected.

This past Monday was the last night for the Molson Monday Night Men's League. Congratulations to Progress Fitness for winning the championship.

The golf course is in great condition right now. It is probably in the best shape I have seen it in the last couple of years. With the watering system working 100% this summer, the grounds crew has kept it in good shape even when the temperatures were close to 40 degrees with the humidity.

As most people know I played well this past weekend in the Men's City Championship and the semi-finals are at Cataraqui on Saturday. I tee-off at 12:37pm. I play Echo Chan of the Landings and looking forward to this match. I am playing well right now and with a day off tomorrow I am going to put in a hard day of practice and play. The finals will be played on Sunday at Amherstview at 8:00am. If all goes according to plan I will be able to play the final match on a course that I am obviously comfortable on.

As I said in my last post, the last couple of weeks have been very exciting. With the day I am going to turn pro quickly approaching, I wake up everyday with a smile on my face. Since I last made it public that I was turning pro, I have been practicing, playing and working out as if I am already a professional.

As of right now I have 2 tournaments set up for myself. I am playing on Tuesday September 21st at Wooden Sticks GC and Monday September 27th at Eagles Nest GC. Both of these tournaments are sanctioned by the Great Lakes Tour. After those tournaments, I do not have anything else set up as of now but I am sure I will play in a couple of events on the Hooters Tour out of the Myrtle Beach, SC area in November and December.

I know I have said it a lot but I am so grateful and appreciative of the support of all the members of Amherstview Golf Club. I would also like to thank Carolyn and Joe for letting me play and practice at the club while also allowing me to work around my playing schedule.

As for now, I am going to relax this evening and get up tomorrow and ready to get after it!

Look back this weekend for updates on Men's City.

Take Care,

RK

2010-08-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy stretch for all of us here at Amherstview. We had the Pig Roast on Saturday and yesterday had the Tom Turkey. The ladies all seemed to have fun but it would of been that much better of a day if the rain had of held off. Still though, the ladies went out and played and really seemed to enjoy themselves.

At the beginning of last week, the golf course hosted the Tommy Atkins Kingston City Junior Championship. Each and every year Julia and Dave Jackson do a great job in running the tournament and this year was a great success. The winner of this years event was Kyle Benford. He was a former member and used that to his advantage as he never seemed to have a problem finding his way around the course. Congrats to him and runner-up Zac O'Neil.
I have been friends with Kyle for sometime and I wish him all the luck in the world as he heads off next week for his first year of collegiate golf at Detroit-Mercy University.

I had said in my previous post that I was going to turn professional after the Pig Roast. After thinking it over and getting a lot of insight from others, I have decided to postpone those plans in order to play in the Men's City Championship. I have not had a chance with school to play in the Men's City since 2004. It is a great tournament and looking forward to it. The qualifier is at Loyalist on September 4th, 1st & 2nd round matches at Garrison on September 5th, Semi-finals at Cataraqui on September 11th and the Finals will be here at Amherstview on September 12th.

So after the Men's City Championships, I will turn pro and play in the last 2 events on the Great Lakes Tour on Tuesday September 21st and Tuesday September 28th. The next few weeks will be very exciting for myself and I am looking forward to beginning the next chapter in my life. I will find a job in town for the fall and winter while also taking some time to go down south and work on my game and possibly play in some tournaments.

Once the golf season is over I am going to sit down and come up with ideas on how I am going to raise some money in order to finance the tournaments I want to play in. I will be sure to keep everyone updated with my plans.

For now, I am continuing to work hard in the pro-shop and on my golf game. Looking forward to the rest of the golf season, as it already has been a great summer here at Amherstview Golf Club.

Take Care,

RK

2010-08-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

It has been a tough month to say the least. I was not putting 100% into my game when I did have a chance to practice/play. I was giving golf the attention is deserved.

I had some time to sit back and think about golf and realized how I had to jump back into it. I have so much talent and have worked so hard to get to the point I am at today. I have been working hard for the past 4 days and I am so happy with where my game is at even after the layoff.

I played Cataraqui on Friday as a tune-up for the Whig Standard which will be played on August 7th. I played the best game I ever had over there, a bogey free 65. I had a clear mind for every shot and was relaxed. I just let it happen. I was in the zone during the round and it has been awhile since I was that focused on the golf course.

It felt great to shoot a round like that and get the confidence level back up. Especially considering I will be leaving for Indiana, PA tomorrow and on Wednesday will try to qualify for the US Amateur. I am looking forward to it and just need to play within myself and hope for the best.

Thank you for the continued support and hopefully will give everyone an update on on how I played following play on Wednesday.

Until I am back, take care.

Ryan

P.S- Just to let everyone know. After carefully thinking over it, I have finally decided that I will turn professional on Saturday August 21st after the Pig Roast. My first tournament as a professional will be the Canadian Tour Q-School at the start of September at Hidden Lakes Golf Club in Burlington, Ontario.

2010-07-24T12:10:00.001-07:00

Hello All,

Today here at Amherstview is the Jay McKee Golf Tournament. They have great weather for it today and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. The golf course is good shape for all of the participants today.

As for myself, the last couple of weeks have been the busiest of the summer. With working hours in the pro-shop and having a blast working with the kids in Junior Golf Camps, to say the least, golf has been put on the back burner. But with the US Amateur qualifier coming up in 11 days, this week will be important for myself. I will need to practice and play every chance I get. I have played here and there lately and have been happy with the swing and the results. The time off was good for me as I did have a couple of lingering injuries that we starting to flare up just due to overuse. I now feel great both physically and mentally and looking forward to the rest of the summer.

Take Care,

Ryan

2010-07-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Sorry that it has been so long.
I have been really busy since arriving back from Sudbury. Though I arrived back earlier then expected after missing the cut, it has taught me that golf is not always perfect. One day you can be hitting it well and scoring while the next you hit it well and for whatever reason don't score. The ride home was really tough but I have a great core of people behind me and they were quickly able to raise my spirits and show me that 1 round does not break a golf career. Thank you to those individuals (you know who you are).

I went out last weekend for the 3rd and 4th rounds of Club Championship and shot 68, 67 to win by 4 strokes. Scott Beaubien came 2nd. It was great to play with him for 4 rounds and great playing!
I hit it well on the weekend and it really showed me that I have the talent level to compete at the next level if I in fact make that jump in the fall(2010). At this point I am still up in the air whether to turn pro or practice/play until next fall (2011) as an amateur.
The one thing that has frustrated me all summer is putts not falling. I feel as if my stroke is close to perfect so I have been lost for words after many of my rounds. Though the rest of this month is going to be extremely busy with junior golf camps and working in the pro-shop, I am going to make a putter change and hopefully this pays off.

As of right now I do not have any tournaments until I leave on August 2nd for Indiana, PA to try and qualify for the U.S Amateur. I am looking forward to it and I just hope I can continue to play well.

I have been having a blast this week with junior golf camps and hope that one day some of these kids can be great golfers. They are all so energetic and excited to play golf!

All my best,

Ryan Kennedy

2010-07-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,

I shot 74 at the Porter Cup qualifier but unfortunately had to be 5 better to be in a playoff. Hit it well for 18 holes but could not make a putt. That is golf sometimes and you have to take the positives away from the round.

This past weekend we had Club Championship at the golf course. We had 40 players tee it up which is not bad. The 3rd and 4th round will take play on Saturday July 10th and Sunday July 11th.
This week also marks the start of our Junior Golf Camps. I know all of the participants and the people helping out are excited. They go from 9:00am to 1:00pm every week of July. It is not too late to sign up for the last 3 weeks!

As for myself I leave bright and early tomorrow (6:00am) for Sudbury to compete this week in the Investor's Group Ontario Amateur. I am driving up tomorrow and play my practice round at 2:45pm. Looking forward to getting a good look at the course and getting familiar with it.
I tee-off on Tuesday morning at 7:40am and Wednesday morning at 12:40pm. You can follow my progress at http://gao.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/gao10/event/gao109/index.htm.
Looking forward to a good week as I am hitting it well and just looking for some more putts to fall.

Until I get back, take care and thanks for the support.

Ryan

2010-06-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

The last week has been busy for me from work to playing in the Champion of Champions and then spending the day on Wednesday in Lewiston, NY playing a practice round for the Porter Cup.
I was pleased with my 2nd place finish on Tuesday at Loyalist in the Champion of Champions. With every competitive round I play my confidence level grows and i learn something new about myself.
I have taken the last couple of days off from golf to refuel and now I am ready to practice hard in the morning. I leave on Sunday for the Porter Cup qualifier and play Monday morning at 11:00am. There are 96 players in the field and 8 will be awarded spots in the tournament to be played July 27th to 31st. I am looking forward to playing well and hopefully qualifying.

It is great to know that I have so many supporters. It means a lot to me and keeps me motivated to keep playing well.

On another note. The golf course is pretty wet from the storms that hit Kingston yesterday but I am sure with some good weather in the coming days that the golf course will be back in good shape.

I will post on Tuesday with how I played in the qualifier.

Until then, take care.

Ryan

2010-06-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

Where has the month of June gone?
The end of the school year for the junior members is fast approaching. They will begin to be at the golf course more often practicing and playing.
This summer the Junior Fun Days will take place on Thursday morning. Each will be 9 holes and a different format will be used each week. I have already come up with the formats and they can be found on the junior board located outside of the locker rooms.
Also starting at the end of the month is another season of the K-Rock St.Lawrence Junior Tour. All of the information for the tour is also located on the junior board and sign-ups will be in the pro-shop. Tee-times for the tour can also be found on the tour's website at; http://www.juniorgolfers.ca/.
I can remember when I was a junior and how beneficial both the Junior Fun Days and the St.Lawrence Tour were to giving me experience playing tournament golf. I had a lot of fun and also met friends. All of our juniors members are playing at Amherstview for one reason, to get better!
I am looking forward to running the Junior program this summer, getting to know each and every junior and occasionally practicing and or playing with a few of them.

2010-06-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the Ducks Unlimited Golf Tournament went pretty well. Though there were a couple of incidents, I would say for the most part it went well. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and the golf course.
Today I am just sitting here to what has turned out to be an unpleasant day.
It has rained for much of the day. It allowed me to catch up on some sleep and relax to refuel my body.
I have been working hard on my game this week and have played 3 times. I am very happy with my swing at the moment and the hard work has paid off. Before this week, I have not been scoring as well as I would like and leaving a lot on the golf course. I am starting to make some more putts and this showed on both Wednesday and Friday. I shot 66 on Wednesday and shot my second career 62 on Friday. During my round Friday I hit the ball extremely well and made almost every putt I looked at. I was so excited to shoot 62 again because for so long I have wondered when it would happen again. Aside from my swing feeling good, I was impressed with my focus and determination during the round. I have to take away from what I did well yesterday and apply that to each and every round for the rest of the summer.
I am going to continue to work hard both on my swing and my mental game in the coming weeks. I now know and have the confidence to go out and make 13 birdies in a round and shoot the ever so rare 59.

I have some things to work on for the Junior Golf Program for the rest of the afternoon.
Until next time,

Take Care

2010-06-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today marks the day of the first big tournament being played at the course.
This morning there was a 7:30am shotgun for members/guests.
This afternoon the Ducks Unlimited golf tournament began at 12:30pm. There were 152 people teeing it up in teams of 3 and 4. The format was a scramble.
The groups should be done within the next hour. The weather today has been good and it seems as if everyone is having a good time.

Next Friday there will also be a 7:30am members/guests shotgun and then the KGH tournament will be a shotgun start at 12:30pm.

Take care

Ryan

2010-06-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hello Again,

Over the last couple days being at the club I have noticed how busy the grounds crew has been working to get the course in great shape. Mike Smith and his staff have done a great job with the greens and in the coming weeks with some good weather and continued care, they will be able to be cut shorter and rolled. I look forward to this as do a lot of other members. I believe that the greens this summer could end up being the quickest we have seen in some time. Late last week they got there order of sand in and today were working to get the bunkers on 7 and 17 filled in. They still have a couple others to do on the course but look for them all to be done by the middle of next week I would think. The only other thing I noticed about the rough is it is starting to get thick. This just makes driving the golf ball that much more important so that you can score.

The whole golf course to me is in great shape! And it will only get better.

That is it for me today, I am kinda tired after celebrating the Chicago Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup tonight. So I am going to get to bed and look forward to playing/practicing hard tomorrow.

Until next time, take care.

Ryan

2010-06-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

Over the last 2 weeks since I arrived home from the Division II National Championship I have been asked by many individuals what the next step will be for myself.
I will start with what is the next step in my golfing future. As of right now I am signed up to play in the following tournaments for the remainder of the summer;
Tuesday June 22nd: Champion of Champions at Loyalist Golf & Country Club
Monday June 28th: Porter Cup Qualifier at Niagara Falls Country Club
Monday July 5th to Friday July 9th: Investors Group Ontario Amateur at Idylwylde Golf & Country Club
Wednesday August 4th: U.S Amateur Qualifier at Indiana Country Club
I will play in additional 3 golf tournaments if I qualify for the Porter Cup, the Canadian Amateur and the U.S Amateur.
I played the Porter cup qualifier last summer and remember all of the holes. I get one practice round before the tournament so I should be comfortable and full of confidence to go out and shoot a low number. To qualify for the Canadian Amateur I will have to make the cut at the Ontario Amateur and place in the top 60. I am also extremely excited to be playing the U.S Amateur qualifier at Indiana Country Club where I got to play everyday while in school at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. It will be good to be back in town and be able to catch up with some good friends.
If I do qualify for the Canadian Amateur then as of right now that will be my last tournament as an amateur. I plan on turning professional and doing the Canadian Tour Fall Qualifying. After this tournament though it is all up in the air. It will depend on finances to weather or not I play mini tours in the fall and winter down south.

Thank you, to everyone over the years who have supported me and followed my golf career. It is greatly appreciated and it is good to know I have so many people behind me.

All the best,

Ryan

2010-06-07T08:51:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Today I am working in the pro-shop with Mike Dillon. We have been discussing today about raising money for a charity which is not yet decided. We plan on staying at the club overnight and teeing it up bright and early the next day. We plan on playing five rounds of golf throughout the day and while we pass groups we will be asking for donations. We also need to find sponsors for each hole we plan on playing. So that turns out to be 90 sponsors. We are expecting the sponsors to donate $10.00 to $15.00 per hole. We are planning to play some point in late July to early August.
We are going to start to find sponsors for this event but anyone who is willing to or knows of someone who would like to sponsor this event can get in touch with either myself or Mike Dillon.
My email is rkennedy_golf@hotmail.com and Mike's is michaelangalo69@hotmail.com.

Looking forward to making this event become reality and anyone who could help would be greatly appreciated.

For now, my shift ends at 1:00pm and I will spend the afternoon playing and practicing.

Until next time, take care.

Ryan

2010-06-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

For the remainder of the 2010 golf season I will be posting daily on this blog.

I will be posting on some of the following things;

-Tournaments and Events being held at Amherstview

-Tournament Results

-Club Reminders (match deadlines, sign-ups for tournaments)

-Information and Statistics about my golf game

-Other miscellaneous topics.

I hope everyone enjoys the blog throughout the summer.

For the remainder of my day I am going to relax and watch

Rickie Fowler win his first PGA Tour event since the

weather has not been great outside today.

Until my next post, Take Care.

Ryan Kennedy