Today, I won the 2007 NGT Virginia Beach Open at Honey Bee Golf Club in Virginia Beach, Va.

I shot 73, including 33 with three birdies on the final nine holes, to win by two shots. For my initial professional victory, I received a crystal trophy and the first-place check of $500.

While the tournament was a small, one-day mini tour event, the title is a big step in my midlife quest of playing on the PGA Tour. Over the past few months, I have swung well in practice sessions but played poorly in tournaments, making me wonder if I could actually play competitive golf again.

Today, I proved to myself that I can still play and win tournament golf!

On the front nine, I made many of the same mistakes of recent tournaments, including tentative swings that resulted in miss-hit shots and three-putt greens. As I walked to the 10th tee, I told myself to trust my swing and just do it!

The tenth hole is a short par-5 at 465 yards. After a 285-yard drive, I hit 5-iron from 180 yards into a greenside bunker. When I visited Jim McLean in May, he demonstrated Claude Harmon’s bunker technique, which I have now mastered. A variation of this method includes abbreviating the follow-through to impact additional spin, a shot that Tiger Woods has popularized over the past few years. I hit my bunker shot next to the hole and easily made the birdie putt.

On the 12th hole, I drained a 50-foot putt for another birdie, providing additional momentum. Suddenly, I was swinging the club naturally with better tempo and newfound confidence and feeling much more comfortable over my putter.

Knowing that I would win with two pars, I stuck my approach on the 17th hole and made the six-foot birdie putt to lead by two strokes.

Last Friday, I replaced my driver with a new Exotics Proto Driver by Tour Edge, and on the 500-yard 18th hole, I cracked a 320 yard power fade around the dogleg. With a slight tailwind, I hit 5-iron in front of the green. Then, I chipped to five feet and two-putted for a par and the victory.

On the back nine, I hit eight greens in regulation and had 15 putts, finally posting the kind of stats that result in good scoring. Shooting 33 on the outward and inward nines equals an 18-hole score of 66, a total which can win an open qualifier for a PGA Tour event.

Instead of driving to Virginia Beach early this morning, I stayed in a hotel room close to the course to focus on the tournament and eliminate distractions.

Surprising to me, most mini tour players ride on golf carts in competition. In fact, even when players have caddies, both the player and the caddie tend to ride. For tournament golf, I really dislike carts, finding that the constant stop and go of the vehicle disrupts my rhythm. Therefore, despite the hot and humid weather, I decided to walk and carry my own bag to help my mental approach. As a result, I felt much more in control of my thoughts, similar to my memories of walking as a junior and collegiate golfer. Of course, imagine my astonishment at the end of the event when I found my entire shag bag of four dozen Bridgestone Tour B330-S golf balls in the bottom of the apparel pocket of my golf bag, adding another five pounds to my 20 pound load!

Set in the heart of Virginia Beach, Honey Bee Golf Club was designed by noted golf course architect Rees Jones and is one of the premier facilities in the Tidewater area. Billy Judah, a former player on the Nationwide Tour, is the General Manager and PGA Golf Professional.

On the long drive from Virginia Beach to Washington, I stopped at an Outback Steakhouse to celebrate the win. As I enjoyed a fillet, I only wished that I was with Donna and Charlie. Earlier, after holing out on the 18th hole, I called home to report the good news. Donna yelled out and congratulated me. Not really understanding the true meaning, Charlie screamed, “Daddy is the champion! Daddy is the champion! Daddy is the champion!” Then, he said the four words that are the most special to me: “Daddy, I love you.”

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