Stuck In 1st Gear

After the exuberance of Saturday, yesterday was the morning after the round before. I played in the Monthly Medal with Matt Davis (aka Sundance from our Saturday roll up) and Ken Martin with whom I've enjoyed many enjoyable rounds with both on the new layout and in the halcyon days inside the racecourse on "the heath."

I didn't actually start off that badly and was one under my handicap after two thanks to a great up and down from the back of the 2nd after my approach was too bold. It wasn't quite in the same league as Ken who rolled in a 25 footer across the entire length of the green for a wonderful birdie. I wasn't striking it as well as I had the day before and when we were caught in a heavy downpour playing the 3rd and had to stop and get the waterproofs on, my tempo seemed to slip away. I'm not sure it was messing around with the umbrella, trying to keep grips and hands dry or the fact I just wasn't as on song as Saturday but I was working overtime to keep the score intact.

By some fluke I was still under handicap standing on the 6th tee. I chose a 4 iron as the rain had stopped and I could swing unrestricted from the waterproof top. It didn't help and I pushed it right and wasn't sure if it was in bounds or not. My provisional definitely wasn't as I hooked that left. I was potentially playing five off the tee and that shot missed the green long and left. Fortunately the first ball was in play but in heavy rough close to the out of bounds barbed wire. I had a restricted swing and could only move it a few feet. I chipped on and two putted for an ugly double bogey. I dropped another shot at the 8th missing the green to the right and worked hard to scramble a five (nett par) at the 9th to go out in 43 or two worse than I should have been.

The swing wasn't firing. Everything was a struggle and it was more of the same on the back nine. It was a succession of missed fairways and greens and I was having to work so hard to try and recover and keep the score going. Another double bogey at the 11th really hurt courtesy of a putt that lipped out. Actually it did a full 360 degree circumnavigation, decided it didn't fancy the drop and popped back out. Bugger.

Another double followed at the 14th thanks to an errant drive left and an enforced penalty drop and although I played the 15th and 16th well enough, I missed the green right at the 17th for another dropped shot. To add the final touch of ignominy, I three putted the last in front of the clubhouse windows (and the usual suspects) for a final double bogey to finish. In the end it was a smelly 45 back and a total of 88 strokes less my 12 handicap for a nett 76 (+6) and 20th place in the division.

Ken was his usual genial self and whether it was a good or bad shot he never seemed flustered. After his fast start (he was one under gross after two) he faded a little and suffered a bit on the short putts coming back. Matt was going along very steadily and seemed destined for a good finished and a well deserved (and overdue) cut but came unstuck in bunkers at 14 and 17 to finish with a nett 69 after a round that promised much, much more.

However I don't think with the best will in the world could I have won yesterday. We all know the saying "if it's your day...." but Tommy Goode took that literally. He stood up on the first, driver in hand and unleashed a fine drive. It found the green, kept on going and dropped for a hole in one with his first shot of the day. Magnificent stuff in itself. However Mr Goode wasn't finished there. Oh no, not by a long chalk. He then proceeded to play the first 14 holes in level par (and off a 12 handicap - bandit!). He had a horror down the 5th with a double bogey undoing the good work of the ace. He bogied the 7th and bounced straight back with a birdie at the 8th and did the same thing at the start of the second nine, dropping a shot at the 12th and then getting a birdie 2 at the next.

Sadly he dropped six shots in the last four holes. Well, he is getting on and all this excitement isn't good for him at his age. However there was little danger of him ever being caught and his 76 (nett 64) capped a truly remarkable round of golf. Well played sir.

So what are thoughts about my own game? Not much truth be told. The tempo simply wasn't there and it never ever felt as smooth as it had in the roll up. Of course I accept that in a medal event where every shot counts there is added pressure, but the swing good enough and even the trusty putter was cold. Granted the heavy shower as I got into the meat of the round didn't help but it's not an excuse. There were some decent shots but nothing that really made me think "I hit that well." However on a positive note it is still a lot better than most of the 2010 medal rounds I played where my best score was a nett 75 so we can see progress.

It is the Jack Jarrett Trophy on Saturday and I'm partnering my mate from the Golf Monthly Forum and relatively new Ascot member Mike Stannard. There seems to be some confusion, certainly amongst those I spoke to in the 19th, about the format. I was under the impression it was combined stableford scores per team but others seemed to think it was a better ball format. Either way, I hope I bring my Saturday game to the table or Mike is going to be very tired carrying me all that way.

I'm off to the range tomorrow for a bit of practice and to see if I can recreate the positivity. Failing that I'll rub a ball against Tommy's driver before I tee off at the weekend and see if the magic rubs off.