The setting on the back nine. My lead went from +5 to +2 and I was leaking oil. This is about the time that the wind was really affecting me, and my back was on the verge of going out on me versus just being tight and sore. Anyone with a bad back might know that feeling of inevitable disaster. I pop an Aleve and Tylenol, used the restroom, and think to myself that I must win hole 10 to get the Big Mo back on my side. Instead, I crap the bed…
Hole 10: If hole 4 or 5 were my best of the weekend, this was my worst. Not too much trouble on my squirrely drive but was still a long way from the hole and I was in the rough. I hit a pretty good hybrid into the wind and uphill but end up short and in the rough. Parrot is again on in regulation, so I decide to go Phil Mickelson flop shot and shank it. The ball ends up in the rough on the edge of a bunker and I stand in the bunker and the ball is chest high and in deep rough. I barely get it over the lip laying 4 and concede the hole. Lead is down to +1
Hole 11: I am reeling. Looking back, if I lost this hole, I probably lose the match. My lead is down to +1 and Parrot rips a drive down the right side. My driver has been loose, so I go 3W and hit it well. We had a long search for Parrot’s ball and there is no way I want to take a hole with a lost ball to my opponent that should be playable in the rough. The foursome looks for it and finds it farther up than expected. I let this get to me some thinking Parrot will be GIR and hit my 8i fat. I can’t remember what Parrot did here, but I assumed I lost the hole after that shot but end up winning with a bogey. Huge sigh of relief when I am back to +2.
Hole 12: This par 3 was playing super tough with the wind. Jose goes first and hits it close. I hit 9i and it was one of my best shots of the day and I have about 25 feet for birdie. Parrot hits it on the green but is probably 40 feet away. He doesn’t hit a great putt and JB is watching this hole with camera in hand. He wants to video my birdie putt; I feel great and think I had it read perfectly but hit it 5’ past. Parrot misses his par putt and I think I have my putt lined up perfect and burn the edge. Sad Panda 3-putts after a fantastic iron. Lead is still +2 because Parrot also 3-putts.
Hole 13: I hit a good shot off the tee. I think Parrot might be in the desert and am feeling pretty good about my chances on this hole. This should serve as a reminder to just play the shot at hand and not look ahead. I push 9i into the crap. I find it in the desert, but barely get it out. I hit it on the green in 4 and Parrot is putting. He gets par and I take double. Lead again is +1
Hole 14: The wind is blowing everything to the canyon. I hit driver straight into the wind and find the fairway. I hit a fantastic 8i into the crosswind to about 8 feet. I don’t remember what happened to Parrot, but I remember thinking that I had this hole after my 2nd shot. Parrot hits about a 10’ putt (maybe longer) for his par save. I think I have the birdie in the hole, but it lips out. Lead stays at +1. I can’t remember if it was hole 13 or 14, but Jose says, “I don’t know if you realize how much I want this cup? JD says that we are in trouble and this match may decide the cup.” I tell him “I got this!” but in my head the nerves went from 10 to 100+. Lead remains +1
Hole 15: Remember, this is the hole that Jose and I wanted to have my match done by? Well, the match is far from done. Parrot gets a pop and has the tee box. Inexplicably, he whiffs with driver. He says that it counts as a stroke and we all say it depends on intent and he said he intended to hit it. He calmly swings again and smokes it down the fairway. Now I don’t know if it is the nerves from the pep talk or that I saw my competitor whiff, but I hit one of the worst drives of the weekend into the canyon. I take a drop where it crosses into the desert and am in some THICK rough. I manage a good 4i but it rolls into the waste bunker. I get it out and hit a pretty good wedge to the green. I get up there and add up my strokes multiple times to realize I am laying 5 and Parrot is laying 4 with a pop. Knowing that my match is important, I try to make my bogey and miss. I wait to see where Parrot puts his first putt and concede. The match that Jose wanted over before hole 15, is All Square (or tied if you like the new term).
Hole 16: I think the nerves and back pain have hit us both. Parrot hits a bad shot into the desert and I chunk a 5i over the desert. He takes a drop and puts it on the green. I have to go over the 4-5 foot bunker in front of me and Jose says, “I don’t care if you fly the green, the only way you lose this hole is if you hit the bunker. You don’t need par, you need to hit the green” I hit it 40’ past the hole and get a fist bump from my partner and I think Parrot was 42’ away on my same line. He shows me the way, we both 2 putt, me with bogey and him with double. Lead is +1 me. At some point, we had spectators, I think it was on the green here.
Hole 17: It is a tough hole without the wind and tougher with the wind. I honestly don’t remember this hole except that Jose told me to play it like I did the par 5 4th hole. I hit a decent drive and lay up with my hybrid. I don’t remember what parrot did here, but I do remember thinking that if I just got on the green and 2 putted, I would win the hole or halve to go to 18. I bump and run a 9 iron so I didn’t have to mess with the wind, and was about 15’ from the hole. Jose is about 18’ from hole on my same line. As a gesture of goodwill, he says that he could putt to show me the line but we agree that I should putt first since Jose’s match had ended on hole 14. I hit a good putt and the bogey was conceded. Match is over 2 and 1
Hole 10: If hole 4 or 5 were my best of the weekend, this was my worst. Not too much trouble on my squirrely drive but was still a long way from the hole and I was in the rough. I hit a pretty good hybrid into the wind and uphill but end up short and in the rough. Parrot is again on in regulation, so I decide to go Phil Mickelson flop shot and shank it. The ball ends up in the rough on the edge of a bunker and I stand in the bunker and the ball is chest high and in deep rough. I barely get it over the lip laying 4 and concede the hole. Lead is down to +1
Hole 11: I am reeling. Looking back, if I lost this hole, I probably lose the match. My lead is down to +1 and Parrot rips a drive down the right side. My driver has been loose, so I go 3W and hit it well. We had a long search for Parrot’s ball and there is no way I want to take a hole with a lost ball to my opponent that should be playable in the rough. The foursome looks for it and finds it farther up than expected. I let this get to me some thinking Parrot will be GIR and hit my 8i fat. I can’t remember what Parrot did here, but I assumed I lost the hole after that shot but end up winning with a bogey. Huge sigh of relief when I am back to +2.
Hole 12: This par 3 was playing super tough with the wind. Jose goes first and hits it close. I hit 9i and it was one of my best shots of the day and I have about 25 feet for birdie. Parrot hits it on the green but is probably 40 feet away. He doesn’t hit a great putt and JB is watching this hole with camera in hand. He wants to video my birdie putt; I feel great and think I had it read perfectly but hit it 5’ past. Parrot misses his par putt and I think I have my putt lined up perfect and burn the edge. Sad Panda 3-putts after a fantastic iron. Lead is still +2 because Parrot also 3-putts.
Hole 13: I hit a good shot off the tee. I think Parrot might be in the desert and am feeling pretty good about my chances on this hole. This should serve as a reminder to just play the shot at hand and not look ahead. I push 9i into the crap. I find it in the desert, but barely get it out. I hit it on the green in 4 and Parrot is putting. He gets par and I take double. Lead again is +1
Hole 14: The wind is blowing everything to the canyon. I hit driver straight into the wind and find the fairway. I hit a fantastic 8i into the crosswind to about 8 feet. I don’t remember what happened to Parrot, but I remember thinking that I had this hole after my 2nd shot. Parrot hits about a 10’ putt (maybe longer) for his par save. I think I have the birdie in the hole, but it lips out. Lead stays at +1. I can’t remember if it was hole 13 or 14, but Jose says, “I don’t know if you realize how much I want this cup? JD says that we are in trouble and this match may decide the cup.” I tell him “I got this!” but in my head the nerves went from 10 to 100+. Lead remains +1
Hole 15: Remember, this is the hole that Jose and I wanted to have my match done by? Well, the match is far from done. Parrot gets a pop and has the tee box. Inexplicably, he whiffs with driver. He says that it counts as a stroke and we all say it depends on intent and he said he intended to hit it. He calmly swings again and smokes it down the fairway. Now I don’t know if it is the nerves from the pep talk or that I saw my competitor whiff, but I hit one of the worst drives of the weekend into the canyon. I take a drop where it crosses into the desert and am in some THICK rough. I manage a good 4i but it rolls into the waste bunker. I get it out and hit a pretty good wedge to the green. I get up there and add up my strokes multiple times to realize I am laying 5 and Parrot is laying 4 with a pop. Knowing that my match is important, I try to make my bogey and miss. I wait to see where Parrot puts his first putt and concede. The match that Jose wanted over before hole 15, is All Square (or tied if you like the new term).
Hole 16: I think the nerves and back pain have hit us both. Parrot hits a bad shot into the desert and I chunk a 5i over the desert. He takes a drop and puts it on the green. I have to go over the 4-5 foot bunker in front of me and Jose says, “I don’t care if you fly the green, the only way you lose this hole is if you hit the bunker. You don’t need par, you need to hit the green” I hit it 40’ past the hole and get a fist bump from my partner and I think Parrot was 42’ away on my same line. He shows me the way, we both 2 putt, me with bogey and him with double. Lead is +1 me. At some point, we had spectators, I think it was on the green here.
Hole 17: It is a tough hole without the wind and tougher with the wind. I honestly don’t remember this hole except that Jose told me to play it like I did the par 5 4th hole. I hit a decent drive and lay up with my hybrid. I don’t remember what parrot did here, but I do remember thinking that if I just got on the green and 2 putted, I would win the hole or halve to go to 18. I bump and run a 9 iron so I didn’t have to mess with the wind, and was about 15’ from the hole. Jose is about 18’ from hole on my same line. As a gesture of goodwill, he says that he could putt to show me the line but we agree that I should putt first since Jose’s match had ended on hole 14. I hit a good putt and the bogey was conceded. Match is over 2 and 1