WORLD AM CHAMPIONSHIP 2014: DAY 2 AT WILLBROOK PLANTATION

Additional photos can be viewed here

Sunrise from our hotel balcony

So what does this first picture have to do with our second day at the World Am in Myrtle Beach? Absolutely nothing! But when you wake up to this view from your balcony, breathe in that crisp, 69-degree ocean air, it eases the pain of shooting yourself out of the tournament…just a little teeny bit.

Willbrook Plantation Clubhouse

We cruised into Willbrook Plantation this morning, and the massive oaks lining the fairways gave notice that one would have to hit it pretty straight to do anything on this course. Once we actually teed em up, there was more room than I anticipated and I think I had a play on every ball from the tee.

Can you see the heart? Steph did :)

I did have chip out from behind the trees on No.9, a dogleg right par-4 that played from 362 yards, and had a couple other breaks, but hey, at least I was in play all day. That was the best part of my game today: getting in play from the tee box. Early in the round, I felt better than I did the past two days, and was eight over for my first nine holes. Considering what I have been doing, that’s not too bad.

Today's foursome: Clay, Randy, Jeff, T. A.

Let me apologize before going any further. I intended to talk much more about my playing partners, especially my cart partner Jeff Rader, who shot an 84, even with two triples on his card, and Clay Collier, who bounced back from a 10 on a hole to still best me by four strokes I think it was. Noel (Randy) Meadows also outshot me by a couple, relegating me to the bottom of our foursome.

Jeff Rader climbing the leaderboard

However, I changed batteries on my phone before saving my notes, and all notes from the last 11 1/2 holes we played were lost! This final blunder absolutely epitomized my day’s collection of blunders. I do remember Jeff’s outstanding birdie on the final hole we played, the 127-yard, par-3 6th. His uphill, 25-footer leaned to the right and fell in on its last revolution, his second birdie of the day. I can’t remember anyone else carding a birdie, but without notes…

Randy Meadows' pro-like form

My playing partners, served notice early on that they intended to play good golf, and I hung in there pretty well with at least two of my partners until the final four holes, where I gave away five strokes with indescribable putting (this is a family blog, so I can’t give an accurate description). Funny thing, I was feeling pretty good about myself after we had played 12 holes. I wasn’t doing anything too terrific, but was certainly better than yesterday.

Clay Collier strokes it to the green

We got to our 13th hole of the day (we started on No.7), Hole No.1, a 400-yard dogleg right, with huge trees at the turn on the right. Jeff and Clay hit into the trees on the right, but it appeared as though Randy had hit a terrific draw up the right, but turning back in. It turns out that he couldn’t do much with a huge oak impeding his progress. I hit my drive low and left, but in the fairway, with the best look.

Gotta widen that stance

I had about 200 yards in with a stiff wind in the face. I hit a fair 3-metal to about 2o yards of the green. Yep, still feeling good about myself. Chip it on close, putt for par, at worse bogey. A flubbed chip and missed putt that should have been made, and it was a double. Everyone agreed that that hole was a beast! I believe Jeff may have made one of his triples there.

Nice out! Think I made this putt

I posted another double bogey on No.2, which should have been a bogey after driving into the fairway bunker, but the wheels really came off on the 520-yard, par-5 No.3. I hit my best drive of the day, perhaps 250 yards just left of fairway bunkers on the right. I pull out my trusty hybrid 4-iron, and pushed it a bit to the right, into fairway bunkers lining the right side.

Doesn't look bad

My ball is sitting six inches from the lip, and there’s no way to advance it toward the hole. I chip out backwards and I have 150 yards in, still with a crisp wind. I pull my 6-iron, and knock it stiff! Well, about five feet is stiff for me. I can knock this in for par. Another lame putt, and now I’m thinking about it. Okay, three holes to go, a bogey ain’t so bad considering where I was in two. We get to the par-3 fourth, playing about 155 yards. 

Out comes that 6-iron again, and the ball drops about one foot from the hole and rolls to, you guessed it, about five feet. I believe Clay and Jeff notched their pars, and Randy chips on and two-putts for bogey. 

The birdie putt I had was not difficult. There was no major break, its a relatively flat putt. It’s practically a gimme. I missed it with a yippy stroke, and missed the two-footer coming back. I ended up with a bogey... The rumors of my demise are not at all exaggerated!

Three putts from five feet? With no real difficulty? Yep, that’s the same guy who double-bogeyed the last two holes, and then didn’t save his notes. Shoot! Who can blame me for losing those notes anyway? 

Ah, but the weather was great! The course was outstanding! The tuna melt from the clubhouse was as good as it gets, we have the 19th Hole …and I get to play two more rounds of golf before tourney is over. Am I learning to look at the bright side or what!

Mike Thompson at 2013 World Am

Mike (Thompson), sorry I couldn’t give you any help Big Guy. Mike is my partner for the International Pairs competition, where partners' net scores for the first three days are combined and compared with other teams. The top five teams make it to the final round on Friday and compete for the opportunity to represent the United States in the International Pairs World Final in Scotland. ‘Prizes are awarded to the top ten teams.

Mike shows off his long drive prize

Given what we’ve done to date (Mike hasn’t lit it up either), it ain’t gonna happen. However, Mike did win the long drive competition for his flight today, bombing a 320-yarder to pick up the prize. Shoot, you better work on that short game partner, cause Rory don’t have nothin’ on you on the tee box! Oh? You mean you don’t do that every time? My bad LOL…

Jeff made almost everything today

As for my playing partners today, Jeff, I wanna be like you when I grow up. Jeff was tied for 22nd after the first day, but his stellar round today jumped him up to a tie for 7th. His net 71, was just two strokes off the low net of 69 shot by Phillip Guerriero, who sits in 2nd, two strokes off the lead.

Clay, that bounce back after the 10 was spectacular. Clay moved up from 32nd to 28th with today's 5-shot improvement. Randy, can you teach me how to draw the ball? Randy and I shared the fate of dropping in the standings, but he hit some beautiful draws today.

Randy Meadows for birdie

Bottom line folks, is that although I’m not the golfer I had hoped I was coming into this tournament, I can’t imagine a better event to play. This last makes my 10th World Am round, and I have had 10 terrific foursomes, on at least eight great courses, and two good ones.

My hope coming in was to win my flight and make it to the final day. After yesterday, my new goal was to improve upon my first day’s score and position. Goal unmet. I dropped from a tie for 30th to a tie for 31st. It's time to develop yet another goal.

Craig Forbes & T. A. at 2013 World Am

Now I’m thinking, “How low can you go?” as far as hopes and expectations go I mean :). Given my last two scores, I guess I should be hoping to break 90! Or maybe I'll just shoot to finish ahead of Craig (Forbes) one of my playing partners from last year. He's sitting in 14th, 18 slots ahead of my 32nd ranking. Heck, he's only got me by 10 shots. Three years ago I shot 81 in the final round. Last year I shot an 80 in the first round. Perhaps I’m saving my best round for Day 3 this year. We’ll see tomorrow. 

Kevin McGuire (right) & staff member 

As usual, Steph did a spectacular job! If I could shoot as well as she can, they’d be scribbling my name on that trophy already. She even had to do a little pushing to be able to do her thing today. Glad that Head Pro Kevin McGuire came around and helped us get this done. We appreciate that Kevin! Hope the folks at Hackler are as cooperative tomorrow. Until then…

 Additional photos can be viewed here

Steph & T. A.

WORLD AM CHAMPIONSHIP 2014: DAY 1 AT THE PEARL EAST

Additional photos by Steph can be viewed here

The Pearl Clubhouse & Sign

In honor of all the positive minded folk who always have such positive things to say regardless of circumstances, I will start with the positive. Considering some very wet weather last week, including Saturday when I first visited Pearl East, the course was in really good shape this morning, including some immaculate greens! Fantastic work by Course Superintendent Robert Gamble and his staff!

Clubhouse from the rear

Yes, there were some imbedded balls here and there, and there was one cart path only hole (the fascinating 10th with two trees in the middle of the fairway), but lift clean and place was in effect, and we managed to finish our round in a little over 4 ½ hours. Compared to yesterday’s 5 ½, it was practically heaven, and I managed to stay semi-lucid throughout.

Scenes from The Pearl East

When I came through on Saturday, I noted that the course was about as interesting a course as I had played in some time, maybe ever, but I couldn’t appreciate the beauty of the course with all those dark clouds, lightning, thunder and heavy rain. 

Hole No.2

Today, in the brilliant sunshine, The Pearl East showed that she really was a gem of a track! In fact, Steph commented that some spots on the course were so captivating that "it makes you want to build a house and live there forever!"

Mike taking care of business

Mike Benson is one of the most congenial Head Golf Professionals I’ve ever met. I think maybe he’s tied with The Hideaway’s Sean Balliet and Treviso Bay’s Mark Wilhelmi for the top spot. He was very accommodating when we emailed prior to coming to Myrtle Beach and made sure that Steph was well taken care of when we arrived at the course this morning. 

Frank Yates, my therapy partner

Let’s see…what else can I write about that was positive? Hmm, well, the temperature was a crisp 64 degrees when we walked out this morning, and I did have good playing partners once again, making it three for three at the World Am with cool foursomes. Frank Gates, who rode with me, and I formed an immediate therapy group, as we both needed therapy early in the round.

Darius Oshidar- our foursome leader

Ron Wills was on the borderline of joining the therapy group, but Frank and I decided to make the group exclusive, and let his cart partner, Darius Oshidar, console him. Darius wasn’t thrilled with his round despite shooting an 87, four strokes better than Ron, seven better than I, and nine better than Frank. Darius was good enough to hold down a tie for 6th in our flight. Only the good company kept the bogey blues from totally consuming me. 

  

Ron Willis' effective putting crouch

Oh yeah, I am still supposed to be writing about the good stuff. I did have a birdie on the short 305-yard par-4 No.8, and finished the final hole with a par (missing a 10-footer for birdie). Other than that, there was a par here and a par there, but that’s about it for the good news.

For those of you who can admit to “negative” sentiments such as disappointment, you can relate to the disappointment I felt in my inability to do any of the things I had been doing fairly well coming into this event. Simply put, I think the expectations must have gotten to me, and the body is willing and able, but the mind hasn’t been thus far.

Doesn't look as bad as it was, does it?

More good news? Well there are still three days to go, and it is possible that I could rediscover some semblance of a golf game and post a few good rounds the next few days. Only time and golf swings will tell. I came in planning on making it to the final day on Friday. Now, I’m back to hoping to finish in the top ten in my flight! My net score of 82 has me tied for No.30 in our flight, 11 shots behind the leaders.

I was thinking that the 94 I shot today was the worst of the nine rounds I have played in the World Am thus far, but I was wrong. I carded a 100 in my very first World Am round in 2011. I improved every day that year, but only enough to finish 16^th in my flight. I guess I’ll have to settle for improving everyday this time as well.

Steph & Blues Bros at 19th Hole

Ah, one final bit of good news which you can always find at the World Am is the world's largest 19th hole, held at the Myrtle Beach Convention center. With 10 food stations, perhaps as many free drink stations, and ice cream too, how bad can it get? So we bring Day 1 of the World Am to a close, having hit the course, and the 19th Hole, and next the sack. Stay posted for Day 2 from Willbrook Plantation, which promises to be chock full of lovely views for Steph to shoot. Let's hope that the seeds I've been planting all summer will finally blossom at the Plantation tomorrow. Until then... 

Steph & T. A.

DUEL AT THE DYE CLUB 2014

My final putt of the day was about 12 feet, slightly downhill, breaking gently left to right…at least I think it was left to right, might have been right to left…after more than 5 ½ hours on the golf course, left, right, up, down, don’t mean that much to me. In any event, I stroked it perfectly, and watched with wry disdain as it curled into the hole, making a golfer’s favorite sound: kerplunk. It doesn’t really sound like that, but it’s the best I can do.

Why disdain? Well, it was the only putt of any length I had made all day and it was for a 6…on a par 3. Sure the 7-foot comebacker for par on No.16 (496-yard par-5) was good, but I shouldn’t have hit the first one that far past the hole in the first place. And, I would much rather have made the 8-footer for birdie I had on No.17, after lofting a soaring 7-iron onto the narrow green.

To put it mildly, it was a tough day for me on the Dye (Pete) Course at Barefoot Resort. I am quite sure the course is more than worthy of the “Course of the Year,” designation it received last year,

 and was a pristine venue for Golf Channel’s Big Break Myrtle Beach (to be aired this fall). However, I was far too busy marveling at my psycho-emotional breakdown, to pay enough attention to the intricacies of the Dye design.

You would think that playing a track that has regularly been named one of the nation’s “Top 100 Courses” by Golf Magazine, Golf Digest and Golfweek (according to the course website), that I would pay a little more attention, huh? Like I said, it was a tough day on the links for me.

How tough was it? At one point, perhaps after the first couple of holes, I turned to my playing partner Neil Bertholf and said, “I really have played golf before, and I’m sure that will be evident before the day is over.” Barely. Neil and I played with Eric Vaughn and Henry Zeberkiewicz, and I am pretty sure that I hit more strokes than any of my playing partners. Neil had me down for a 99, but I believe I carded 100…from the member tees!!!

Henry Zeberkiewicz & Eric Vaughn

I tried not to think about the fact that Henry, despite being more than 10 years my senior, outdrove on almost every hole, or that Eric did so as well…with a hybrid! I guess I shouldn’t mind being outplayed by Henry, given that Henry is carrying a 6.6 index and has played this tournament more years than I have played golf. I did card a 44 on the back nine, so it wasn’t all bad.

Stan Mahaffey- Event Organizer

The one-day event, organized by Stan Mahaffey of Jonesboro, Louisiana, was one I’d certainly play again, and I’ll bet the 148 others who participated would as well. Kudos must be sent out to Head Golf Pro Jeff Diehl and his staff, who managed to get the course ready for play, despite several inches of rain late yesterday. They even let us drive the fairways.

Jeff Diehl- Head Golf Professional

That took a lot of guts and accommodation from the staff, as conditions were definitely soggy. Imbedded balls and standing water were not uncommon. I suspect that time considerations were at play and that we would have had cart-path only restrictions on a normal day. Heck, the round was already almost six hours!!!

Our original intent was to play the Duel at the Dye Course to become familiar with the course where the championship round of the World Am will be played on Friday. 

If I don’t find a different frame of mind by tomorrow morning and hold onto it for a few days, I’m afraid today will be the only look I will get at the Dye Course this time around…at least as a player. Steph and I might still want to get some shots of the final day.

Ok, that’s about it for today. The tourney begins in earnest tomorrow, and we’ll report back then. As always, thanks to Steph for the photos, and you can check out additional photos here. 

T.A. & Steph

2014 WORLD AMATEUR HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW

Scene from 2013 World Am

Wanting redemption and getting it are two quite different things, but I am hoping that the two will converge over the next week in Myrtle Beach. That’s right, a year of waiting for redemption (one needs redemption after choking, doesn’t one?) is finally just about over! The World Amateur Handicap Championship (World Am) kicks off this coming Monday (8/25), and the course assignments have been made (see below).

Steph- my favorite photographer

Steph and I will likely be on the way or in Myrtle Beach by the time you get this, and we fully intend to bore you with our escapades over the next week…unless of course you opt out by sending us an email to cease and desist. My verbiage might get a bit dull, but the courses we play are usually beautiful and Steph does a fantastic job of capturing that beauty. Give us a look see before sending that cease and desist order, huh?

June Wang
2007 World Am Champion

In case you don’t know what the World Am is, it is probably the world’s largest golf tournament, featuring 3405 players at last count for this year’s 31^st edition of the event. One of the very cool things about golf is that players of varied abilities can compete in the same event, using the United States Golf Association’s (USGA) Handicap System. Theoretically, anyone can win this thing, and in fact, a woman with a 27.5 handicap index won it in 2007!

This year there are 76 flights, with six of these being women’s, 10 of them men over 70, 25 flights of men age 60-69, 21 flights in my age group (50-59), 13 of men under 49, and one “Gross” flight, which means no handicap involved. 

First time atop a leaderboard!

Holding up the Championship Trophy in this event, as I’m planning on doing, is quite a feat! In my flight (#25) alone, there are 44 players from 25 states and four countries. Last year I led my flight after Day 2, before the third round derailed me and the fourth round dismantled me (finished 4^th).

World Am 2013- Opening day at Tiger's Eye

Our flight, being a “senior” flight, will be playing white tees on the first three days and blues on the final day of flight competition. Of course they saved the longest course for last, but I’m not sure whether it will be the best or the hardest. Only teeing it up will tell me that.

Day 1 we’ll be teeing it up at Pearl Golf Links, East (6091 yards, 69.7/122) in Calabash, North Carolina, about 45 minutes north of where we will be staying (Gazebo Inn). Nothing like waking up to ocean sounds with your favorite person in the world and knowing that all you have to do is go play golf. Too bad I have to work for a living the rest of the year :)!

T. A. & Nolan Henke at Cypress Lake Country Club

The Pearl promises to be no picnic to start the event, so I’m hoping those tips I got from Nolan Henke (Touring Pro at Cypress Lake Country Club), Sean Balliet (Head Pro at The Hideaway Country Club), and playing partner Chris Capps will pay off from the first tee.

Willbrook Plantation- photo courtesy of website

The fun continues on Day 2 at Willbrook Plantation (6292 yards, 70.3/129) on Pawley’s Island, the south end of the Myrtle Beach Grand Strand, about 32 minutes in the other direction. Given the accolades this track has received, I can’t wait to swing the sticks on this old plantation of rice! Let’s just hope it treats us nice. Hitting it straight off the tee appears to be a premium on this course, and if I can manage to do that, perhaps we’ll have some more Day-2 good news.

I hope to have a better Day-3 performance on the Hackler Course (6305 yards, 71.1/125) at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, South Carolina, than I did last year at TPC Myrtle Beach (click here for last year’s debacle). A mere 20 minutes to the northwest for this day’s play will seem like a quick jaunt compared to the first two days, but the course rating suggests that this might be the most difficult of the tracks we’ll play.

Oyster Bay at Legends- photo courtesy of website

The final day of flight competition will be at the Oyster Bay course (6325 yards, 69.8/130) at the Legends Golf & Resort in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, another 45-minute journey north. 

Stoneybrook Golf Course

I don’t think the fact that this course is the longest we’ll play will influence the play as much as the island greens and massive bunkers. The course description promises some treacherous greens for the final day of flight play. Hopefully time spent at Old Corkscrew, Verandah’s Whispering Oaks, and Stoneybrook will pay off.  

Okay, that’s the lineup for the World Am, but prior to that Monday morning start, we’ll be teeing it up on Sunday in The Duel at Dye Club, a one-day tournament on the course that will host the championship round of the World Am. We figure it would be good to get some tourney practice on the course I plan to play in the championship round on Friday. How about that for positive thinking?

Anyway, according to the Club’s website, The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort & Golf  won the 2013 Myrtle Beach “Course of the Year” award and also was named the 2013 SC Golf Course of the Year by the South Carolina Golf Course Owners Association Board of Directors. Bottom line is that this is a course to play, and we’ll be there on Sunday before the World Am begins. Let’s hope for good things right off the bat!

Mike Thompson & playing partner at 2013 World Am

Okay, that’s it for the prelims. We’ll be back with you Sunday night with photos and results of the first competitive round of the trip at The Dye Club. Don’t forget, let us know if you don’t want to be included. Hey Michael, Chip, you guys ready? Grip it and Rip it!  

T.  A. & Steph