Trilby Tour Match-play. My first match.

What a corker of a day!

The sun was out, the wind was more breezy than gale-force and my little bit of chipping and putting practice had me feeling pretty good for my match against Simeon Howells (22hcp) from Glamorganshire golf club. I’m quite a competitive person deep down and had been thinking that I wouldn’t talk much, would have my game-face (Poulter) on and give nothing away. Fail. We were both very friendly and chatty and we enjoyed our match in pleasant conversation and had a really good time.

The match itself was an amazing experience.

I was quite nervous on the first tee but managed to win the hole and witnessed Simeon’s scrambling capabilities after he leaked right a bit with his R11 driver and still had a shot at halving the hole.

I was two up after 2 when on the 3rd Simeon chipped close from nearly exactly the same spot as me for a gimme 4 and I had to chip in to halve the hole as he had a shot on that hole, which I missed. The 4^th hole saw both our shots within 4 feet of each other to the right of the green, so it was a chip and putt competition which we halved. That half was one of only 4 halves for the entire match! It was followed by two more wins with Simeon getting to 1up standing on the 7^th tee.

The 7^th is our second hardest hole giving Simeon a shot more than me to get to the bottom of the cup. I’m still trying to learn how to play that hole well as it makes up its own yardages. You never get a level stance and lie and it is a tough test of your golf. The approach shot is from a downhill lie to an elevated green with out of bounds behind. Not easy, although I did manage to par it and get us back to all square. Hole 8 is a testy par three which plays very long, even with a tailwind for a 150 yard hole. I managed to get onto the same level as the green, although just off, while a drop was taken by Simeon to free himself from the trees needing a chip-in to match my par which he missed.

My favourite shot of the match was my drive on the par4 9^th (348 yard, downhill dogleg left). I drove onto the green with what can only be described as an amazing drive and had a tap in birdie after just missing my eagle putt. I also hit a fantastic drive on the 10^th hole into the wind to just in front of the 14^th tee-box while Simeon lost 2 balls out of bounds left sending me to my biggest lead of 3up.

I squandered that lead in the following 3 holes even though Simeon only received a shot on one of them. I was really looking forward to the 13^th hole. With a tailwind and a decent drive, it is a reachable par5. I pulled my drive onto the 15^th fairway and instead of just taking my medicine and chipping back onto the fairway, I decided that I would try a massive slice (around, up and over trees) to get back onto the fairway at a decent distance for my 3^rd shot. It did leave me closer to the hole, but in some very juicy rough and a flop over trees to the fairway was my only option. Simeon managed to get onto the green with his 3^rd shot about 4 feet away, I went through with my 4^th and conceded the hole.  

That left us All Square with 4 holes to play. The tension was definitely building now and I imagine Simeon’s confidence was growing, especially knowing that he had a shot on the last hole!

I managed to win 16 to go 1up with 2 to play and was walking to the 17^th green feeling very confident having just rolled through the green left while Simeon had pushed his tee shot short and right. Simeon then played a fantastic chip which dropped in the cup making my heart sink, palms sweat and panic set in. I needed to chip in as well to keep my 1up lead for the crucial 18^th. I chipped it nicely and it just burned the edge of the hole leaving us all square heading to the 18^th tee with Simeon having an extra shot. I was bricking it!!

Fortunately for me, Simeon duffed his drive (I wasn’t the only one feeling the pressure!) and I left mine in a position where I knew I could reach the green with a good smack from my hybrid.

Matchplay is amazingly stressful!

Simeon hit a fantastic three-wood to about 30 yards short of the green putting pressure firmly back on me. I pulled my hybrid left towards the trees and OB left.

“You’ve just given it to him, you dumb expletive!” came to mind as the ball cracked into the trees and I was still shaking my head and chastising myself as I dropped my provisional ball.

Fortunately I was able to find my second shot in-bounds. It was sitting cradled in some dead branches and roots about a foot from the base of a tree leaving a difficult, hands-only stab at a difficult chip up a steep bank across a slippery green to a very difficult pin position. SIMPLES! The chip-shot worked and I had about 20 feet to the pin, straight up hill for the win after Simeon let me off the hook with a tension induced duffed chip. I blasted that first putt about 5 feet passed the pin leaving a putt that would roll off the green if it missed the hole for a half! Could I possibly put more pressure on myself?? Standing over that putt, I said to myself that it had to ‘go in confidently’ and any tentativeness would make it wobble and probably miss. I stuck to my putting routine and poured it in the hole!! I felt pretty amazing walking to the first tee for our 19^th hole!

I managed to win our first extra hole and would like to thank Simeon for a fantastic match and look forward to playing with him again one day soon. I really enjoyed my first experience of match-play and can't wait for my next match. After a couple of debriefing drinks in the beautiful, warm sun overlooking the 18^th hole it was time to go to work, what an anti-climax!