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From the par 4 2nd tee, 2 good tee shots both found fairway, both about 120m away. His 2nd found the green, mine missed pin high right. He again 2 putted for a reg par, this time I would get it up and down for a half. Still one down.
He missed the fairway right from the par 5 3rd tee and find himself among the trees with not much of a shot forwards. My tee shot split the fairway. He played a great recovery shot and finshed on the f/way, about 120m away. I pulled my 3W 2nd shot left into the tree line, but got lucky and had a line to the flag, finishing only some 20m from the green. His 3rd found the putting surface and he would again 2 putt for a reg par 5, I managed to get it up and down again for birdie 4 to bring the match back to square.
The par 3 4th was the 1st of 4 holes (4, 8, 12 & 16) at which my opponent had to give me a shot and we would halve the hole, him with a reg par 3, me with a bogey 4, again missing the GIR and failing to get it up and down. Still all square thru 4 holes.
He would win the par 4 5th hole with a birdie 3, after we both found the fairway and then both hit the GIR. My birdie putt dying in the heart. Back to 1 down thru 5.
We would halve the short par 4 6th hole in regulation par 4's with both of us narrowly missing makeable birdie putts. Still 1 down thru 6 holes.
His tee shot from the par 5 7th tee missed the f/way left, mine missed it right. After our 2nds, we were both again on the f/way, about 80m away. His 3rd found the GIR, mine again missed pin high right. I would chip in for birdie 4 and he would hole his 20 odd footer for the half. Still 1 down thru 7 holes.
Knowing I was to be given a shot on the par 3 8th hole, I was happy to hit the GIR and happier when I saw it was reasonably close. He would miss the green and when his chip held up in the fringe grass, I knew I could 2 putt at worst for a half. His 3rd finished only just inside mine. I lagged my birdie attempt towards the hole, with no real intent of trying to hole it and it would die about 3 inches short. He would concede that and the hole. Back to square thru 8.
Blocked my tee shot right into the tree line and he pulled his left, into the first cut. He was away and again hit a great recovery, finding the GIR, albeit 30 odd feet away. I was away and with no aerial route to the green, I took my 3W and bunted the ball along the deck towards the green, happily, my ball found the green and finished marginally inside his. We would both 2 putt for par 4's. Still all square thru 9.
My tee shot found the par 3 10th's GIR, his missed right. He would get up and down, I would 2 putt for a half. Still all square thru 10 holes.
We both found the par 4 11th f/way, me about 20m closer. His 2nd shot was a gem, finishing only 6 inches from the cup. when I again missed the green with my 2nd, I had to hole out from off the green a 2nd time in 4 holes for a half. My attempt was on line but died about 4 feet short. Again 1 down thru 11 holes.
From the tee, we both missed the par 4 12th f/way, me left, him right. I had a shot and hit 3W well, along the tree line, finishing still in the trees, but only some 30m away. He had a shot, but faded it badly, finishing dead in the trees on the right side. He had to go backwards to find the f/way. We both missed the green with our next shots. I chipped on to about 20 feet with my 4th. he pitched on marginally closer with his 5th. The hole was mine when I holed that 20 footer. Back to square with 6 to play.
We both bisected the par 5 13th f/way from the tee, me about 10m outside him. Flushed 3W again to finish just off the green, pin high right. His 2nd shot found the putting surface. He was away and unexpectedly left his eagle attempt well short. My chip to the green finished only inches from the hole and he conceded my birdie 4. When he missed his birdie attempt, I was in front for the first time all day. 1 up, now with 5 to play.
We both would miss the par 4 14th f/way. Him hitting trees left and finishing only some 50m off the tee. Me right, in the tree line, but with a shot to the green. He hacked his 2nd out into the fairway, and would find the green with his 3rd. I was undecided if I should play 3W along the ground again, or if I should go aerial this time with my 60°. I settled on going aerial and played a gem to the green, finishing only some 15 feet from the pin. He would miss his par attempt and when my birdie attempt died in the heart only inches from the cup, again the hole was mine and I was now 2 up with 4 to play.
We both found the par 4 15th fairway, and then both missed the green with our 2nds, him a little long over the back, me again pin high right. We would halve the hole in bogey 5s after neither of us could manage to get it up and down. Now 2 up with 3 to play.
I took hybrid from the dog leg right par 4 16th tee and found the centre of the f/way, about 140m away. His tee shot with driver missed right in the tree line. His 2nd took a bad bounce near the green and ran away finishing long and right. My 8I 2nd pitched on the green, but didn't stay there, sucking back off the front edge and down the slope of the raised green. He would leave his pitch to the green short and when it rolled back down the slope, the advantage was with me. Taking putter, I knocked my ball up towards the hole, finishing about 6 feet from the hole. He would pitch on, outside my ball and would miss the bogey putt. I knew then I could 2 putt for the win and the match and that's exactly what I did.
Thanks for reading
Cheers
