What coulda been... (golf brag)

I had a start to my round like I've never experienced before. When I sat on the 6th tee waiting to hit my tee shot on the par 3 I really felt like it was going to be one of those rounds that comes around once in a lifetime. I've had my low rounds before, sure, but I've never had a start like I did yesterday.

Long story short... it didn't turn out the way I had hoped. But still, it sure was cool to have that feeling like I could shoot some ridiculous number that everyone hopes to shoot in their golf career.

So yeah, I birdie the first (10 footer). I reach the 570 yard par 5 in two when I roll my hybrid to within 15 feet. (side note: we are playing in a 4 man best ball competition where we only record the best score of the four of us, there is some cash up for grabs, so I am playing very aggressively and going for everything).

I step up to my eagle putt with the intentions of being very aggressive and just burn the edge and miss the eagle 3. I make the one coming back. 2 under after 2. The next hole, a par 4, I hit my hybrid off the tee (trying to play smart aggressive golf, sort of how I try to play poker... lol).

I'm in the left rough and the rest of team is basically out of the hole (one in the water, one out of bounds, one hit his approach into the greenside bunker) and I am left to make a par (or even better, a birdie) and keep our team afloat.

I flush my 9 iron from 152 and it lands on the front of the green as planned and rolls up to the pin to within a foot! 3 undie after 3. This is where I start to get that feeling. My team mates can tell that I am zoned in and I am ready to take this thing low.

The next hole is a par 3. 165 yards downhill, pin in the front, protected by a bunker. Down wind, so I pull out my 8 iron and hit it right at the stick. At this point I am calling for it to go in, GO IN! I say. It ends up fading a bit to the right and I have a very slick 10 foot side hill bender. I lip out! Damn. The wheels are falling off. LOL.

I make it for par and move on to the par 5 5th. I pull my drive (trying to kill every drive and take dead aim at every pin) in the left rough. I punch out to 175 yards. I pull out my 6 iron and fire it right at the pin. It never leaves the pin, it is going straight at the pin. I want it to get close, or even better, get in the hole.

It never leaves the flag stick, one hops and hits the stick! It luckily lands a few feet right of the pin. I try to recall the last time I've ever hit the pin like that, and I can't. I still can't. I rarely (see: never) hit it like that right at the pin, and then it actually hits the pin.

I miss that putt as well. Still 3 under, after 5. Meanwhile, my team has made birdies on the 4th and 5th and we are 5 under as a team after 5. At this point the hairs on my arms are standing straight up and not since the club championship have I felt that sort of golf zen before. I really felt like I could take it low, but I knew I had to be aggressive, for the team.

That aggression would get the best of me. I took a lot of risks that I wouldn't have taken if it was just for me. I wanted to make as many birdies, at whatever the cost. I ended up making 3 more birdies. I finished the round 3 over but I think it will take a long while before I ever forget about that kind of start to my round.

Our team finished 2nd overall, we won some cash (tripled our buyin... weeee) and had an excellent steak and chicken buffet.

I love days like that, it makes me want to get better and better.

I wish I could say the same for poker. Nevertheless, I'll be at the mookie tonight. Mostly to see if Waffles will make this run that he continues to hope for. A part of me wants him to lose by $1 to LJ, another part of me actually wants to see him pull off this improbably come back and win these prop bets (they aren't life changing money anyway). The waffles rant would be ridiculous if he came oh so close, and then lost to some ricockulous suckout and was laughed at by all the railbirds hoping for said disaster.

See ya there.