LPGA tour player - Nicole Jeray

Great Venues for the DFT

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:39:00 +0000

The Duramed Futures Tour sure has come a long way over the years. The last three events we played were first class all the way. Great golf courses, a locker room, food, and we actually feel welcome. The DFT has a great future ahead and hopefully the $Purses$ with improve as well.

Richmond, VA - Started the week great with a hole in one in the pro-am. Perfect grip 5 iron, one bounce and a roll. Helped my team win the pro-am. Your probably wondering what I won --bragging rights I guess?! I missed the cut by a shot. I love missing cuts by one shot. Seems to be a common thing these days. On the left is a picture of me and my struggles in Richmond. I shot -2 on my back nine in attempt to bring it back. Just wasn't quite good enough.

After Richmond I flew to Portland, OR to help teach an all day clinic. Have to make money somehow!! I was able to spend some time with my boyfriend here, since the clinic was at the LPGA tournament in Portland. This was an extra bonus.

Arrived in Gettysburg, PA on Wed night. Pro-am on Thursday. Here I won a Spa treatment. 13 players took a Limo ride to a Salon that afternoon and we all got buffed up a bit. Very Nice!! The Links at Gettysburg is my favorite course this year. Challenging from tee to green and then even more challenging on the green. Loved it. 76,72,76 for 41st place. If I would have had a bit of practice on this course I believe I could have had a much better finish.

I was able to fit in an interview in Gettysburg. Check it out. Jason, the reporter, did a great job.
www.whptv.com/content/localsports/story.aspx?content_id=BED19461-211A-454D-945E-B01E124EFB9D&gsa=true
I may not have reached my golfing goals yet this year, but I am very happy with my narcolepsy awareness attempts. I think almost every girl on the DFT and every pro-am partner Ive played with now has a complete understanding of narcolepsy.

Finally In Contention

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:47:00 +0000

London, KY.. I shot 70, 69 and played in the final group. Soo happy to finally be in contention again. I know I played horrible on Sunday - two triples and a double. Played the first hole (tough starting hole) like a champion. Then number 2-12 was all uphill. I drank an energy drink on hole 14 and did not miss a shot after that. Go Figure!!! (Jody, my boyfriend, has been bugging me all year about drinking these $3 drinks for energy while I play -apparently I should have listened to him sooner) It still is a good step forward for me to be on the leader board. My last win was in 2003 because I been playing the LPGA.

It is soooo much easier to play golf with a good caddie on the bag. Thanks for caddying for me this week, Jody. All I have to do is hit the ball. Jody gives me the yardage and I hit it where he tells me. I have so much energy left to play when I am not running after my cart driver, lugging 6 clubs to my shot, fighting with my bag getting clubs in and out, rushing so I don't hold up another player trying to get her clubs, oops I forgot my putter, I need a different club....Oh my gosh its overwhelming!!! And then if your being timed, forget it...Im a wreck...sometimes it takes me 30 seconds to just get a club in my hand, let alone hit a shot. Not to mention getting a yardage...finding the sprinkler head -oops that one is not in the "$17 book". I have to stay on top of things out there, not much conversation with my playing partners. When Jody is caddying for me, I can relax and enjoy playing golf.

Concord, NH

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:44:00 +0000

New Hampshire is such a beautiful state. The one way covered bridge that I crossed to and from the golf course made the whole week worthwhile. It was sooo gorgeous, and I should have taken a picture. I did take a picture of this amazing rainbow that we were blessed with during one on the many rain storms of the week.

Tournament went well. I was consistent with 74,73,74. Could have been much better. Still 4 events left before the top 5 and top 15 players are determined. I have to finish real strong, but I feel real good about it. Stay tuned for exciting things.

SLEEP in Syracuse

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:01:00 +0000

Syracuse was a good week for everybody. I finally played good on Sunday, shooting one under, a 71. I think the nap I had during the rain delay helped me birdie two of the last three holes. Lucky for me the Duramed Futures Tour rules officials noticed I was not in position to play. One walkie talkie call and a good friend Libby Smith swiftly and loudly screamed my name throughout the clubhouse until I woke up. I was shocked that the sun was out and the clubhouse empty. Libby said "Nicole your supposed to be in position to restart play." OOps....I calmly but quickly made my way outside and was then chauffeured to my hole just in time to begin play. Whew.. that was a close one!! That little nap helped me play my best three holes of the entire tournament. "Sleep Well. Live Better"

Also this week in Syracuse was a terrific piece for the awareness of Narcolepsy. Click here to check it out.

3 weeks - oops

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:45:00 +0000

Have not blogged in 3 weeks, I must have been practicing a lot. Oh yes, I was practicing endlessly and I did not have full access to a computer the entire time.

Lets see. Bloomfield, Ct was not bad. My pro-am team partners ended up caddying for me in the tournament. This was a big help since I tend to get the worst spot on the cart for my clubs. On the Futures Tour we have a volunteer cart driver that keeps score for the group, as well as drive our clubs around. It great because we don't have to carry our clubs or hire a caddy every week. We walk and play while our clubs get a ride. Unfortunately, many days we have three sets of bags on the cart, which makes a difficult job for the volunteer and difficult for the golfer who puts their set of clubs on the cart LAST. Yep, that would be me, because I tend to get to the course later than most. Let me tell you how annoying and difficult it is to get your clubs in and out of the bag laying on the seat of the cart. PAIN in the ___!!! Needless to say... it nice to have some real cool, supportive people offer to caddy. Thanks Mitzie and Tim!! You did an outstanding job. Finished T60th.

Pro-am galore!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:18:00 +0000

I have three pro-ams to play in this week. Yikes, that is a lot. I better pace myself so I will have enough energy for the tournament. Flew to Chicago to pick up my car and then drove to Toledo for two pro-ams. Pro-am appearances are a great way to make a fast buck. Too bad they are few and far between when you are playing the Duramed Futures Tour. This week I was lucky to be asked to play in two outings in Toledo, one on Monday and another on Tuesday at the infamous Inverness Golf Cub. That is a treat in itself. On Wednesday I had an all day drive to Bloomfield, CT, where my tournament is this week starting on Friday. As a narcoleptic, you would think this would be quite difficult and dangerous for me. Well, I am doing great. My medicine is really helping me sleep the right way at night, so my batteries are getting recharged. I am alert and awake all day and my cataplexy is almost non-existent. Check out my web site for more info on narcolepsy/cataplexy, www.nicolejeray.net

Played another pro-am for the tournament on Thursday and we finished in 2nd place. Hopefully this will be the start of a good week of golf. Check out the scores at www.duramedfuturestour.com to see the outcome in CT.

LPGA monday qualifier in Arkansas

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:29:00 +0000

This week I will spend in Arkansas, either playing in the LPGA tournament or not. We all know my status on the LPGA stinks so I probably wont get in any more events this year unless I try to Monday qualify.

I picked Arkansas to try for lots of reasons: 1. love the course 2. no Duramed Futures Tour event 3. have not seen Jody (my boyfriend) in 5 weeks

So after my wonderful showing in Hammond, I flew to Arkansas to Monday qualify. No practice round, small warm up, and off we go. Jody is caddying for me. In the first fairway I walk up to my ball and suddenly realize that I don't have to get the yardage and think about the course and what I have to do. My brain can actually relax. What a relief, all I have to do it hit the shot. Soo much easier to play golf this way. Jody says, 95 yards, aim right at it. I pick my club, whack, 5 feet. I read my putt, and it went it in. Love it. Next hole, Jody gives me a good target, I hit it there. Walk up to the ball, Jody does all the figuring, hit it 200 yards at that pine tree. Easy game. A good caddy makes all the difference in the world. It lets the player just hit shots. Any way, I shot even par, 72. 70, 71 qualified.

Ill spend the week here in Arkansas with Jody. While he caddies for Kim Hall Ill be practicing, playing another course, testing equipment, re grip clubs, check lies and lofts. We are so spoiled out here on the LPGA. Really makes me want to get my status back. There are still a bunch of Duramed Futures Tour events left. I will finish strong!!

Havoc in Hammond

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:48:00 +0000

This week started out great and ended in chaos. The good news is that I am still rolling that ball like I should. Tuesday was just play and pro-am party. During registration I found out about a Par 3 tournament with a purse of $5000. Since I would stay for this Par 3 qualifying, I helped with the Junior Clinic which is always rewarding, especially since they had only one other pro. The qualifier went well, great Par 3 course at Lost Marsh. I shot -1 to get into a field of 12 and ties. Very exciting. Wednesday was my pro-am time. My group did not show up but the Head Pro found some other people for me to play with for the day. They were delightful! Thursday is practice and the Par 3 tournament. 12 players for a purse of $5000. Thank you Hammond Port Authority and Horseshoe Casino for making this possible. Oops 16 players are playing, Head Pro forgot about ties. Good thing so my friend Jenny Gleason (my putting guru) was able to get in the field - Yeah!! First place shot -2 and then four of us Tied for second place with even par. That should be a decent pay out with only 8 people getting paid.

Friday, first round of the tournament, I shot 73. Pretty good round. Still putting good. I am now in 22nd. Second round was a bit different. WINDY and my ball striking was a bit suspect. "Lost Marsh" did not get its name because of wide fairways. I shot a whopping 82. Good thing I putted decent in that wind, who knows what I could have shot. Anyway, I missed the cut by one. Oh, and to top off my day, it turns out I came in 4th in the Par 3. Sure I tied for 2nd, but am listed and will be paid for 4th. Who knows!?!?!

Needless to say, I felt like I was having a good week and then WHAMO, disaster on Sat. That is golf. Live and learn... I still love it!!!!!!!

Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:19:00 +0000

It is nice to have friends while we travel the world playing this crazy golf game. We all know what a "rutt" I have been in. My friend, Jenny Gleason, was shocked at my putting performance when we were paired together in the first round of the Duramed Futures Tour event in Cincinnati. She said "can I give you a putting lesson?" I immediately screamed "PLEASE!!" 10 minutes with Jenny and one drill (well I did the drill for over an hour), my ball started rolling and continued to roll on Saturday and Sunday. 28 putts and 27 putts respectively. Thank you Jenny Gleason. She says I only owe her a Starbucks coffee. Well if I continue to putt this way, Ill be buying more a lot more than one coffee, maybe the whole store.

I finished 16th in Cincinnati. After shooting 3 over the first round, I was happy with this performance. I am looking very forward to playing this week in Hammond, IN. It is near my home in Chicago. It is so wonderful to play close to home. These are usually my best tournaments.

Links to article & interview

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:29:00 +0000

Since I won the Decatur tournament two times, the media gave me a lot of attention last week. Also, If you were on the Duramed Futures Tour or LPGA Web site last week, you would have noticed a feature article on the Home page with my name on it. Very Cool!! I loved it. Most of it is about Narcolepsy (great for N awareness) Next time, I hope it is for winning a tournament!!! think birdies for me!!
Here are a few links if your interested.

This is a TV interview: click on "Quick View" box to view
http://media.vmsnews.com/MR.pl?id=061608-868404-X001439519

This is an article:
www.herald-review.com/articles/2008/06/18/life/features/1033421.txt

Thank you to all of you who follow me (especially my "stalkers"!!!!)

Decatur

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:31:00 +0000

Finished 49th in Decatur. Not too bad considering I hit only 6 fairways each day. The rough was super thick and I feel like I handled it pretty well. Oh yeah, my putting.....soooooooooooo much better. Had only 10 putts on one nine.
In Decatur, we must have a caddy. If you dont have one, they assign you a volunteer. Could be hit or miss, if you know mean. I was lucky enough to get a sharp college kid who knew nothing about golf. Really the perfect caddy for the week. Since he was smart and observant, I knew he would not get in the way - big plus. He just chatted with me, encouraged me, made me laugh, always had water for me (soooo important), and let me play like I know how to play. Loved it!!! Thanks Robbie!! Another player was telling me how her caddy counted how many times she swore. Yikes - a whopping 47. I have never laughed sooo hard.
In attempt to hit more fairways this week in Cincinnati, Ive changed drivers, back to the Tour Edge (last years model). So far it seems to be going straighter than my Taylor Made and maybe a bit longer. Time will tell.

Mushy Brain

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:40:00 +0000

Ive been on the road for two and a half months...no wonder I'm having a difficult time putting the ball in the hole. My brain and my hands are no longer connecting. After having 37 putts on Saturday and missing the cut at the Duramed Futures Tour event in Lake Geneva, WI, I came to the conclusion that my brain is mushy from traveling and playing every day for 10 weeks. You would think that after all these years of professional golf that I would have learned that more that 4 weeks in a row is a lot. When Im not playing great, I keep practicing more and more trying to figure it out. Every day I leave the course feeling good and prepared, but my scores sure are not showing it. Well, this week I am in Chicago recuperating.

Ready for Lake Geneva

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:05:00 +0000

This week is a Duramed Futures Event in Lake Geneva. Follow me with real time scoring at http://www.duramedfuturestour.com/. Great tree-lined golf course with severe greens. Lets hope I putt better than I did in Corning, NY. Softer hands seems to help. A death grip on the putter wont make any putts.

After missing the cut in Corning, I was lucky enough to play in a pro-am on Saturday at another course. I wish more tournaments would offer this Saturday pro-am. Its a great way to raise extra money for charity and good for the pros pocket as well. It is sooo expensive to play in golf tournaments. Between travel expenses, hiring caddies, and health insurance...I need to start making some money. Missing cuts and $500 in winnings each week on the Futures tour is not going to cut it. One good week will change everything.

On Monday I flew to St. Louis to pick up my car and then drove to Chicago to see my Mom, sister, niece and nephew, and Guinness(my wiener dog). I had not seen Niece and Nephew since Christmas. Way too long.

This is Jack and Julia.

Tuesday evening I made my way to Lake Geneva, soo sad to leave after just one day at home.
Wednesday a.m. was a practice round... a clinic from 4-6pm...and then the pairings party that night. What a full day that was...and I was awake and alert the whole day thanks to advances in Narcolepsy research. See my web site for more information on Narcolepsy in my life. http://www.nicolejeray.net/ Oh yes, you can also make a donation to the Narcolepsy Network there. Just $10 and Ill send you an autographed picture, a sleep awareness bracelet, and now a baseball card. Help others suffering from Narcolepsy live a better life, like I do. I feel soo lucky to have a handle on it.

Leawood South CC, a hidden treasure, in Kansas City

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Mon, 19 May 2008 21:37:00 +0000

The Duramed Futures Tour played at Leawood South CC in Kansas City, MO. By far my favorite stop ever on the Futures Tour. Great area, terrific people, and Leawood South CC is a hidden treasure. It is the kind of course that you love at first sight and then love even more when you realize how much character it has. Every hole is different and challenging, but fair. Trees everywhere, small rolling hills, narrow fairways that narrow even more in the landing areas, greens are fairly fast (about an 11) and as smooth as fine woven carpet with reasonable undulation. I have not quite figured out how to play Leawood with a low score, but I sure did enjoy every single shot. 79, 74, 78 (69th)...believe it or not there were moments of brilliance in there somewhere. Thank you to my dedicated fans for watching. I love you guys!!!

This week is the LPGA event in Corning, NY. I busted my butt to get from Kansas City, MO to Corning, NY in time to Monday Qualify. With the weather forecast of rain and cold, I thought Id never make it by 1:00pm. Well, by the time I arrived at the club, I was in the tournament field. Yeah!!!!!!!! Good things are going to happen soon, so hang in there with me.

Miracles happen...Im writing a blog!!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:39:00 +0000

Hi Everyone:

Its been ages, 5 tournaments on the Futures and one LPGA event since my last blog. Better late than never!! If you have not been following, my best finish on the Futures thus far is 16th, Ive made every cut but one, and missed the cut in the LPGA event in Morelia, Mexico. I am making progress with my ball striking and also realized Ive been thinking way too much. I also had a major breakthrough in my putting. Ill fill you in on the details as I roll more putts in the hole.
Next tournament is US Open qualifying and Kansas City Futures event. It wont be long before I start winning again.

For my Narcoleptic fans. Ive been doing interviews here and there to help raise awareness to Narcolepsy. The more involved I am, the more I realize how important it is to get the word out about Narcolepsy. I am able to function very well despite this crazy, debilitating disorder. It has taken me years, many doctors, many medicines, many trials and tribulations to figure out how to deal with Narcolepsy. I hope to influence others with Narcolepsy to keep searching for ways to feel better and sleep better. Also, the world needs to be aware of what Narcolepsy really is in order to prevent a wrong diagnosis or even going undiagnosed.
Driving in between tournaments, I like to listen to talk shows on my Sirius Satellite radio. A very lost, sad women called in to the "Medical Intuitive" desperate to find an answer to her symptoms. She had been to many doctors and they could not find anything wrong. This was her last hope, a psychic on radio, Mel Robbins. One of her troubling symptoms was sudden muscular paralysis, fall limp to the floor, but she could hear and know what was going on around her, but just could not move. As most of us in the Narcolepsy world know, this is cataplexy. I called in and eventually got on live. Hopefully this woman will find help to manage her life. Mel Robbins, the medical Intuitive was on the right track with the woman. Mel was talking about sleep and sleep study. Maybe there is something to that Psychic stuff...interesting.

Here is a recent article from the El Paso newspaper.
narcolepsy%2C%20Jeray.docx

Getting Ready!!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:13:00 +0000

Hello Hello!!

I'm getting ready for the year. My TOC (thoracic outlet syndrome) has subsided. Thanks to all those at Physio Therapy Associates. They really know what they are doing. Ive been practicing, and trying to find the right clubs for the year. I'm messing around with some Tour Edge stuff - pretty good. I may even put Nicklaus back in the bag. My putter - the Rife, is awesome, Love it!! First event on the Futures Tour will be March 10-16 in Lakeland, FL. I'm very excited about this year. Well, except for the part of traveling with out Jody. Ill miss him!! But as far as golf goes, I cant wait to get out there!! Come back to my site when the year starts. There will be some changes and hopefully more pictures. Bye Bye!!

Q-school, TOC, Duramed Futures Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:23:00 +0000

Its been 6 weeks since Ive had anything to say. Well, Ive probably had a lot to say but just didn't get around to it. So here it is

After the Narcolepsy Conference I did a lot of practicing in preparation for the LPGA Fall Classic (Q-school). This is the final qualifying for the LPGA tour. Apparently I practiced so much I developed TOS, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Nerve and blood vessels were compressed in my shoulder, collar bone area reducing blood flow, causing my arm and hand to fall asleep and sometimes feel weird pain. Caroline and John at Physiotherapy Associates (LPGA sponsor) knew exactly what my problem was, later confirmed by a Doc. One therapy session and I had a new arm. I received therapy the entire week at q-school, two times a day. Spoiled we are on the LPGA. Physiotherapy is always on site, and they are the best Physical Therapists.

I shot 74,71,74,74,75 at Q-school. Good enough to make the cut after four days. Not good enough to improve my LPGA status. I will be playing a full season on Duramed Futures Tour in 2008. Top 5 players get exempt status on the LPGA for the following year. I have my eye on one of those spots. Ill probably get in a few LPGA events on my status, but I will concentrate on the Futures Tour. I am really looking forward to 2008. Since Ill be one of the best players, the Futures Tour will be great for my confidence and that is probably just what I need.

Right now I am enjoying some time with my family in Chicago and continuing Physical Therapy. After Christmas, I will be playing in a tournament in Orlando. Winner gets to play in the Ginn Reunion tournament in March. Jody, my boyfriend, will be on the bag. We are really looking forward to that trip.

Narcolepsy Network Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:18:00 +0000

My favorite weekend of the year is during the Narcolepsy Network Conference. I get to spend the entire weekend with 200+ others who are just like me - sleepy, scattered, irritable, cataplectic... Its also great because it makes me realize how well I handle my Narcolepsy. I have come a long way over the years and I hope that my presence at the conference can inspire others.

My first NN Conference was in 1999 and I slept through the whole weekend with my eyes wide open. I remember being so embarrassed because I couldn't stay awake. I was always so worried people would see me dozing. My mom was at this conference and I asked her, "I keep falling asleep, can you tell?" She said "look around Nicole, everybody is sleeping". That is when I realized I was not the only one in the world who felt so sleepy and exhausted. This was also the conference where I first witnessed a cataplexy attack. Sure, I had been having them every day for years, but I had never actually seen someone else fall over from excitement. Wow!! Since this conference in 1999, I attend every year. I have also changed drugs many times and learned to pay attention to my body. Its been a long haul, but I feel GREAT and hardly ever have cataplexy.

So this past weekend I was in San Diego at the 2007 Narcolepsy Network Conference. Had a great time visiting with old Narcolepsy friends, learned about the latest research, and best of all...spent time with others like me. So educational, inspiring, and real. Narcolepsy is a daily battle that I am lucky have a grasp on it.

Yeah Alabama...Nay California

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 16:42:00 +0000

Alabama was good to me despite the fact that it was not a course conducive to my game. Trey Keepers (Jody's cousin) was able to caddy for me. This absolutely helped me because a good caddy is hard to find these days. We shot 73,71 to make the cut and then a few more shots on the weekend. Regardless, I was happy because I thought this course was very difficult for the shorter hitters. Long hitters blew it by all the trouble. So I am now on the 2007 LPGA money list. Not exactly a great accomplishment but its better than not making a dime.
After finishing on Sunday, Jody and I drove to Atlanta to fly to California. I had a pro-am to play in on Monday. This was a great day because I was coincidentally paired with another person who happened to have Narcolepsy. "WOW" is what came out of both of our mouths when we realized that we both have Narcolepsy. Very cool!!!!
Tuesday, I attempted to qualify for the LPGA in Danville, CA. I think I was wore out from the 5 days before. A different person showed up to play. Thats golf. I am enjoying my time in California with a terrific family.

Arkansas/NO Arkansas

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:05:00 +0000

What a crazy week this was. I played in the Monday qualifier and was paired with Sophia Sheridan, the "Queen of Qualifiers". I believe she has Monday qualified into 7 events this year. Wow!!! We both played good, 15 birdies between the two of us. Sophia made 8 birdies and I made 7. We definitely would have won any best ball contest. Sophia finished at 66 and I finished with 70. I thought that might be good enough, but once again someone in the last group, Louis Stahle, came in with a 69. The good news is that Louis was in front of me on the alternate list so that moves me to first alternate. Most of the time, first alternate will get in so I feel confident about playing. Monday goes by, Tuesday goes by, Wednesday goes by. First round is Friday, but everybody is here and has registered. Its not looking so good!!! Finally Thursday afternoon Mi Hyun Kim unexpectedly withdraws. Cool!!! I'm in and because I am taking a top players spot, I even get A pairings. I am paired with Laura Diaz (Solheim Cup player) and another top Korean player. Usually when I am paired with top players, my game rises for the occasion. This week, the opposite happened. I had trouble focusing. Could not find my game at all. 3 bogeys and a double, 77. Not a happy camper. But after a few hours of practice, I'm ready to take it low in the second round.

Rain, Rain, Rain ... no second round, no third round. Tournament cancelled. Can you believe it? The course was just too wet to play and the Solheim Cup players needed to get to Sweden. It didn't rain a drop on Sunday, but the decision was made. No tournament.

I have been playing so much better the last 3 months so these past two weeks have been disappointing. But that is golf. A few days rest and some playtime with my Niece and Nephew will cure any slice. I will also get a chance to see my golf coach and get my irons straightened out (they are 3 degrees flat - not good for someone who is 5'8" and has wedges that are standard lie). Next event is Alabama and I'm not in the field yet. Looks promising though. Ill practice like I am playing and whatever happens, happens.

Disappointing day in Springfield

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 14:25:00 +0000

Hi Everybody!!! Finally get into a LPGA event and I did not take advantage of the opportunity. Shot 72 the first round which was in the top fifty after the first day. Good Start. The second round, nothing went right. I was so worried about how firm the course I forgot to just play. Not to mention I did not make one putt, and my chipping was a bit suspect. The scores went even lower the second day and the cut was even par. Wow.

At least it was a good warm up for next week in Arkansas. It looks like Ill be in the field. In the meantime, I will work on my chips, try to get some feel back in my swing, and change putters. Also, Ill try to remember all the good shots I did hit, and remember the putts I did make.

Thank you to all my dedicated fans who came out to watch me play!!! I appreciate your support!!!! See you again soon!!

IN SPRINGFIELD

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 22:00:00 +0000

Great News!!! I am finally in an LPGA event. Tee-off on Thursday at 7:26 with my two good friends Natalie Tucker and Kelly Cap. What a pairing!!!!! Its also great to be playing close to home. Hopefully a friend or two may come to watch. I love the support. My Mom will be there for sure. New venue this year in Springfield, IL. I have to admit that I miss The Rail G.C. (where the tournament has been since 1979). The new course is very nice and the amenities are fantastic. Panther Creek is definitely a better choice for an LPGA event. I just have so much history at the Rail that I miss it. Either way, I am grateful to be playing in the event. Ive been playing great golf the last few months, let hope it continues. Fairways, greens, one putts.

Portland, OR

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 17:27:00 +0000

My trip to Portland was uneventful compared to last week. I was fully refreshed and ready to play in the qualifier. Shot 71 along with two other girls, so we had a playoff. Lisa Fernandez birdied the first playoff hole just after making a long curly putt on her 18th hole to tie Kelly Cap and me for the lowest rounds. Bummer!!! Kelly and I battled two more holes. I thought I had her when I hit my hybrid from the right rough under a tree to about 8 feet. She knocked her first putt 7 feet past the hole and made it coming back. Wow. I played way too much break on my 8 footer, tap in par. The next hole Kelly hit it to less than a foot, a kick in. She won. So very disappointing. I am playing good golf and no tournaments to play in. Springfield is next week and I am currently 8th alternate. Keep your fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I agreed to fly to Palo Alto, CA to speak to the sales reps at Jazz Pharmaceuticals about Narcolepsy. The reps need to know what it is like to have Narcolepsy so they can educate the doctors and get people diagnosed sooner and treated more effectively. Xyrem is one of Jazz's drugs, and I have been on Xyrem for almost a year now. I am sleeping better at night now, so I feel much better during the day. Almost no cataplexy and naps are much less common. My scoring average is also the best it has ever been. There is hope for me yet. Keep following me for greater things to come.

Crazy life of a golf pro!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 16:48:00 +0000

After finishing 6th in Morgantown, WV on Sunday at the Futures Tour Event, I had to hightail it Columbus, OH airport to fly to Edmonton, Canada in order to play in the monday qualifier for the CN Canadian LPGA event. Thank goodness Jody was traveling with me these few weeks because I could have never drove after playing 18 holes (i get a bit sleepy). I finished playing, signed my scorecard, packed my clubs, and off we went. Our plane was at 7:15pm and we had about a two and half hour drive. Needless to say, we were probably going to miss this flight unless it was delayed. I called the airlines and orbitz several times to see our options. There was nothing they could do except sell us new tickets. They all kept telling me we were S.O.L. unless we made the flight. In fact, we would have had to buy new tickets not only for this flight, but our other flights after as well. In the airline world, if you miss one flight they cancel the rest. Crazy. Jody and I were panicing!!! We were thinking we may miss Canada and Portland. Who was going to caddy for Kim Hall (Jody's player), all that money wasted on airfares and now we were not flying anywhere. Not to mention the hotel and rental cars that we pre-paid for. Yikes, what a mess!!

So we finally get to Columbus airport at 7:30pm, Jody parks the car and I go to the ticketing. Empty, not a sole to be found at the Northwest ticket counter. I convinced a TSA security guy to find someone in the back. Great, a Northwest agent. He said "did you get caught in traffic?" I rattled off my wonderful sob story and said, I realized Ill miss my qualifying tournament in the morning, but we still have to get there for Jody to caddy and for the rest of our trip to Portland and Springfield. The agent says, hows 4 a.m. arrival sound? I started jumping up and down, I was so excited. "Fantastic!!!" I could have kissed him, but Jody was just walking through the door so I kissed him instead. The agent scheduled us on another airline, U.S. air, leaving in 30 minutes and rebooked our original itinerary. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!! Jody got our bags and reparked the car in long term parking. We go through security, and of course we had to be screen for additional security. We ran to the gate and just before they gave our seats to stand bys, we showed up. They closed the door behind us. We made it!!! No way would our bags make it, but we did not care. Our bags were the least of our worries.

After a few hour lay over in Las vegas we finally arrive in Edmonton at 4a.m. Would you believe our bags all made it!!! Miracle!! We take a shuttle to our hotel and check in at 5:15 a.m. The alarm went off at 6:15 a.m. to start our day. I picked up the rental car at the airport and then dropped Jody off to caddy to his player in the 8 a.m. pro-am. I drove to the Petroleum Club to play in the Monday qualifier. 61 people for 4 spots. Ive never seen the course, and Ive only slept a few hours here and there. But I had two things goin for me. A great caddy, Sam, who walked the course the day before, and I have been playing good golf. We shot 74 and finished 7th. 72 qualified. Oh well. It was a small miracle that we even made it to canada, let alone have a opportunity to qualify.

Jody is now tied for 3rd place going into the third round. His player Kim Hall is really playing consistant. Thankfully, Jody was able to be here for all the action. Wish them luck this weekend and watch on the golf channell. Ill be practicing and getting ready for my Tuesday qualifier in Portland, OR.

ABC7 Chicago News Story

noreply@blogger.com (Nicole) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 22:03:00 +0000

Last week ABC7 Chicago aired a piece on me and Narcolepsy. Karen Meyer, who happens to be deaf, does stories on people with disabilities. I was honored she asked me to do a story with her. To see the story go to my home page and click on LINKS. There you will find a link to the interview. Or try copy and pasting this link to your browser. http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=community&id=5491563