Recap Thread - 2014 Morgan Cup
- Staff
- #102
Man, my recap is going to take me a bit to really get things to settle and out in writing. But it will happen, I smile just thinking about everything, the entire week was one of the best ever, it honest to goodness was.
I have #NoRagrets
I have #NoRagrets
Jersey Nate
#JourneyToBetter #THPMC
#MicroMachine
- Moderator
- #104
I keep walking into my kitchen expecting there to be a delicious True Blue buffet and cookies waiting for me.
Each time I am sadly mistaken. This hangover is going to ruin me.
Each time I am sadly mistaken. This hangover is going to ruin me.
Just work on your hula hoop skills.
So as I have "tried" to work today, but so much of the last 6 days keeps coming back. As a volunteer I have a different perspective and recap coming that will be different than the normal. I know the participants will explain their matches better than I could, so mine will basically be about the experience as a whole. Still getting my thoughts together, but I will say that this was hands down the best golf weekend of my entire life & it was poetic justice that it was at the last MC.
Here's my recap - it's a bit long-winded, but there's a lot I wanted to capture about this weekend.
Practice Rounds
Wednesday had me flying down from Manchester to Myrtle Beach, by way of Philly and Charlotte. Caught up with Nebgolfer in Charlotte, and finally got to meet him in person. Flew down to Myrtle, where we were picked up at the airport by fupresti. Drove down and checked into the villa, then immediately headed to the course for an afternoon tee time. Played with Nebgolfer, coers, and J4U. Given that I just got off of a plane and was generally overwhelmed, my front 9 was rocky, and I started hitting the ball a lot better on the back 9. Dinner that night was a huge number of us at La Playa, and that's where I really stated to calm down and just enjoy the experience, getting to meet and talk to bunch of people.
Thursday, DotCom played a practice round at both courses, playing the formats. In the morning, I was paired up with v.man and Nebgolfer, while MWard rode along - it was like we were a crew team, and he was the coxswain or something. Ken and I played really well together, and it had me looking forward to the next day. Mike did end up hitting some nice shots wearing boat shoes during the round. The afternoon I played with fupresti, Nebgolfer, and ATLGolfer at Caledonia. Another great time - while I didn't play great golf, all three of those guys hit some really great shots.
The Morgan Cup
Staff Sponsor Day: A lot has been said in the other threads about staff sponsor day, so I'll leave this brief here. What a day this was. I remember waiting in the lobby of the True Blue clubhouse, waiting for the volunteers tom come get us. You could feel the energy in the room, and watching Freddie climb up the ladder in the room to take a picture with the GoPro was great too. The whole day was amazing - from the first look at the staff bags lined up on the fairway, to getting my first look at the equipment (which I can't wait to write more about once I can), to having Keith from Cleveland/Srixon bring us a bunch of beers on the range. There was not a single person who didn't have a smile on their face all day.
Match 1 - w/ v.man against Hawk And mikedean441: It's been a long time since I had the nerves I've had stepping up to the first tee. I got my drive out there, but Ken and I had a bit of trouble finishing up the hole, and went down right away. This match was up and down for the first few holes - I don't think we saw a halved hole until our seventh. Really, this match came down to the par 3s - Ken and I stuck a few shots real close, and were able to capitalize on those. On the other holes, the other guys were hitting some great shots and putts to halve and win holes. Hawk and Mike were great guys to play with, and I'll take Ken as a partner any day of the week, especially with these formats. I think knowing that we had a good chance of getting a ball in the fairway for our second shot really let me relax on the tee.
Matches 2 and 3 - Alt shot w/ fupresti vs. Canadan and AMart: This was a ton of fun, though it was probably one of the more inconsistent rounds I played - I think the long days and rounds prior had caught up to me a bit. A ton of joking around (I'm not sure I had laughed more playing golf than in this match), and we got to witness the "Fupy Floppy" - fupresti's scrambling from some of the shots I left him was legendary. Dan and Andy's made some great shots, and really deserved the two points they earned. Andy's shot to end match 2 was a thing of beauty.
Match 4 - Sunday singles against TNTCigarGuy: Somehow, I managed to be more nervous on the tee than I was the day before. Probably because I was in the second group, and there were twice as many people as in the group before out there. This was another back and forth match - I went up on the first hole, but we quickly went back to AS, and it was more of that for the majority of the round. I pulled away a little towards the middle of the round, but Trevor scrambled something fierce at the end, and chipped away at the lead until the match was over on 17 - as I told him after the match, I was almost rooting for his putt to go in to extend the match. I didn't know what to expect going into singles, but I have to say, considering the circumstances, this was actually a really loose, fun match. Just two guys playing golf. It was a great time, just like TNT said it would be after the pairings were announced, and I'd love the chance to play with him again. The same can be said for the guys we were paired with - parshooter36 and Jeff Spicoli. Both hit some great shots, and were great guys to play with.
Closing thoughts and thanks.
This really was an experience that I'm not sure can be topped for a long, long time. Josh and Morgan - thank you for this opportunity. I know you guys worked tirelessly for this, and what you guys pulled off was no small feat. There were so many great moments that I saw, and some that I'm sure I'll catch in the coverage. Being there to witness Cookie's ace was incredible.
To Cleveland/Srixon and Bobby Jones - My sponsors for the event really went above and beyond. What Srixon was able to do for us blows my mind, and I can't wait to talk about it in more detail. And the scripting got a ton of compliments.
To the eight other guys on Team DotCom - thank you for accepting me as a teammate as quickly as you did (or at least making it seem that way
). You guys had come together as a team over 6 months, and I'm sure to have a person thrown into the mix with a month left was tough. You guys truly embodied the concept of "team", both leading up to and during the event, and this was evident from the moment I started talking to you guys. I'm honored to call all of you teammates. And Pete - your support at the event meant a ton, given the circumstances.
To the rest of the competitors, and the volunteers. Everyone was great, and my only regret about the weekend was that I couldn't get to know everyone better. But there were 40 people there, so that would be quite the task. Thanks for the many kind words I got over the weekend, and truly making me feel like I'm truly part of this community. The sportsmanship I saw from my opponents and in the other matches I followed was great. I can't wait to get to another event, and also get some rounds with some of the other Northeast folks before this season ends.
In short, what a weekend, and this is something I'll remember forever. This place truly feels like home to me now.
Practice Rounds
Wednesday had me flying down from Manchester to Myrtle Beach, by way of Philly and Charlotte. Caught up with Nebgolfer in Charlotte, and finally got to meet him in person. Flew down to Myrtle, where we were picked up at the airport by fupresti. Drove down and checked into the villa, then immediately headed to the course for an afternoon tee time. Played with Nebgolfer, coers, and J4U. Given that I just got off of a plane and was generally overwhelmed, my front 9 was rocky, and I started hitting the ball a lot better on the back 9. Dinner that night was a huge number of us at La Playa, and that's where I really stated to calm down and just enjoy the experience, getting to meet and talk to bunch of people.
Thursday, DotCom played a practice round at both courses, playing the formats. In the morning, I was paired up with v.man and Nebgolfer, while MWard rode along - it was like we were a crew team, and he was the coxswain or something. Ken and I played really well together, and it had me looking forward to the next day. Mike did end up hitting some nice shots wearing boat shoes during the round. The afternoon I played with fupresti, Nebgolfer, and ATLGolfer at Caledonia. Another great time - while I didn't play great golf, all three of those guys hit some really great shots.
The Morgan Cup
Staff Sponsor Day: A lot has been said in the other threads about staff sponsor day, so I'll leave this brief here. What a day this was. I remember waiting in the lobby of the True Blue clubhouse, waiting for the volunteers tom come get us. You could feel the energy in the room, and watching Freddie climb up the ladder in the room to take a picture with the GoPro was great too. The whole day was amazing - from the first look at the staff bags lined up on the fairway, to getting my first look at the equipment (which I can't wait to write more about once I can), to having Keith from Cleveland/Srixon bring us a bunch of beers on the range. There was not a single person who didn't have a smile on their face all day.
Match 1 - w/ v.man against Hawk And mikedean441: It's been a long time since I had the nerves I've had stepping up to the first tee. I got my drive out there, but Ken and I had a bit of trouble finishing up the hole, and went down right away. This match was up and down for the first few holes - I don't think we saw a halved hole until our seventh. Really, this match came down to the par 3s - Ken and I stuck a few shots real close, and were able to capitalize on those. On the other holes, the other guys were hitting some great shots and putts to halve and win holes. Hawk and Mike were great guys to play with, and I'll take Ken as a partner any day of the week, especially with these formats. I think knowing that we had a good chance of getting a ball in the fairway for our second shot really let me relax on the tee.
Matches 2 and 3 - Alt shot w/ fupresti vs. Canadan and AMart: This was a ton of fun, though it was probably one of the more inconsistent rounds I played - I think the long days and rounds prior had caught up to me a bit. A ton of joking around (I'm not sure I had laughed more playing golf than in this match), and we got to witness the "Fupy Floppy" - fupresti's scrambling from some of the shots I left him was legendary. Dan and Andy's made some great shots, and really deserved the two points they earned. Andy's shot to end match 2 was a thing of beauty.
Match 4 - Sunday singles against TNTCigarGuy: Somehow, I managed to be more nervous on the tee than I was the day before. Probably because I was in the second group, and there were twice as many people as in the group before out there. This was another back and forth match - I went up on the first hole, but we quickly went back to AS, and it was more of that for the majority of the round. I pulled away a little towards the middle of the round, but Trevor scrambled something fierce at the end, and chipped away at the lead until the match was over on 17 - as I told him after the match, I was almost rooting for his putt to go in to extend the match. I didn't know what to expect going into singles, but I have to say, considering the circumstances, this was actually a really loose, fun match. Just two guys playing golf. It was a great time, just like TNT said it would be after the pairings were announced, and I'd love the chance to play with him again. The same can be said for the guys we were paired with - parshooter36 and Jeff Spicoli. Both hit some great shots, and were great guys to play with.
Closing thoughts and thanks.
This really was an experience that I'm not sure can be topped for a long, long time. Josh and Morgan - thank you for this opportunity. I know you guys worked tirelessly for this, and what you guys pulled off was no small feat. There were so many great moments that I saw, and some that I'm sure I'll catch in the coverage. Being there to witness Cookie's ace was incredible.
To Cleveland/Srixon and Bobby Jones - My sponsors for the event really went above and beyond. What Srixon was able to do for us blows my mind, and I can't wait to talk about it in more detail. And the scripting got a ton of compliments.
To the eight other guys on Team DotCom - thank you for accepting me as a teammate as quickly as you did (or at least making it seem that way
). You guys had come together as a team over 6 months, and I'm sure to have a person thrown into the mix with a month left was tough. You guys truly embodied the concept of "team", both leading up to and during the event, and this was evident from the moment I started talking to you guys. I'm honored to call all of you teammates. And Pete - your support at the event meant a ton, given the circumstances. To the rest of the competitors, and the volunteers. Everyone was great, and my only regret about the weekend was that I couldn't get to know everyone better. But there were 40 people there, so that would be quite the task. Thanks for the many kind words I got over the weekend, and truly making me feel like I'm truly part of this community. The sportsmanship I saw from my opponents and in the other matches I followed was great. I can't wait to get to another event, and also get some rounds with some of the other Northeast folks before this season ends.
In short, what a weekend, and this is something I'll remember forever. This place truly feels like home to me now.
TNTCigarguy
2014 #THPMC @TntCigarguy
So I have been staring at this thread for the last 5 hours and did not have the heart to open it because it really means it's all over. JB thank you for the wonderful recap, Panda and Hawk you too. I will have mine up soon as I have a lot of words I want to put on paper and I want to make sure I do not forget anything.
- Moderator
- #109
You were awesome MPetey!!!! I know looking at your game at the event and at your profile, 16.3 is something that won't be there for long.
Keep at it! I enjoyed our round immensely.
Keep at it! I enjoyed our round immensely.
mikedean441
6X HOF
Was a pleasure meeting you Matt and I'm glad you enjoyed the round Saturday. With that swing there's no way u stay near 16 for long at all
Tadashi70
Well-known member
A few favorite moments for me on a personal level was the look on Mojo, Neb, Frupesti and j4u faces at their level of play. As a teacher it's great to see results but it's even better to see results. I had the pleasure of working with these four in person at one point during the lead up to the MC. Seeing their excitement gave me chills and made me very happy.
They made the swing changes and it showed. When I saw neb and mojo in Dallas their swings were all over the place. What I saw this past weekend was nothing short of solid.
J4U was hitting at it in Dallas but what I saw on the range in MB was a swing.
David, when we worked out in January your swing was good. The action I saw and heard about is stuff of legend. You all made me proud and I know it was not even close to all me. But knowing you guys took what we spoke about to heart makes me proud. You guys worked and it showed!!
They made the swing changes and it showed. When I saw neb and mojo in Dallas their swings were all over the place. What I saw this past weekend was nothing short of solid.
J4U was hitting at it in Dallas but what I saw on the range in MB was a swing.
David, when we worked out in January your swing was good. The action I saw and heard about is stuff of legend. You all made me proud and I know it was not even close to all me. But knowing you guys took what we spoke about to heart makes me proud. You guys worked and it showed!!
Johnny mojo
Mojovated!
Not really ready with mine yet either, but here are some high points:
Canadan: "I'm gonna wear out this shirt collar today. 'Hey...while we're young!'"
Nate going apopoplectic when I (carefully) used a plastic tee to help him get the plastic off his irons.
Watching Spicoli hit driver or any other club for that matter.
The ace....the second one I have been fortunate enough to witness, but this one was special for many reasons.
Thank goodness for comfortable couches.
Explaining THP and The Morgan Cup to some Villa neighbors on #17 tee after the rain Friday afternoon with Nate.
Pawleys Raw Bar
Hitting from the water on 18 at True Blue during a practice round and pulling it off with a full balcony.....Thanks for goading me WardF.
MikeG gambling stories.
T2GRN18 enthusiasm.
Grounds crew member at Caledonia raking a bunker when I came up to hit a shot from the fairway next to him. He stops and waits until I hit, then asks if we are with "that Morgan Cup tournament" I confirm that we are, and he tells me and TNT that they are glad we are back and that last year there was a guy here from Finland. When we told him that he was back again this year, he was blown away. That right there tells me that Bob made SURE that things were made clear. Awesome.
Watching JB and GG. You could tell that they were pleased with what was happening. When people work hard and see it happen the way it was envisioned it is written all over their faces. Congratulations you two and Thank You from the bottom of my heart.
Volunteers! These people were 100% selfless in their desire to make sure we had what we needed. They worked their A$$es off for all of us and did it with a joyful heart.
Little Man!
Baby Gators
Mornings in the Villa and coffee. Calm before the storm.
Thats about it for now. Full recap to come later. I don't have anything planned for next week. Can we do it again?
JM
Canadan: "I'm gonna wear out this shirt collar today. 'Hey...while we're young!'"
Nate going apopoplectic when I (carefully) used a plastic tee to help him get the plastic off his irons.
Watching Spicoli hit driver or any other club for that matter.
The ace....the second one I have been fortunate enough to witness, but this one was special for many reasons.
Thank goodness for comfortable couches.
Explaining THP and The Morgan Cup to some Villa neighbors on #17 tee after the rain Friday afternoon with Nate.
Pawleys Raw Bar
Hitting from the water on 18 at True Blue during a practice round and pulling it off with a full balcony.....Thanks for goading me WardF.
MikeG gambling stories.
T2GRN18 enthusiasm.
Grounds crew member at Caledonia raking a bunker when I came up to hit a shot from the fairway next to him. He stops and waits until I hit, then asks if we are with "that Morgan Cup tournament" I confirm that we are, and he tells me and TNT that they are glad we are back and that last year there was a guy here from Finland. When we told him that he was back again this year, he was blown away. That right there tells me that Bob made SURE that things were made clear. Awesome.
Watching JB and GG. You could tell that they were pleased with what was happening. When people work hard and see it happen the way it was envisioned it is written all over their faces. Congratulations you two and Thank You from the bottom of my heart.
Volunteers! These people were 100% selfless in their desire to make sure we had what we needed. They worked their A$$es off for all of us and did it with a joyful heart.
Little Man!
Baby Gators
Mornings in the Villa and coffee. Calm before the storm.
Thats about it for now. Full recap to come later. I don't have anything planned for next week. Can we do it again?
JM
Have they installed the "Official Restaurant of Team Hackers" sign yet? Maybe better question is if you have found "Bangin Sauce" yet in Memphis?
Michigan Slice
This Guy Cant dance...
Feel silly thanking all these! But I love reading them!!!!
Johnny mojo
Mojovated!
O.K. So I just saw this and must comment here. Freddie when I just read that it got dusty in here. After the abortion fitting, you and JB talked me off the ledge and gave me solid advice. I worked pretty damned hard leading up to this and took lessons for the first time in my life. Whatever my instructor told me though, I would always lay it up next to the things you had mentioned to me first to see if it would hold up.
After playing a few practice rounds and then getting my equipment with the shafts and specs you recommended, I saw 15 - 20 yards increase with the driver and tighter dispersion! I came up to you at Caledonia and almost knocked you over with my excitement (sorry, I know you were hot and tired) I was just so happy. I can't thank you enough buddy for your friendship, instruction and just being there. We will play again soon my friend thank you for all the help.
Johnny Fairway :act-up:
Johnny mojo
Mojovated!
That stuff is SO good. Closest thing is the Bang Bang Shrimp sauce at Bone Fish Grill if anyone wants to try it.
Good times Donne.
JM
It hurts you? I gotta wear knickers in Chicago now because of that beating you took. You have any idea the looks I'm gonna get at each stop we make on the way to Wilson?
Smithfaced
New member
I have no idea how I am going to get through all of these recaps. I figured I would go with matches first because...well I don't know. Because Hawk did and that is good enough for me. Round 1 (I'll use forum names to make it easier for everyone) was with Scarnici Vs. Jman and Ddec. I'm not sure why but I believe there were more bets on this match than any other MC match. On Friday Ddec assured me that we would all have a blast and he was right. I will NEVER forget this round of golf and if my MC ended after this round I would have been satisfied.
Of my three opening tee shots, this one was the most difficult. Just getting my ball on the tee was brutal. I do a very good job remembering shots during a round but the honest truth is that I can only recall 3-4 shots through the first 8 holes of this match. I was in a different world. Scarnici and I were down 4 after 8 and trying to stay positive. We caught some bad breaks and Jman and Ddec were ham and egging it all over the course. Just when we thought we had an opening one of them would slam the door shut. I think the turning point for me was when T2GRN18 scooped us up on the 9th fairway for an interview. He asked what our plan was after falling so far behind and we both said we weren't going to press and we were just going to keep fighting. I think the interview helped us realize that things really weren't so bad. Next thing I know Scarnici and I are 1 up and in the midst of a battle.
I like to tell stories but I also want to keep this at a length that people will actually read it. We had a good chance to get another hole on 13. I had about a 35 foot putt on 13 that came up one revolution short. Ddec lined up a breaking 8 footer and drilled it center cup just like a veteran of the event would do. At that moment I knew this match would be something special. Fast forward to the par 3 16th. There were a good amount of people gathered at this point but I still wasn't feeling nerves. I hit my tee shot to about 12 feet and you guys will see what happened on the coverage. I wanted to go jump in the water and not come up.
The second saving grace of that match was Howzat and Puttin4Bird meeting us on 17. They put some life back into me and we were able to pull out a win on 17. Going in to 18 I couldn't help but think about what was happening. Leading up to the event I would always think about being in a battle that went to 18 with points on the line. I think that is what anyone would want. The rest will be on the coverage but the outcome is known. Scarnici and I had a long conversation about our approach in to 18 and I think we made the right choice. It wasn't the best shot for the coverage, but we did what we had to to win the match.
Dean, you are the freaking man! It is hard for me to even put this into words but I was so stoked when that match was announced. You and Nerfny said some things to me at the last MC and I will never forget that. Tears are flowing as I type this but you two mean so much to me. That round of golf was everything I had hoped it would be. You mean so much to this event and to THP. I am a better person for knowing you. The Dallas Cowboys text chain will live on forever!
Scarnici, what can I say dude? We battled bro and I could not have asked for a better partner to do it with. Howzat knew exactly what he was doing when he paired us together. I have played many tournaments where I had to rely on a partner and you were hands down the best. You absolutely rocked this event! We need to get together soon and tee it up. I'll play your tee ball the entire time.
JMAN!!! You are larger than life dude. You give so much to THP and you are a big reason this place is what it is. You were one of the first people to text me when I got selected and you had never even met me. I can't begin to tell you what it meant to me seeing you there when I walked off the course on Sunday. THANK YOU so much for everything you do. I am honored to call you a friend and look forward to seeing you soon.
Of my three opening tee shots, this one was the most difficult. Just getting my ball on the tee was brutal. I do a very good job remembering shots during a round but the honest truth is that I can only recall 3-4 shots through the first 8 holes of this match. I was in a different world. Scarnici and I were down 4 after 8 and trying to stay positive. We caught some bad breaks and Jman and Ddec were ham and egging it all over the course. Just when we thought we had an opening one of them would slam the door shut. I think the turning point for me was when T2GRN18 scooped us up on the 9th fairway for an interview. He asked what our plan was after falling so far behind and we both said we weren't going to press and we were just going to keep fighting. I think the interview helped us realize that things really weren't so bad. Next thing I know Scarnici and I are 1 up and in the midst of a battle.
I like to tell stories but I also want to keep this at a length that people will actually read it. We had a good chance to get another hole on 13. I had about a 35 foot putt on 13 that came up one revolution short. Ddec lined up a breaking 8 footer and drilled it center cup just like a veteran of the event would do. At that moment I knew this match would be something special. Fast forward to the par 3 16th. There were a good amount of people gathered at this point but I still wasn't feeling nerves. I hit my tee shot to about 12 feet and you guys will see what happened on the coverage. I wanted to go jump in the water and not come up.
The second saving grace of that match was Howzat and Puttin4Bird meeting us on 17. They put some life back into me and we were able to pull out a win on 17. Going in to 18 I couldn't help but think about what was happening. Leading up to the event I would always think about being in a battle that went to 18 with points on the line. I think that is what anyone would want. The rest will be on the coverage but the outcome is known. Scarnici and I had a long conversation about our approach in to 18 and I think we made the right choice. It wasn't the best shot for the coverage, but we did what we had to to win the match.
Dean, you are the freaking man! It is hard for me to even put this into words but I was so stoked when that match was announced. You and Nerfny said some things to me at the last MC and I will never forget that. Tears are flowing as I type this but you two mean so much to me. That round of golf was everything I had hoped it would be. You mean so much to this event and to THP. I am a better person for knowing you. The Dallas Cowboys text chain will live on forever!
Scarnici, what can I say dude? We battled bro and I could not have asked for a better partner to do it with. Howzat knew exactly what he was doing when he paired us together. I have played many tournaments where I had to rely on a partner and you were hands down the best. You absolutely rocked this event! We need to get together soon and tee it up. I'll play your tee ball the entire time.
JMAN!!! You are larger than life dude. You give so much to THP and you are a big reason this place is what it is. You were one of the first people to text me when I got selected and you had never even met me. I can't begin to tell you what it meant to me seeing you there when I walked off the course on Sunday. THANK YOU so much for everything you do. I am honored to call you a friend and look forward to seeing you soon.
- Staff
- #119
Jordan, you rock brother. I was NOT going to leave a friend hanging on Sunday at 18, no way no how. Thank you for the kind words my friend, that means more than I think you know right now.
mikedean441
6X HOF
My man Smithfaced. So glad you got to experience this event on the other side of the camera. I really enjoyed blasting you with that divot on 17 but mostly just chatting it up and looking on your phone sunday
Howzat
I'd Rather Be At The Hideaway
You and MicroMachine made the right choice for sure with the lay up. A very heads up decision in the heat of battle with several people watching on the balcony. It was like watching my kids achieve something special seeing you guys pull out the "W" in that match.
Jersey Nate
#JourneyToBetter #THPMC
Jersey Nate's 2014 Morgan Cup Recap - Day 1:
Arriving on the course on Thursday morning was a surreal experience. Over seven months, I'd thought about the Morgan Cup constantly...but it was actually here. I passed the THP tour van and my heart skipped a beat. The first THPer I saw was Ken/vman, who gave me a big smile and a hug. "Good to see you again," he said. He directed me to the range, where I saw a group of THPers warming up and hitting balls, with JB just chatting it up with everyone. The butterflies were gone (only to return later) and I was with family again. Hit a few balls and a few putts, all the while seeing familiar faces and introducing myself to new ones. Captain Howzat then got the Paradise boys gathered and directed us to Caledonia...
With one of the most picturesque entrances I've seen, Caledonia made me just gasp at its beauty. We all gathered on the 10th tee and chatted it up as if we had known each other for years...that's how I feel about Team Paradise. We shared a few laughs and jokes before we teed off for my first round of the #THPMC weekend. For the first 9, I was grouped with Matt/mmaynard, Tim/Wicked Cool Bearded Man, and Henri/Castor Hades. My first tee shot of Morgan Cup weekend? A high and right pull into the trees on 10...yeah, the butterflies were back.
When we got to the Par 3 11th, I was so juiced off of adrenaline that I blasted my iron over the green, over the hedges behind said green, and onto the back of 12 tee. I ended up hitting a blind chip over the hedges that hit the pin and settled to a couple feet for par. I said to the group, "Well, that was lucky!" Tim looked at me strangely: "What do you mean? You meant to hit that shot, and you executed it. We need to work on your confidence." Stepping onto 12 tee, I hit a nice 3W down the middle and Tim chimed in: "Was that lucky, too?" and chuckled. (Tim, while I'm still working on my confidence as a player, you have no idea how much that little exchange means to me, my friend.) Another highlight of my first 9 was me piping a drive through the fairway on 18, pulling my short iron from the rough, and pushing my shot well left, into the parking lot and past the bag drop. Whoops.
We switched up the foursome for our second 9 and I had the pleasure of playing with Jordan/Smithfaced, Christian/Scarnici, and Kyle/Flog2424. Kyle's bunker shot from his knees (pictured here) was a thing of beauty, as were several shots from my teammates. All through this round, I was trying to think about how it would feel with the pressure of the competition, the cameras...oh, how I underestimated that feeling.
Jordan and I checked in to our villa and I decided to hit the range and not play another 18. I wasn't alone - THPers were still the vast majority of golfers on the range there, fine tuning and working out their swings in preparation for the big show. After a shower, me, Jordan, Henri, and Henri's friend Rob went for a trip to the PGA Superstore. Henri and Rob bickering like a married couple in Finnish about the climate control in their car...priceless. They also are possibly the only two who looked at a trip to Walgreens as a joyful experience to be savored, and we were so late in coming back to the property that we had dinner from the Arby's drive through. We watched a storm that was off in the distance as we had a great conversation about the differences between Finland and the US. When we finally got through the construction traffic and back to our villa, we had a beer and tried to get some shut eye (read: tried) before Staff Sponsor Day in the morning...
Arriving on the course on Thursday morning was a surreal experience. Over seven months, I'd thought about the Morgan Cup constantly...but it was actually here. I passed the THP tour van and my heart skipped a beat. The first THPer I saw was Ken/vman, who gave me a big smile and a hug. "Good to see you again," he said. He directed me to the range, where I saw a group of THPers warming up and hitting balls, with JB just chatting it up with everyone. The butterflies were gone (only to return later) and I was with family again. Hit a few balls and a few putts, all the while seeing familiar faces and introducing myself to new ones. Captain Howzat then got the Paradise boys gathered and directed us to Caledonia...
Spoiler
With one of the most picturesque entrances I've seen, Caledonia made me just gasp at its beauty. We all gathered on the 10th tee and chatted it up as if we had known each other for years...that's how I feel about Team Paradise. We shared a few laughs and jokes before we teed off for my first round of the #THPMC weekend. For the first 9, I was grouped with Matt/mmaynard, Tim/Wicked Cool Bearded Man, and Henri/Castor Hades. My first tee shot of Morgan Cup weekend? A high and right pull into the trees on 10...yeah, the butterflies were back.
When we got to the Par 3 11th, I was so juiced off of adrenaline that I blasted my iron over the green, over the hedges behind said green, and onto the back of 12 tee. I ended up hitting a blind chip over the hedges that hit the pin and settled to a couple feet for par. I said to the group, "Well, that was lucky!" Tim looked at me strangely: "What do you mean? You meant to hit that shot, and you executed it. We need to work on your confidence." Stepping onto 12 tee, I hit a nice 3W down the middle and Tim chimed in: "Was that lucky, too?" and chuckled. (Tim, while I'm still working on my confidence as a player, you have no idea how much that little exchange means to me, my friend.) Another highlight of my first 9 was me piping a drive through the fairway on 18, pulling my short iron from the rough, and pushing my shot well left, into the parking lot and past the bag drop. Whoops.
We switched up the foursome for our second 9 and I had the pleasure of playing with Jordan/Smithfaced, Christian/Scarnici, and Kyle/Flog2424. Kyle's bunker shot from his knees (pictured here) was a thing of beauty, as were several shots from my teammates. All through this round, I was trying to think about how it would feel with the pressure of the competition, the cameras...oh, how I underestimated that feeling.
Spoiler
Jordan and I checked in to our villa and I decided to hit the range and not play another 18. I wasn't alone - THPers were still the vast majority of golfers on the range there, fine tuning and working out their swings in preparation for the big show. After a shower, me, Jordan, Henri, and Henri's friend Rob went for a trip to the PGA Superstore. Henri and Rob bickering like a married couple in Finnish about the climate control in their car...priceless. They also are possibly the only two who looked at a trip to Walgreens as a joyful experience to be savored, and we were so late in coming back to the property that we had dinner from the Arby's drive through. We watched a storm that was off in the distance as we had a great conversation about the differences between Finland and the US. When we finally got through the construction traffic and back to our villa, we had a beer and tried to get some shut eye (read: tried) before Staff Sponsor Day in the morning...
Thankful for the 88% Yelp rating or we never would be VIP's in there now. We owned that joint!
ATLGolfer
#ATLClive75
- Joined
- Sep 11, 2013
- Messages
- 74,824
- Reaction score
- 88,411
- Location
- Ponte Vedra, Florida
- Handicap
- 11.9
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