Mr Blobby

As I sit typing this I feel completely drained. Trying to hold my concentration levels for 18 holes has left my tank pretty much empty. It was hard going today, trying to keep thoughts of how I was doing out of my head and focus on each shot. I was a tense bundle nerves on four footers and had to keep dragging my mind back to putting practice in the garage. In the end I was unlucky on four long putts that lipped out today but a total of 36 putts is a respectable total.

Things didn't start particularly well. It was a shotgun start and we got underway on the 16th. I sclaffed my hybrid into the gorse and hit my provisional further into the crap. Found the first one too a drop then chipped sideways before hitting a nice clean 6 iron. My pitch missed the green and I finished with an 8 for my first blob of the day.

I stuck with the six on 17 and hit both the fairway and green and walked off with a 4 for three points. I was back in the hunt. Two more points followed on 18 and then came my shot of the day, in fact probably the best shot I have ever hit.

Our 1st is a long par 3, 216 yards to the heart of the green. There are three tiers leading to the back and it is guarded by bunkers on both sides. For our enjoyment they had placed the flag at the back on the top tier. I drilled an arrow of a tee shot with my 3 iron that came to rest pin high about 15 foot from the flag. The birdie putt lipped out and I tapped in for a 3 for four points.

I picked up two points on the next three holes I was flying. The disaster struck. I topped my 3 wood on the par 5 5th and then hit two decent 6 irons to leave me 178 yards to the green. For some unknown reason I thought I'd hit an easy 5 iron even though my two previous six irons had gone 181 and 167 yards. Hit a poor shot out of bounds and never recovered. Blob number 2.

Blob 3 followed swiftly afterwards as my tee shot was literally caught by an outstretched gorse limb at waist height, forcing me to take a penalty drop. I duffed my first chip and overhit my second and my long putt for a point just missed.

I went back to my trusty six iron and picked up 3 points on holes 7 and 8, followed by two more points on 9. My iron play was on fire. After another two points on hole 10  I hit a peachy gap wedge off the tee on 11 to ten feet. My birdie putt raced past but I held my nerve to drain the return putt for par. Solid if unspectacular golf on 12 saw me bag another two points.

At this stage I was exhausted both physically and mentally. I knew I was out of the running as I'd already racked up 3 blobs, but I still wanted to finish strongly. It didn't happen. Some tired swings, lapses of concentration and one bastard bunker saw to that and I finished with three blobs, all eights and all one shot from nicking a point.

So how do I feel? Mixed emotions really. On the down side I could have won it today, the last I heard the leader in the clubhouse was on 40 points. There were too many silly blobs and I hit three blinking rakes in bunkers! Also four blobs from 13 - 16 is just not good enough. That said I struck the ball really well today and scored 30 points from 12 holes and that is pretty good going. I was a little cagey towards the end sticking with the 6 iron rather than risking a longer club and maybe being more aggressive would have earned me a better return. 106 is my best score off the whites and I will definitely be taking the positives from today. Positive stats included FIR 38% and the one I am most chuffed with GIR 28%.

So well played to those of you who guessed a score of 30 points. I'll be thinking up a new poll soon.

106 (71)

3(3), 7(5), 4(3), 6(4), 9(5), 6(3), 6(5), 4(4), 5(4), 5(4), 3(3), 7(5), 8(4), 8(4), 8(4), 8(4), 4(4), 5(3)