| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| doc9 |
Posted - 06/27/2004 : 17:21:41
Hey guys. The story continues. Saturday I was in the third round of the club championship. I was playing the 7th seed, I was the 16. Playing along with us was the 3rd and 15th seeds. The winners would play for the title the losers for third and fourth.I started out well , hit a huge drive straight down the middle. My opponet hit a drive a little right and it didn't clear the brook crossing the fairway. But the game of golf is pretty frustrating as you all know. I'm sitting there thinking all I have to do is hit it anywhere on the green and I win the hole. Of course I try to hit it nice and easy and lay off it and it goes right of the green, I have to pitch up a hill and over a sand trap, I know I have the tools I need to do this but somehow I'm pretty nervous and blade the ball over the green,chip past and 2 putt for a double. He also makes double and halves. So I'm already mad and we've been playing for about 10 minutes. Its gonna be a long day. We halve 2 and he sinks a 30' birdie putt on 3 for bird, down 1.halve 4 and 5 he gets up and down from the bunker on 6 while I can't from the rough, down 2 and starting to get worried. I Had never been down at all in any of my matches 2 years ago when I won or at all up to this point in this championship so I'm trying to tell myself it doesn't matter, I just have to play the course and see what happens.(I sure wish I could have got that first hole). I win the next hole a 402 yard par 4 with a good drive that leaves me about 112 and he is trapped behind some trees.Down 1. On 8 I hit a bit of a hook on a dogleg right hole putting me in a little valley on the corner.But he tries to cut the ball and it takes a huge right turn out of bounds. He then get a nice one in the fairway.I punch out , get on and 2 putt for a bogey to his double.Were even.(You know if I start playing I can beat this guy... this is whats going on in my head. I have so far played pretty poorly and I'm even. even after the mistake on 1.) We go to nine and I hit a 3 off the tee and it draws harder into the wind than I wanted it too and starts heading for the driving range which is o.b. He hits one down the middle. I find my ball about 1 foot from the o.b. line. whew! But I have a tree about 10 yards in front of me. Not to high but I can't see the pin. I see his ball start right at the pin and it looks stiff. I have to go for it if I'm going to halve. I take out my sandwedge I'm about 80 yards out and I have to hit this thing high to clear the trees. I place the ball forward and really swing harder than you should with a wedge, but get lucky as the ball just catches the top of the tree and lands on the front of the green. I look over and see a ball about 2 feet and stiff. Oh man, Hes' gonna have a tap in for bird. Just as I'm done marking my ball the 15th seed goes and marks HIS ball near the hole. Whew! My opponet hit it near the bakc of the green and we both 2 putt for halves and were all even after 9.We halve 10 and 11 but I win 12 for my first lead of the day.Yeah baby, I got a shot here.OOPS, I'm a little ahead of myself here. I hit a hook on 13 and end up under a tree in the other fairway. He pars and we're back to square.Both par 14, But he hits it out of in the lateral hazard off the green.Now my head is spinning. I want to go back to my bag and grab a fairway wood to hit off the tee.I have been hooking them also though.My most confident club is the club in my hand-driver- but this hole has woods right and water left and a brook that crosses at about 95 yards in front of the green which is about a 270 yard drive.I'm really stuck here. I know the smart play is to hit something more lofted and shorter but my confidence is in the club in my hand. Well everyone has been giving me advice all month on match play saying you have to play the course not the man and I played this club last night in the friday wingding so I say screw it I'm hitting the driver. I hit a beautiful drive that starts a little right of center and starts to draw back to the middle but I'm looking at this ball and it is really going. I watch it as far as I can but it gets near the brook and I see one bounce and I don't see it anymore.Aw man don't tell me I just hit it into the brook after he has giving me this opening. I get up there and I see my ball on the other side of the brook,Yes! I get to it and I have about 85 yds in. It looks like the ball hit the bank of the brook and bounced across.Nice drive- but dumb! I win the hole and now we're on 16 which is a dogleg left. I take out a 3 wood and try to shake off the thoughts of last weeks round where I hit it dead right into the woods. I'm gonna draw this thing around the corner.Oh sure You are, snap! there it goes right into the hazzrd.I lose and we go back to square with 2 to go.Here I am on 17 again which has played an important role in my 2 matches to date. We both hit just off the green , so far in all 3 matches thus far this hole has become a chipping contest.He goes first and nestles it to about 3 '. I know I can get inside that. I hit a little sandwedge chip but it catches the collar and takes off.I have about a 6 footer with a little right to left break. I over read it and it stays high. He sinks his to go up 1 with one to play.18 is a par 5 that we can both reach if we hit it good. He hits it straight down the middle and I try to get into one and get ahead of my hands and block it right .I'm under a tree but because of last nights rain we are allowed to lift clean and place on this hole so I catch a break and with my 50" putter I've got a pretty good look at the green but I'm out about 230 yards.I have to birdie because I know he will at least do that from where he is. I hit my 3 wood and it goes out and starts to cut. It ends up about 25 yard short and right of the green. He hits his third to about 40'. I have to get up and down and hope he doesn't make that bomb.I pitch up to about 8 feet leaving myself a little slippery left to right putt. He misses his birdie putt and tapps i for par. O.K. It has come down to an 8' putt to continue. If you asked me this at the begining of the match I would have said yes to being in this position. I don't think theres much to this putt. I set up over it and confidently stroke it , its going right in and then takes a hard break to the left. I under read it and I'm done.We shake hands, the match is over. I wish I could have played better. The match was mine if I played the way I can. I just didn't have it going good today.My short game was terrible.It was just one of those days your plugging along trying to make something work. I knew I wasn't playing well but was just trying to stay in the match wich I did for the most part but I really didn't deserve to win this one. He out played me and should move on. I just wish I had another shot. Oh well the city championship is in august, time to start preparing. Me and the 3rd seed, who lost 2and 1 were supposed to play for third but neither of us wanted to. The payoff is the same so he was gonna play in his group where he could make more money and I halve alot of arrangements and packing to do for my trip to marco island next week, so I'm taking sunday off from golf. We tell each other to take third but then just call it a tie. I'm pretty upset for not winning but I did make it to the semifinals from the 16 seed,having jumped 2 flights since last year. I have some things to be happy about but not today. I wanted this one. Veiwing my stats from today reviews a glaring fault in my short game and fairways hit. My short game was the worst in any round this year, something like 1 or 2 out of 12 chances. Yuck.Well gotta go , theres alot of work to be done. Maybe next year. Scott, thanks for calling this one for me but I didn't pull it out. Sorry Tim for proving your point about how important the short game is , I would have rather proving how important it is in winning ,not losing but the truth is still short game, short game,short game. Dan
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| 7 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| spyder |
Posted - 06/29/2004 : 21:32:59
Hey Doc...congrats on a job well done!...you made it to the *final four* ...think of all the participants that didn't...correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't you the one disappointed in your performace after putting in a bunch of practice time?....interestingly, Mr Graves wrote on this very subject in a recent post..not to over simplify his comments...but he says he gets tournament ready by playing a lot before the event begins...chances are this approach would help you whip tail in Aug....BTW, I know what you mean about losing to someone you should beat handily...my 3rd year golfing, I played a local year-ending tournament....closed out my first match in sudden death (1 hole)...next match was a win by default ...the guy was sick...semi- final round I played the old guy that worked on clubs for the golf course...a bogey golfer, I was sure I'd have no problem putting him away...fat chance, he was hittng his 3 wood closer than I was my 9 iron...he sent me home with my tail between my legs...I'm sure I could take him today...' course hes been dead for about 10 years now...anyway, good luck in Aug.....spyder
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| Scott_R |
Posted - 06/28/2004 : 12:41:36
Dan,
That was amazing! I'm not sure if I could have done what you just accomplished, and dude, that's well, just awesome.
I'm real proud of you, and I'd imagine that they'll be looking for you next year and you won't get to sneak in the 16th seed again. Let me know when the tourney is, and we'll get you 'sponsored'. Hehe.
In all seriousness, you should feel proud. Feel pride in your journey to this point. Look at where you started, where you are now, and say, "Wow, what an accomplishment." Enjoy the road you've traveled.
But then, as I know you already have, realized that the satisfaction isn't in the 'arriving', it's in the journey to get 'there', whereever 'there' is.
Talk to you soon.
Scott R.
GGA alumni
TGGS/GGA Marketing Director
scottr@swinglikemoe.com |
| Jesse H |
Posted - 06/28/2004 : 08:58:01
Hey Dan, you have nothing to be ashamed about. You played you heart out and that's what counts! Golf gives and it takes, that's why we all love it so much. Good show!!!
Jesse H |
| Rayser |
Posted - 06/28/2004 : 06:25:07
Hey Dan, Good Job. Keep your chin up. It's all about having fun, and deep down, you know you had fun. The majority of golfers would have been tickled pink just to be where you were.
Ray
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| doc9 |
Posted - 06/28/2004 : 05:28:10
I appreciate all the love guys. I actually thought about having to tell you guys I lost which helped me keep plugging along. Neil, I hate getting experienced like that. Dan
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| glorymufc19 |
Posted - 06/27/2004 : 20:56:26
Dan,
Good job battling like that. Awesome for 1st time in top flight. I think they call it something stupid like experience. Unfortunately, it is not as much fun as winning.
Neil
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| bobperry22 |
Posted - 06/27/2004 : 20:20:56
Dan,
You proved yourself several times in earlier matches and by hanging in till the end of this one. The hardest thing to do is hang in there when you know that you are not playing your best. You managed to do that. Also, jumping two flights in one year is nothing to sneeze at!!!
You have to know that the guy who won today knows that he stole one and that had you been at your best you would have taken him.
Keep up the good work. You are getting better all of the time. Scratch golf is closer than you think!!! Have a great trip.
Bob Perry |
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