Fairway_CY
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- Mar 25, 2008
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So, a little over a week-and-a-half ago... I played in the qualifier for the club championship at our county course. I posted a 91, which is a career best for me, and earned me the #4 seed in the C Flight (16+ Handicap).
With my #4 seed, I earned a bye in the first round. The second round began Sunday and matches need to be played before Saturday... so my opponent and I agreed to play this afternoon.
I have never played match play before, at least not straight match play. It's usually coupled inside a stroke play format... but, anyway... this was my first match, match.
Things began really well for me. I started off par - bogey - par en route to going 3 up very early. I doubled the 4th hole and he made a scrambling double to halve the hole (his tee shot hit the trees, kicked out... he put his 2nd in the trees... 3rd chipped out... 4th over the green... 5th on and a good putt for the 6). Another double on the 5th got him back to 2 down... but my par on the 6th gave me back the 3 hole cushion. Then, things got hairy.
I blew up on the 7th hole... taking an 8 on the toughest hole on the course (455 yard par 4) while my opponent bogeyed. We halved the 8th hole with bogey-bogey... but I blew an opportunity there. 9th hole he yanked his tee shot so badly it turned out great in the other fairway. My tee shot, meanwhile, found the right rough. I had about 208 to the front of the green and my 4 hybrid came up just short. He flew the green from his position, and then chipped on, leaving himself 35 feet. My pitch went 12 feet by... and I missed my par attempt, leaving me with 2 feet for bogey. He sank his 35 footer and we made the turn with me 1 up for the match.
Then I fell apart. 10th hole I conceded with him on the green putting for par while I took 4 strokes to attempt getting out of the bunker (I went from one to another on the first stroke and then I was flustered). 11th hole we both hit poor shots from the tee on a par 3... but he saved his par with another big putt, this time from 30 feet while I had 4 feet for my bogey. I went from 3 up after 6 holes to 1 down after 11 holes. It didn't get any better on the 12th... my tee shot put me in trouble and he scrambled to better me and take a 2 up lead.
I got one back on the 13th... although I didn't deserve it (great tee shot, decent 2nd shot, left my 3rd off the green, chipped on and 2 putted for bogey). Squared the match on 14 after a poor tee shot left me in the left rough with 183 to the pin... hit the 4 hybrid and left it 15 feet behind the pin then 2 putted for the par.
I gave him back the lead on 15 when my ball found the bunker and his just cleared it and landed on the green. His 2 putt par was better than my shot out of the bunker followed by 2 putts. I squared it again on 16 with another par (I thought we'd halve it, but his approach left him 80+ feet and he left his first putt 20 feet short and above the hole).
On the 17th, I figured it was over. I pulled my 3 wood into the trees... it kicked out, but so hard that it shot over the fairway and into the trees on the other side. My provisional found a similar death... and his poor tee shot kicked into the middle of the fairway... so I conceded and was 1 down with 1 to play.
The 18th is a very, very easy closing hole. 340 yards around a left-turning dogleg. The only trouble is left with a pond over there... the bunker on the right is out of reach if you play smart. He hit his driver and put the pressure on with a safe drive in the middle, leaving him about 120 to the hole. I decided to take an aggressive line and hit my 5 iron down the left side... and it landed perfectly, leaving me 110 to the pin. I watched him put his ball on the green, but it bounced over and off... so I knew the 110 would play more like 100. I hit my pitching wedge, but in taking a bit off... I pushed it into the greenside bunker. I played a good (lucky) shot from there... leaving me about 12 feet for par. He fluffed his chip (using a hybrid) and then stuck the next one to within 3 feet. It was almost a guarantee that he'd make it, so I KNEW my putt was huge. I had been leaving putts short all day and there was no way I was going to do that here. I drilled it, center cut... and we closed out 18 all square.
Back to number 1. He teed off first and again split the fairway. My 3 wood was a little left, but stayed in the fairway... leaving me 124 to the pin. He pushed his approach just a bit, but ended up pin-high 7 yards or so to the right of the green. My 9 iron never left the pin, but I came up 25 feet short. He chipped on, but left himself a tough 15 footer with a big right-to-left break down the hill. My birdie putt came up 4 feet short... and when he missed his par attempt, I drained mine to close out the match.
It was a helluva fun match and, to be honest, I'm proud of how I battled and stayed alive when things went sour. I hit only 4 of 15 fairways today... and only 5 of 19 greens... meanwhile, my opponent hit probably 9 of the 15 fairways... but very few greens.
I have to wait and see what happens in the match above me... but, I'll either face the #1 or #8 seed in the semi-finals. Either way, I need to start finding more fairways and I need to STOP leaving putts short. I'm happy to advance, but honestly, this match should have been over by 13... I just kept opening the door for him... he just wasn't able to shut it on me.
CY
With my #4 seed, I earned a bye in the first round. The second round began Sunday and matches need to be played before Saturday... so my opponent and I agreed to play this afternoon.
I have never played match play before, at least not straight match play. It's usually coupled inside a stroke play format... but, anyway... this was my first match, match.
Things began really well for me. I started off par - bogey - par en route to going 3 up very early. I doubled the 4th hole and he made a scrambling double to halve the hole (his tee shot hit the trees, kicked out... he put his 2nd in the trees... 3rd chipped out... 4th over the green... 5th on and a good putt for the 6). Another double on the 5th got him back to 2 down... but my par on the 6th gave me back the 3 hole cushion. Then, things got hairy.
I blew up on the 7th hole... taking an 8 on the toughest hole on the course (455 yard par 4) while my opponent bogeyed. We halved the 8th hole with bogey-bogey... but I blew an opportunity there. 9th hole he yanked his tee shot so badly it turned out great in the other fairway. My tee shot, meanwhile, found the right rough. I had about 208 to the front of the green and my 4 hybrid came up just short. He flew the green from his position, and then chipped on, leaving himself 35 feet. My pitch went 12 feet by... and I missed my par attempt, leaving me with 2 feet for bogey. He sank his 35 footer and we made the turn with me 1 up for the match.
Then I fell apart. 10th hole I conceded with him on the green putting for par while I took 4 strokes to attempt getting out of the bunker (I went from one to another on the first stroke and then I was flustered). 11th hole we both hit poor shots from the tee on a par 3... but he saved his par with another big putt, this time from 30 feet while I had 4 feet for my bogey. I went from 3 up after 6 holes to 1 down after 11 holes. It didn't get any better on the 12th... my tee shot put me in trouble and he scrambled to better me and take a 2 up lead.
I got one back on the 13th... although I didn't deserve it (great tee shot, decent 2nd shot, left my 3rd off the green, chipped on and 2 putted for bogey). Squared the match on 14 after a poor tee shot left me in the left rough with 183 to the pin... hit the 4 hybrid and left it 15 feet behind the pin then 2 putted for the par.
I gave him back the lead on 15 when my ball found the bunker and his just cleared it and landed on the green. His 2 putt par was better than my shot out of the bunker followed by 2 putts. I squared it again on 16 with another par (I thought we'd halve it, but his approach left him 80+ feet and he left his first putt 20 feet short and above the hole).
On the 17th, I figured it was over. I pulled my 3 wood into the trees... it kicked out, but so hard that it shot over the fairway and into the trees on the other side. My provisional found a similar death... and his poor tee shot kicked into the middle of the fairway... so I conceded and was 1 down with 1 to play.
The 18th is a very, very easy closing hole. 340 yards around a left-turning dogleg. The only trouble is left with a pond over there... the bunker on the right is out of reach if you play smart. He hit his driver and put the pressure on with a safe drive in the middle, leaving him about 120 to the hole. I decided to take an aggressive line and hit my 5 iron down the left side... and it landed perfectly, leaving me 110 to the pin. I watched him put his ball on the green, but it bounced over and off... so I knew the 110 would play more like 100. I hit my pitching wedge, but in taking a bit off... I pushed it into the greenside bunker. I played a good (lucky) shot from there... leaving me about 12 feet for par. He fluffed his chip (using a hybrid) and then stuck the next one to within 3 feet. It was almost a guarantee that he'd make it, so I KNEW my putt was huge. I had been leaving putts short all day and there was no way I was going to do that here. I drilled it, center cut... and we closed out 18 all square.
Back to number 1. He teed off first and again split the fairway. My 3 wood was a little left, but stayed in the fairway... leaving me 124 to the pin. He pushed his approach just a bit, but ended up pin-high 7 yards or so to the right of the green. My 9 iron never left the pin, but I came up 25 feet short. He chipped on, but left himself a tough 15 footer with a big right-to-left break down the hill. My birdie putt came up 4 feet short... and when he missed his par attempt, I drained mine to close out the match.
It was a helluva fun match and, to be honest, I'm proud of how I battled and stayed alive when things went sour. I hit only 4 of 15 fairways today... and only 5 of 19 greens... meanwhile, my opponent hit probably 9 of the 15 fairways... but very few greens.
I have to wait and see what happens in the match above me... but, I'll either face the #1 or #8 seed in the semi-finals. Either way, I need to start finding more fairways and I need to STOP leaving putts short. I'm happy to advance, but honestly, this match should have been over by 13... I just kept opening the door for him... he just wasn't able to shut it on me.
CY