How to really test a friendship

Today was the Jack Jarrett Trophy at Royal Ascot. A pairs stableford event with both scores counting and the highest combined score winning, played off 3/4 handicaps. Let me start by getting my excuses in early (you can see where this is heading can't you). I've been struggling with a cold for a few days and everything was aching. It was a horrid day with heavy squally rain and the course was pretty wet from the persistant overnight drenching.

I played with my good mate Hywel Lloyd and to be fair apart from feeling a bit grotty from the cold, I was reasonably confident especially as I hit the ball well down the range midweek. It didn't start as I'd hoped as I duck hooked my opening drive into the pond short left and made a 5 (I'd normally have rescued a point but didn't get a shot off 3/4 handicap). My partner from just short then chipped long and three putted for a solitary point.

Things did pick up at the second when I hit a great wedge from about ninety yards to three feet and converted for a birdie (nett eagle) and muchos points and we looked to be back on track. How wrong I was. I was in the greenside bunker for two at the third and walked off with a seven. A thinned bunker shot way over the green, thinned chip back into the same bunker, heavy bunker shot and two putts. How my partner smiled at my performance. NOT!

A drive out of bounds at the 5th and 6th holes (one right the other left) was partially redeemed by a par at the 7th and 8th. Hywel had been struggling himself early on but he made a great par at the fifth and another with a great up and down at the ninth. It was fairly obvious by half-time we were never going to win.

Hywel really stepped up to the plate on the second nine and made another up and down at the tenth for par and repeated the trick at the next. I came in with a point per hole. He made par at the next too after bombing his drive and I made a steady in unspectacular net par to finally feel like I was bringing something to the table. Sadly that was to be my last meaningful contribution as my game faded into a sodden disaster zone although to be honest I'd sort of lost interest and concentration by that point. Hywel though manfully continued to carry me on his back and we limped home with a measly 51 points of which I contributed a paltry 19 (4 of which came on the second courtesy of the birdie).

Truth be told I've been in a filthy mood all afternoon. I can handle not playing well if it's a medal or stableford as the only thing that'll happen is I'll get another 0.1 back on the handicap. However I really feel like I let my mate down today big time. He scored pretty well off the reduced handicap and although he didn't putt great and he wasn't overly happy with his ball striking (did I mention the 288 yard drive at 16 in the wet) and got no backing whatsoever from me. I think he had the hump in the clubhouse and to be fair I can't blame him.

I'm sure he'll get over it and we'll come good once the warmer weather gets here. I'm not going to make excuses I was rubbish. I hope that a day in bed under the duvet will have me feeling well enough to go out and hit some balls during the week and maybe get a friendly round with Hywel next week (if he's talking to me by then). I've no idea who this Jack Jarrett character was but I won't be looking after his trophy this year.

Total number of lost balls in 2010 = 8