Smiffy
Grand Slam Winner
Played at Bearwood Lakes yesterday with Murph, JustoneUK and a mate of mine (Paul) who is a member there.
Paul and I decided to take on Murph and James in a match, and as it turned out it was a very, very tight one with no more than one hole in it all the way round.
I wasn't playing particularly well, but had helped out on a couple of holes and we got to the last all square after both James and Chris had made terrific birdies on the 17th to square it all up.
James and Murph both nailed drives down the middle, Paul pulled his tee shot left into some cabbage and I hit a "so so" one down the left hand side of the fairway but was a good 40 yards or so behind the other two lads. I was quite a way out, ground was wet so I decided to have a bash with my 4 hybrid. Pushed it right into some semi just short of the green. Paul hit an iron out of the rough but ended up right too, with a horrible shot left over a bunker from sodden ground. Both Murph and James hit lovely irons into the green and we knew they were both going to make par, possible birdie. I played my chip and at first I cursed because I caught it a little fat on the wet ground and I didn't think it was going to make it to the hole. But somehow it made the top of the bank, kicked down and finished about 2' or so from the pin. Paul played next, hit a duff one and was basically out of the hole as far as the match was concerned. Both Murph and James took their putts, James just shaved the hole and both ended up with tap in pars. I was left with this 2' (if that) downhill putt for par and to save the match.
I didn't want to take it. I was so bloody nervous. I could not have been more nervous had it been a putt to win the Ryder Cup or the Masters. Chris told me afterwards that he was prepared to give it to me but James had said no. Having played with me quite a bit over the past year, he knew that this sort of putt was the one I hated. I'd rather be faced with a 30 footer than an 18 incher.
Luckily I made it. But I really wanted the ground to open and swallow me up. I had all sorts of negative thoughts going through my head at the time thinking about the "yips" and what a prat I was going to make myself look if I had missed it. I know it was only a friendly, and I know that the whole world didn't rest on the result of it. But I haven't been that nervous standing over a putt in my life and I didn't like it.
Damn those negative thoughts...
Paul and I decided to take on Murph and James in a match, and as it turned out it was a very, very tight one with no more than one hole in it all the way round.
I wasn't playing particularly well, but had helped out on a couple of holes and we got to the last all square after both James and Chris had made terrific birdies on the 17th to square it all up.
James and Murph both nailed drives down the middle, Paul pulled his tee shot left into some cabbage and I hit a "so so" one down the left hand side of the fairway but was a good 40 yards or so behind the other two lads. I was quite a way out, ground was wet so I decided to have a bash with my 4 hybrid. Pushed it right into some semi just short of the green. Paul hit an iron out of the rough but ended up right too, with a horrible shot left over a bunker from sodden ground. Both Murph and James hit lovely irons into the green and we knew they were both going to make par, possible birdie. I played my chip and at first I cursed because I caught it a little fat on the wet ground and I didn't think it was going to make it to the hole. But somehow it made the top of the bank, kicked down and finished about 2' or so from the pin. Paul played next, hit a duff one and was basically out of the hole as far as the match was concerned. Both Murph and James took their putts, James just shaved the hole and both ended up with tap in pars. I was left with this 2' (if that) downhill putt for par and to save the match.
I didn't want to take it. I was so bloody nervous. I could not have been more nervous had it been a putt to win the Ryder Cup or the Masters. Chris told me afterwards that he was prepared to give it to me but James had said no. Having played with me quite a bit over the past year, he knew that this sort of putt was the one I hated. I'd rather be faced with a 30 footer than an 18 incher.
Luckily I made it. But I really wanted the ground to open and swallow me up. I had all sorts of negative thoughts going through my head at the time thinking about the "yips" and what a prat I was going to make myself look if I had missed it. I know it was only a friendly, and I know that the whole world didn't rest on the result of it. But I haven't been that nervous standing over a putt in my life and I didn't like it.
Damn those negative thoughts...
