Almost blew it today.

[SiberianDVM]

Man, it was hot: 97°F and 65% humidity.

I was hitting some good shots, but the heat was starting to get to me on the back 9. Luckily it got to everyone else, too.

I wasn't adding the scores as we played, but I knew it was close between Tony and me.

We standing on the tee of the 17th, a long uphill par 5. Tony, a 41 year-old 6'5" long hitter, who has been outdriving me by 50 yards all day, drills his tee shot down the middle. I pull mine into a fairway bunker and have to hit a 7 iron out. The ball goes in the right rough.

I have a 140 yard, severely uphill shot from deep bermuda rough. I hit a 7 iron and the ball flys over the green. No one is on the other side to see where it went. We can't find ii in the alloted 5 minutes.

Tony is on the green in regulation and makes par. I am forced to take a triple bogey 8 with the lost ball penalty.

We tee off on our last hole, a short par 3 over a pond. Then another player finds my ball from the 17th hole, laying in plain sight 30 yards over the green. We couldn't see it because it was laying on a patch of white sand, down in a shallow hole. Too late!!

Tony thins his tee shot over the green, pitches back and 2 putts.

I hit the green with a 8 iron, but have a 33 foot downhill slider. I 3 putt.

We add up the scores.......me = 90, Tony = 91.

Whew! I win C flight for the 3rd time in a row, each time by 1 stroke.

I must have missed 10 makable putts today. I have got to learn how to putt. Maybe I need to go back to the belly putter.

[mddubya]

WTG Doc, sounds like you'll be going to Hilton Head for the Championship.

[JEFF4i]

You need to chill out!

Spend more time on the putting green than anywhere else.

[Wi-Golfer]

Congrats on the win, take them anyway you can. Tiger won the Open by a single stroke too.

[SiberianDVM]

I know I need to practice putting more, but I putt pretty decent in practice. It's in the tourneys where I suck.

[warbirdlover]

Hey, you won Doc. Good job! Enjoy it and worry about the putting later.