Andy808
Tour Winner
We played our first match in our mini league tonight teeing off just as the storm really hit Cornwall. Steady wind of 25mph with gusts up to about 45mph and it was lashing it down. Shortened the match to 9 holes and off we went.
My opponent, Stuart, was about as enthusiastic as I was about going out but we teed off. He won the first hole with a bogey from about 10 feet following my double with the ball moving more than I expected with the wind.
It soon became a war of attrition and I took the second to make it all square. I was determined to play a nice steady game even in the inclement conditions and even that let me down on the third after a safe tee shot I then shoved one into the thick stuff. Taking a provisional I then managed to hit that one into the water. After a brief search for my ball I conceded the hole as Stuart was just short of the green in 3.
On the fourth it was Stuarts turn to find the long grass but only just while I was in the greenside bunker with a 3/4 pitching wedge going 158 yards with the wind. Stu managed to get his closer to the green but out the nasty stuff and I chipped just over the green. He then duffed his a few yards closer but I managed to chip close to take the hole and make it all square again.
The 5th was a nightmare! First tee shot looked perfect off the club heading up the left with the wind bringing it back nicely towards the fairway as I planned then gave up on it and the ball was deep into the poop. Stu duffed his tee shot about 20 yards forward so I took a provi off the tee which went hard right with the wind OOB. I took a second provi which went to have a look for the first one OOB. It was now find the first ball or concede the hole. I was 1 down again.
The 6th was the only hole we halved with us both hitting solid 4s into the wind.
I took the 7th with a nice punch shot to the side of the green after we both made a hash of our tee shots. Back to A/S.
It was getting to crunch time so I hit a safe 6 iron down the middle hoping to put some pressure on my opponent and it worked as he pushed his first into the trees on the right and his provi was very short. We found his first ball in the thick rough which took him 3 shots to escape but still in trouble behind a tree line. His next went sailing OOB on the wind so he conceded the hole. It was off the the ninth tee 1 up and hopefully 1 to play. By now the wind was at it's strongest and the rain was coming down in stair rods stinging our faces as we stood on the tee. Again I intended to hit a safe tee shot with a long iron to keep it under the wind and out of trouble. FAIL! After looking perfect off the tee my ball managed to turn INTO the wind and OOB by 6 inches! Stu hit a nice drive into the short rough on the left which proved to be enough to take the hole by the time we had got to the green.
Up the 10th we went. Really not wanting to go any further than this I had already decided to play it safe, even more so when Stuart put his drive just OOB. A easy 7 iron up the middle followed but a gap wedge and a chip close was enough to take the match on the tenth hole.
I was pleased to have won my first team matchplay game and my golf wasn't too bad considering the conditions. I also found out that my new Nike golf shoes are perfectly waterproof from the ground up but not from the sky down!
Hope the weather is better for the return leg next week.
My opponent, Stuart, was about as enthusiastic as I was about going out but we teed off. He won the first hole with a bogey from about 10 feet following my double with the ball moving more than I expected with the wind.
It soon became a war of attrition and I took the second to make it all square. I was determined to play a nice steady game even in the inclement conditions and even that let me down on the third after a safe tee shot I then shoved one into the thick stuff. Taking a provisional I then managed to hit that one into the water. After a brief search for my ball I conceded the hole as Stuart was just short of the green in 3.
On the fourth it was Stuarts turn to find the long grass but only just while I was in the greenside bunker with a 3/4 pitching wedge going 158 yards with the wind. Stu managed to get his closer to the green but out the nasty stuff and I chipped just over the green. He then duffed his a few yards closer but I managed to chip close to take the hole and make it all square again.
The 5th was a nightmare! First tee shot looked perfect off the club heading up the left with the wind bringing it back nicely towards the fairway as I planned then gave up on it and the ball was deep into the poop. Stu duffed his tee shot about 20 yards forward so I took a provi off the tee which went hard right with the wind OOB. I took a second provi which went to have a look for the first one OOB. It was now find the first ball or concede the hole. I was 1 down again.
The 6th was the only hole we halved with us both hitting solid 4s into the wind.
I took the 7th with a nice punch shot to the side of the green after we both made a hash of our tee shots. Back to A/S.
It was getting to crunch time so I hit a safe 6 iron down the middle hoping to put some pressure on my opponent and it worked as he pushed his first into the trees on the right and his provi was very short. We found his first ball in the thick rough which took him 3 shots to escape but still in trouble behind a tree line. His next went sailing OOB on the wind so he conceded the hole. It was off the the ninth tee 1 up and hopefully 1 to play. By now the wind was at it's strongest and the rain was coming down in stair rods stinging our faces as we stood on the tee. Again I intended to hit a safe tee shot with a long iron to keep it under the wind and out of trouble. FAIL! After looking perfect off the tee my ball managed to turn INTO the wind and OOB by 6 inches! Stu hit a nice drive into the short rough on the left which proved to be enough to take the hole by the time we had got to the green.
Up the 10th we went. Really not wanting to go any further than this I had already decided to play it safe, even more so when Stuart put his drive just OOB. A easy 7 iron up the middle followed but a gap wedge and a chip close was enough to take the match on the tenth hole.
I was pleased to have won my first team matchplay game and my golf wasn't too bad considering the conditions. I also found out that my new Nike golf shoes are perfectly waterproof from the ground up but not from the sky down!
Hope the weather is better for the return leg next week.
