DAY 1: GOLF.COM WORLD AMATEUR HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP

Driving into Ocean Ridge Plantation to play the first day of the 30th Anniversary Golf.com World Amateur Handicap Championship (WAHC) was a treat unto itself. The tree-lined streets with pristinely manicured homes gave us an “Aww this is too sweet!” feeling as we turned off State Road 17 onto Ocean Ridge Parkway.

Tiger's Eye Clubhouse

The table was set for a good day of golf. All I had to do was partake of delightful smorgasbord of golf that was offered up on Tiger’s Eye Golf Links, one of four championship layouts on the property in Ocean isle Beach, North Carolina.

My playing partners

Our group, Craig Forbes, Mike Schaal, Butch Willis, and I, teed off on the 345-yard 14th hole, playing from the Bengal tees (6120 yards), with me having the honors. I promptly put my drive into the sand on the right. 

Funny, I had just talked to my riding partner, Craig, about only being in the sand once in my practice round the day before. Figures, doesn’t it?

They all proceeded to put their drives in the fairway, and each of my playing partners parred the hole. Me? I came out of the sand okay, and bogeyed the hole…in fact, I bogeyed the first four holes, and was sitting four back of Craig, who had parred each of the four, two back of Butch who had parred two of four, and even with Mike, due to his 8 on the par-four 16th (third hole played).

But hey, given what I usually shoot, I was happy to have opened with four bogeys. “At least I had honors on one hole”

Par 5 18th

I quipped after the first few.My usual playing partners aren’t gonna believe this, but I got my first par on the par-five 18th, playing 525 from the Bengal tees. The tee was probably up, but hey, that’s what it says on the scorecard, ok?

Before I go any further, let me thank Sean Balliet for my chipping lesson, because my chipping kept me in the game. A good chip and a one-putt snagged me that first par, and that par was one of four in a six-hole stretch that included those four pars a birdie and a bogey. 

At that point I was five over after ten, and right in the thick of things. I had closed the gap on Craig, who was four over after ten, passed Mike who was seven over (despite 6 of 10), and Butch, who was six over, despite making the shot of the day on #18. 

Butch getting his eagle ball

Butch hit his third shot on 18 from about 150 yards, and it looked good in the air, looked really nice when it landed just on the front of the green, tracking toward the hole. It rolled really nicely toward the pin until…it just disappeared. Yep, eagle-three for Butch. Bet he collected a tidy sum for that skin!

I got back on the bogey train on the short par-three 6th, playing just 140, when my 9-iron came up short. But I got off on the next stop when I parred the par-five 7th, playing 513. Even though I was driving the ball well (after the first pathetic two that landed me in the sand), 

Par 4 8th

I decided to play No.8, a short par-four playing just 337 yards, smart, and used my brand new 19-degree Cobra T-rail hybrid off the tee. It was perfectly placed for another 9-iron into the back pin placement.

That 9-iron came up short as well, and my first shot out of the green-side bunker, was, uh, not out of the bunker. My second shot out of the bunker, was out of the bunker, but just barely. Shoot! Lying four and facing my first very likely double bogey on the 13th hole of the day.

Hah! But I had had a chipping lesson from none other than Sean Balliet, 

Sean Balliet

The Hideaway Country Club’s Head Golf Professional, in preparation for this event, and hit the perfect chip that tracked down the hill dead center cup to save the bogey. Phew! It was just one of those days. I don’t remember ever shooting a round without a double bogey, but after that save, I started thinking the golf gods were looking out for me.

 

On No.9, a dogleg right, showing 370 on the card, I hit a nice drive, and had about 137 over water to a front pin. Should be a perfect little 9-iron again. I hit it well…I thought, with just a little tug.I turned away thinking that it would be just left of the pin, and looked back to see the ball fall short and beat a hasty retreat into the water. “Are you bleepin’ me! I hit that well?” Fortunately for me, I hit a decent chip and made a good putt to save the bogey.

Guess those gods were looking out for me. Two pars, two bogeys on the final four holes, to finish with a 9-over 81, my best round of golf since I shot 81 the last round I played in the WAHC two years ago. Craig, playing in his 15th WAHC, also finished with an 81. Butch posted an 86 in his first ever WAHC round, and Mike, playing his 10th, closed with an 87.

Steph on the camera

I’ve gotta thank Steph for making the rounds shooting photos, and especially for the sandwich she brought me, just as I was reaching for the crackers in my bag. What a woman! I’m thinking she brightened up the day for some of the other guys on the course as well, just with that sunny smile of hers. 

Clay Stanley get the show rolling

I also want to thank the World Am organizers for treating me to yet another terrific golf course and a fun foursome.Of course my luck may run out eventually, but this was my fifth round of WAHC play, and so far all of the guys have been way cool! 

Craig's unique putting stance

Thanks for the refreshment Craig! Butch, I won’t forget that eagle! Mike, I didn’t even mind you hitting that stinkin’ three-metal past my driver every time :). Hope the putting picks for you tomorrow…or maybe not, or I won’t have a chance at winning the flight.

As for the competition, my double-bogey-free round put me tied for third with playing partner Craig of Hillsboro, Ohio, two shots back of the flight leader Mylan Metcalf of Union Grove, Alabama, and one behind Kenneth Gahr of Myrtle Beach. 

Tiger's Eye view

I’m looking forward to my 8:30am (yikes!) start at Aberdeen Country Club tomorrow. Aberdeen’s just over 6100 yards as well, but quite a bit tighter than Tiger’s Eye. Perhaps the golf gods will be smiling benevolently upon me again tomorrow. “Drive for show, putt for dough!” T. A.