Soule Just One Stroke Behind In Colorado Open

(above) DU alum Charlie Soule is tied for 2nd place in the Colorado Open

Colorado Open Live Leaderboard

From: Denver Post
by Lindsey McKissick

There are only so many clubs a golfer can keep in his bag, but Charlie Soule has a tool most can't buy.

Soule earned a graduate degree in performance psychology at the University of Denver, where he also claimed a share of the school's individual wins record. That education provides him with an insight to most golfers' biggest nemesis — their own mind.

"I love playing golf like this, but it comes and goes," Soule said. "I know all the good things that should happen when you take the stress out of it. You can just go out and perform, as opposed to worrying about every little shot."

The Denver-based golfer fell from the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the 2011 Health-ONE Colorado Open, finishing second behind Clay Ogden of Farmington, Utah, who leads at 8-under.

Soule carded a 1-under 70 after he posted a 6-under 65 in Friday's first round. He is tied for second with James Drew of Las Vegas and Nicholas Mason, also of Denver.

"I had it going, but I just couldn't get the putts to fall," Soule said. "I hit a lot of great shots, but the 15-footers just didn't want to fall. When they do, you go out and shoot great scores like a 65, and when they don't, you shoot a 70."

Soule took his lessons of managing stress and sharpening focus from DU and has directly applied them to each round he plays.

"It is about where my focus is and how I'm feeling that day," Soule said. "When the focus is great, you perform really well. Today the focus was not quite what it was yesterday. It is about the focus staying on each shot."

The hills and valleys of golf have been ever-present for Soule since he began testing his game competitively. After failing to make his Longmont High School or University of Denver golf teams the first time around, perseverance prevailed.

Now Soule is charging up his toughest challenge . . . finding his way onto the PGA tour.

Soule's four attempts at the PGA's Q-School (Qualifying School) have yielded advancement to the second of three stages needed to be admitted to the PGA tour.

"With high school and college, a lot of hard work will get you to a certain level," Soule said. "On this one (PGA), there is just as much hard work and talent involved. There are also how many thousands of guys who are trying to do the same thing."