24th May and my third round match was against Rodney Clough (yes another elderly gentleman). But this match had a bit of spice to it. I had played Rod previously in years gone by, he was one of the ones who had given me a bit of a beating. So when he put his first two tee shots over the fence and out of bounds, all I could do was smile inside. Easy way to win the first hole. Poor Rod did not have a good day. After 9 holes he was four down. At that stage it was just going to be a matter of time. He won a hole and halved another to keep the match alive, but on the par 5, 14th hole, it came to an end. I was on the green for three, Rod for six. He was still further from the hole than me so putted first, missed his putt, took off his cap, came over and shook my hand. Match over I had won six up with four to play. Into the semi-finals.
My semi-final match is on the 7th June against a man I know very well. Chris Hill had been my pairs partner up until I blew my knee last year. We have collected some good silverware together. The match will be interesting.
Semi-final 7th June 2025
The match with Chris Hill started off on a cold and clear morning, the wind down at 10-15k, a mere zephyr in Taranaki. We were both having a bit of banter pre-match and this carried on throughout the match. The game was played in pretty good spirits. We knew each other well and were comfortable giving each other a bit of stick.
The first hole is a par 5. I was on the green for three, Chris was on for four, we both three putted for a six and a seven. 1 up for me. This started our days love-hate affair with the greens. The greens gave us both nightmares with putts that you had just tapped toward the hole rolling past the hole for 2-3-5 meters. Despite this we both holed out some remarkable putts. My putt on the 5th was very good and won me the hole.
The 2nd hole is a par three and we both had fours for a halved hole. I remained 1-up. I played the next three holes well and took advantage of Chris' slightly more nervous start. Jumping out to a 4-up lead. Chris then came back at me, playing holes six and seven much better than I did, cutting my lead down to 2-up. Holes seven and eight went my way to go back to 4-up after the first nine.
Then the worm turned. The 'worm' being the weather. The wind went from 10-15k out to 30-40k. It became very bitter. Only a few holes later Chris asked me if I was getting tired yet. He knows me too well.
We halved holes ten and eleven and I lost hole twelve to go down to 3-up. The cold was getting to me and I was starting to mis-time my shots and pulling them left. Hole thirteen we halved in 4's both sinking short putts for our pars. Hole fourteen I had the chance to win with a clear advantage but the putting gyps set in and from being on for three with Chris on for four, I three putted for 5, Chris two putted for his 6. Gutted, that was my chance to regain my advantage and put the pressure right back on Chris.
Holes fifteen and sixteen went Chris' way with me dragging things left and pushing them right. I was hitting some tree-mendous shots and getting into trouble down the tree lines. Down to 1-up with two to play. The advantage on the card might have been mine, but at this stage Chris was playing the better golf. Hole seventeen and we somehow managed to halve the hole in fours. Chris watched in horror as his chip onto the green failed to stop as the wind blew it back to his feet. 1-up and the eighteenth to play. I still had the advantage.
Hole eighteen was perhaps my worst hole of the day. I watched Chris tee off and hit a good one down the middle left. I teed off and pulled it left (again). To my horror, when I got to my ball, it was resting up against a tree, leaving me almost no shot. I took out a club and tried to bunt it back into play. It all went wrong. I caught the ball with the heel of the club and it went left and out of bounds. I had no option but to drop another ball in the same position (for a one shot penalty) and play my fourth shot. It went about 20 meters out onto the fairway. Sadly after four shots I still had not reached Chris' drive. We played out the hole with Chris getting a nice par and me writing down a seven which could easily have been an eight or nine if Chris had not generously given me my last shot. All square after 18, overtime.
Down the 19th we went. Chris teed off and hit a big slice up over the tree line and two fairways over. I hit a good one down the correct fairway just left of centre. I couldn't see Chris' second shot but he was getting closer. I hit mine down the middle leaving a 90 meter shot to the green. Chris' shot was short and would take a good next shot to get close. I put my third shot onto the green and Chris hit his fourth shot onto the green. I putted first and left about a meter putt to go. Chris putted and left it short of the hole, sunk what was left, in the hole for six. My big chance. A meter putt to win the match, easy peasy. I stepped up took aim and pushed it right past the hole hard enough to leave it further away than my last putt. A knee knocker left just to make the match continue. I made it. On to the 20th.
Neither of us played the hole well and we halved a par three in fives. Onto the 21st. Chris teed off and hit a good drive down the left. I teed off and dragged it left into the trees. Two chips later I got to the edge of the green. Chris hit a good flop shot onto the green for his second. To put any pressure on Chris I needed to sink my putt for four. I missed, walked over and said "Well done Chris", I had lost.
I was never behind in the match right up to the 21st hole when I lost. Gutted!
I had had my chances and blew them. Chris goes on, I go home.
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