I played a mate of mine this morning for our usual pound on the front nine, pound on the back and pound overall. No great stakes involved, just enough to keep us interested, but it became apparent within fifteen minutes or so that I was about to witness something pretty special.
My mate is a very handy 5 handicapper who generally plays to that pretty regularly, and is not beyond putting in the odd sub par round. Last week he knocked it round two under gross.
He started today with two very solid birdies, and I joked "If you carry this on you'll finish 18-under." More fool me!
He canned a fifteen footer for his third straight birdie at 3, knocked his approach at 4 to two inches for another, got a fifth straight birdie at 5 and then canned a 25 footer for yet another at 6. All this, I hasten to add, from our white tees.
A boring up and down for par at 7 was followed by another tramline putt for birdie at 8, and after yet two more at 10 and 11 he stood on the 12th tee a rather ridiculous 9-under gross. I was playing to my handicap and getting absolutely stuffed.
Around this time you would start to think that he would get a bit nervy, but far from it. In fact, it was my game that started to unravel slightly, as I started to get nervous for him. And that is my question here - if someone else in your group is having the round of their lives, how does it impact on your own game?
My pal finished with a couple of dropped shots here and there and a tenth birdie for a quite magnificent 7-under gross 65, and a round I'll remember for a long time - maybe as long as he will. It was worth losing three quid to see it.
As for me? A steadyish 33 points. Dull when compared to the fireworks going on around me, but due in part to my reaction to my playing partner's heroics. We all know it's important to stay "in the now" when playing our own game, but I have never found myself getting ahead of myself when thinking of an opponents round. All in all, a rather surreal experience!!
My mate is a very handy 5 handicapper who generally plays to that pretty regularly, and is not beyond putting in the odd sub par round. Last week he knocked it round two under gross.
He started today with two very solid birdies, and I joked "If you carry this on you'll finish 18-under." More fool me!
He canned a fifteen footer for his third straight birdie at 3, knocked his approach at 4 to two inches for another, got a fifth straight birdie at 5 and then canned a 25 footer for yet another at 6. All this, I hasten to add, from our white tees.
A boring up and down for par at 7 was followed by another tramline putt for birdie at 8, and after yet two more at 10 and 11 he stood on the 12th tee a rather ridiculous 9-under gross. I was playing to my handicap and getting absolutely stuffed.
Around this time you would start to think that he would get a bit nervy, but far from it. In fact, it was my game that started to unravel slightly, as I started to get nervous for him. And that is my question here - if someone else in your group is having the round of their lives, how does it impact on your own game?
My pal finished with a couple of dropped shots here and there and a tenth birdie for a quite magnificent 7-under gross 65, and a round I'll remember for a long time - maybe as long as he will. It was worth losing three quid to see it.
As for me? A steadyish 33 points. Dull when compared to the fireworks going on around me, but due in part to my reaction to my playing partner's heroics. We all know it's important to stay "in the now" when playing our own game, but I have never found myself getting ahead of myself when thinking of an opponents round. All in all, a rather surreal experience!!
