I haven't been reading or working on anything new lately and haven't spent any time practicing. But I have been playing, and focusing on some of the methods I've posted recently. I've made a lot of progress in taking each round one shot at a time, with an emphasis on playing instead of scoring, yet remaining expectant of extraordinary results.


Mornington Peninsula in Melborne by alandot at flickr.com

After shooting the 73 a couple weeks ago in match play, I moved on to the next bracket and played one of our club's best players. To my astonishment, I learned his low handicap for the year was one higher than mine, so I had to give him one stroke in our match. He's very capable of breaking par, is known as one of the longest and most accurate drivers in the club, and even won a local pro-am that includes PGA players such as Loren Roberts, Tom Lehman, Aaron Oberholzer, John Daly, Fred Couples, and others. I was up against a real player and was giving him a stroke!

We both made admirable up and downs on the difficult opening hole to get off to a good start. But on the par 3 2nd hole, he hit the green, and I landed a deep greenside bunker. My lie was hardpan wet sand. It took me 2 strokes to get out, then I 3-putted for a triple bogie! Fortunately, it was match play, so I was only down 1. On the par 5 3rd, we both hit long drives. In fact, it was one of several holes where I out drove him, which is no easy feat. He hit his 2nd shot right into a bank with long grass behind a small tree. I was in the middle of the fairway about 50 yards out. I hit the green in regulation, he punched back out to the fairway. I lined up my putt while he hit his 4th shot short of the green unto the fringe. He then chipped in for par! I was sure I had him and would get back to even. Instead, I 3-putted again and lost the hole! I was now down 2. He finally bogied the 4th and I got back to within 1. I was still in it.

I stayed patient and played with an attitude of expectancy. I knew I had a good enough game to at least make it a good match.

I birdied the next hole to get even! Then I chipped in from off the green on the par 4 6th for another birdie and went up 1. His jaw dropped. The par 4 7th is one of my favorite holes. It's an uphill dogleg left which can be driven with a good drive if you're willing to take the risk. You can bail out safely right, but a pulled shot goes out of bounds left. I hit my drive right at the pin, landed the green, and rolled about 15-20 feet past the pin! My opponent tried too but missed right, then pitched up and 2 putted for par. I 2 putted for my 3rd birdie in a row and went up 2!

The par 4 8th is the #1 handicap hole, so I had to give him a stroke. We both made impressive pars, but he took the hole. Still up 1. I hit first on the par 5 9th. I figured with his distance, he'd try to get on in 2, so I decided I'd do the same. I crushed my drive, but pulled it to the left into a dry water collection area with long rough. He hit one just as far to the middle of the fairway. Fortunately, I had a good lie and because the hole was a slight dogleg left, had a shorter distance to the green. I absolutely clobbered a 5-wood and landed just 1 foot short of the green. He laid up, pitched on in regulation, and 2 putted for par. I made an incredible chip to within 1 foot for an easy tap-in birdie! I'd just birdied 4 out of the last 5 holes and went up again by 2!

I was succeeding in staying true to my goal to take the match one shot at a time, let go of the outcome, yet remain expectant for extraordinary shots to come.

However, it turned out my opponent was pretty good at doing the same and he got very focused and hung right in there. He birdied 10 and 12 to get back to even with 6 holes to go! From there he went on to birdie one more hole and I started getting a couple bogies. He took the match on 17 with a par on a very difficult par 3. I still considered the match a success. I'd shot a 76 with a triple bogie and 4 3-putts and he came in with a 2-under 70!

There's no doubt I had no business having to give him a stroke. He's a much more accomplished and experienced golfer whose index has recently been as low as 1. The inaccuracy of handicaps is just a reality of amateur golf that I wasn't going to waste any time dwelling on. I'd played a good match and certainly gained his respect. I had him a little worried after my string of four birdies. In the end, I think he just wanted it more than I did. I just wanted to play and see what an expectant attitude might bring forth! He just wanted to win. We both got what we wanted.

I've now shot a 73 and 76 in my last 2 competitive rounds and shot a 74 yesterday playing recreationally with friends. Just playing golf, instead of trying to score, is paying big dividends!

Labels: Rounds