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Huskies Soar With a Bird
In our matches, we play for nine points. Each player has a point at stake, and within each grouping of the two players, there is a point at stake for the better score of the hole. This is called the best ball point. This is done so both players stay focused on the match throughout the nine holes. Even if you have been closed out in your match before the ninth hole, you can still contribute a low score on a finishing hole to help win the hole for the best ball point. The first team to get five points or more, wins. As golfers we always want to go out and shoot low, but a low score doesn’t always matter in match play. What matters is that you win more holes. It takes at least three players to win a match, and it is always a team effort. Win or lose, it does not fall on just one person to be responsible. However, there are always those certain circumstances that you can pin point as the deciding factor.
This evenings match against Proctor at Lake Sunapee CC had one of those circumstances.
This evenings match against Proctor at Lake Sunapee CC had one of those circumstances.
Typically when we send the groups out, the numbers one and two tee off from the first tee and the number three and four starters follow, and then the final grouping of the numbers five and six. Lake Sunapee CC has a unique Donald Ross design. The first tee heads out from the clubhouse, the second hole heads back towards the clubhouse, and the third hole leaves from the clubhouse. Since it was a 4:30 tee time, to speed the match along, we send the one and twos off the first tee. The threes and fours walk down to the second tee and start the match from there, and the fives and sixes tee off from the third hole and finish their match on the second hole. The reason I’m explaining this is because it’s one of the rare times that the final match to report to the clubhouse with scorecards, is the number three and fours match. It is also one of the rare times that I can say it came down to one putt to decide the outcome of the match.
Team captains Will Wu and Mark Belcher combined once again, a solid pair of performances, to earn 2.5 points for the team. Will found himself in a grind, and did what he does best, grinds. He kept the match in control and earned a half point with a tie. Wills scores on the first and second hole won the holes for the best ball point, and from the third hole on, his playing partner and co captain Mark, got his putter charged and lit up the holes. Mark went on an even par run from the fourth tee on. That run of pars helped secure the best ball point for the match along with Mark closing out his match on the eighth hole for another point. They were the first group to finish.
Finishing on the second hole were the number five and six starters. Eli Arvidson playing in his role as the number five starter, played a solid round of golf and once again, gained a lead, and held it. When Eli finished his round, his initial response was, he didn’t shoot well. In match play, the score for your nine hole round is not necessarily important. The amount of holes you won are what matters most. Eli has made quite a statement with his strong play to solidify himself as a starter for the duration of the season. Playing in the six spot was newcomer to the starting rotation and solid golfer, Ray MacDougall. Ray played some holes today that will keep you coming back to play again , unfortunately, his opponent had just a couple more holes like that than he did. Ray earned the spot by matching against tough competition within the team, and there’s no doubt that Ray will find himself in the line up again somewhere down the road in the season. Eli’s win in his match earned one point for the ream total. They were the second pairing to finish.
The numbers three and four, Nate Blanchard and Jack Kidd tee’d off from the first, to head out on their closing hole, since they started on the second hole. We caught wind that although Jacks golf game made a sharp comeback, and he found a little bit of that swagger in his game that he’s been looking for, his match was already closed out with a loss. This was his first league loss in the past eight league matches. That is beyond impressive and is a testament to his match play ability and his golf game. This meant that the score for the entire match was 3.5 to 3.5
Nate and Jack had no idea how the other pairings finished. They know they can’t do anything except focus on their match. Focus is what matters. And that is exactly what the number three starter did! Nate put one in play off the tee, and to an uphill green, with wind in the face, roughly 156 yards out and the days light slowly slipping away, he threw a dart to the green and left himself a putt for birdie. Nate’s match was even at this point after a colorful eight holes played. A couple double bogeys, a chipped in birdie, some pars and bogeys made for a true battle in his match. His opponent reached the final green in three shots and made par. Nate had a 15 foot, right to left breaker for birdie to win the hole, and match. A par for Nate would mean he would’ve tied the match and tied for the best ball point. At a moment like that, anyone would be thinking to play safe and cozy a putt close to secure a tie. We had no idea what was happening on the green, as we were 429 yards away on the first tee at the clubhouse. A tie in his match would bring both teams to 4.5 points. A win in his match would secure two points and propel the team to a win.
As Nate and Jack approached the clubhouse after walking back from the first green, their finishing hole. We were trying to read body language and get an idea of what had happened in the match, Nate’s smile said it all. He drained that birdie putt center cup!! He had no idea of the magnitude of that putt as he was standing over it. A miss, it’s a tie. Roll it in, and it’s a win. None of that played a factor in his focus. Nate knows that every putt matters, from the start of the match, to the finish. It’s what makes him such a fierce match play competitor.
It takes a team to win a match, however, this evening, it all came down to one putt, and Nate nailed it! Well played Huskies, and well played Nate.
Team captains Will Wu and Mark Belcher combined once again, a solid pair of performances, to earn 2.5 points for the team. Will found himself in a grind, and did what he does best, grinds. He kept the match in control and earned a half point with a tie. Wills scores on the first and second hole won the holes for the best ball point, and from the third hole on, his playing partner and co captain Mark, got his putter charged and lit up the holes. Mark went on an even par run from the fourth tee on. That run of pars helped secure the best ball point for the match along with Mark closing out his match on the eighth hole for another point. They were the first group to finish.
Finishing on the second hole were the number five and six starters. Eli Arvidson playing in his role as the number five starter, played a solid round of golf and once again, gained a lead, and held it. When Eli finished his round, his initial response was, he didn’t shoot well. In match play, the score for your nine hole round is not necessarily important. The amount of holes you won are what matters most. Eli has made quite a statement with his strong play to solidify himself as a starter for the duration of the season. Playing in the six spot was newcomer to the starting rotation and solid golfer, Ray MacDougall. Ray played some holes today that will keep you coming back to play again , unfortunately, his opponent had just a couple more holes like that than he did. Ray earned the spot by matching against tough competition within the team, and there’s no doubt that Ray will find himself in the line up again somewhere down the road in the season. Eli’s win in his match earned one point for the ream total. They were the second pairing to finish.
The numbers three and four, Nate Blanchard and Jack Kidd tee’d off from the first, to head out on their closing hole, since they started on the second hole. We caught wind that although Jacks golf game made a sharp comeback, and he found a little bit of that swagger in his game that he’s been looking for, his match was already closed out with a loss. This was his first league loss in the past eight league matches. That is beyond impressive and is a testament to his match play ability and his golf game. This meant that the score for the entire match was 3.5 to 3.5
Nate and Jack had no idea how the other pairings finished. They know they can’t do anything except focus on their match. Focus is what matters. And that is exactly what the number three starter did! Nate put one in play off the tee, and to an uphill green, with wind in the face, roughly 156 yards out and the days light slowly slipping away, he threw a dart to the green and left himself a putt for birdie. Nate’s match was even at this point after a colorful eight holes played. A couple double bogeys, a chipped in birdie, some pars and bogeys made for a true battle in his match. His opponent reached the final green in three shots and made par. Nate had a 15 foot, right to left breaker for birdie to win the hole, and match. A par for Nate would mean he would’ve tied the match and tied for the best ball point. At a moment like that, anyone would be thinking to play safe and cozy a putt close to secure a tie. We had no idea what was happening on the green, as we were 429 yards away on the first tee at the clubhouse. A tie in his match would bring both teams to 4.5 points. A win in his match would secure two points and propel the team to a win.
As Nate and Jack approached the clubhouse after walking back from the first green, their finishing hole. We were trying to read body language and get an idea of what had happened in the match, Nate’s smile said it all. He drained that birdie putt center cup!! He had no idea of the magnitude of that putt as he was standing over it. A miss, it’s a tie. Roll it in, and it’s a win. None of that played a factor in his focus. Nate knows that every putt matters, from the start of the match, to the finish. It’s what makes him such a fierce match play competitor.
It takes a team to win a match, however, this evening, it all came down to one putt, and Nate nailed it! Well played Huskies, and well played Nate.
Our next full squad practice round this Monday will be played at Den Brae golf course. The lowest gross score of the nine, non starting line up players, will earn themself a spot in as the number six starter in our next match against Holderness at Canterbury Woods this coming Wednesday.
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