San Tan Amatuer results - Round 2

So after Friday's putting fiasco, I spent about an hour on my putting green at home, and I must say, putted even worse. I finally just went to bed and said the hell with it. It's not like I can have 41 putts again. Tee times on Saturday, I'm off at 8:40 AM. Here we go!

Started on #10 again (split tees). As yesterday, we're aiming for the right corner rough, oops, blocked it into the fairway on #1. I hit a perfect 7 iron, only to find it was actually pulled and just a bit short. A lame chip to about 10 feet, and a short putt, 3 feet left. Uh oh, remember yesterday? Well I made this one, Yay me. Bogey. Blocked 4 iron on #11 but hit it so bad that I actually ended up in the bunker, dead. Pin is in back, on the other side of this ridiculous slope. Hit it out of the bunker up into the rough, trickled down onto the green to about 3 feet, great shot. Damned if I didn't make that putt too. Sort of ok tee shot down the left side on the par 5 twelfth, but into the wind today, so about 270 in. Decent 3 wood just short, but have to pitch over the bunker up to the back shelf. Thought I hit it short but it bounced hard and ended up about 6 feet long. Got a great read from the first guy to putt nearly on my line and I made mine for 4. Hit another baby cut driver on 13, just a short pitch in. Fatted it a bit but got lucky with a hard bounce, about 12 feet below the hole. Just left it short, knew it as soon as I hit it. I have to think that yesterday had something to do with that tentative stroke. Hit 5 iron on 14 today (4 iron deep yesterday) and got sooooo lucky, hit it like a girl but got a good bounce out of the fringe and had about 15 feet left, uphill right to left. Other guy holes his from about 25 feet, nearly on my line, and I go after mine especially after leaving it short on the last hole. Well too much gas equals not enough break, miss it high left, about 3 feet downhill right to left to go. As I'm taking it back I think "don't hit it too hard in case you miss so you have an easy tap in for bogey". Oh, great swing thought, missed it low and left.

Decent tee shot on the par 5 fifteenth, dead in the middle of the fairway, 250 yards in, and topped the damn thing again. That's twice in 2 days, what in the h-e-doublehockeysticks is that about? 127 yards left, perfect PW, blocked it, left myself 35 feet for birdie. Missed it low, made the par putt. Group behind us is on our ass, and I want to get moving. I stand up on the next hole, look behind us to confirm that the group is pressing us and blocked the tee shot OB. Good job. 3 from the tee is right down the middle, hit GW to the back right top shelf pin and missed the green right, dead. Pitch to 20 feet and 2 putt, triple. Nice 7 dude, really, great course management there. No wind today on 17, hit 7 iron again, about 20 feet right, just past pin high, lame first putt, make the 3 footer for par. I hit a low hooked tee shot on 18, into the left rough, but about 135 yards left, and fatted a 9 iron short of the green. This game isn't that hard is it? F me again. Hit a great chip shot, nearly went in, then went 8 feet by. I was thinking "don't pull this" and missed it right. 39 yesterday and 40 today? I mean come on, who's dog did I run over? I don't deserve this do I?

Didn't hit the tee shot nearly as well on #1 today, but had about the same yardage in. Since we're not into the wind and the pin is in front, I try a little 3 iron chaser, hit it great, but it sat nearly in place when it landed, about 15 yards short. Hit another great chip shot, about 2 feet low and left though, but made it for birdie. Piped the tee shot on #2, 104 yards left. Now this is just a bit much for the ol SW, but I think we can get it there. Been hitting the GW like crap anyway. Pin is all the way left, green is split by a big valley, not much room for error. Thought it was perfect but landed about 6 inches short of flat and spun back down into the valley about 15 feet away. Good 2 putt from that bottom tier. Absolutely yanked the tee shot on #3, but it ran forever and got past the tree on the left. Had nary a SW left into the hole (55 yards farther than yesterday, I'm so huge). Blocked it and had a nasty right to left putt, one of those where the more break you play the more it breaks. Somehow I got it to within 6 inches and walked out with par. Absolutely nutted the tee shot on #4, had only 102 yards left. Hit GW this time (uphill) and 2 putted for another 4. Just a so so tee shot on the par 5 fifth, so so 3 wood just short, and a so so pitch shot to about 10 feet. Got another great read from a guy who was putting nearly on my line and made mine for yet another 4.

5 iron again on #6 but pulled and ended up about 35 feet and a bit short of pin high. This nearly would have been holed for yesterday's pin, hey, small battles right. First putt was tentative and was about 4 feet short. I never felt better over a putt though and stroked it perfectly. Oh yeah, it missed. Hit 3 wood again on #7, perfectly placed, just a nice pitch shot from there, but way too tentative, God forbid I attack the stick from 70 yards or anything. 2 putt from there for my 7th 4 in a row. Hit 5 iron again on #8, beautiful cut just like I planned, I just started it at the hole, ended up pin high in the fringe, felt really good about it, pulled the pin and nearly chipped in, tap in par and my first 3 of the back side!

As we're standing on the tee on 9, we see a guy in the group ahead make the longest walk in all of golf. He hit it OB and had to walk back to re-tee. We told him to take his time, he nutted it and went on his way. As I'm pulling my driver back after the fairway clears I think "you've already hit one OB, let's not be like that guy", hey look at that, I missed the fairway left! 106 yards in, a shade downwind. Hit a perfect SW, I literally was yelling for it to go in. One hop and zipped back a few feet though, about 10 feet left. Pured the putt and made it for a closing birdie and a 2 under 34 on the back. Can we start the golf tournament now?

I walked off after 32 putts feeling like I putted lights out, that's how bad Friday was. So 74 with a triple on day 2, and a lot of missed opportunities to look back on. Breakdown by nines goes 39-40-40-34. Maybe I need to play 27 hole practice rounds or something. At any rate, it's movement in the right direction. I spoke to my instructor and he's got some ideas on drills with a belly putter so we can target some isolation in the stroke. I'm not going to a belly putter, just drills. He and I agreed that perhaps an equipment change with the putter isn't out of order. I've had this putter or 10 years now, and it's not like switching is going to cause me to go out and putt worse than I already have. I'm looking for something now, I just can't find anything I like. I was thinking a mallet, but they just don't look right to me. The search goes on.