Trilby Tour Matchplay, Round 4

Round 4 of the Trilby Tour matchplay had me playing at home against Richard Mills from Pontardawe golf club playing off a handicap of 10 giving me 5 shots. I was feeling reasonably confident leading up to the match even though the last couple of times I played, I didn’t play very well.

I’m not really sure what has happened to my golf game. Things just haven’t been following my imagined plan! At the moment I don’t have a reliable poor shot off the tee. My first tee shot sliced way right leaving me with a longish shot which I dumped in the bunker while Richard was on the green after two beautiful golf shots with a great shot at a birdie. I blitzed my par save attempt miles passed the hole after a poor bunker shot left me over and off the green. 1 down after 1……hmph.

The second hole saw me utilize my hybrid and pull hook the ball left by about 50 yards after seeing Richard slice his shot right by almost the same. We ended up halving the par3 in 5’s. Less than inspirational golf on that hole which led to me trying to lay up on the plateau on the third and fading my hybrid into the rough almost behind the trees. Trying very hard not to get frustrated by now as I KNOW that frustration and anger do NOT help my game! I felt like I was still in with a chance on the third when Richard pulled his approach shot way left and onto the 2^nd tee ……. That chance was diminished when he stiffed the chip leading to another lost hole leaving me 2 down after 3…….. ggrrrrr…hmph.

The pin was placed in the centre of the 4^th green taking all of the danger away (if you have a regular and small usual landing area!!). Richards went right and into the short rough next to the green, I also went slightly right and a bit shorter leading to a ball in the pond hitting my third shot onto the green after a penalty drop. I managed to get up and down for 4 and amazingly won the hole to get back to 1 down.

A slightly better drive faded into the tall trees guarding the 5^th fairway and popped out with almost a shot at the green while Richard slightly pulled left towards the wall requiring a chip out into space. I saw a punched 9 iron to the green as my option for my second shot and hit the big ball before the little one which fortunately made it to the fairway leaving a sand wedge to the green and 2 putts verses Richards first three putt to get us back to all square. That sand wedge was my first good shot of the match and I was lucky to be all square standing on the 6^th tee.

Big ball first again left me in the fairway needing a drawn 9 iron around the big-arsed trees guarding the 6^th green which worked a treat leaving me about 20 feet for birdie. Two fantastic shots by Richard left him with a similar birdie chance and we halved the hole in pars. Still all square.

I had a shot on the 7^th hole and threw the hole away by putting my first and provisional shots in the very deep rough on the left with my very ‘safe’ 4 iron. I probably should have walked back to play 5 from the tee, but didn’t have enough golf balls to throw another one away.

I put my tee shot on the 8^th green and knocked the 10 foot putt in for a birdie to take the hole and start to play some decent golf. So decent in fact, that the 8^th was the first of 5 in a row and we were standing on the 13^th tee and I was 4 up. We halved 13 with a really nice pair of pars after being in the trees on the left.

Slice followed by a provisional pull and a pushed 4^th shot lost me the 14^th and I think Richard knew that steady golf from him would probably win the match. I also knew that steady golf from me would DEFINITELY win the match, I just couldn’t get it right. Although a great drive followed by a duffed lay-up and a short approach on the 15^th led to a hole halved in pars and dormie 3 on the 16^th. I hit a reasonable drive leaving a nice pitching wedge to the green from the semi rough. It’s a shot I normally feel like I can do in my sleep. I must have been dreaming because I shanked it straight into the trees just near Richards drive and now we were both battling the trees short and right of the 16^th green. I hit an awesome chip that left me a putt to win the match of about 10 feet. I missed and we went to the 17^th 2up with 2 to play.

We both pushed our tee shots to the par3 and had reasonably straight forward chips to the green with an up and down contest. I knew it had to land softly so I chose the flop shot. I would normally test the grass before hitting any chip. I failed to this time and the grass caught the hosel, closed the clubface and sent the ball over the green. WTF!!!! Richard bumped his chip down the little hill onto the green and left himself about 6 foot for par which he JUST missed and somehow I must have chipped and two-putted for a five to have us still at dormie standing on the 18^th tee.

Now the tension was definitely getting to me. “nice and easy swing to just knock it onto the fairway” was the thought. The practice was a nice easy swing mis-timed and a massive slice put me in the trees next to the 7^th fairway. A beautiful drive from Richard put him just through the fairway with a clear shot at the green. I played my provisional ball with anger and smashed it into position A+. I found my first ball and had a clear shot to chip out onto the fairway and still be in with a chance as I had a shot on the 18^th. My head nearly exploded and my vision turned red when I SHANKED THE CHIP and it squirted about 20 yards away and into the massively long rough!!! WTF!!! WTF!!!

Richard hit an amazing approach shot to 18 and birdied the hole to take us to extra holes all square. It must have been hard for him to control his laughter by now, I was feeling pretty ordinary. Richard found yet another fairway with a fantastic drive on our 19^th hole. I hit the same swing as my provisional on the 18^th and it sailed straight into the tiger rough on the left. My provisional ball did exactly the same thing, just further in.

Richard played amazingly well under pressure and deserved the win. I fell apart and didn’t swing the clubs at all well and unfortunately this has ended my Trilby Tour experiences for this year.

I’ll be back next year! It has been a great experience.

Look out for Richard Mills at Rockliffe Hall!