Attempt #32: Nautico Escobar, September 2013 (Score: 106)
Date: September 1st, 2013
Course: Nautico Escobar
Bogey Count (or better!): 6 out of 18 (2 Pars & 1 Birdie!)
Score: 106
Stats: 2.0 Putting average - 46.1% Fairway Hits - 2 Greens in Regulation
Highlights: 2 Greens in Regulation. 5 meter putt for Birdie.
September is here with a preview of Spring time. Beside the medal play match, we played a Match play game. Gabriel and I joined forces against Hernan and Marcelo.
2 shots and I'm close to the green for approach and putt. But the story of poor short game repeats and I end up in the bunker. Worst recovery and I'm leaving with an 8. Hmm.
A similar story repeats at the 11th and 12th hole.
Hole #12 - Par 4. A somehow lucky shot. My tee shot stopped just before going into the water. Still a horrible lie to try to cross the water.
Better tee shots than usual and disastrous short game. Same as last week. But I'm in good spirit to try to play a hole at a time.
Hole #16 - Par 5. Gabriel teeing off. It was a great driver for me too but I sent the 2nd shot OB.
Hole #16 - Par 5. Hernan for a tap in.
Hole #16 - Par 5. Bunkers were in good condition, even some people seem to forget to rack them (plus some animal tracks)
Still, a 3 putted 4 holes, something very unusual and sour. Specially when I was in the green putting for par. I did very little for the Match but still we are 1 Down. And it's 60 for the first nine.
Delay at the 1st hole tee allowed me to visit the putting green. And my quick assessment is I'm not trusting my green readings and I'm trying to correct them once I'm facing the putt. That's not my usual routine. Pick a line, trust it, and just deal with speed and distance. Not direction.
And the tune up worked. No 3 putts for the following 9 holes.
Hole #2 - Par 5. An interesting right dogleg. More strategy than distance.
Hole #2 - Par 5. Hernan saved by the wood wall.
The Match was still 1-Up for Hernan and Marcelo when we played the next Par 3 (Hole #3). Green in Regulation and a 5 meter putt for birdie. Followed by a Par at #5, another Par 3 and we are Up in the game for 2. Great recovery!
#6 is a Par 5 that is playing short. The tee was moved up about 100 yards and since I was next to the green in 2 I assumed it was a Par 4.
Pitch and 2 putts and I declare a Bogey, but when I was about to enter the score in the phone I notice it was a Par 5! Meaning, another Green in Regulation and 2 consecutive Pars.
I finished the back 9 with a 46. An amazing come back from the previous 60 to save a 'decent' 106 for the round. And better off, the true possibility to score lower numbers and to play one hole at a time even after a not promising start.
PS: Thank you Hernan for the refreshing beers. We end up winning the Match by 1 thanks to Gabriel's final Par.
