Match Play, Round 2

This will be the final update from my club match play tournament, because I lost my 2nd round match.  We played last Thursday.  I was carrying a 5 handicap and my opponent was a 6.  I'm actually a 6 now...had I waited one day we would have been playing straight up.  Yeah, I'm not proud of that 6 handicap...I'm just not making enough putts to shoot low scores.  But...I digress.  Playing straight up wouldn't have mattered much anyway, because I played terrible and my opponent played ok...ok beats terrible every time.

Last Thursday was the first of the super hot days here in eastern Iowa.  The heat index was well over 100 degrees when we tee'd off at 4:15 pm.  I quickly yanked my opening tee shot behind a tree and proceeded to make bogey, going 1 down.  I made a lot of bogeys on the front nine, shooting 7 over par and falling 4 down.  On the 2nd nine, I made a little charge, making birdie at 10 and parring the difficult 11th to get back to 2 down.  But, on the next 2 holes, I lipped out putts that would have closed the match to 1 down, instead, I was 3 down with 5 to play.  We halved 14 and 15, so I was dormie, meaning I was 3 down with 3 to play.  I won 16, but then we pushed at 17, so I lost 2 and 1. 

The gentlemen I lost to was a great guy, and I'm now rooting for him to win the whole thing.  If I had to lose, I'm glad it was to him...I just wish I would have played better.  It was my worst round of the year.  But, I guess that's why I don't play golf for a living.