Post by kevcarter on Jan 20, 2010 9:41:50 GMT -5
OK, here goes...
To set it up, I have never been a tournament player, my nerves always get the best of me. I was usually a rules official at the big events so I would feel like part of the gang. In 1995 the Minnesota PGA Championship was set to be at the Pines in Brainerd, a very tough course if played from the back tees. The owner is n old friend of mine, and he talked me into playing instead of officiating.
So I get there, nervous as all get out and my nightmare is confirmed, the course is set up all the way back and very tough. It was just under 7200 yards, and 15 years go that was a long golf course with balata balls, and very tight. I had to figure out a way to break 80 and not embarrass myself too badly. I decided I would keep the driver in the bag and try to find the fairways with 3 wood, even though I would have very long shots left to the par 4’s.
I start out pretty good, 4 solid pars. The 5th hole is pretty short and tight, I hit 3 iron off the tee. I’ve just got a PW left, about 110 yards but all carry over water to a tight pin. I hit it about 130 yards and have a really tough pitch down the hill towards the water. I chicken out and leave my pitch about 20 feet short and three putt. Yikes, if you knew me you would realize that after double, I am trying to figure out in my head how many bogeys I can make and still break 80.
Then lightning strikes. #6, chip in for eagle from 20 feet. #7 is the scariest 160 yard par three I have ever played. Somehow manage to hit a 7 iron on and two putt from 50 feet. #8 is a good par 4, I hit 3 wood off the tee, but a little left. There is a gap between a couple big trees I can hit it through. I am about 160 yards with a back pin. I’m going to try to get a 9 iron on the front of the green and try to two putt from there for par. I catch a flyer, big time, and it goes in!
#9 I’m not thinking about where I stand, and hit a 5 iron to 6 inches. I barely shake the putt in for birdie. For some reason we were behind and rushed to the 10th tee. Without thinking about where I stand I stripe it down the middle with driver, first driver of the day, and knock it on the par 5 in two, two putts for birdie. Now I realize what’s happening, I’m 4 under! Now I start thinking, man I can now make lots of bogeys and still break 80. I make a bunch of solid pars and get to the 16th tee. Now I’m thinking, hell, forget 80, I can be a contender and maybe get my name in the newspaper. You guessed it, 16 is a good par four and I take out my 3 wood and cold top it about 50 yards. Somehow I manage to make a great bogey and finish par – par coming in. After round one I’m tied for the lead at 69. The guys I am tied with are Steve Whillock, a really good guy, fairly new to our section just coming off the mini tours. The other was George Shortridge, a former tour player and at that time fully exempt on the senior tour. George was the best player at the time and we all looked up to him as though he was Jack Nicklaus. I couldn’t choke down much dinner, so I just drank a whole bunch of Brandy Manhattans. I was scared to death. I didn’t sleep much that night, and woke up VERY hung-over.
This is getting too long already, but the first 16 holes were pretty uneventful. George had been stiffing it all day, and never made a putt. I was even through 16 and I had made every putt I looked at all day including an 80 footer for birdie on #9. You know what I had been thinking… don’t make any big numbers and don’t embarrass yourself. Try to break 80 twice in a row. Steve was having a tough day and was about 6 over, George and I were tied. George should have been 6 under if he made anything at all, and I was hitting it like a fifteen handicapper, but putting out of my mind.
On the 17th tee it dawned on me. Breaking 80 is not a question, and I am tied for the lead! 17 is a long par 4 and I striped a 3 wood off the tee about 220 yards. George hits driver about 300 and just has a little 9 iron in. The pin is cut on the far right of the green behind a bunker with about 10 feet of green to work with behind the pin. No way I can go at that pin with my 3 iron. I aim at the left side of the green and push slice it. It lands in the long grass which slows it down and it rolls about 6 feet past the pin. George decides to hit a little 8 at the pin and catches a flyer and goes way over the green into the woods. He somehow makes bogey from there, a great bogey. You know I’m nervous now that I realize I am tied. I leave my 6 footer 3 feet short, and somehow shake in the 3 footer I left myself. I have the lead!!!
18 is a great par five through the woods with water left and short of the green. I have the honor, and of course there is no chance I’m going to hit driver. I snap hooked my three wood about 50 yards into the deep dark forest. George kills a driver down the right side of the fairway about 300 yards again. I realize he can get there in two, and have to figure out a way to make five for a playoff. I am so deep in the woods I can’t even figure out a way to chip out. I’m on a cart path with a bare lie, but don’t want to drop into the rough. The only way out I can find is to hit a pitching wedge up and over the trees towards the fairway. I blade it. It never gets up over knee high and miraculously doesn’t hit anything. To top it off, I hit that wedge so badly that it rolled about 200 yards down the fairway! George can get home, but has a tough shot to a back left pin over the water. He hits the most beautiful 3 wood I had ever seen. He has 15 feet for eagle. I have about 100 yards, and for the first time notice we have sizable gallery. Oh my, please let me not chunk it into the water. I semi=blade my Pitching wedge over the green into a bunker. I hear one of the other pros say “Yep George wins again.” That really pissed me off. Now I’ve got about a 20 foot bunker shot staring at the water about 15 feet behind the pin, and the green is running away from me. I catch it fat, it catches the rough which slows it down and it rolls down the hill about 6 feet past the pin. I sort of black out at this point, George charges the eagle and three putts and I somehow make my 6 footer for par, and all I can remember are all the pros running onto the green to shake my hand.
Funny thing, at the awards ceremony the executive director of the PGA gave me a form to fill out for Q-school. I was exempted into the second stage! I just laughed at him. George out played me tee to green by at least 10 shots, but I got the trophy. That is my story of how a HACK wins the Minnesota PGA.
Kevin
To set it up, I have never been a tournament player, my nerves always get the best of me. I was usually a rules official at the big events so I would feel like part of the gang. In 1995 the Minnesota PGA Championship was set to be at the Pines in Brainerd, a very tough course if played from the back tees. The owner is n old friend of mine, and he talked me into playing instead of officiating.
So I get there, nervous as all get out and my nightmare is confirmed, the course is set up all the way back and very tough. It was just under 7200 yards, and 15 years go that was a long golf course with balata balls, and very tight. I had to figure out a way to break 80 and not embarrass myself too badly. I decided I would keep the driver in the bag and try to find the fairways with 3 wood, even though I would have very long shots left to the par 4’s.
I start out pretty good, 4 solid pars. The 5th hole is pretty short and tight, I hit 3 iron off the tee. I’ve just got a PW left, about 110 yards but all carry over water to a tight pin. I hit it about 130 yards and have a really tough pitch down the hill towards the water. I chicken out and leave my pitch about 20 feet short and three putt. Yikes, if you knew me you would realize that after double, I am trying to figure out in my head how many bogeys I can make and still break 80.
Then lightning strikes. #6, chip in for eagle from 20 feet. #7 is the scariest 160 yard par three I have ever played. Somehow manage to hit a 7 iron on and two putt from 50 feet. #8 is a good par 4, I hit 3 wood off the tee, but a little left. There is a gap between a couple big trees I can hit it through. I am about 160 yards with a back pin. I’m going to try to get a 9 iron on the front of the green and try to two putt from there for par. I catch a flyer, big time, and it goes in!
#9 I’m not thinking about where I stand, and hit a 5 iron to 6 inches. I barely shake the putt in for birdie. For some reason we were behind and rushed to the 10th tee. Without thinking about where I stand I stripe it down the middle with driver, first driver of the day, and knock it on the par 5 in two, two putts for birdie. Now I realize what’s happening, I’m 4 under! Now I start thinking, man I can now make lots of bogeys and still break 80. I make a bunch of solid pars and get to the 16th tee. Now I’m thinking, hell, forget 80, I can be a contender and maybe get my name in the newspaper. You guessed it, 16 is a good par four and I take out my 3 wood and cold top it about 50 yards. Somehow I manage to make a great bogey and finish par – par coming in. After round one I’m tied for the lead at 69. The guys I am tied with are Steve Whillock, a really good guy, fairly new to our section just coming off the mini tours. The other was George Shortridge, a former tour player and at that time fully exempt on the senior tour. George was the best player at the time and we all looked up to him as though he was Jack Nicklaus. I couldn’t choke down much dinner, so I just drank a whole bunch of Brandy Manhattans. I was scared to death. I didn’t sleep much that night, and woke up VERY hung-over.
This is getting too long already, but the first 16 holes were pretty uneventful. George had been stiffing it all day, and never made a putt. I was even through 16 and I had made every putt I looked at all day including an 80 footer for birdie on #9. You know what I had been thinking… don’t make any big numbers and don’t embarrass yourself. Try to break 80 twice in a row. Steve was having a tough day and was about 6 over, George and I were tied. George should have been 6 under if he made anything at all, and I was hitting it like a fifteen handicapper, but putting out of my mind.
On the 17th tee it dawned on me. Breaking 80 is not a question, and I am tied for the lead! 17 is a long par 4 and I striped a 3 wood off the tee about 220 yards. George hits driver about 300 and just has a little 9 iron in. The pin is cut on the far right of the green behind a bunker with about 10 feet of green to work with behind the pin. No way I can go at that pin with my 3 iron. I aim at the left side of the green and push slice it. It lands in the long grass which slows it down and it rolls about 6 feet past the pin. George decides to hit a little 8 at the pin and catches a flyer and goes way over the green into the woods. He somehow makes bogey from there, a great bogey. You know I’m nervous now that I realize I am tied. I leave my 6 footer 3 feet short, and somehow shake in the 3 footer I left myself. I have the lead!!!
18 is a great par five through the woods with water left and short of the green. I have the honor, and of course there is no chance I’m going to hit driver. I snap hooked my three wood about 50 yards into the deep dark forest. George kills a driver down the right side of the fairway about 300 yards again. I realize he can get there in two, and have to figure out a way to make five for a playoff. I am so deep in the woods I can’t even figure out a way to chip out. I’m on a cart path with a bare lie, but don’t want to drop into the rough. The only way out I can find is to hit a pitching wedge up and over the trees towards the fairway. I blade it. It never gets up over knee high and miraculously doesn’t hit anything. To top it off, I hit that wedge so badly that it rolled about 200 yards down the fairway! George can get home, but has a tough shot to a back left pin over the water. He hits the most beautiful 3 wood I had ever seen. He has 15 feet for eagle. I have about 100 yards, and for the first time notice we have sizable gallery. Oh my, please let me not chunk it into the water. I semi=blade my Pitching wedge over the green into a bunker. I hear one of the other pros say “Yep George wins again.” That really pissed me off. Now I’ve got about a 20 foot bunker shot staring at the water about 15 feet behind the pin, and the green is running away from me. I catch it fat, it catches the rough which slows it down and it rolls down the hill about 6 feet past the pin. I sort of black out at this point, George charges the eagle and three putts and I somehow make my 6 footer for par, and all I can remember are all the pros running onto the green to shake my hand.
Funny thing, at the awards ceremony the executive director of the PGA gave me a form to fill out for Q-school. I was exempted into the second stage! I just laughed at him. George out played me tee to green by at least 10 shots, but I got the trophy. That is my story of how a HACK wins the Minnesota PGA.
Kevin
