Written on 3-5-13
Bruce, C.J., and I played nine this past weekend. Cameron was invited, but he called and texted before we started to let me know he had work to do. Bruce picked the game, Escalating Skins, one of my favorites. We started on #10 because the front was busy and getting busier.
And, that’s when the Bruce Show started. He hit his tee shot fat, but it didn’t matter; he was still on the green. He won the first hole and the first bonus. On the next hole, I got to see his approach from...
a great angle. My drive had made it past the trees, but it was in a bad lie (clumpy ground) and off to the right of the green. His second shot arched up into the sky, landed on the green and then spun back 20 feet to stop a few feet below the hole. I felt like I was back at the Masters watching the pros again! He made that putt for a 3, 3 start. Then he made a smooth swing on #12 that got his ball on the green, a rare and wonderful thing for any of us. He double-putted that for his third 3 in a row.
On the next hole, our two drives were both near the railroad ties next to the teeing ground on #8. We both took our free drops, and that’s where the similarities ended. Bruce put his “approach” directly under the hole whereas my pitch didn’t even make it on the green. He made that easy putt for his fourth 3 in a row! C.J. and I knew we were watching something special. I didn’t want to say anything for fear of messing it up. Writing all of those threes in a row was fun for me even though they weren’t my scores.
He saved a par on #14. I remember he hit a tree or two when he was left of the fairway, but that didn’t stop him from keeping his steady play going. His short game was saving him. He got another par on #15. His approach was long, I remember, but he made up the difference with some excellent putting. On #16, he earned his third and final birdie of the round. He caught this approach thin, but it still ended up on the green. Walking back to the green he talked about how sometimes everything just clicks. I am paraphrasing what he said, but he asked me if I knew what he meant, and I could honestly answer yes since I had had my round of 74 last year. Things just go your way, and I was so happy for him.
At this point, he had won $390,000 with all the bonuses and the wins. C.J. had taken away a mere $30,000.00 from Bruce on hole #14 with a fade that stayed on the fairway for one of the bonuses. I was smelling skunk on every hole, and it was mostly coming from me.
He got another par on #17, and then he finished with another scrambling par on #18. He earned that one by going through some trees again and playing near an electrical box. It was easy to figure out his score. He had three birdies and the rest were pars.
I forgot to mention that he was sick! He had a cold that prevented him from playing another nine holes. He chose to take all of that money (it ended up being $470,000.00) and just leave. I heard from Bruce and C.J. later that he is still a human being. He shot a 46 on Sunday with C.J. and actually lost by one stroke. For those nine holes I played with him, though, he was not a human being. He was an alien. No, an animal. No, a golf alien animal. A sick golf alien animal. Glad I got to see it.
Until next time...
Bruce, C.J., and I played nine this past weekend. Cameron was invited, but he called and texted before we started to let me know he had work to do. Bruce picked the game, Escalating Skins, one of my favorites. We started on #10 because the front was busy and getting busier.
And, that’s when the Bruce Show started. He hit his tee shot fat, but it didn’t matter; he was still on the green. He won the first hole and the first bonus. On the next hole, I got to see his approach from...
a great angle. My drive had made it past the trees, but it was in a bad lie (clumpy ground) and off to the right of the green. His second shot arched up into the sky, landed on the green and then spun back 20 feet to stop a few feet below the hole. I felt like I was back at the Masters watching the pros again! He made that putt for a 3, 3 start. Then he made a smooth swing on #12 that got his ball on the green, a rare and wonderful thing for any of us. He double-putted that for his third 3 in a row.
On the next hole, our two drives were both near the railroad ties next to the teeing ground on #8. We both took our free drops, and that’s where the similarities ended. Bruce put his “approach” directly under the hole whereas my pitch didn’t even make it on the green. He made that easy putt for his fourth 3 in a row! C.J. and I knew we were watching something special. I didn’t want to say anything for fear of messing it up. Writing all of those threes in a row was fun for me even though they weren’t my scores.
He saved a par on #14. I remember he hit a tree or two when he was left of the fairway, but that didn’t stop him from keeping his steady play going. His short game was saving him. He got another par on #15. His approach was long, I remember, but he made up the difference with some excellent putting. On #16, he earned his third and final birdie of the round. He caught this approach thin, but it still ended up on the green. Walking back to the green he talked about how sometimes everything just clicks. I am paraphrasing what he said, but he asked me if I knew what he meant, and I could honestly answer yes since I had had my round of 74 last year. Things just go your way, and I was so happy for him.
At this point, he had won $390,000 with all the bonuses and the wins. C.J. had taken away a mere $30,000.00 from Bruce on hole #14 with a fade that stayed on the fairway for one of the bonuses. I was smelling skunk on every hole, and it was mostly coming from me.
He got another par on #17, and then he finished with another scrambling par on #18. He earned that one by going through some trees again and playing near an electrical box. It was easy to figure out his score. He had three birdies and the rest were pars.
I forgot to mention that he was sick! He had a cold that prevented him from playing another nine holes. He chose to take all of that money (it ended up being $470,000.00) and just leave. I heard from Bruce and C.J. later that he is still a human being. He shot a 46 on Sunday with C.J. and actually lost by one stroke. For those nine holes I played with him, though, he was not a human being. He was an alien. No, an animal. No, a golf alien animal. A sick golf alien animal. Glad I got to see it.
Until next time...
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