Phoenix City Amateur - Round 2

A tale of two nines today as I shot 76, 6 over, all of which occured on the front. I went 41-35 and was actually 8 over at one point, but played the last 5 holes 2 under to get it back to even for the side. Wind blew pretty hard on the back and the pins were again tucked in some locations, but overall more fair, not conducive to my scoring, but more fair. Here we go!

Oh, and I found out I wasn't T-3rd after yesterday as one guy shot 69, posted after I left the course yesterday. I think that was the only other score lower, wasn't in the mood to scan the board after the round today.

I don't have a scorecard, so yardages are approximate. Hit it horrible on the range warming up, I literally hooked my first PW 25 yards, yikes. Hit a great tee shot on the par 5 first, ran just through the fairway at the corner, 3 iron just short and a great pitch to 4 feet, canned it for an opening birdie. #2 is approximately 330 yards with water right, hit driver to clear the fairway bunkers and yoked it left. I was able to pitch it around the palm trees but at the last second mentally feared pulling it into the tree so the pitch shot went straight over the bunker, barely cleared it but left me about 12 feet uphill right to left. In the middle of my stroke I thought "wow, this is great, hit it bad on the range and now have a great chance to go 2 under through 2". The putt broke so far left it amazed me. About 3 feet for par and I literally watched the hole the entire stroke, missed it, bogey. 185 yard 3rd, pulled 5 iron pin high left, mud on the ball, tentative chip to 3 feet, downhill left to right, wuss stroke and missed it. Now I'm thinking "great, another day like this" Good thoughts to have moron. Pulled driver on the 4th into the trees and had to punch out with a 7 iron, hit it real well and bounced it in front, but it just skated past the hole, about 30 feet downhill right to left, didn't play enough break and left it 4 feet away. Now I'm thinking "If you are going to ever have a chance to hit a confidence building putt, this is it" 4 feet uphill right to left and I jammed it in there for par. 198 yard par 3 fifth, a little breeze into us and I hit what I thought was a decent 4 iron, but it ended up a bit short, fat part of the green. Literally looks like there is an elephant buried in the green, up the hill to the hole then it drops off sharply, first putt was 4 feet short, hit the 2nd putt with authority but not enough break and missed it high, another bogey.

Sixth hole is about a 420 yard par 4, hit driver and cold blocked it. Ended up about 3 inches away from the fence lining the street. I did the old "aim right with the body and left with the clubface" and hit a phenomenal punch hook PW from the fence into the greenside bunker where I was aiming. Remember all the golf courses that don't have enough sand in the bunkers? Well I found it, all that sand is at this golf course. Ball is buried, I step into the bunker and sink 4 inches. Swung as hard as I could just to get it out, great shot but it went left and rolled off the front of the green. Chip to about 4 feet and missed that putt too, double bogey. Par 3 seventh, only a 9 iron. Thought I put a great swing on it, felt real good, looked up and it upshot into the wind and faded, into the greenside bunker. I almost couldn't find the ball it was buried so bad. Swung as hard as I could again and blasted out to about 15 feet, which was a great shot considering the lie I had, missed the putt but it was a great stroke, another bogey. Par 5 eighth hole, absolutely block fanned the tee shot, but had an opening. I had to cut a 5 iron out of the rough / trench around a very large tree and almost slid it far enough right to make the fairway, but didn't. I had 151 to the stick, hit 8 iron and the ball just mushed off the face out of the very lush weed / crabgrass I was in, barely made the front edge. Probably 50 + feet to the hole, hit the putt and immediately knew it was way short. By the time it stopped rolling I was about 1 1/2 feet left of the hole, hmmm, great putt sir! First guy nearly blows it OB right on 9 (430 yards, into the wind), second guy hits an iron and says he hates this hole. I put a "please don't go right" toe hook driver move on it and bounce it off the fence lining the range left. Free drop from the range fence (it's on the rules sheet) but couldn't make myself hook 5 iron enough for fear of hitting the palm tree 10 feet in front of me. Pin high right, stubbed the chip shot, still in the fringe about 8 feet away for par. I rammed that putt real hard, lipped out low, 3 feet downhill left to right for bogey and somehow made it. 41, 6 over on the front.

10 is a 304 yard par 4, into the wind, first guy landed on the green and bounced over (pin cut right behind the bunker, that was ALL carry, very nice), I'm not carrying it that far so I'm aimed left figuring miss it right if anywhere, and I did, ended up in the greenside bunker. This sand is a COMPLETELY different texture, hit a great shot onto the green, should have been stony, no spin, rolled about 20 feet past, missed the putt low and made par. 161 yard par 3 eleventh, hit 7 iron, at the last second thought "don't hit it over, that's dead!". Let up and landed it right on the front, about 40 feet away. Hit the putt hard but was still 3 feet short, dead in the heart for 3. Par 5 twelfth is probably 550 yards or so, and the wind is kicking up now, dead into us. Hit driver into the right trees, but pretty sparse there. Hit 3 wood about 40 yards short in the left rough. Lined up for another pitch shot and came out of it, left it pin high on the bank short of the bunker. Pulled the pin as this is a chip shot you can make, flat out chunked it, about 8 feet left for par, missed it. 13 is about 410 yards or so, blocked my tee shot into the right rough, dead behind some of the widest and tallest trees I've ever seen. Punched 5 iron under it into the bunker where I was aiming. Fluffed it out of there, 20+ feet left, ran it 5 feet by and made it for bogey.

Pretty pissed off now, 8 over after birdieing the first hole of the day. Not going well. Par 3 14th, 215 yards, wind is howling off the left. I hit one of the best high towering drawing and held into the wind 3 irons of my life, about 12 feet left of the hole. Putt was 3 inches short, dead in the jaws. 15 is 450 yards, playing dead downwind, lake on the left. I aimed right and hit a great tee shot into the right rough by a few inches. Smooth 9 iron up into the wind and rode the fade, ended up about 3 feet left of the hole, canned that for birdie. 16 is only 413 yards, dead back into the wind, hit a good tee shot to the right side of the fairway. I had 167 left and hit 5 iron into the wind, at the last second thinking "wow that's a lot of club" let up on it and ended up a bit short of pin high in the right fringe, 40 feet away. First putt to about 3 1/2 feet, made the putt for par. 17 dead downwind, probably 410 yards or so, good tee shot, but still missed the fairway by 6 inches. Hit GW and it just mushed out of that same type of grass that was on 8. Maybe just under 20 feet, downhill downwind putt, hit it fairly soft and it just kept rolling and rolling, in for birdie. 18 is about the same length, but OB right. I setup to take it up over the trees on the left dogleg and cold blocked it again. I was in bounds by an easy 8 feet or so, moron. Pin is cut right in front, 110 yards to go downwind, hit SW and pulled it a hair but only 10 feet left or so, it takes one hop in front of the green and squirts left on me, ends up pin high about 25 feet away. I about puked my guts out trying to make that putt, but alas it was not to be, but an easy par. 35, even on the back.

So going by the cut of the grass, I hit exactly 1 fairway today, and that one by less than 3 feet. Probably 3-4 that missed by less than 2 feet. Hit 11 greens and had 34 (official) putts. I played 2 through 13 in nine over par, finished the last 5 holes 2 under. Just like the front nine yesterday, I couldn't get the ball in play on the front nine today. Obviously I'm pretty frustrated right now, spoke to my uncle and he suggested that I change my attitude for the rest of the tournament, play pissed off. A little, not a lot, but this tentative "please get in the fairway, please go in the hole" bullshit isn't getting it done. Man I wish I could have that front 9 over again. I'm probably an easy 10 shots back after this fiasco.

Rounds 3 and 4 are this coming Saturday / Sunday, so we'll be hitting a lot of pent up anger laden drivers at the range this week, as well as rubbing chicken bones on my putter. If anyone has any voodoo rituals or sacrificial ceremonies that work, please let me know.