> EXTRA! CLICK HERE FOR INSIGHT ON HOW TO PLAY EACH OF THE COURSES IN THE LONG BEACH GOLF FESTIVAL ROTATION
TOURNAMENT PREPARATION
money game with your bud-
dies can definitely help you
get the feel of that pressure. If
you're playing stroke play,
then make it $1 a shot, or $5 a
shot, whatever makes you a
little nervous, because that's
what you'll feel in your tour-
nament, and you don't want
that feeling to be totally for-
eign to you."
The days before
Dial in your short game, be-
cause as every golfer knows,
this is where you'll save the
most strokes.
"Especially in an event like
the Long Beach Open, being
successful is so much about the
short game inside of 100
yards," said Montgomery,
adding that the three courses
used in the Long Beach Golf
Festival events aren't particu-
larly long but feature thought-
provoking green complexes
that not only challenge you on
the putting surface, but also
put a premium on accuracy
with your approach shots.
"You're going to have a lot of
wedge shots into those greens,
and you want to make sure
you're putting yourself in good
positions."
Tournament day
The big day is finally here.
Whether it's a one-day event or
multiple days, there are a few
things you can do to put your-
self in position to succeed. Per-
haps the most important one is
arriving to the course with
plenty of time for a relaxed
warm-up session.
Montgomery advises that
you hit a few shots with every
club in the bag, reminding
yourself that this is a time to
prepare for your round – not to
practice.
Once you arrive at the first
tee, think about all your op-
tions on each shot and focus
your mind on what you want
to do with each swing.
He also emphasizes that the
physical side of your golf game
can't and won't change for a
tournament, but controlling the
mental side of things will make
a big difference.
"Don't think too much about
the outcome of each shot and
your scorecard – focus more on
the process," Montgomery
said. "Everyone has their own
swing thoughts. Just stick to
your routine, no matter what
level of golfer you are. At this
point, it doesn't make sense to
try anything new.
"And no matter what, focus
on having fun. Whether you're
playing golf for a living or
you're out there just to get
away from your job, you
should be having fun. If it's
not fun, you shouldn't be
doing it."
THE COURSES
›› CLICK HERE to visit El
Dorado Park Golf Course.
›› CLICK HERE to visit
Recreation Park Golf Course.
››
CLICK
HERE
to
visit
Skylinks
Golf
Course.
Montgomery
advises
dialing
in
your
short
game
as
tournament
day
nears.
