Club Championship (Match Play) - Round 2

[Fairway_CY]

Well... at least I can say that I tried.  Moving up to B Flight proved to be too much for me... and the 7 stroke disparity in my handicap vs my opponents handicap reared its ugly head on the course yesterday.  Below are the details of my 3&2 loss in Round 2 of the Club Championship.

First... going into the match, my handicap was 18.3 while my opponent was 11.5 after the last revision.  Not that it mattered, because it's a heads up match.  The course I play at most often and where this tournament is held has 36 holes.  I play significantly worse on the Red/Gold course than I do on the White/Blue course.  Unfortunately, the rotation had us on the Red/Gold course for Round 2.

I woke up yesterday to find that it was raining.  No thunder or lightning, so that meant the match was on.  I got my rain gear together and headed out to the course.

Hole #1 - My opponent put his ball in the left-center of the fairway to lead us off.  I followed by blowing my 18 degree hybrid way right into a lateral hazard.  Great start!  The drop settled way down in some thick rough.  The rain made it thicker.  My layup before the creek went a little too far and settled into more rough.  My opponent put his ball on the front of the green.  I hit a very poor 52 degree wedge, chipped on and then after his putt went to 4 feet, I conceded the hole. 1 DOWN

Hole #2 - This average length par 5 has always been one of my favorite holes.  If you can avoid pulling it left over the fence... there's very little trouble.  My drive found the center of the fairway after my opponent blew his into the right rough.  I was sitting on the back fringe of the green in 3 while my opponent was in a greenside bunker in 4.  His shot from there was very thin and it went OB, so he conceded the hole to me. ALL SQUARE

Hole #3 - I thought I hit a good drive, but it came up very short.  Luckily it was well placed in the fairway.  My opponent was a little ahead of me in the left side of the fairway.  I hit a 4 iron from 195 that was just short of the green.  His shot was well short and right.  I chipped up to 12 feet and made my par putt after he had missed a 25 foot attempt for par. 1 UP

Hole #4 - This was an odd hole.  Both of us hit good drives into the center of the fairway.  He had about 150 left to the hole while I had about 145.  His approach was a little short and left.  I was at a perfect 8 iron distance and hit a very solidly struck shot.  It got up a little too quick and hit a tree branch.  It knocked about 8 chestnuts out of the tree, but my ball never came down.  Ultimately, my opponent got up and down for par while I was standing over a double bogey putt. ALL SQUARE

Hole #5 - Short par 3 that was playing about 140 and my opponent hit a decent shot to the left side of the green leaving himself about 30 feet.  My 9 iron from the tee was a thing of beauty.  I can't remember feeling better after hitting a shot and I even posed a little.  The ball started a little left of the hole and drifted back towards it.  I thought it was going to go in, but it landed 18 inches behind the hole and plugged in its pitch mark.  THAT close to my second career ace.  Ultimately, he missed his birdie attempt and I made mine. 1 UP

Hole #6 - Both of us hit good drives and set ourselves up nicely.  Being a long par 5, we didn't have any shot at going for the green... so we both laid up.  Mine was in the center of the fairway while his was in the right rough.  His approach scooted low and ran onto the green, but well away from the hole.  My approach from 110 was an odd yardage for me.  My 50 degree wedge came up just short.  I putted on from there to 2 feet and my opponent conceded the putt for par.  He then stuck his putt 4 feet from the hole but made the putt coming back for par to halve the hole. 1 UP

Hole #7 - Ugly hole here for me.  My tee shot was a wicked slice that ended up almost in the 6th fairway.  Luckily, I had a clear enough shot that I could have at least put the ball back in play, but I pulled my 18 degree hybrid and it ended up around 180 yards away still in some thick rough.  Another attempt with my hybrid was right of the green.  A bad lie in the rough forced me to hack at it and I blew the ball over the green, short-siding myself with a tough downhill chip.  I duffed that trying to be cute with it and then I conceded the hole as my opponent was standing over a bogey putt from 10 feet while I'd be chipping for triple bogey. ALL SQUARE

Hole #8 - Another fairly shot par 3.  My opponent hit a good shot pin-high on the left side of the green.  I hit an 8 iron that I thought was going to be perfect.  It was headed right at the pin, but we were playing into a little bit of a breeze and it was 3 feet short of the green.  I chipped on and ended up 7 feet above the hole, leaving a tough downhill putt.  My opponent made par and my par attempt rolled over the right side of the cup. 1 DOWN

Hole #9 - Both of us hit poor drives to the left of the fairway.  Mine was about 25 yards further than his and he hit an ugly, fat hybrid from the rough that came up well short and left.  My 7 iron was on the green, about 35 feet away from the pin.  He couldn't get up & down while I 2-putted for par. ALL SQUARE

*** So, I wasn't too displeased with my effort.  I was All Square with a guy who I was worried was going to be capable of blowing me out of the water.  Now, we were going to the back 9 where I'd shot recent scores of 52, 56 and 51. ***

Hole #10 - This his a par 5 that only plays 476, but uphill the entire way.  A good drive is still going to leave you 250 or more, so it's a 3 shot hole every time.  My tee shot was yanked dead left.  No fade.  And it was crushed.  The ball hit the trees on the left and we never saw it again.  My opponent put his tee shot in the same spot, but it hit a tree and fell straight down into the rough.  My provisional was a carbon copy of my initial tee shot.  Once he put his 2nd shot into the fairway at the 150 marker and I couldn't locate either ball... I conceded the hole. 1 DOWN

Hole #11 - This is a medium length par 3 where my opponent pulled his ball into the left greenside bunker.  I wanted to go anywhere but left... so I ended up in the rough to the right of the green.  He blasted out to about 15 feet and my chip literally settled less than an inch from where his ball was.  I was away by a millimeter, at most.  My attempt didn't even touch the hole.  Luckily, neither did his.  Good-good for bogies. 1 DOWN

Hole #12 - My opponents drive was in perfect position up the right side of the fairway.  I crushed my driver, but it was left and settled in a weird lie in the rough where the ball was well below my feet.  He put his approach on the front-right side of the green.  I had to keep my ball low and hope to run it up, but it was so wet that the ball ended up 15 yards short of the green.  My chip was ugly and left me 45 feet for par.  We both made a mess of our putts, but I sank a curling 6 footer for bogey after he made a very tough 15 foot putt for his bogey. 1 DOWN

Hole #13 - This hole has become my nemesis.  It's a ridiculous dogleg left that plays way downhill.  The tee shot is always going to leave you with an odd, downhill stance and I've posted scores of 9, 8 and 6 in my last 3 rounds here.  Luckily, I actually played the hole fairly well while my opponent struggled.  In the end, he conceded my 8 foot par attempt after he missed a 12 foot bogey attempt. ALL SQUARE

Hole #14 - And then... I fell apart.  This is one of the easiest holes on the course.  It's only a 332 yard par 4.  Straight as an arrow.  A little uphill.  Yet, I've posted scores of 8, 7 and 7 in my last 3 rounds here.  I always seem to find trouble.  I brought both my driver and my 18 degree hybrid to the tee with me.  I decided to play smart and hit the hybrid but I tugged it a little and it had a bit of a draw on it.  The ball settled beneath a tree off the left rough.  My opponent ended up in the right rough about 130 yards from the pin.  I had to punch out and then had 140 to the pin.  My 8 iron from there looked good, but was a little long.  My opponent hit a very poor shot and then got onto the green with his next shot.  A poor chip left me a very quick downhill 33 foot putt.  I missed that, then made the 6 footer coming back for double while my opponent 2-putted for bogey. 1 DOWN

Hole #15 - This is a long, downhill par 3 that was playing into a fairly stiff wind.  His tee shot drifted way right of the green leaving him a difficult pitch over a bunker.  My tee shot started out directly where I wanted it to go... then got caught by a big gust of wind and blown right.  I also had to go over the bunker, but I was closer.  My ball was in a bare spot with a big clump of grass behind it, so I had no real way to loft the ball other than to hack down on it and hope.  He hit a really, really good pitch that ended up about 8 feet away.  I then chipped mine to 10 feet.  I straight-up choked on the putt and pulled it left.  He made his par putt. 2 DOWN

Hole #16 - My opponent hit his ball down the right side of the fairway, leaving about 180 to the pin.  I knew I needed to make a good swing and take an aggressive line.  Unfortunately, it was a little too aggressive and the draw on the ball put it into the woods.  After a provisional, I found the original settled up against a tree.  I was barely able to chip out... and then, I still had no real play, so I tried to punch the ball under some trees but it got knocked down 95 yards short.  My 52 degree wedge was a little left of the pin, but on the green.  My opponent was on in 2, but had a very long putt.  He hit a very poor putt leaving himself way short.  My bogey attempt from 33 feet peeked into the cup, but wouldn't fall.  He needed to 2-putt from 30 feet to win the match.  He left himself a 5 foot attempt, but buried it to end the match. 3 & 2 FINAL

We played out the 17th and 18th holes and of course I went par-par to close.  It was a good match but... I learned that I do not have a good pressure game.  Once he made that pitch on the 15th... I choked.  My pitch wasn't bad, but the putt was ugly.

My lifetime match play record is now 14-8-3.

My 2013 competitive season is just about over.  I may have another tournament or two in the fall... but, that's still TBD.  Now I'll play some rounds just to keep my swing fresh... maybe once every 10 days or so if I'm lucky.  Just depends on work.

'Til next year...

CY