I took a weekend off Poker and instead had a blast at the Golf course. Yesterday was the last official function at, “The Bear,” and what a riot it was! There was only one thing missing though, no DonKaaa ! BOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!! (you were seriously missed !) Oh and the weather was un-real for this time of year in Bedrock! I mean it was October 19th. for cryin' out loud and I was in shorts and sandals! Just wild!
This event is always one of my absoloute favorites, despite it being one of the tougher games for me to win. It’s The Men’s Shootout where 19 Golfers start on the first tee, and one player is eliminated every hole thereafter. The worst score on the hole is sent packing until ultimately, there's only one player left standing. In the event of a tie for worst score, a Shootout is held between everyone in that tied position. It could be a chip off, a putt off or any other shot of skill that nets a closest to the pin winner.
What makes this so difficult is that it’s all based on handicap. When you have to pretty much give the entire field a stroke a hole, and some of them TWO !!!! You’d better bring your ‘A’ game for sure. I certainly brought mine……… for 8 ¾ holes! One bad break got into my head and then I let it mess me up. I hit a great tee-shot on the Par 5 ninth hole, giving myself a perfect chance to go for the green in two. At least that’s how it looked from the tee. When I got to my ball, I’d found that I missed the fairway by about 4”. Well, it’s October 19th. in Northern Bedrock, to say the rough was a little long would be a huge understatement. To make matters worse, the vast majority of the grass surrounding my ball was behind it. I had no shot. Like, I’ll be extremely lucky to make contact with the ball at all no shot! Man I was pissed!
I did my best and gave it the ole’ Sergio slash and I managed to move the ball about 60 yds. forward and out into the fairway. At first I was ecstatic… that was until I realized I’d just put the pond that protects the front portion of the green directly in play. Quick check for the pin and of course, it’s dead front and center! With no one in any trouble at all and having to still give strokes on it as well, I had to go pin seeking to move on. So seek I did! I threw the ball up into the air on a near perfect line. If anything, I was just a little off to the left. In the air, I loved it and asked that ball to, “Be the right one baby!”
My ball landed about a foot onto the green and bounced forward about another foot as well. Then it really bit hard and started spinning back. ALL THE WAY BACK ! I’d just sucked it back into the pond and pretty much thought I’d taken myself out of the game. As I waited to see what kind of shot I’d have to make after my drop, two others had some real trouble themselves. One I was playing straight up, the other I had to give a stroke to. My disappointment turned back into focus and my initial thought was, “I need to sink this chip.” I honestly thought I did it too! My Bogey putt ended up being a 2” tap in from just behind the hole. I lipped the chip out. The good news was, both of the other players in trouble tied my score. I was in a three-way shootout. The shot picked was a downhill lie, across the pond to the smallest portion of green to work with. A tough shot for sure. The Leprechaun drew first to act and to no ones surprise, he stuck it about 5’ from the stick. Next to act was ‘T’ and he did exactly what I thought he would, he dunked it in the pond.
Since all I had to do was get on and stay on the green now, I picked a slightly wider portion to work with. Great idea, bad execution. Suffice it to say, I put a second ball into the water. Rather than perform the same shot to determine a winner, we were moved to a putt from the opposite end of the green. A putt of about 80’ with severe break from Left to Right. This time, I’d drawn the honours and would be going first. I nestled that putt to about 4’ below the hole. The rest was now out of my hands. ‘T’ did what he had to and as his ball came to rest about a foot closer to the hole than mine, all I could do was shake his hand and wish him good luck the rest of the way.
With Donkaaa not making it out for the game, that also meant no Queen_K. That bummed Peb’s out huge, as the two of them have always run this event together. Peb’s now had to fly it solo and I just want to say right here and now, what a great job you did my love! She kept us all in line, was totally fair and un-biased in selecting who was first to act on every green and always choose the Shootout location wisely. Each and every one of them was tough, but still fair.
I was playing so well and really striping the ball at will for both distance and line, I really thought I was un-touchable. I let one bad decision after a pretty bad break get into my head. And unfortunately that’s all it takes to get you out of the game.
= = = = = = = =
TuckFard Poker tonight everyone ! Wheeeeeeeeeeee !
7:00pm est. on FullTilt is The TuckFard Open NLHE game.
The HORSE game runs at 8:00pm and the P/W for both as always, is donkey.
Hope to see you there. :)
My sincerest thanks for dropping by....