Matt Ortega: 7th, 2005 Men’s POY Standings
Berkshire County golfers deserve a quality news outlet such as this. I was honored when I was approached by Dom to reflect on my 2005 golf season and to talk about my goals for 2006. I now know I have made the big time. In setting my goals for 2006, its hard not looking at my achievements of 2005. I had two solid golf tournaments that propelled me to a top 10 finish in the Berkshire County Player of the Year standings.
The Singles at BHCC was an exciting and gut wrenching learning experience I’ll never forget. Although Ed Budz outplayed me the final round, leading for the first 45 holes of the golf tournament showed me that all the hard work I put into my golf game had paid off. In addition, I knew that I was capable of playing with the big boys.
The Wyantenuck Singles was a different experience. Even though I had a high finish, I was fortunate to complete the round. I played the entire 18 holes with back spasms but I knew my position in the Berkshire POY standings and wanted to garner some more points. This tournament was towards the end of a long golf season and my body was starting to break down. I knew then that I needed to start getting in better shape for the long haul.
With my best year behind me, I look forward to the 2006 season and improving on my seventh place standing. I have worked hard this past off-season on conditioning through stretching, weight training and a few less pounds on my body.
As for golf, I swung a weighted club throughout the winter. However, what I really need is to play some golf and hit the range.
As for my golf schedule, I anticipate qualifying for MGA events, maybe a few USGA events, but definitely those on the Berkshire POY schedule. Also, I will team up with my brother, Mike, for the majority of the two-ball events in the county. Although I look forward to competitive golf, I still enjoy the casual rounds and laughter with friends. It’s what makes golf such a wonderful game.
I hope to see everyone on the links this summer. Cheers!