The other day during my match I shanked a ball. Yup, both Misha and I were surprised. Actually, I was shocked! I rarely hit the ball that poorly (maybe twice a year), but it does occur when I least expect it. Physically, I recovered on my next shot, but mentally I was a bit disturbed for until the next tee. My mistake opened the door for Misha to take a commanding lead in the match and he was there to bounce as I would have done if the shoe was on the other foot. Regardless of the match results, recovering from a shank can be difficult, but manageable and here is how.
Continue readingYear: 2024
Feeling Good About Losing A Match
I was knocked out of the Open Match Play event held at the Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort. It was the second round and he is a very good player. I played very well, but I was out gunned yesterday. Golf is an amazing sport where on any given day anything can happen. The interesting thing about our match, each of us only gave one hole to our opponent. The rest of the time, the holes were won outright by a birdie. Misha closed me out 3 and 2, yet the match was much closer than the score.
My opponent, Misha, is a long hitting player whose greatest advantage is length. I hit some very good drives, yet Misha was easily 40 yards longer. Not only did he hit the ball a great distance, he was straight and in play on all shots except for one (he still shot par on the hole after taking one penalty stroke).
During the front nine, neither of us putted all that well. We had several opportunities but I was the only one to make birdie. After the front nine, I was 1 up and I shot a one over par 38. Misha also shot a 38 with only one bogey for the round.
On the 10th hole I missed a short putt to go two up. I opened the door a crack and Misha took total advantage. Rattled off four consecutive wins with three birdies and a par. Suddenly, I was down three with four holes to go. After pressing the next two I was closed out 3 and two.
I played Misha last year and won the match. The difference this year was Misha’s control with every club. If he missed, he did so by the narrowest of margins. His putting heated up on the back and I could not keep pace. When we finished I was one over and he was two under. It was a great match and I am hoping to play against him again next year.
On a side note, I mentioned that I play hickory sticks and had an extra set given to me by Lorne Emery, president of the Golf Historical Society of Canada. He said that he would be interested in playing a round with them in September. I will connect with in a few weeks and he can give them a try.
Well, I am out of the match play competitions for this year. Not winning is new, but my ego can take it. 😉 I a happy to lose to Misha because he won the match!
I want to thank Mike and Brenda the owners and operators of the Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort for their continued support of the match play tournaments.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
Picking On Golf Skill To Hone
As an amateur golfer, I need work in all areas of my game. I am not the longest hitter, greatest short game player or smoothest putter in the game, but I try to emulate the resemblance of a solid game when I tee it up. I have learned over the years that some areas of my game need more focus than others, but that was a tough lesson to learn. Until I started recording stats on fairways hit, greens in regulation, number of putts, etc, I would work on what I felt like at the practice facility. This usually gravitated towards something I was already doing well, hence it did not translate to lower golf scores at the end of the day. I often wonder why and it took a very large ‘ah ha’ moment to change the way I approached my practice sessions.
Continue readingChoosing To Chip, Bump and Run or Putt
Is there a definitive answer to any golf question? This seems like a pretty broad question, but it does drill down to the heart of any golf shot. Club selection is critical especially when we are trying to get up and down for par. There are many opportunities to make the proper decision for your game and even more to make poor ones. One of the biggest dilemmas golfers face is whether to chip, bump and run or putt a ball around the green. There are many factors, however I have a decision tree that I use in order to put the right club for the right shot at the right time. It works for me (most of the time) and it helps reduce the possibilities making poor club choices.
Continue readingCongratulations To Lydia Ko For Winning a Gold at the 2024 Olympics
Photo Credit: Andrew Redington
I did not get a chance to watch all of the golf today, but I have to give a shout out to Lydia Ko for winning the gold at this years Olympics. It is yet another milestone in her amazing career.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 