Andy808
Tour Winner
Today I played in the final of our winter mens matchplay championship.
After playing my best medal round last week and being cut .6 to give my opponent six shots I then find out that he gained .1 to go up to 24 so I give him seven shots. The biggest problem with our course is the SI setup means five of those shots are on the front nine and the last two are on 17 and 18. My aim was to be AS after the front nine and finish it before the 17th.
Arrived very early to give myself time for a warm up on the range and a practice putt which went very well filling me with confidence. The weather was great with a few clouds and a fair wind from the north west which is an unusual direction for down here. Dave, my opponent, arrived and we had a coffee while we waited for our tee time to come and we were soon on the tee.
As with every other round in this comp I teed off first as the lower handicapper stripping a 5 wood straight towards the flag but came up a touch short into the wind. Dave hit a lovely driver to the right and a short of the green but fluffed his first chip only to chip at the hole only to be thwarted by the flag. Missing my putt Dave won the first hole.
Winning the second hole took us back to AS then Dave won the 3rd with me winning the 4th and the holes Dave won were the holes he had a shot on each time.
I hit a lovely drive on the 5th but managed to hit my second shot and provisional 70 yards left to the point neither were found giving Dave the hole to go 1 up again. Onto the par 3 6th over the water Dave hit a hybrid just short of the green. I teed up and struck one of the best 7 irons I have ever hit topitch on the front of the green and run out about 20 feet past the hole. A par and we are back to AS again.
I hit a shocking 4 iron on the 191 yard par 3 7th handing Dave an easy chance to go 1 up again which he took.
On the last two holes of the front nine I had to give Dave a shot on each so I was only looking to get in at 1 down or AS at best.
After a shocking pull hook on the 8th tee after Dave hit a drive straight down the middle I wasn't even that hopeful of managing that. From the 3rd fairway, over a line of trees 120 yards from the green I hit my shot of the day to leave my ball 8 foot from the pin and a two putt par for the hole. I won the ninth after Dave had a mare out of the trees.
1 up starting the back nine was a big surprise to me but I managed to whack my tee shot OOB. Dave teed up and hit his drive into the ditch. I stripped a 3 wood down the middle, chipped on and made the putt to halve the hole, the first half of the match.
I hit a superb 7 iron into the 11th green for a par and to go two up. On the 12th I decided to hit a 3 wood, big mistake, as I hooked it into the rough by the 8th fairway and duffed a couple of shots to concede the hole and back to 1 up. Par o nthe 13th took me back to 2 up before a terrible chip from me and a sublime chip from Dave gave him the hole and back the 1 up for me. Wanting to avoid the 17th and 18th I knew I had to try and win the next two holes to do that.
On 15 Dave hit the strangest shot of the day with a low hybrid over the water that hit a tree on the far bank by the ladies tee and the ball dived hard left. I hit a 7 iron just over the back of the green and while Dave teed up to hit a provisional I spotted his ball sitting pretty on the ladies tee. Dave hit a great second shot onto the green but a long way from the hole. After a good chip and Dave missreading the green twice I took the hole.
Our 16th tee shot os on a short par 4 through a small gap in some trees. I hit a 3 wood which clipped a tree and fell well short of the fairway. Dave hit a good drive up the right and chipped on to leave a long putt. I hit an 7 iron just through the green and chipped on close for a par putt for the half.
On to 17 and only 1 up. I stripped a great drive down the left side of the fairway while Dave hit a great drive down the right side. After Dave pulled his second into the trees I elected to hit a safe 6 iron towards the green to a yardage I like to chip from. After Dave hit his third forward 100 yards but still under the over hang from the fir trees I managed to duff my wedge shot forward about 30 yards leaving me 60 yards short. Dave chipped just short of the green while I hit mine onto the green about 10 foot from the hole. Dave chipped on to about 6 foot and knowing I only had to halve the hole I went for the putt but missed by a few inches. Dave had to hole out to win the hole and keep the match going, he over hit the putt and missed the return putt. I putted out to win 3 and 1.
It was a great match and Dave gave me a good run for my money.
I celebrated with a bacon sarnie when I got home after a couple of beers with Dave and Gary who I beat in the semi final.
After playing my best medal round last week and being cut .6 to give my opponent six shots I then find out that he gained .1 to go up to 24 so I give him seven shots. The biggest problem with our course is the SI setup means five of those shots are on the front nine and the last two are on 17 and 18. My aim was to be AS after the front nine and finish it before the 17th.
Arrived very early to give myself time for a warm up on the range and a practice putt which went very well filling me with confidence. The weather was great with a few clouds and a fair wind from the north west which is an unusual direction for down here. Dave, my opponent, arrived and we had a coffee while we waited for our tee time to come and we were soon on the tee.
As with every other round in this comp I teed off first as the lower handicapper stripping a 5 wood straight towards the flag but came up a touch short into the wind. Dave hit a lovely driver to the right and a short of the green but fluffed his first chip only to chip at the hole only to be thwarted by the flag. Missing my putt Dave won the first hole.
Winning the second hole took us back to AS then Dave won the 3rd with me winning the 4th and the holes Dave won were the holes he had a shot on each time.
I hit a lovely drive on the 5th but managed to hit my second shot and provisional 70 yards left to the point neither were found giving Dave the hole to go 1 up again. Onto the par 3 6th over the water Dave hit a hybrid just short of the green. I teed up and struck one of the best 7 irons I have ever hit topitch on the front of the green and run out about 20 feet past the hole. A par and we are back to AS again.
I hit a shocking 4 iron on the 191 yard par 3 7th handing Dave an easy chance to go 1 up again which he took.
On the last two holes of the front nine I had to give Dave a shot on each so I was only looking to get in at 1 down or AS at best.
After a shocking pull hook on the 8th tee after Dave hit a drive straight down the middle I wasn't even that hopeful of managing that. From the 3rd fairway, over a line of trees 120 yards from the green I hit my shot of the day to leave my ball 8 foot from the pin and a two putt par for the hole. I won the ninth after Dave had a mare out of the trees.
1 up starting the back nine was a big surprise to me but I managed to whack my tee shot OOB. Dave teed up and hit his drive into the ditch. I stripped a 3 wood down the middle, chipped on and made the putt to halve the hole, the first half of the match.
I hit a superb 7 iron into the 11th green for a par and to go two up. On the 12th I decided to hit a 3 wood, big mistake, as I hooked it into the rough by the 8th fairway and duffed a couple of shots to concede the hole and back to 1 up. Par o nthe 13th took me back to 2 up before a terrible chip from me and a sublime chip from Dave gave him the hole and back the 1 up for me. Wanting to avoid the 17th and 18th I knew I had to try and win the next two holes to do that.
On 15 Dave hit the strangest shot of the day with a low hybrid over the water that hit a tree on the far bank by the ladies tee and the ball dived hard left. I hit a 7 iron just over the back of the green and while Dave teed up to hit a provisional I spotted his ball sitting pretty on the ladies tee. Dave hit a great second shot onto the green but a long way from the hole. After a good chip and Dave missreading the green twice I took the hole.
Our 16th tee shot os on a short par 4 through a small gap in some trees. I hit a 3 wood which clipped a tree and fell well short of the fairway. Dave hit a good drive up the right and chipped on to leave a long putt. I hit an 7 iron just through the green and chipped on close for a par putt for the half.
On to 17 and only 1 up. I stripped a great drive down the left side of the fairway while Dave hit a great drive down the right side. After Dave pulled his second into the trees I elected to hit a safe 6 iron towards the green to a yardage I like to chip from. After Dave hit his third forward 100 yards but still under the over hang from the fir trees I managed to duff my wedge shot forward about 30 yards leaving me 60 yards short. Dave chipped just short of the green while I hit mine onto the green about 10 foot from the hole. Dave chipped on to about 6 foot and knowing I only had to halve the hole I went for the putt but missed by a few inches. Dave had to hole out to win the hole and keep the match going, he over hit the putt and missed the return putt. I putted out to win 3 and 1.
It was a great match and Dave gave me a good run for my money.
I celebrated with a bacon sarnie when I got home after a couple of beers with Dave and Gary who I beat in the semi final.
