Post by Richie3Jack on Jan 17, 2010 1:10:46 GMT -5
Back when I was living in NY, the club championship was a match play event.
I wound up playing against a family friend, who is about 8 years older than I am in the semi-finals. I was even thru 12 holes, but I was down by one hole. The course we played at wasn't too hard, so even par wasn't the greatest score in the world by any means, but a decent round nonetheless.
However, I should have been a few under par. And it wasn't mental mistakes or some poor execution and wasting shots. it was 'I couldn't stop getting really bad breaks and it was costing me shots' type of round.
I then hit a good drive on 13, but hit a poor wedge into the green. I then hit a nice 50 foot putt going right at the cup that lips out and leaves me with a 3 footer coming back. Then I hit a putt that was knocked off line by a small pebble and now I'm 1-over and down by 2 holes with five holes left.
i was really, really ticked off because I was getting those breaks all round long.
I then told myself 'you have to be perfect because if you are even a hair off, you get screwed every time.'
My round then went like this:
#14 - Drive the par-4 green catching a driver perfectly and hitting a perfect, small fade to the green. My opponent hits a miracle shot out of a fairway bunker to about 5 feet for birdie. i then drain a slick 30 footer for eagle. Now I'm at 1-under and down 1.
#15 - Destroy a driver off the tee and cut it perfectly over the trees. I have about 70 yards into the green, hit a pitch that just lips out for another eagle. Tap in for birdie. Now I'm at 2-under and all square.
#16 - Hit a solid driver off the tee. Had a sizeable downhill lie and about 225 yards to the green (par-5). Wind was gusting a bit left to right. After the round my friends regaled about what a great shot it was because they thought I would go dead right with that lie and the wind. But I told them I had tons of confidence in that shot because my bad shot with that 3-wood was a pull left and I knew i couldn't do that with that lie and the wind. I knock it on the green. I then lip out a 35-footer for eagle, make birdie and go to 3-under and up 1.
#17 - A long par-3 over water. I hit an okay shot, that winds up right of the green and over this little hill. I actually got lucky on this shot because I chipped the ball lighter and shorter than I wanted to, but the ball rolled up and was about a couple of revolutions from going in. We both par, I'm still at 3-under and up 1.
#18 - Boomed a driver off the tee. Then I hit a wedge that landed just short of the pin, hopped and hit the stick and then wound up about a foot away. I tapped in, made birdie and went -5 on the last 5 holes and almost had 4 eagles in those 5 holes.
Wish that was on tape.
3JACK
I wound up playing against a family friend, who is about 8 years older than I am in the semi-finals. I was even thru 12 holes, but I was down by one hole. The course we played at wasn't too hard, so even par wasn't the greatest score in the world by any means, but a decent round nonetheless.
However, I should have been a few under par. And it wasn't mental mistakes or some poor execution and wasting shots. it was 'I couldn't stop getting really bad breaks and it was costing me shots' type of round.
I then hit a good drive on 13, but hit a poor wedge into the green. I then hit a nice 50 foot putt going right at the cup that lips out and leaves me with a 3 footer coming back. Then I hit a putt that was knocked off line by a small pebble and now I'm 1-over and down by 2 holes with five holes left.
i was really, really ticked off because I was getting those breaks all round long.
I then told myself 'you have to be perfect because if you are even a hair off, you get screwed every time.'
My round then went like this:
#14 - Drive the par-4 green catching a driver perfectly and hitting a perfect, small fade to the green. My opponent hits a miracle shot out of a fairway bunker to about 5 feet for birdie. i then drain a slick 30 footer for eagle. Now I'm at 1-under and down 1.
#15 - Destroy a driver off the tee and cut it perfectly over the trees. I have about 70 yards into the green, hit a pitch that just lips out for another eagle. Tap in for birdie. Now I'm at 2-under and all square.
#16 - Hit a solid driver off the tee. Had a sizeable downhill lie and about 225 yards to the green (par-5). Wind was gusting a bit left to right. After the round my friends regaled about what a great shot it was because they thought I would go dead right with that lie and the wind. But I told them I had tons of confidence in that shot because my bad shot with that 3-wood was a pull left and I knew i couldn't do that with that lie and the wind. I knock it on the green. I then lip out a 35-footer for eagle, make birdie and go to 3-under and up 1.
#17 - A long par-3 over water. I hit an okay shot, that winds up right of the green and over this little hill. I actually got lucky on this shot because I chipped the ball lighter and shorter than I wanted to, but the ball rolled up and was about a couple of revolutions from going in. We both par, I'm still at 3-under and up 1.
#18 - Boomed a driver off the tee. Then I hit a wedge that landed just short of the pin, hopped and hit the stick and then wound up about a foot away. I tapped in, made birdie and went -5 on the last 5 holes and almost had 4 eagles in those 5 holes.
Wish that was on tape.
3JACK