Langley Match - semis

If you read my post yesterday you would know that I played my semi match last night against Brian B. So after spending a day at work in the 42 degree heat I headed to the golf club around 3 to spend another 4 hours on the course in 42 degree heat. Yes I thought I should mention how freaking hot it was yesterday. This was going to be a tough match. Brian kicked my ass 2 years ago and has been playing well I think. Atleast he shot a 69 last week although it was from the blues, it's still a 69. I knew I had to play well.

I would get out to the range to warm up a little. After hitting balls for about 10 mins and with only 4 or 5 balls left to hit with the driver I figured something out. I stood up right a little on my drive and all of a sudden I was hitting dead straight bombs. This was so revolutionary to me at the time I stepped back kind of laughed to myself and just knew I was going to hit it well today. Awesome. On to the putting green to get the stroke going and I'm off.

Going to give a hole by hole for this round as it was legendary, at least in my mind. It's long, but needs to be out there.

#1 - I'd push my tee shot a little right due to nerves but nothing crazy. Brian was dead center of fairway. I'd go up and over the trees and make a routine par, as did Brian. Even.

#2 - Both of us bomb it down the middle. Brian hits the ball long every time. I came up short of the green, Brian was about 15 feet for birdie. I chipped up to about 4 feet and made the putt for par. Brian would barely miss the birdie. Even.

#3 - Both of us hit our drives way right towards the bunkers. I would find myself in between the bunkers, Brian was in them. we would both hit the green from there. Brian left his putt about 5 feet short. I went past the hole 4 feet. Brian up first and missed his par putt. I would drain mine to draw first blood, 1 Up.

#4 - I'd hit a nice little 4 iron on the par 3 into the wind and actually end up about 5 feet above the hole. Brian had about a 25 footer from the left of the green. He hit a great putt that just barely missed the hole, I gave it to him. I tapped mine in for the birdie, 2 Up and I'm 1 under.

Feeling good at this point. Playing well out of the gates, just got to keep it going. Stay focused.

#5 - I hit a decent drive up the right hand side to 190 out. Brian demolished a ball to be 150 out into the wind but was left and behind some trees. I hit a rescue left but pin high. Brian hit an amazing shot to about 15 feet for birdie. As i got to my ball i found that it was buried in the rough and on a slight downhill. I opened the club face on my 56 degree wedge and took a big swing, popped up and landed softly on the green and lipped out for birdie. Brian would miss his putt but made par. still 2 up and 1 under for the round.

#6 - I would absolutely kill a drive on 6 that left me with 230 left to the hole. Brian was about 15 or 20 yards behind me and knew I was going for it, so he did to. He would end up slight right of the bunkers near green. I went for it and used to MUCH club and found myself in the second bunker on the right to a front pin. Tough lie in the bunker, but I got it out to the fringe. I would almost chip this in but settled for par. Brian couldn't make the birdie put from off the green. 2 up.

#7 - Didn't play the wind well on the par 3 7th. I would hit a 6 iron that landed past the pin and stopped on the back fringe. Brian was in close again about 12 feet out. My chip was perfect from the back and I left myself about 4 feet. After brian missed the putt for birdie, I tapped mine in. Still 2 up.

At this point Brian makes a crack about how every hole I'm making these up and downs. I was doing a great job of it.

#8 - I'm getting my stroke on this hole. Not going to lose the hole. I hit m first bad drive here and found myself right of the fairway but far enough I didn't have any trouble with the trees. Brian was dead center of the fairway. I would layup to the bottom of the hill. Here's were I think Brian made a mistake. He laid up. It was down wind but he had the length to get there and no point in laying up after I did. From the bottom of the hill I hit a PW from 110 (strong wind) to about 4 feet. Brian pushed it a little right and was 20 feet for birdie. He missed. I gave him the par putt. This is my hole, but I think in my head just leave it close enough if you miss to be a gimmie. So from 4 feet above the hole, down hill, i lag it up to an inch and take the hole. 3 up, still 1 under.

#9 - I hit a horrendous drive that pegs a tree and drops about 280 yards from the hole and in some rough. Brian kills one up the left hand side and gets in the small trap. I would get aggressive here and try a rescue, duffed it about 20 yards forward. Tried a 4 iron from 230, pushed it way right hit a tree and was on the driving range where everyone hits from. Brian was on the green in 2. Not sure if I played this right, but picked it up as ground under repair and came back towards the hole and dropped on other side of cart path. Not sure if I was to hit from where it was on the range deck, go back towards the practice green and hit over the range to the hole, all of us couldn't figure it out. I hit a nice little 60 degree wedge from here and actually lipped it out, but Brian made the par and took his first hole. 2 up.

I would shoot 36 on the front. Great score. Feeling great. Up in the match. Ready for the back.

#10 - Both would drive down the middle. I hit a rescue through the green in to the rough. Brian was a little short with an easy chip. He putt his about 6 feet for birdie. I skulled mine across the green, then chipped up and tried to make it but just missed, gimmie par. Brian lipped out the birdie putt. Still 2 Up.

This was a gift. I even said it to myself on the way to the 11th. Think this is wear things turned. If he made it, I'm a little nervous. But I think it got in his head to.

#11 - Brian pissed hit a driver on the short par 4, ended up right but about 30 yards away. I hit rescue, just sticking to my game, to about 110 yards. I'm up first, hit a perfect 52 degree to about 3 feet. Brian hit a nice shot as well that gave him about 8 feet for birdie. He would miss. I made mine. I'm up 3 and back to one under.

#12 - I hit a perfect 6 iron to the front pin left myself about 12 feet for birdie. Brian way over hit the green into the back bunker on the right. He would have some trouble getting out and took 2 swings. I lagged my putt up to the hole made par. I'm 4 up.

#13 - I bomb a drive down the middle to about 125 yards. Ya, thats how well I was playing. Didn't even flirt with the big tree on the left. Brian would hit a ball that looked like OB, but when we got up there he would find it around the corner. He didn't hit the best shot, left himself about 25 for birdie. I also hit it short and was almost beside him for a long birdie putt. I go first and hit this perfect putt. About 5 feet from the hole i say "OH OH Brian sorry about this" and it stops about 1 inch from the cup. We were all laughing. Brian missed his and I gave it to him. 4 Up 5 to go.

#14 - I hit a perfect 5 iron to about 8 feet right of the hole. Brian hit a 7 iron into the bunker on the left. I'm nervous all of a sudden, I can finish this right here. Brian over hit his sand shot and was about 25 feet for par. He actually almost made this putt, but left himself about 4 feet and I gave it to him. 2 putt for the win Harris. I went for the birdie and knocked it by about 3 feet. Idiot. But i tapped in the 3 footer and that was that. Won the match 5 & 4. Awesome, I'm so freaking happy right now. Usually this is where I would kind of just relax and limp in, but I was actually 1 under to this point.

#15 - Hit a big drive, followed by a weak 7 iron right. Hit a 9 iron up over the tree, 2 putt for par.

#16 - hit a huge hook that ended up in the long grass way right. It was sitting up in the grass but behind a tree with no shot. I just randomly swing a 4 iron at it and it was great almost getting down the hill. Hit a 9 iron from about 140 went right, made the up and down for par.

Still 1 under

#17 - Hit a 4 iron that bounced off the side of the hill and rolled just behind the green to a back pin. Made the up and down again for par.

#18 - I'm 1 under on the 18th. I thought I was Even to here and just wanted to make par to shoot 72. I hit a big drive, but it's fading right. Think it's in bounds. Get up to where we though it was can't find it. Then Brian finds it buried in some long rough near the fence. Couldn't do anything but punch out. need to get up and down from 20 yards. Hit an aggressive 60 degree out of the thick rough and just barely bounced past the hole but off the green. I needed to chip in. Hit a girly chip and had to settle for a bogey. I was upset cause i thought I just scored a 73. Then we added up the card and I was 72. I was still pissed cause I didn't realize i had a chance at under par. Oh well. Awesome day all around. My second best score ever, maybe my best ever from the blacks, can't remember if i broke par from the blues or blacks. And I'm in my first ever langley cup finals.

It's nice having some good results in golf. Now on to the match play master Cal. That will be awesome playing him.

I'm sick of writing.