For the second year Shooter treks off down to Byron Bay for the Legends Tour Championship, after being on the reserve list for 2 weeks, I finally get confirmation of a start.
Two rounds then the top 5 amateurs make the cut for the last day.
With the stench of 81, 81 still in my nostrils from last year, I walked onto the first tee on the first day, bit nervous, bit apprehensive. Flush the 3 wood into the fairway. Away we go. Second shot a little right and stays in the rough on the right side, once I get to it I realize why, it is sitting between 2 roots on soft sand. Well fuck me, how good is this.
First hole of a long tournament Shooter, don’t let it get to you already, I mumble to myself as I flub the fucking thing 4 feet as the club hits the root on the way down, settle settle settle, next chip goes 10 feet………. Oh fuck me. 3rd chip is 8 feet, the putt doesn’t catch a lip and its a nice calm triple.
Now it seems as though my 81, 81 from last year was a good score. +3 after 1 wasn’t my idea of a good start. After the blood drained from my jugular, I recovered a little and ended up shooting 75. Even the Shooter was pleased with that after the disastrous start.
Day 2 arrives and we get re-paired. I was paired with a chopper pro and and an amateur that hit it further than Dustin Johnson, or at least it seemed like it, parred the first this time, what a relief.
Was hitting the ball pretty good until 4 when I missed the fairway and hit a fucking tree then missed the fucking green then missed the fucking putt to record a nice little double but birdies on 7 and 9 got it around the front nine in even par.
The green surface was very good and putts were rolling nicely, then The Shooter kicked in to gear. 2 putt birdie on 13 from 15 feet, holed it on 14 from 25 feet, 15 from 8 feet and 16 from 20 feet, all of a sudden Shooter was -4.
Bogied 17 from the fucking rough and parred 18 for 69 and perhaps the best tournament round ever played by Shooter.
Last day, leading amateur, thought I was nervous the first day ? Nothing on this, tentative over the first 5 and seemed to get bounces that went left instead of right and putts lipping not falling like the 2 days before.
Made 4 doubles and a bogie with one birdie highlight for 80 and felt embarrassed, beat up and yet still very happy that I not only made the cut but got to play in the 3rd last group and with galleries. Shooter in his element.
Tour Player Shooter out
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