Writing on a Sunday and Two More Birdies

Written on 5-29-22.

        I am relaxing and watching golf again on a Sunday.  Sundays are perfect days for writing.  Today, it’s the Charles Schwab Challenge, and I know Dad is watching the Indy 500.  I know he enjoys watching that as much I enjoy watching golf.  I see Varnier III and Scheffler near the top of the leaderboard, but I just started watching.  B was trying to take a nap in our bedroom, but somebody dropped off a flier for Jay Block for governor, and the interruption got the dogs barking…a lot.  Misty is here, so A and E could go to a wedding in Minneapolis.

Danielle is here in Aztec.  It is going to be a brief visit, because she is headed to Boise for her fifth fire season and her third for the Boise Helitack Team.  She is staying at the Edgerton’s, because she tested positive for Covid last Sunday.  Yikes!  She met us outside yesterday evening, and Char and Ed surprised us and came over after a bike ride.  That wasn’t planned, so it was fortuitous to have them see Danielle...from a distance. 

           She spoke to the people she will be staying with in Idaho this year via text, and they said...

she could wait a day before coming due to the positive Covid test.  Because of that, she is coming over here for dinner tonight on our deck instead of driving to Idaho.  It’s wonderful to give her some extra time to rest, rejuvenate, and get geared up here in Aztec before it all starts again.  She begins on June 2nd, she told us.

On to golf…

We finally got to play with Herman (not his real name) this past week.  He joined C.J., Eric, and me at Riverview.  Bruce said he couldn’t play, so that worked out.  It was great to see him and catch up with him, and it’s always wonderful to watch him play, too.  His daughter had an incredible start at WNMU this past school year, and he was very proud of her accomplishments.  

He had an excellent round, of course.  He shot a 77, but he had some difficulties with his putting on the front nine, so it could have been even lower.  

I had an okay round.  Herman noticed I was playing better than last year, though, and he mentioned it during and after the round.  It was super to get those compliments from him!  I had a few shots where my ball ended up inside of his, so I bet that’s what made him take notice.  I ended up being the only one who had two birdies that day; Herman did earn the only other one on a par five.

Riverview Golf Course-Hole #2-Birdie #4 of 2022

I barely missed my par putt on the first hole, so it was awesome to get it back immediately on this one.  It’s not an easy hole to play, and I have blown up on it before.  Herman did get a par on the first hole, so he had honors.  He used his 7-iron to hit the green on the front left side.  I went next, and I used my 6-iron.  My ball flew straight, and it hit the green, too.  It ended up closer than he did, and it was on the same line, so I had the advantage of a free read.  It helped.  Herman missed left, so I aimed a bit more to the right, and I put plenty of speed on it to get it to the hole.  It worked!

We played a game where you could get 1, 2, or 3 points.  It was 1 for the fairway, 3 for the G.I.R., and 2 for the usual bonuses, so I got five points for that hole.

Herman easily won the game at the end of the day.  He hit many more greens than the rest of us.  C.J. took second (with some handicapping), and I managed third.  Eric didn’t get many points in the end, but he still managed to score well.  He only had two blow-up holes that really hurt his stroke play score.

My next birdie came on hole #10.  It was another approach that ended up closer than Herman's.

Riverview Golf Course-Hole #10-Birdie #5 of 2022

The wind was blowing into us, and then it would switch and go across the fairway from left to right.  My driver sent my golf ball really high, but it stayed straight and it landed in the middle of the fairway, very close to the 150-yard marker.  Herman's drive was 15 yards ahead of mine.  I chose my 7-iron for the approach, especially for the uphill part.  It went straight toward the green, and I saw it bounce forward, but I couldn’t see where it ended up.  I took very little divot, and it felt like I just clipped it, but it was a pretty ball flight.  When I got there, I saw it was a little over a foot away.  Sweet!  I tapped it in when I saw a break between the others’ shots.  Hooray, that makes five birdies already this season.

I thought I shot an 88, but I forgot two strokes on hole #9, because I hit my tee shot out of bounds.  It was a lot of bogeys and a few pars.  The two birdies helped.  We will play again this Thursday, and I hope to play better.  Bruce will join us, and I hope Herman will play again, too.  I have been looking forward to having them meet.  I got a tee time for five people at 10:30.

It’s near the end of the Charles Schwab Challenge, and it turns out there will be a play-off between Sam Burns and Scottie Scheffler.  Dani-girl should on her way over here for dinner now.  Varnier III lost ten strokes on the back nine, and I was bummed for him.  It was quite the meltdown.  I just heard that Sam Burns had to wait two hours before Scottie finished his round.  Sam Burns ended up winning the tournament on the first play-off hole with a birdie, and that was after waiting so long for all of the rest to finish up.  Impressive.  

I wanted to mention that I got a team together for the Robbie Ward.  It will be C.J., Bruce, and Roger (last name), and Roger said he will sponsor us, so that is a real bonus!  That will be on June 11th, and I plan to be finish up with my work this week.  I could go to Newcomb one more time for their summer school, but I don’t have anything really new to show them. 

I also will be going to a BWP Leadership Team gathering on June 4th.  I look forward to that, too, because it will be swell to see old friends and to have an opportunity to say goodbye to our little writing project.  I believe it was the last one in New Mexico.

Until next time…