Phoenix City Amateur - Round 4

So yesterday I mentioned the shin injury, I was told it's the anterior tibialis muscle, but I just looked it up and that isn't it. Anyway, it's the muscle about 4-6 inches above the ankle bone, on the front / outside of my right shin. It has cramped up a bit in the past, but never too bad. It started up a bit late in round 3 and in round 4 it hit on about the 5th or 6th hole. By the time I got to the back side I was limping pretty bad. I actually had to step away on the 18th tee and tell myself that I only had to make 2 more swings. I drove home with the cruise control on as I couldn't depress the gas pedal on the car, couldn't put any weight on it at all. Man does this thing hurt. Ok, so round 4. A bit shorter drive to this golf course, and not hitting it all that well on the range. Pretty flat golf course, looks to be pretty short. Considering how yesterday went, surely I'm in for some good breaks? Here we go!

Stripe the tee shot on the opening par 5, nary a 4 iron in. Blocked it just short of pin high right, pitch to about 4 feet and made the putt for birdie. That's a birdie on #1 three out of the 4 days in this tournament. If only they only counted the first hole. Ah well. 2 is about a 200 yard par 3, hit a pathetic 4 iron short and right into the bunker, blasted out to a foot and saved par. Hit a nearly perfect cut driver on 3 into the heart of the fairway. Looking at the hole, it's cut on the right side, big swale and dropoff right of that. Obviously miss it left if anything, or hit a cut that starts at the stick if you are me. The pitch was 6 inches from perfect, par putt failed to drop. Back to even. 165 yard par 3 fourth, hit an identically pathetic 7 iron into the front bunker. Ball way above my feet and I could only manage to sneak it on the green about 20 feet short, missed the par putt and made my 2nd bogey in a row. Five is a 331 yard par 4, trees overhanging right, I opt for a cut 3 wood and thinned it, but perfectly shaped dead into the fairway. About 70 yards left but went a little deep. Left the 15 footer about 4 feet short (wow) but made the par putt. 6 is a dogleg right par 4 with water through the fairway left, hit a perfect 3 wood into the corner and a solid 9 iron about 15 feet left of the stick. Misread the putt for birdie, thought it broke left but went dead straight. I really can't remember number 7, it's a par 4 of some sort and I made par, but I can't remember the details. Eight is a 425 yard par 4 and I hit a decent tee shot but a bit right into the rough. Thought I kind of smothered a 9 iron out but it landed pin high about 20 feet left. Didn't exactly come close on the birdie putt, but it was an easy tap in for par. Number 9 is a short par 5 and we need one back. Hit a pulled tee shot but only left with 206 yards into the breeze. There's a bunker all the way across the front, so it's about a 200 yard carry, and I hit another pathetic shot, this time the thinned 3 iron, pin high right onto a dirt path. I tried to bounce it into the slope between the bunker and the green, but was a little agressive, flew the slope and over the green. Chip to 6 feet and couldn't convert. Out in 38, really not too sharp.

Re-compose myself on 10, another par 5. Hit a pretty good tee shot, again in the right rough. About 225 yards out and hit a nearly perfect chaser 3 iron into the heart of the green, about 15 feet away for eagle. The putt nearly went in but we settled for a tap in birdie to get back to 1 over. 11 is about a 165 yard par 3, hit a solid 7 iron about 10 feet right of the stick, pin high. A real good uphill right to left putt to get back to even, except as it turns out, it wasn't uphill and I ran it about 6 feet by. The par putt burns on the high side and we 3 putt for bogey to get back to 2 over. A little red ass on 12, another par 5, hit a low hook right into the corner, leaving me about 265 to the greenside bunker. Just on the edge of safe, we waited for the green to clear and I hit a perfect 3 wood, I mean perfect, that landed 10 yards short and stuck. Damn. Straightforward pitch shot, oops, I mean a nuked pitch shot over the green. A lame "I'm still dwelling on the pitch shot" chip to about 12 feet and we miss the par putt, another bogey. Great.

13 is a short par 4, hitting 3 wood great so I'll just..., nope, toe hooked it into the rough. No matter, 110 yards out, perfect GW. I don't know what happened here, caught it solid, felt great, just crept onto the front, pin all the way back, about 45 feet for birdie. Left the first putt 6 feet short, didn't even scare the hole for par, another bogey. 14 is a dogleg left par 4 around a lake, blocked 3 wood through the corner (hey, exactly where I wanted to miss it, look at that, a perfectly executed shot!), then fatted 8 iron short of the green. Half hearted chip to 10 feet, missed the putt, that's 4 bogey's in a row. 15 is a straightaway par 4, killed 3 wood leaving me right at 100 yards. Hit a perfect SW that landed about 5 paces behind the hole and zipped back to 5 feet. Now wouldn't you know that I missed the damn putt? Of course, great par though, break that bogey train! 16 is about 430 yards or so, dogleg left around a bunker, hit the tee shot low and left, right into it. I'm 155 yards out, on an upslope, so I pull 7 iron. Hit it perfect, I mean perfect, just left of the stick, lands in the fringe and bounces straight left. Hit what I thought was a great chip but it just skated by to about 6 feet. Missed that putt too, for yet another bogey.

Well we're officially pissed. We can't walk or put any weight on our right foot. We've made 8 freaking bogey's on the day and we're up to the 215 yard par 3 17th playing dead into the wind. I hit a pretty solid 3 iron and "bored a hole through the fuckin' wind" (Dead Solid Perfect reference for those not enlightened), settled at the back of the green about 30 feet away, pretty good shot considering the elements. Hit a great putt that stopped 2 inches short dead in the jaws. As I mentioned earlier, I had to actually step away on the te at 18 to talk myself into swinging and walking on my foot for one more hole. Hit a good driver but blocked again, just past the fairway bunker. Still into the wind and I pull an 8 iron from 140 and smoothed it up there to 6 feet, just a great shot. Unfortunately this putt lips out on the high side and we're 3 inches away from going birdie birdie to close out the round.

So there, in all of it's glory is the closing 78 we stank the place up with. Played number 9 just terribly and the 3 putt on 11 just killed my will to play decently. Obviously happy with how we finished the last 2 holes, but man is my shin muscle killing me! Just getting over this monster head / chest cold as well, it's been a rough couple of days. Finished 21st out of 39 entered in this flight, a mere 24 shots from victory. Looking back, this is literally the first 4 round tournament of my life and we made it through. We obviously could have played better, but in all, the front 9 last Sunday and the back 9 this Sunday is what kept this from being respectable. It's all a learning experience and we'll look to improve in the next couple of weeks in the next Golf Channel event. I'll be playing a casual round this Sunday so we'll try to put some things together to build upon. Thanks for keeping up with me and wish me luck!