Won my 1st Major Yesterday :-)

[ManchesterGolfer]

Some easy reading for a Sunday morning!!!

Yesterday I teed it up with no expectations of winning. I've been struggling with my game for a week or so but when I arrived on the 1st Tee & playing from the Plates I just switched on and the game slotted into place.

The conditions were very tough the ground is still very wet and there is pretty much no roll at all & that coupled with a very strong blustery wind which was very cold meant the course played every inch of it's 6500 yards. The direction the wind was coming in from meant it only helped on a handful of holes and In the main it was cross winds. I've started riding the wind rather than trying to fight it which paid off The only dry part of the course are the greens and they are playing very fast a few times I had to hover the putter fearing that the ball may move if I grounded the putter.

It was lift clean and place on fairways (within 6") and I made the most of this as I only missed one fairway with the Cobra/Diamana Blueboard X83 combo which was the star of the show. Going out I started with 2 Pars and then Bogied the 3rd which was playing very long into the wind. 1 over through 3 I was pleased with. The 4th is a par 5 and the wind was from the right and helping a little so it was a good birdie opertunity. I hit a great drive and Baffler to 20 yards or so of the green in 2 and pitched to 4 foot to set up a birdie chance. I pulled the putt and ended with a par. Next hole was a simlar story leaving myself below the hole with a straight up hill putt of around 8ft. Again pulled it and ended with a par 4. the next hole was straight into the wind and I missed a 10 footer for par and made a bogey 5. I was two over gross at this point and rooing my missed putts. I made great Pars on 7 & 8 and hit my best tee shot of the front 9 on the par 3 9th. Was into a strong wind from left to right. Hole is 189 to middle of the green and the pin was right at the back left. I hit my Baffler 3/R and set it off way left of the green with a little cut over the bunker, it carried perfectly and pitched pin high and finished about 10 foot away. At this point I was only 2 over gross and thinking of getting back to one. I raced my birdie putt up the slope and it missed the right lip by an inch and went 2 foot past & yes you guessed it I missed the tiddler back down and ended with a 4. Out in 39 and should have been a lot better.

I started the back 9 with a double Bogey 6 on 10 with another 3 putt. Walking away from the green I had words with my putter and threatened to melt it down and bury it up on the moors I told it nobody would miss you!!! Par 3 11th I hit a great looking 7 iron right at the flag but I had miss clubed and the ball only made the front of the green about 45ft short of the pin. I was thinking for fook sake just what I need after two 3 putts on the bounce. Anyway I stride onto the green pick my line and just try to concentrate on distance, what do you know the ball bounces & bobbles it's way up to the cup and topples in dead weight, I start laughing my bollocks off and think I'll threaten everyclub in the bag!!! I made a great birdie 3 on the 12th & feel really proud of bouncing back from the Double on ten. The 13th is playing straight into the wind. Very narrow fairway which slopes from left to right. I crushed the Cobra best drive of the day about 230 carry middle of the fairway. The ball was plugged so I lift clean and place, the ball wouldn't stay perfectly still, I gave it a minute or two for the wind to die down but it didn't so I had to play my shot. I hover the baffler because if I grounded it the ball would have moved. This is not a shot I practice and it showed. Massive slice deep into the trees!!! I'm thinking the wheels have fallen off and go to search for my ball. We find it and it's unplayable and the best option is to go back to where I'd just played from. This time I took my 4 iron and pulled it into the trees on the left! FFS! I had a shot to the green but it was through so twigs of a tree so had to hit it hard to make sure it got out. It pitched on the front and ran across the green and finished on a slope on the fringe. I lagged a great putt to about 3 foot and holed that for a 7.

At this point I thought to myself ok you've played well and your still only 6 over so you have a shot left. I went par, birdie (which was 12" short of chipping in for eagle), Par, Birdie Par finish so came home in 1 over 36 which was great considering I had had a Double and Treble bogey!!!

This is the 1st Major of the season and I now have my name up on a Board at the club for all to see!!! As it was lift clean and place my handicap will only be adjusted by genral play. I had a word with the handicap secutary and told him that my cap needs looking at as I pissed it out there in the wind with Double and Treble bogey, plus I won the last comp of last season from the plates. Hopefully I will be down to 5 now and a Cat 1 player, another goal of mine achieved at this early stage of the season............AND WHO SAID YOU CAN'T BUY A GAME!!!!

[Eracer]

Outstanding report. Well played!

[footballking732]

Nice work there MG!!!

[usa1950]

As usual, I just looked at the avatar and did not read a thing he posted. Can someone else post what happened WITHOUT that young lady basckside interfering? If not, I have no idea what the others are congratulating you for.....

[ManchesterGolfer]

Originally Posted by usa1950

As usual, I just looked at the avatar and did not read a thing he posted. Can someone else post what happened WITHOUT that young lady basckside interfering? If not, I have no idea what the others are congratulating you for.....

LOL .

[Irish]

on that note...any chance of getting her to pose with an FTi that I could use for my avatar...or perhaps her sister if she's not available

[Adam Pettman]

Congrats Paul, any chance you'll stick with your current clubs because you know they are winners?

[5iron]

Great report there like Eracer kinda said, and great job on the golf course !

[ManchesterGolfer]

Originally Posted by Adam Pettman

Congrats Paul, any chance you'll stick with your current clubs because you know they are winners?

There's a chance!!! I think I've got the best set of clubs and back ups that I've ever assembled. I still want a Scotty Cameron ProPlatinum Bullseye which is turning out to be as hard as Rocking Horse shit to find! The L4V is still awesome and with the X Flex Blueboard it's a fairway finding missile launcher! I've even got a 'Spare' Driver to send on to you to try if you want? Send me your address again and I'll send it you this week.

[SiberianDVM]

Originally Posted by usa1950

As usual, I just looked at the avatar and did not read a thing he posted. Can someone else post what happened WITHOUT that young lady basckside interfering? If not, I have no idea what the others are congratulating you for.....

MG got it "in the hole".

And a very nice hole it is, I'm sure.