ASBELL GOLF PERFORMANCE 

Unfinished Business....FINISHED! 

On August 26th and 27th, 2019, I competed in the Indiana PGA Professional Championship at Prairie View Golf Course in Carmel, Indiana. This is one of the biggest events for our Indiana Section PGA Professionals. The top 5 will qualify for the next year's PGA Professional National Championship and begin their journey to try and make it to the PGA Championship. 
In 2018's section championship, I was tied for the lead with three holes remaining and finished so poorly, I lost the event AND missed qualifying for the National Championship. It was one of the lowest points in my playing career. However, it was also the one moment from which I learned the most. 

It is so important to always evaluate your game. Look at what went right and what went wrong. When you continuously do this, patterns start to emerge. You get a very good understanding of what your tendencies are, and how to adjust to them. For me, I learned things start moving fast in my mind and I miss key pieces of information to help make club and shot selection decisions. 

I took that learning experience, and used it as a focus for the 2019 Indiana PGA Championship. That year's event was a great opportunity for redemption and, more importantly, to prove to myself I can finish off an event and maintain some mental control down the stretch. 

After feeling so low after the previous year's loss, it makes the win that much higher. 

Asbell Catches Fire on Back 9 for Win 

On June 29th, 2020 I competed in the Indiana PGA Monticello Open at Tippecanoe Country Club, in Monticello, Indiana. This event is always a fun event to play in because the field is filled with high caliber Indiana players, and the golf course offers a lot of risk-reward holes. If you are driving the ball well, and hitting good wedges, you can really go low. 

To be honest I wasn't actually expecting what was about to happen on the back nine. After making the turn at even par, I felt like I had left four good birdie opportunities out on the front nine. I told myself to keep doing what I was doing, and trust that the birdies would come....and boy did they. In those final 9 holes I birdied holes 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, &17. I had honestly lost track of how many under I was, and thought I had to make a birdie on 18 to grab the lead. 

I can remember some of the best rounds I have played and I recall getting into a mental state of totally focusing on target and forgetting about technique. The thought process becomes simple. It is simply see ball, see target, hit ball at target. 

Asbell Wins Second Indiana PGA in 3 years!  

In August of 2021, our Indiana PGA Professional Championship was held at Elcona Country Club in Bristol, Indiana. This is one of our biggest and most important events of the year, as it carries a lot of player of the year points and a chance to qualify for the PGA Professional National Championship. 

I knew going into the event that there weren't going to be a lot of really low scores. Elcona is one of my favorite clubs we get to play. It has a great layout, but the greens are very tricky. This was going to be a war of attrition. 

My dad, Bob, had come up from Charleston to be on my bag for the 3 rounds, and I was really excited to see what we could do together. 

After the first day, and 36 holes later, I had a 2 shot lead over the field. If I could continue to play like I had been I thought it was going to be very difficult for anyone to beat me. 

The final round started slow, but after a few very good birdies but my playing partner, combined with some poor bogeys from myself, my lead had disappeared. I was Even for the tournament (+2 for the day) and tied heading into the 12th. I missed the green and had a difficult up and down to convert where I had my right foot in a bunker and my left knee was nearly resting on the ground. The ball was so far above my feet that my grip was half way down the shaft. I was able to hit an incredible chip up to about two feet and make my par. Before my chip my dad said to me, "Son, this is where I am going to stop being your caddy and just be your dad. You need to get your head out of your ass and play golf." 

He doesn't really know how much I needed that at that time I was thinking about all the times I have let a lead slip away, and stumbled down the stretch. This time I wanted it to be different. From that hole on I played 6 holes at 3-under par to win by 5 shots over the field.

It always feels great to win, but to be able to hug my dad after making the final putt makes the whole experience sweeter. 

Asbell Finishes Top 40 in National PGA Professional Championship!

In April of 2022, I competed in my 4th PGA Professional Championship held at the Omni Barton Creek Resort in Austin, Texas. This event is a showcase of the best PGA Professional players in the country. Every PGA section across the country sends their best players to compete. The field starts out at 312 players, then is cut to the top 90 and ties after round 2, and cut again to the top 70 and ties after the third round. The goal for everyone is to make it into the top 20. That gets you into the PGA Championship held in May.

 With my dad, Bob Asbell, on the bag we began our trek up and down the Austin hills. Our first hole didn't start out as we had planned. I had pushed my tee shot right and had to pitch the ball back into the fairway. On our third shot my dad accidentally shoots the yardage to a tree behind the flag, giving me a yardage 40 yards long. We start out making double! With some nerves and adrenaline I find myself 4 over through 6 holes. Leading into the week my focus was "momentum" and I knew I needed a shot that would swing the momentum back in the right direction. On my 7th hole, I had laid up on a par 5 to 60 yards, and ended hitting that shot to inside a foot, and almost making it. That was the swing I needed. I got myself back on track and played the last 12 holes at 4-under. This was a big confidence boost to get back to even for the tournament on a big stage. 

In Round 2 I drove the ball poorly which led to a minimal birdie opportunities and tough par saves, leading to a 2 over 73. Thankfully I made birdie on the 18th hole because as the final groups were completing their second round the cut line moved to +2. I was given new life and still had a shot of moving the leaderboard. 

My third round was the biggest highlight of the week. I got off to a confident and strong start, playing the first 9 holes 4 under. I was making a move up the leaderboard, a BIG MOVE. I cooled off on the back nine and ended up shooting 2-under on a very difficult day, but I moved up the leaderboard 59 spots. I was 1 shot outside of the Top-20 and my chance to play in a major. 

Our final round was difficult. The wind was swirling at 20 mph, nerves, and fighting mental and physical exhaustion. It was a tough day for everyone on the course with only 3 rounds under par. Unfortunately, I was not one of those rounds. My final round 76 left me at +5 for the tournament and in a tie for 39th position. 

The main thing I took from the week was the feeling of assurance that I can play with the best PGA Professionals in the country. On one of our biggest stages I was able to rise up and hit the shots I needed to hit. There were obviously some missteps, and I know what I need to improve moving forward, but I was there and had a chance. I can't wait to get back there again soon.