Free Golf In A Parallel Universe by Jimmy Bloodworth Page B

with both of his hands by my front collar. He pulled me up to his face and looked at me in the eyes. “Pull yourself together!” You are swinging like an Idiot! What are you doing? Your back swing is going so far back you are almost hitting your left shoulder with the shaft. You are not swinging like a pro, you are just whacking at the ball like a weekend golfer. Get your shit together now!," he said intently. Then pushed me back. I was stunned. But I understood. I know that he is right. This is ridiculous. But I really feel that there is no hope. We get on the fourth tee box and the other two players hit. I tee the ball up and feel the same. I am still freaking out. That voice is in my head scared to death. I feel there is no way I can hit this ball. I take a practice swing and can barely swing. I am ready to quit now. I am thinking that maybe I can just fake a heart attack and get out of this mess. I take a deep breath and take another practice swing and then I hear a voice or a pair of voices simultaneously in my head. “Keep it Parallel Jim, Keep it Parallel." I step back take another practice swing and hear it again. Keep it Parallel Jim, Keep it Parallel. I recognize this sounds like Jerry Churchill , because he is the only one who ever told me this. He told me this at the Masters Post Party and Tuesday at the driving range. But I feel like I have heard it many times before, and why does it sound like someone else is saying it also with him at the same time. But then I notice I am relaxed. I make one more practice swing. I notice that my backswing is shorter now. I feel like I got my swing back. “I just need to keep my backswing parallel and swing smooth," I tell myself. I step up and address the ball. I hear it one more time, “Keep it Parallel Jim, Keep it Parallel." I swing and hit a perfect drive right down the middle. God that felt Good! That little happy voice perks up again. “Wow good shot," that little voice rang out in my head. My caddie Zack looks with a relieved look on his face. My second shot feels good and hit the ball on the green about ten feet to the hole. As we walk up to the green I feel so calm and relaxed and I make my birdie putt.
    As the round continues I feel more confident and more like my normal self. I start to get my enthusiasm back and I am having fun again. That little voice in my head is cheering me on again. I still do not understand where that is coming from, but I am back on the right track again. I end up making 2 more birdies and the rest pars. So I shoot four over 76. Not bad considering the way I started. After the round, Zack is confused. He wants to ask me what that was all about the first few holes but he does not say anything. He probably thinks, I was freaking after playing my first round after winning the Masters. “Let's get out of here, go to the hotel and rest. Let’s get back here tomorrow, see if we can put together a good round and make the cut tomorrow," he told me.
    “Sounds good to me," I replied. He is right. We need to get out of here, it has been a crazy day. I feel in control now and I am confident I am back to normal. However I am Pissed. I am not sure what happened today. I think I am loosing my Mind. After we validate our score cards we are walking to the clubhouse. I look over and I seen Jerry Churchill looking at me. He looks concerned. I give him the Evil Eye. I am not sure what is going on here. But it seems in some strange way he knows something. He seems to know what is going on with me. I am not happy about it. Finally I get back to the hotel and think about what happened today. I ask myself questions. “Why did I start out like that?” “Why did I feel like a different person swinging the golf club for the first three holes?” “ And where the hell did Jerry Churchill 's voice come from and why did that change things for me?” “And why did it sound like two voices talking simultaneously?” This is so confusing to me. Either this is