The first tee at Eaton
I qualified for this event by winning the English golf medal at Ellesmere last season, and being in the top 120 qualifiers from the North Region. The top 10 finishers would qualify for the National Grand Medal Final to be played next month.
I had played a practice round a 3 weeks ago on a lovely warm windless day, today was nothing like that. It was very windy and we had rain and hail for the first 10 holes.
I couldn't have started better a good drive and a 3 wood to the green gave me 2 putts for a nice opening par 4.
On the second I hit a decent drive then put a 5 iron into a bunker at the front of the green, I came out too well and had to chip back on from over the green and I holed a 3 foot putt for a bogey 5.
A good drive on the 3rd, but I then hit a 3 wood into rough front and right of the green, my chip ran off the back, I chipped back on and 2 putted for a double bogey 6.
My tee shot to the 4th was short and right, I chipped to 20 feet then holes the putt for a par 3.
A good drive and a nice 3 wood left me a pitch to the 5th green, I missed the green but chipped on and 2 putted for a bogey 6.
I found the back of the 6th green with a 3 wood off the tee but left my birdie putt 6 feet short, but I holed that for a par 3.
Not so good a drive on the 7th left me in the left hand rough, with trees blocking out the green, I knocked it out onto the fairway, but then I hit the ground 6 inches behind the ball to waste a shot, I missed the green with my 4th shot, then chipped on and 2 two putts gave me a triple bogey 7.
A nice drive but a not so good 3 wood left about 150 to the 8th green, and I left my 3rd just short of the green, a chip and 2 putts gave me a bogey 6.
A good drive on the 9th but my 3 wood was too far right, a thinned pitch from the rough over shot the green, I chipped on and 2 putted for a double bogey 6.
So despite early pars, the triple bogey in particular meant, I finished the first 9 on 46, which wa bangf on my handicap.
On the 10th I drove into the right hand rough but hit a nice wood to 40 yds short of the green, a chip on and 2 putts for a bogey 5.
I hit a nice 5 wood to the par 3 11th which ran just off the back of the green, I pitched to 10 feet and holed the putt for a par 3.
The 12th has a raised green over a water hazard, I hit a nice drive which left 80 yds to the green, a nice pitch found the green and my 20 foot curling putt brushed the hole and I tapped in for a par 4.
A slightly wayward drive on the 13th found the right hand rough, I knocked it onto the fairway but then overhit my pitch over the green, I pitched back on and 2 putted for a double bogey 6.
A nice drive on the 14th but then I scuffed a wood, I then hit a nice 3 wood to just short of the green, my chip was a little short of the hole and a knocked the first putt 3 feet past the hole, then missed the return so 3 putts for a double bogey 7.
Another drive that went right on the 15th and I knocked it out of the rough then hit a pitch to 4 feet, sadly missed the par putt so a bogey 5.
I hit the fairway with my drive on 16 and a decent 3 wood left 150 yds to the green, I hit a 5 wood left of the green and chipped on but way short, a poor first putt left another 4 footer, fortunately this one went in for a bogey 6.
Not the best 6 iron from the tee to the par 3 17th but I chipped on and 2 putted for a bogey 4.
So onto the 18th, 1 under handicap, I hit my drive to the left to avoid a pond on the right hand side of the fairway and found the rough, I went to just knock the ball down the fairway but hit a shank or whatever it was right across the fairway and into the right hand rough, I knocked that onto to the fairway about 120 yds from the green and then shanked a 7 iron into deep rough, I hacked it out with a wedge and then chipped onto the green, the first putt was poor and I missed with the 2nd for a disastrous 9!
So after holding it together for most of the 2nd nine the disaster on the 18th meant I scored 49 for a gross 95, net 75.
I have to say I was gutted, although I was surprised to see that my score was the best score in so far, I waited around to see what other scores came in and when after about half the scores were in and I was lying in 4th place I decided to leave, After dwelling on the 18th all the way home, I was surprised to find that with another 30 scores in I was still in 4th place. Eventually all the scores came in and I was delighted to find that I finished with the 4th best score although I was in 6th place after card playoffs but it was good enough to see me into the final at the end of June. It also earned me a 0.6 handicap reduction so I am now down to 19.1, my lowest so far.
Despite my pleasure at qualifying for the grand final, I still have to look at the shots my irons cost me, granted I did hit some decent irons but the miss on the 7th and the 2 shanks on the 18th could have proved costlier, a bogey on the last would have seen me with the joint top score! I really think I am going to have to go back to my teaching pro to try and rectify the problem yet again, either that or I need to buy a 7 wood.
No comments:
Post a Comment