Week two saw everyone bundled up trying to stay warm again. These early April matches sure due play havoc with the creaky old bones and muscles. At tee time the temps were hovering just around 40 degrees with a gusty breeze coming in from the west.
Our group teed off 2nd and I was playing Steve King and we were with Bob Cairns and new comer Jack Goulet. I don’t think he is any relation to Robert Goulet. I should have asked.
Bob and Jack led us off on the tenth tee and their tee balls went this way and that way. I teed off and followed right in their footsteps and dubbed my tee ball right in the hazard. Steady Steve put his ball right in the middle of the fairway.
As we sloshed around the course trying to keep our feet dry and battling the chilly conditions we finally made it to the fourteenth tee. Steve had just mentioned he had gone thirteen consecutive holes without a par. Pretty hard to believe someone of Steve’s caliber would go that many holes with out a par. It’s early in the season and the weather has been pretty nasty as well. So if your play has not been up to par now you know why.
As we continued to struggle around the course we were holding the A group up behind us as they had to wait on a lot of holes for us to finish.
This group saw steady play from Norm Pelletier, Bill Wilson and Jim Marnie. Jim shot lights out as he came back from a disappointing first week and was low medalist this week with a 38 as he drubbed Bob “I need another lesson” Trottier. Trottier’s down fall started on the tenth tee as he scored a snowman (8) to Jim’s bogey (5). Next struggle for Trottier came on the 14th hole as he double bogeyed and those two holes cost him the match.
Wilson and Pelletier battled back and forth over the Scottish Highlands style course on the back nine and Pelletier continued to play well as his silence on the 14th green proved to be the decisive strategy to lead him to sweep all four points.
The story in the clubhouse told by Wilson goes this way. I had about (he spreads his arms apart) 18 inches for par and I waited for Norm to give me the putt. Then I missed it.
Norm and Bob tell a little different story as the putt seemed a little more difficult in their eyes than what Wilson saw.
Strategy and head games on the golf course can play havoc with your opponent. You just got to know when to pull the trigger and make the call that can benefit you and trip up your opponent. Looks like Pelletier’s call not to give Wilson the putt was the right call for Pelletier. These two meet again on May 13th on the front nine and will Wilson’s length be enough to battle back and avenge this early season loss to Pelletier? Wilson has dropped two matches so far this season. I am sure he will be gunning for bear next week as he tees off against Steady Stevie King.
In other matches Glenn Acciard played the course and could only muster up two points as Waterman couldn’t make it this week.
In a match that saw it go to the 18th hole Dave Murphy and Tom Hale battled it out and Murphy secured 3 points as Hales double bogey on 17 and his bogeys on the par three’s weren’t enough to overtake Murphy.
In another classic battle of two Titans, Bob Sasso and Norm “that was a career shot” Comeau split their 4 points as they each won three holes and both shot 43’s. Sasso jumped out ahead 2 holes to none but Comeau battled back to halve the match and then go one up thru 15 only to lose his lead on 16. Both players parred their way in to halve the match. This was a great battle. You can tell it was a good match when Comeau sits in the clubhouse after the round as traditionally when he loses he disappears.
Week two saw another war raging on the back nine as Rick Maloney and Steve Maddox couldn’t shake away from each other as Maloney went one up on the opening 10th hole and then Maddox got a stroke on 14 and tied the match. As they approached 18 I am only guessing as Maddox must have missed a putt because he stroked on 18 too and I am sure he had a chance to salvage the win but could the pressure have taken it’s toll as he double bogeyed 18 and couldn’t take Maloney down. This group was far enough behind us so I couldn’t hear Rickey’s moans and groans. I am sure there was plenty as this must have been an exciting match to play along with.
Due to the tightening up of handicaps Mike Landry slipped to the D division this year and was facing off against Skip “I want to look like Santa Claus” Gray. This was the fourth group out and could have been the last one in. There was at least a half hour between group three finishing and this group.
Handicaps do work as Landry was giving Gray 5 strokes and four holes. These two saw Gray go up 2 holes early on and Landry stormed back to take 3 of the next 4 holes and Gray 2 of the last 3 as they split their match.
In this foursome was Rich Juknavorian and newcomer Steve Spratt. Juke was no match for Spratt as Spratt struggled again on his way to a 62 to Juke’s 48. Looks like it may be a long season for Spratt as he needs to get on track soon. Hopefully when the weather gets better the scores will follow suit.
Another tough battle was brewing out there as returning from a few years off was Mike “where did my drive go” Berry vs. George “I have the sweetest swing” Vigneault matched up for the first time ever. Vigneault showed Berry why he is one of the steadiest B golfers in the league and feared by most players as he birdied the first hole. Berry cool as “the other side of the pillow” was undaunted by that birdie and continued to battle his way back in the match. They both parred 11 and 12 and that is when Berry tore up the course by winning the next four holes to close Vigneault out 3-2 and halve strokes. Berry wins 3 points to 1.
Alan Imlach faced off against Paul “I love retirement” Comeau and Alan just ran out of gas as Comeau dominated this match by winning the first three holes and then gave one back only two win the next two and they split two of the last three. Comeau crushed Imlach to take all four.
In the Bob “I need to keep my head down” Cairns vs Jack “My game will come back” Goulet match we saw Goulet walk away from Cairns early on in this match as Cairns’ head was cleary back in warmer weather as he could not keep his head down if his life depended on it. It actually was getting catchy as McGill did the same thing on 14 to register his snowman.
Please feel free to leave a comment and share some funny stories in your foursome. Or, if you just want to rip me for my story of you feel free to swing away. FORE…..
Speak Your Mind