TPC Myrtle Beach

I played the TPC Myrtle Beach and was paired up with Kevin and his son, Brayton from Indiana.  It was a picture-perfect day on a picture-perfect course.  On the other hand, our golf might not have been best described in those terms.

I could tell that Kevin was a gamer, and finally said to him on sixteen that it was a shame we hadn't played a match.  He immediately brightened and we played the last three holes; me against them.  On sixteen, a par three, they both hit the green and I pushed my tee shot left.  I hit a pretty good pitch to about ten feet, while Brayton left his approach putt about five feet short and Kevin then charged his about six feet past the hole.  

I stood over the putt and announced that if I made my putt their putts would start looking alot longer.  Sure enough I rolled mine in and the boys missed both their putts--one up for the good guy.  On the next hole I charged a twenty foot birdie putt right into the back of the hole.  It hopped in the air and rolled about four feet by.  After Kevin made a nice seven-footer for par, I had the four-footer for the half.  However, as is often the story, I choked like a dog.

Eighteen is a tough par four and it was playing dead into the wind.  The boys both hit their tee shots right, leaving themselves in the rough, with over two hundred yards to get home.  I hit one right down the middle and was feeling pretty good about my chances.  Kevin missed his second shot badly, leaving himself about ninety yards short of the green.  Brayton hit a nice shot, but pulled it left of the green.  I then hit a 17 degree wood just short of the green into some lush rough.  

Kevin thinned his third over the green, but Brayton played a really good pitch to about five feet.  I then played an open-faced flop to about four feet.  After Brayton missed his putt, I stood over another four- footer with the chance to show those Indiana boys that they shouldn't mess with old, pot-bellied Canadians.  Sure enough, I lipped it out and we halved the match.

We decided that it was only right that we arrange to meet again to determine who's who on the links.  Unfortunately, the boys were flying out the next morning, so we will have to leave it until some future date.  We had alot of fun on a terrific golf course.  It was much more fun once we decided to make a match of it.

As Walter Travis said, "Always play for something.  Even if it's only a cigar."  A match gets the juices flowing.  Thanks for a great day, boys.