Podolak blog: At least I'll have a good parking spot

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Editor's note: Mike Podolak received a sponsor's exemption to play in the Allianz Championship and has written a blog about the experience.

After weeks of anticipation, I'm finally in Boca Raton and ready to tee it up at the Allianz Championship. Even though I haven't played in nearly six weeks, I know that I'll give it my best effort this weekend, which is all I can ask of myself.

Between practice rounds and pro-ams, I'll get to play the course 4-5 times, which should give me a good idea of what to expect on Friday. I've already noticed that the greens seem to be playing 2-3 times faster than when I played here in December, so the difficulty factor is definitely higher.

Although it's tempting to lump myself in with these guys for the next few days, I certainly won't measure myself against these great players. They're the best in the world and play every day. To have a great tournament, I just have to stick to my game and have confidence in what got me here.

I have to admit, though, I seem to have a "reality check" moment every day that makes me feel like the whole experience is a dream.

For example, on Monday when I pulled into the parking lot at the course, I noticed that each player had their own spot.

I scanned the names and quickly noticed all of the greats that I've watched for years. Nick Price...Ben Crenshaw...Corey Pavin...Mark O'Meara...

Mike Podolak?

Talk about surreal. I'm just glad that they spelled my name correctly. Honestly, everything is so professional and well-organized that this whole experience has exceeded my wildest expectations -- and it's barely started!

So even if things don't go well during the actual tournament, I've already made memories that will last a lifetime. Besides, at the very least I'll have a great parking spot.