It's My Ninth Birthday!

     Belinda, Kody, and I are on our way to visit Danielle, and we are staying in our Alto at Willard Bay State Park.  The truth is I forgot completely about my birthday today.  Has it really been nine years since I had my brain surgery?  Amazing!  Danielle was the first one to wish me a happy birthday, so it is most appropriate that we are on our way to go see her tomorrow.
     As far as golf goes, I am deep into my swing change.  I have had my lesson with Luke, and I spent the entire morning yesterday at the range getting videos of the new swing.  I wonder if it would have helped me to beat Eric in the match I wrote about here...

Written on 5-26-2020.

Well, no birdies.  And, a tough loss to Eric.  That’s not what I had planned, but like I told him during our round, it is just the beginning of this summer season.  We will get better.  Although it was a loss, I always take away the positives, so here are the good things that happened.

Eric did what it took to win, so kudos to him.  The final blow was a bogey on the tough par five #17.  He was in the bunker below the green with his third shot, and he blasted out to about four feet.  He missed that one, but a bogey was all he needed.

We would take turns having a good hole and then a blow-up hole, so the score went back and forth multiple times. It was a different kind of match play.  The first six holes were worth one point each, the second six were worth two points each, and the last holes were worth three points each, except for the last two, which were worth four and five points.  He won 21 to 19.

He wanted to add bonuses on the back nine with long drives and closest to the pins, so we did that, too, for one point each.  I got the only bonus, though, with the longer drive on #13.  It was easily 20 yards ahead of his, and it was one of the longest drives I have ever had on that hole.  That drive helped me get set up for a par and a win.  

I also got a par and a win on holes #1 and #4.  My chipping was decent, and that’s how I earned that par on #4.  I didn’t earn another par until #11, though.  My drive went across the cart path and settled in some dirt, but I had a great approach, hitting down on my ball with my 8-iron and sending the ball right over the flag.  I got a bogey on #15, and Eric, unfortunately, hit two tee shots into the canyon there.  

I also got a bogey on #3.  My tee shot went left, and I could barely advance the ball from the craggy grass over there.  I got my ball into the rough just off the fairway from there, though, and I hit a beauty with my 8-iron that also went right over the flag.  That’s what Eric told me, because he could see my ball’s flight, and I couldn’t.  I nearly got a par save, but that first putt barely missed at the last second.

That’s about it.  I look forward to playing better on Friday.  

Until next time…