It was a very windy day and holes 4-7 were straight into the wind. I hit several errant shots to begin the day. Most notably was a 6-iron on #2. I pulled it left about 20 yards and it went into the water. That lead to a double bogey. I pulled a 7-iron left on #5 and that shot went into a bunker. Bogey. Number 7 was a 210 yard par 3 into the wind and I hit my hybrid into a bunker. Another bogey.
Finally on #8 we turned away from the wind and started playing with it at our backs. I hit a 3-wood 320 yards off the tee on #8, then hit a driver 360 yards on #9! I made a 6 foot putt on #9 for birdie and that really turned things around. After a string of 4 pars to start the back nine, I reached the downwind par-5 14th. I hit my drive between the bunkers and just inside of the 200 yard marker (564 yard hole - 200 yards left = another 360 yard drive). From there I hit a 7-iron to 25 feet and 2-putted for a birdie.
The rest of my holes played back into the wind as we began our return to the clubhouse. On #15 I failed to clear a bunker running across the fairway. It was only a 250 yard carry, but now being back into the wind that was asking a lot. From the fairway bunker I hit a wedge to 10 feet and made the birdie putt! Pars on 16 and 17 left me at +2 for the day and +1 for the tournament.
The final hole is a 560 par 5, which was playing into a slight hurting wind. I made perhaps my best swing of the day and piped the drive right down the middle. It stopped 6 feet from the 250 yard marker. There is no doubt in my mind I wouldn't have been able to hit that drive 2 summers ago - maybe even not this summer. I put an extra stiff shaft in my driver this fall and that added some distance. Combine that with my overall increased length, which was attributed to working out the past 15 months. From the 250 plate, I hit a 3-wood 25 feet from the hole. Problem was, it was in a bunker. I splashed it out to 3 feet and made the birdie putt!
Front nine score - 40
Back nine score - 33
Front nine sand saves - 0/4
Back nine sand saves - 2/2 (including the up and down from the fairway bunker)
Front nine "squirrley" shots - 4 (happened on number 2, 3, 5, & 7 - played those 4 holes +5)
Back nine " squirrley" shots - 0*
*4 times I had a shot very similar to ones on the "squirrley" shots on the front nine
I admit that during the front nine I was very agitated and frustrated with my play. Nerves were a factor. Once I doubled #2, followed by a bogey on 3 I was already thinking about missing the cut. I managed to control my negative thoughts by clinging to the idea that once I got to hole 8, I would have 7 consecutive holes with a helping wind. That meant I would have birdie chances and by the time I turned around on #15 my confidence would be high again and I could attack those remaining difficult holes.
Glad it worked out like I planned.
Neil
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