Yes, it's time for boring posts on the blog updating all of you readers about the tournament season. We've got 8 tournaments planned this year, starting next Tuesday.
The quick rundown:
1. Ohio Amateur Qualifier (Tuesday): Incredibly, I am paired up again with everyone's favorite Cincinnati Red, Chris Sabo. Will Sabo and his goggles bring our hero luck and a spot in the 103rd Ohio Amateur?
2. US Publinx Qualifier (June 18): 36 holes in one day at a course I don't particularly like.
3. Cincinnati Met (June 23-24): Can I please play well for 2 days in this event for once?
4. Vineyard Classic (June 28-29): Defending Champion of the 1st Flight!
5. Crooked Tree Club Championship (Late July): Defending my title.
6. Ohio Public Golfers Champ (Aug 4-8): A fun tournament, but this year at an actual challenging course - Cook's Creek.
7. Cinci Mid-Am (late August)
8. EAGL Cup (October), team event pitting courses against each other.
I've got no expectations this year. None. I still feel fairly rusty even though it's almost late May. The fact that we have had miserable weather that has limited my practice/playing time, combined with my vacation in early May (where I didn't touch clubs for 15 days) and the fact that I haven't broken 80 yet this year....well, I won't be surprised if I shoot 89 on Tuesday.
I've got a good warm up coming this weekend, as Don, Mike, Craig and I are playing a course called Purgatory in Indianapolis (from the back: 7700 yards, including a 741 yard par 5) and then on to the Purdue campus course on Saturday. Why Purdue? Well, next week it will be hosting the NCAA Division I tournament, and they have a limited amount of tee times for the course this Saturday - the last day for public play before practice rounds begin.
So we will be playing two extremely difficult courses this weekend with my game nowhere near where it needs to be.
However, if one wants to be extremely optimistic, there may be some parallels. 5 years ago I had little confidence going into the tournament season. I played a round in Green Bay a week before my first tournament and shot 87 or something at a track called Brown Deer. I played with my boss and a guy from the plant who played on the OL for the Badgers in college - he actually played in a Rose Bowl. Anyway, this ex-football player beat me on a few holes.
I hit balls after that debacle twice; I played a round that weekend as a warmup and shot 75.
Two days later, on May 19, 2003, I went out and did the unthinkable - shot a 69 in the US Open Local Qualifier to advance to the second round of qualifiying.
I still remember that round vividly - especially the last 6-7 holes.
Par 434 544 543 - 36 443 455 443 - 36 - 72
EZ 324 545 442 - 33 443 545 443 - 36 - 69
I remember the goose bumps on the 14th, where I had a 20 foot eagle putt to go to 4 under. I read the putt as a downhiller that would break about 6 inches to the right. I saw a spot about 5 feet from the hole on that line - and it would be a good starting point for the ball.
Steve was my caddy - he read it, and then we talked:
"I got the line for you....see that spot about 5 feet from the hole? That's it. It's downhill - all you gotta do is to hit the line".
I got chills right there - we agree on the line; I've been putting well all day......I'm going to eagle and then shit my pants.
I hit the putt......right after it left my putter, I knew it was in.
It hit the spot we both picked out....
and the ball did not move. It missed the hole by a good 5-6 inches. (Moral: again, when Eric and someone wholeheartedly agree on something, it must be wrong).
Two holes later, on an easy 370 yard par 4, I topped my drive and hit a 7 wood to 80 feet - and somehow 2 putted.
On 17 - I got to the green in 2 and left myself a 30 foot birdie putt - and had to ask Steve (twice?) where I was at in relation to par, since I wasn't sure whether to charge or lag the putt. I left the putt 3 feet short but somehow made the next one.
And then 18. Having an uphill 60 footer for birdie is not the ideal way to end the round, but I somehow 2 putted that, too.
That was 5 years ago this week. It seems like 20....
1 comment:
It's odd how we've both been paired with Sabo in the Ohio Amateur. He's kind of a dick. At least I thought so. And I just saw that he failed to post a score in the U.S. Open qualifying. I think he deserves a letter from the USGA. I don't think he posted a score in the Amateur either.
I was proud of the 87's I posted. Although, it should have been a DQ next to my name since I played the wrong ball even though I write all over it with sharpies. You may ask how I did that. Well, I lost one ball in the practice round and found it and played in the tournament. It wasn't until my next shot with it that I noticed that the ball had "Balls" in blue ink instead of green. Everyone knows that Kermit the Frog has green balls and that was the color I selected for the tournament.
I had the pleasure of witnessing that 69. Totally done in Zahn fashion. Was that a ginty you hit from the first fairway? You didn't even get your tee shot to the top of the hill and then you smack the ginty on the green and make the putt. Or am I remembering wrong?
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