Second Place Doesn't Suck

If you read Bobby Jones' books, one of the things you notice is his respect for his opponents and the fact that some of his most memorable matches were matches he actually lost.  He was not a "second place sucks" kind of player.  Golf is more about the journey than it is about winning.  Winning is nice.  But as Jack Nicklaus pointed out, golf is the only game where you can win twenty percent of the time and be the best player in the game.  So, if you're a sore loser, golf isn't the game for you.

On that note, John David and I played a very enjoyable and memorable match yesterday.  We played Brian and Gordan in a two ball, or alternate shot, match.  Our opponents played superb golf the front nine and we found ourselves five down and fearing a very quick ending to the day.  However, we agreed that we would forget our opponents and just play Old Man Par for the rest of the match.

Sure enough, after the seventeenth hole we were all square.  We halved 18 with a par.  We then played 18 twice before Gordon sunk a twenty foot downhill, breaking putt for birdie and won the match.  

It was an exciting match, filled with ups and downs and an improbable comeback before Gordon finally put an end to our run.  Golf is that kind of a game.  It ain't over 'til it's over, and even when you lose it's fun if it's played in the right spirit.  The only sad thing is that John David and I don't get to team up again until next year.  He's a great partner and a wonderful gentleman.

We just hope Brian and Gordon can go all the way now that they've dispatched us.