by Myra Ting

Created on: November 13, 2008   Last Updated: November 26, 2011

The Country Club Ladies Golf Championship: Match Play

Opening the championship was a breeze; I always play well under pressure. This time was no exception as my ball soared from the tee straight up centre fairway.

My second stroke was just as superb taking the curve and following the hill to just over the rise. This left me a short seven iron to the green. Chipping is one of my best shots and I place the ball within six inches of the cup. As my opponent was furthest from the pin, she played her ball and I putt mine for four. We both birdied for a half.

The next two holes proved tricky with the steep slopes on the greens. My opponent shot a birdie and a par, while I had to settle for pars when my first putt lipped the holes on both greens. I am too good a player to miss and I should have got birdies.

The Fourth Hole, Par 3; Getting through the trees around the green my opponent landed pin-high on the left. My ball was perfect landing with a backspin towards the hole. I got a birdie while she got the par.

The Fifth, Par 5; has a downhill run to the dogleg, 75 yards before the green. The downhill run adds another fifty to eighty yards my drive. My ball sailed through the air to finally coming to rest short of the dogleg. My opponent drove her ball to the corner and luckily through the dogleg. We were both within chipping distance of the hole. I chipped mine within two feet and we both putt out for an eagle.

The Par 4 Sixth slopes to the left. I move onto the tee with a Three Wood. Once again, the stroke is perfect; down the high side, coming to rest in the centre of the Fairway. My opponent's ball goes more to the right, striking a branch, which luckily sends it back on fairway. We move stroke for stroke to the green for three where she makes her putt for four. I putt out for five. I don't need luck I need a new putter.

Hole Seven, par 4. We drive to the left slope, as there is a creek off fairway on our right. We both make the green for three but our fortunes reverse, with my opponent missing her putt for five and I get mine for four; back on track.

On The Eighth, we both hit straight drives down the middle and a Five Wood to the green. I take my third off the apron stopping within three inches of the hole. My opponent chips to the cup, but it is a little hard ending eight feet away. She two putts to my one and we move off the green.

The Ninth is the Waterhole.

We lay up in the centre of the fairway, because neither of us can clear the dam with a drive. Experience has taught us to play short and make two strokes over the water and a third to the green. We both take five on this hole.

This makes me one up with nine to go.

We halve the next three holes and walk to the thirteenth, 130 yards Par 3. Taking my eight iron, I send the ball high only to plug into the sandy bank in front of the green. My opponent was so lucky, with her ball sailing over the bank on sand to land with a backspin within eighteen inches of the pin.

Cleverly pitching my ball out and up for two, I ended up on the green. She rimmed her putt and we ended up halving the hole.

We play the next three holes stroke for stroke in regulation figures, leaving two holes to play.

Hole Seventeen; a Par 5, up hill with a dogleg to the right and then down hill 100 yards to the green.

Taking my Driver to cut the dogleg out of contention, I swing through, sending the ball over the dogleg to run down the hill towards the green. My opponent's ball caught in the rough, but with nothing to lose, she uses her Five Wood to send her second shot down the middle, finishing twenty yards short of the green. My second ends up ten feet from the hole. Her third is short and we both have two putts.

THAT MAKES ME TWO UP WITH ONE TO GO Hip, hip, hooray!

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