| Glory Story
Been lurking here quite a bit, and learning a lot from all of you, but haven't really had anything to post, until now. Thought I'd share this with you guys, because I know you'll appreciate how I felt.
I've only been playing two years, don't have an official handicap, but I shoot in the mid to upper 80's on average. I have gotten good enough that a round much above 90 is a disappointment.
I was playing in a scramble event, a publicity stop for the University of Kentucky athletic programs. They put you in foursomes, then match you with a coach or player, and it's a five-man scramble. I routinely cover these events as part of my work in radio, and OK, I'm a Louisville fan, but...I had to be there anyway, to get some interviews for work, soooo...I wheedled a spot. why turn down free golf?
On one hole, hometown boy Russ Cochran was there, hitting shots for your group. He's been a winner on the PGA Tour, a U.K. alum, and still popular with the home folks. And here my tale begins...
Naturally, our team decided to use Cochran's tee shot and we had 220 to the center, to a green that was to the left of the fairway, with two tall trees fronting the left side of the green, the right front has water. the pin was behind the trees, so you had to clear the water in the front, draw it around the trees at the same time, to get to the pin, from 220 yards. If I'd been by myself on this par 5, instead of trying to get on in 2, I would most certainly have laid up in front of the water, to get an easy wedge with a better angle that way, and would have been happy.
However, the evil little man in my brain (you know, the one that screams "hit it!!") said, "you're not gonna lay up in front of a PGA Tour winner, are you? aren't you gonna go for it? c'mon, don't be a pansy!".
So, after watching my partners spray balls into the woods on each side, and dunk one in the water, there was no way I was gonna lay up. After all, how many chances do you get to pull out all the stops in front of a guy who's won on the tour? Let's face it, neither me or the evil little man in my brain wanted to hear Cochran say, "nice layup. smart play".
Right. nice layup. now, i'll go kiss my sister, and sit at the kids table on thanksgiving. woohoo. Nolan Ryan ain’t gonna be impressed if I hit his changeup, but if I can hit the heater, Ryan would be impressed.
As I pulled the club, the voices began…
My pro: “move the triangle…hogan’s plane…”
Dr. Bob Rotella: “focus on the process”
Roy McAvoy: “little gust of wind there, Romes”
Rocco Mediate: “if you don’t stay connected, you’re all over the place”
Harvey Penick: “take dead aim”
Myself: “last 3 wood off the deck, you topped it so bad you practically buried the ball where it lay”
I told ‘em all to shut the heck up except Harvey, got my line, went through my routine, took dead aim, and gave it a whack.
Mr. Nike soared into the clear blue yonder, tracking nicely on the line I’d picked. He sneered at the pond as he sailed over, then began a graceful draw just around the trees and homed in on the flag. One hop, two, then he started rolling…cruising to a stop just at the back of the green. Yes, it would be a downhill putt, some 30-35 feet, but for me, from that distance and angle, it was the shot of a lifetime. I’m holding the pose, man…basking in the feeling, and from behind me, that soft drawl, “that was real pretty, Greg! Real pretty!”
Yes!! Not only did I hit a great shot (for me) I had witnesses, one of ‘em a PGA Tour winner!
Cochran asked me if that shot was gonna get talked about on my show…”only every day for the next two weeks!”
Yeeha!!!!  |
05-17-2007, 12:28 PM
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