Getting there...

Played this morning with a chap called Ian who was quite simply having the round of a lifetime. He walked off the course with a net 64 after some of the most stunning wedge play I have ever seen, made all the more impressive by the fact he plays off 24. He must have hit about 4/5 shots today to within four feet and given his dead aim putting a great score was always in the pipeline. He finished 3rd in the medal last week and with shooting like that I'd say he was a favourite to win the stableford comp next week.

For a change I got off to a stunning start. Hit my tee shot right and my wedge long leaving a monster putt that needed to drop a tier as well. I gauged how I thought it would run as it dropped down the tier and just aimed to get it to run out of steam at that point. It dropped. Without doubt the best putt I have ever hit. The next 6 holes continued in that vein and I was standing at the 8th on 17 points. Unfortunately, Ian commented that we were both playing to par and the wheels came off for a bit.

I was unlucky on the 10th with a beautifully drilled tee shot catching the tree on the left of the fairway and dropping from its soaring flight like a shot duck. Then on 12 I hit the best tee shot of my life. Little bit of a following wind I smashed my 3 wood 261 yards. Putts were dropping all over the show and I was becoming increasingly confident off the tee. I hit some pretty good chips as well today including one that hit the pin and refused to drop on the 15th.

So 23% FIR with a fair few misses in the first cut of rough and 30 putts. The problem? The bit in the middle. I picked up 2 penalties from the tee box and an additional (and unnecessary) 3 from open play. I hit too many bump and runs long and a few duffed wedges short. My swing is far from perfect but I was getting in more trouble with my approaches today than from the tee.

What is promising is that I kept my mind clear, I didn't try to fiddle, I accepted the swing I had brought to the course and used it. This week while I continue to work on those pesky swing changes, I'll also spend some time working on my scrambling from 80 yards in. That cost me about 20 shots today which would have taken me sub 90. That said I am pleased with my haul of 30 points, happy with how I played, delighted with my chipping and putting, ecstatic with the three solid blows with the 3 wood and hopeful that my best is just round the corner.

107 (71)

3(3), 7(5), 4(3), 7(4), 6(5), 3(3), 7(5), 7(4), 6(4), 8(4), 4(3), 6(5), 8(4), 7(4), 5(4), 6(4), 8(4), 5(3)