Playing in my first multi-round tournament. Our club championship is 3 rounds spread over two weekends with a cut after the 1st round. Timing couldn't be worst. Since last Sunday, I've worked probably close to 80 hours. Mentally, physically, I am exhausted. Seriously thought about skipping, even though I had already paid. But willed myself to get out and take a break from work.
Despite a solid 9 hours of sleep I still felt like crap in the morning. Barely got a small breakfast in then it was go time. Had absolutely no expectations. Break a 100, don't lose too many balls, don't collapse from exhaustion....
Drive on 1st hole goes 140 yards. Then a poor layup, followed by a skulled wedge, followed by a chip that runs across the green, followed by a chip that's 6 feet short. Did make the 6 footer though. Well, that settles it, probably won't be playing next weekend.
2nd and 3rd holes weren't much better. +4 through 3. At this point all expectations truly went out the window. This freed me up and I ended up playing a good stretch of golf.
I hit the green on the 1 handicap 4th hole. Unfortunately I 3-putted but a bogey on 4 ain't bad for my handicap. Great drive on the 5th left me with about 110 yards. Wedge to about 12 feet. 6th I found the bunker but hit one of my best bunker shots ever to about 2.5 feet. Of course I missed the 2.5 footer!
7th I GIR and two putted for par. 8th I just found the fringe of the green and two putt for par. Also parred the easy par-5 9th. 4 pars in the last 5 holes, not bad at all. Still, my expectations were tempered.
Back nine started out well, getting up-and-down for par on the 10th hole. OK, expectations creeping in. 5 pars in 6 holes, I'm on pace for a pretty good round. Maybe I will be around for next weekend
Hit a laser to the tight back right pin on the par-3 11th. I even said "be good" like the pros because it looked so good. OK, expectations are definitely high now. Another par, maybe even a birdie. Maybe closest to the pin.
But it wasn't good. Just off by a yard so instead of putting for birdie I had a delicate chip. I flubbed the chip. I go from "par's in the bag" to "shit, double's a real possibility." Proceeded to 4 putt for quadruple bogey.
The adrenaline that had been sustaining me gone in an instance. Energy level dropped, focus out the window. The next 5 holes were brutal. Even when I did hit a good shot I couldn't catch a break. Like on the difficult 14th. Hit another laser to the pin but just like the 11th hole it was long by a couple of yards, so instead of putting for birdie I was left with another delicate chip.
Finally caught a break on the 17th and got up-and-down for par. This gave me life and I proceeded to birdie the 18th with a great little cut to about 4 feet. Think I made the cut with the par-birdie finish but I didn't stick around to see the other scores.
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