We pick up the story in the AM Tourney, Flight 2, Round 2… At a soft and slow Harbour Town
Neil and I have a little history at this place
… We played in the first round of the Skins tourney here… I was the first victim in Neil’s path to the finals versus MIS
We laugh about it being Round Three between us ;D … And exchange Good Luck messages… Neil sets the game up and we are off to the first tee
Hole 1 (Par 4) - Neither of us hit driver to the rough with a 9 mph wind in our face, we both pull up with 3W and play it safe… Neil strikes first and leaves his a tight 3 feet from the pin… I hit next, roll thru green and stop on fringe about 8 feet to pin… We both make our birdie putts and move on… All square
Hole 2 (Par 5) - Neil places his drive in center of fairway, while I pull it left and land in the rough, but luckily spin it back out onto fairway, whew… I line up and stick my shot inches from the pin, while Neil hits his long and uses the soft green backspin to bring his back within a few feet… We both easily drop our eagle putts and move on… Still square
Hole 3 (Par 4) - We both smack our drives to short pitch range… I hit mine a little to the left and leave a 3 footer for birdie, while Neil rolls his pitch about 8 feet past the pin… Neil lines up to putt, and pulls a “Giacomo” (Neil is pushing for this to be a new WiiGA term for leaving a putt short on a slow green
) and leaves it right on the lip… Skinnie up 1 after 3
Hole 4 (Par 3) - Tough pin right in front and over the water… I pull out a 5I and add five clicks of loft, then rip one over the pin and backspin it to halt at about 24 feet past pin… Meanwhile Neil hits a great shot that stops just 8 feet past the pin and quickly sinks his birdie… I line up and KABOOM ;D … Skinnie still 1 up after 4
Hole 5 (Par 5) - Big dogleg left on this hole and Neil and I both pull out a power draw over the trees… I leave mine in the middle for a good angle to the green, while Neil draws it a little hard and lands on the left side with a much tougher angle to approach the green… I hit mine to about 2 feet from pin and make my eagle putt… Neil has to hit it to the right of the pin and leaves a mid length putt, which he comes up just short again, another “Giacomo”… Skinnie 2 up after 5
Hole 6 (Par 4) - A rather straight forward hole… I hit a 3W and Neil hits driver off the tee (I don’t like the distance left with a long driver - tweener for me)… We both throw darts at the green and make easy birdies… Skinnie up 2 after 6
Hole 7 (Par 3) - Another Par 3 over water… Neil and I both judge poorly and hit our shots long, Neil off the back of green and I stick in fringe… I’m lining up my putt and over my back comes Neil’s pitch, and it drops right in for birdie… I let my putt go, and it comes off hot and lips out
… I make par, but lose a stroke… Skinnie up 1 after 7
Hole 8 (Par 4) - Split fairway on this one forces Neil and I to pull up short with our drivers… I hit it close, and look up to see Neils ball fly right into the hole for eagle… I make my birdie putt, but the game is now all square again
Hole 9 (Par 4) - Wind is 12 mph in our face, so the green is not drivable, and we both lay-up with our 3W… Neil gets up and down for birdie, while I miss my pitch by an inch to the left, argh
… All square
Hole 10 (Par 4) - This hole goes by the book, with easy birdies for both of us… Stays square
Hole 11 (Par 4) - I again pull a 3W off the tee to leave a nice full wedge to the green… Neil hits a nice long drive with a bit of fade… I drop one a few feet from the pin, and I watch Neil almost slam dunk one, but it bounces off pin and rest inches from the pin… We both take birdie and move on all square
Hole 12 (Par 4) - Another 3W off the tee for me as I watch Neil’s ball sail down the fairway… Neil hits it to about 10 feet and drops his putt for birdie… I get it close and make bird as well… This is getting tense… All square
Hole 13 (Par 4) - We both drive to end of fairway with the wind in our face at 9 mph and set up to pitch… Neil hits it the perfect distance but leaves it 4 inches to the left… I hit my pitch and it looks to be right online… I give it a little forward spin and it is rolling, rolling, rolling… And it stops 1 inch short of hole, darn
, missed opportunity… Still even
Hole 14 (Par 3) - Another Par 3 over the wet stuff… With a back hole location, we both over shoot and roll into back fringe… We both quickly line up and sink our birdies… Stays at even
Hole 15 (Par 5) - The key holes are about to begin, both 15 and 16 can break the game open… We both hit good drives and hold them to the right side of the fairway (Neil and I both comment after the game about how many of our drives landed within feet of each other, so we hit many of the same approaches)… I line and let’r rip… As my ball flies towards the green I see Neil land at front edge and hold onto green with major backspin, while I come up inches short and barely on the fringe… It won’t let me putt so I have to pitch, and while I set up I watch Neil calmly sink his putt, and put his hands around my neck… I pitch it up and just miss to the right, then turn around and smack my ball into the hole for bird… Nice eagle Neil… Neil up 1 after 15
Hole 16 (Par 4) - I need this hole now… I line up at the green, add four clicks of top spin to the ball and set up my fade into the green… I let it rip and it comes up long and rolls thru the greens and just barely into the trap behind the pin… Neil misses the green to the left and pitches… He comes really close to dropping it, but putts in for bird… I line up from the trap and pitch it towards the flag, but hit it a little hot and just miss to the left… I make my easy birdie putt and we move on… Neil up 1
Hole 17 (Par 3) - I running out of time, but this will be a tough hole to make up a stroke on… We both line up and swing… Neil rolls to just 5 feet past pin, while come up a little short, but bounce up to the pin and stop 5 feet short… We both make our birdie putts and move onto final hole… Neil up 1 after 17
Hole 18 (Par 4) - I gotta make some magic on this one to force extra holes… We both hit our drives Neil puts his in the middle of the fairway, while I hold mine tight to the left, so I’ll have a shorter approach to the green… I watch Neil hit his ball to just inside 5 feet… I concentrate and line it up on the mark, then swing for the pin… The ball flies towards the flag, and it’s looking good… It bounces inches short of pin and sticks right in front of hole… 2 inches short, oh well, valiant effort, but the game goes to Neil
Final Score:
Neil 50 (25,25)
Skinnie 51 (25,26)
Neil is victorious 1 up...
It was a great match Neil… We hit most of our drives to within feet of each other and neither of us had more than 2 or 3 putts over 5 feet, darts were flying everywhere, one of the tightest matches I’ve been involved in
… Congrats my friend and good luck in your finals match, against one of the Englishmen… I can’t wait to hear about the battle for Great Britain
Thanks again Neil, for smackin’ me around
Peace,
The Postman… Missed Delivery