The 14-day post ended with: "This is more possible than it looked seven days ago."
Seven days later, it's more possible still — and the reason is the same. Things got done.
Between the 14-day post and this one, two things happened. The 9-hole practice round that the 14-day post prescribed — it happened. Testing the Fix: 9 Holes in the Wild documented the plane mate drill meeting the golf course. Some errant shots. But the shape is visible.
And the Henry Cup is tomorrow — October 2-3, Member-Member with Jackson at Patterson. Two rounds. Net format. The last competitive golf before Streamsong.
The countdown started at 42 days. Then 28. Then 21. Then 14. Each post narrowed the list. The final week has the shortest list yet.
What the 14-Day Post Said
Fourteen days out, the checklist had five items remaining: two range sessions (one for driver release, one for the plane mate drill), one putting session with controlled consequences, one practice round for feel, and one Dave lesson. The lesson was already done. The competitive reps from the Patterson Invitational were already done.
The 14-day post identified the approach as no longer purely the constant — it has a swing, and the Sept 21 lesson explained why. The putter was no longer purely the project — it showed it can wake up. The framework was validated. The remaining work was about frequency, not discovery.
What the 9-Hole Test Changed
9 Holes: Plane Mate Drill Meets the Course
Three days after Dave Theise identified the steep downswing path, 9 holes to test the fix in the wild. The full account is already posted. The summary: some errant shots — expected, because swing changes get worse before they get better. But the shape is visible. A shot comes off the center of the face with the new path. The flight is different. The ball does what it's supposed to do.
This is the practice round the 14-day post prescribed. It happened. It produced exactly what a first test should: evidence that the new path works on real turf, and evidence that it's not the default yet.
The 9-hole test doesn't change the Streamsong framework — it confirms it. The approach needs the plane mate drill to keep the downswing path from getting steep under pressure. The drill was rehearsed on the range. Then it was tested on the course. The range version was clean. The course version was messier — which is exactly the progression. The next step is making the new path repeatable.
The Henry Cup: Final Competitive Reps
Henry Cup — Member-Member with Jackson
The last competitive golf before Streamsong. Member-Member with Jackson. Net winner format. Two rounds in two days — the same cadence as the Patterson Invitational, which produced the best competitive rounds of the season (75-75).
The Henry Cup isn't Streamsong prep — it's a club event. But it's competitive reps, and competitive reps are the thing that closed the gap between August 20 (81, putting crisis) and September 17-18 (75-75, putter woke up). The Invitational didn't show up in the practice tracker. The Henry Cup won't either. But both are real tests under pressure, and that's what the 14-day post identified as the thing that matters most.
The Updated Checklist
Here's the 14-day checklist with seven days remaining:
| Item | 14-Day Status | 7-Day Status |
|---|---|---|
| Dave lesson | Done (Sept 21) | Done |
| Competitive rounds | Done (Invitational) | Done + Henry Cup this weekend |
| Practice round | Needed | Done (9 holes, Sept 29) |
| Range sessions (driver + plane mate) | 2 needed | Still needed — 2 sessions |
| Putting session (controlled consequences) | Needed | Still needed — 1 session |
Three of five items are done. The Henry Cup adds two more competitive rounds this weekend — not on the checklist, but more valuable than any single range session. Two range sessions and one putting session remain. Seven days to fit them in.
The Final Week Plan
Seven days. Here's what they look like:
- Oct 2-3 — Henry Cup. Two rounds. Member-Member with Jackson. Net format. The last competitive reps. Not practice — competition. The plane mate drill gets its first test under tournament pressure.
- Oct 4-5 — Range sessions. Two sessions. One for the driver release feel, one for the plane mate drill on the approach path. The 9-hole test showed the shape. The range sessions are about frequency — making the new path the default, not the override.
- Oct 6 — Putting session. Controlled consequences. Not to see if the putter can wake up (the Invitational proved it can). To build consistency. The 3-footers in a row. The re-stroke on short ones. The touch is there. The reps under controlled pressure are the last piece.
- Oct 7 — Travel. Drive to Bowling Green. Check in. Walk the property if there's daylight left. Feel the sand underfoot.
- Oct 8 — Streamsong. Red, Blue, Black. 54 holes. Three architects. One mine.
The 14-day post had three items done and five remaining. The 7-day post has three items done, three remaining, and two Henry Cup rounds incoming. The practice round is checked off. The list is shorter. The runway is shorter. But the trajectory is the same: things are getting done.
The Matchup Hasn't Changed. The Confidence Has.
The course-by-course breakdown from the 28-day post is still the framework. Red matches with the approach. Blue matches with the driver. Black matches with the putter. That hasn't changed in three weeks.
What's changed is the confidence level on each:
| Course | Architect | Tests | Confidence (7 Days Out) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streamsong Red | Coore & Crenshaw | Approach + large greens | Moderate — the 9-hole test showed the new path works but isn't default yet. The large greens give margin. The plane mate drill needs two more range sessions. |
| Streamsong Blue | Tom Doak | Driver + ground game | Highest — driver was 69% fairways in Invitational Round 2. The release feel from the Aug 17 lesson showed up under pressure. The Blue's wide fairways are the most forgiving canvas. |
| Streamsong Black | Gil Hanse | Putter + contoured greens | Moderate — the putter proved it can wake up (31 putts, +0.9 SG). But it's still the most variable part of the game. The Black's bold contours are the toughest test. One putting session won't make it consistent. But the floor is higher than it was at 42 days. |
The Blue remains the most confident matchup. The driver is in play, the release feel is validated, and Doak's wide fairways give room for the shot. The Red is moderate — the approach can be elite, but the 9-hole test showed the path isn't automatic. The Black is the same question it's been since 42 days: can the putter show up on greens it's never seen?
The Honest Version
Forty-two days ago, this was a countdown with a plan and no evidence the plan would be executed. Twenty-eight days ago, the plan hadn't been touched. Twenty-one days ago, the practice tracker was empty and the gap between knowing and doing was the only gap that mattered.
Fourteen days ago, the Invitational and the lesson broke the gap. The putter woke up. The approach showed its swing. The lesson explained the swing.
Seven days ago, the 9-hole test took the lesson onto the course. The shape is visible. The new path works — not every shot, not yet. But the shots that work are different. The flight is different. The ball does what it's supposed to do.
The final week is the simplest one yet. Two range sessions — one for the driver, one for the approach. One putting session — for consistency, not discovery. The Henry Cup — two competitive rounds, the last test under pressure. Then the drive to Bowling Green.
The countdown started at 42 days with a question: can the approach stay elite, can the putter wake up, and can the driver find fairways? Seven days out, the answer is: the approach can be elite when the path is right, the putter can wake up under pressure, and the driver can find fairways. The remaining question is frequency — how often does each one show up?
Seven days. Two range sessions. One putting session. Two Henry Cup rounds. Then Red, Blue, Black.
The countdown is almost over. The work is almost done. The trip is almost here.