The winner beat me by 22, but 17 of those throws showed up between my second and third rounds. It was not some mystery in my game. I was exhausted, sore, and tight after playing two full rounds in the Texas sun the day before.
The scorecard
Round 1 · Sprinkle Valley
70 (+5) · 902-rated
Hole scores 1–18 · tap or hover a score for its hole number
A 902-rated opener placed the event inside the payout line after round one.
Round 2 · Roy G
63 (+1) · 908-rated
Hole scores 1–18 · tap or hover a score for its hole number
The best round of the weekend improved the rating to 908 and kept the cumulative score at +6.
Round 3 · Sprinkle Valley
80 (+15) · 819-rated
Hole scores 1–18 · tap or hover a score for its hole number
The final round added 15 strokes over par. The score rose 17 shots from round two and moved the finish to 15th. Once my body tightened up, everything that normally works together stopped working together.
What I take from it
The first two rounds show I could play around a 900 level that weekend. The 80 was not proof that I suddenly forgot how to play. It was the first tournament that taught me recovery is part of competing, especially when the schedule puts two rounds on the first day.
Next time I have that kind of weekend, I need to get home, take a hot bath, loosen everything back up, eat, hydrate, and treat the evening like preparation for the next round. I am almost 50. I can still compete in the Texas sun, but pretending my body will reset itself overnight is a good way to give away 17 throws.
I pulled the results and hole scores from the official PDGA event record. I do not remember every throw, so I am only claiming what the scorecard can back up.