On Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 23rd the HOTTEST TEAM IN GOLF (that would be Mac/McD and which is hereinafter referred to as "HTIG") met one of golf's all-time grittiest competitors, Fred Boland, playing shorthanded (and just plain short) without Dave who is on the DL. This was Fred's 10th round in the past eleven days and he was at the height of his powers. Mac, on the other hand arrived stressed and with no time to warm up. This was a crucial match for both teams. Fred wanted to erase that big ZERO in the wins column. HTIG wanted to finish the year at .500 after losing their first three. Here's what happened:
       First, the headlines:
HTIG MAKES ONLY ONE BIRDIE/NET BIRDIE ALL DAY
HTIG DOESN'T WIN ITS FIRST HOLE UNTIL MATCH ALMOST TWO HOURS OLD
HTIG DOESN'T WIN ITS SECOND HOLE UNTIL MATCH ALMOST THREE HOURS OLD
BY THEN IT IS MUCH TOO LATE ... Or is it??
       Here are the details, starting on #10:
#10 Mac's three putt from 90 feet for double matches Fred's bogey. All square.
#11 The rout begins when Fred pars and both Mac and McD bogey. Fred 1 up.
#12 Everyone makes one-putt pars. Fred 1 up
#13 Mac is having trouble on this one these days, but McD is only 15 ft away. Fred makes a great up and down from behind left, McD misses birdie. Fred 1up.
#14 All bogies. Fred still 1up
#15 Fred and McD make pars. Fred even still 1up.
#16 HTIG has a great chance to win but McD takes four from 95 yards on his stroke hole and only matches Fred's good putt bogey.
#17 Fred makes a classic Boland sand shot to two inches and par. McD matches him with a ten footer. Mac makes a great chip from deep left then drains the putt for NET BIRDIE and the win. All square.
#18 Fred and McD par, Mac net pars. All square at the turn.
#1 Fred and McD trade bogies. All square
#2 Fred has best chance for birdie - from 15 feet and just misses. Three pars and it's still all square.
#3 Fred finds a bad lie left and can't get it to the green, then misses a crucial putt to match Mac's and McD's bogies. Mac's chip had hit the hole and just stayed out. All of a sudden for the first time all day it's HTIG 1up. But that was all about to change.
#4 McD makes par, Mac makes net par, Fred makes mistake with chip and bogey. HTIG 2up.
#5 All bogeys but Mac and McD are stroking and just like that it's HTIG 3 up.
#6 Fred goes in the drink but recovers and with a great downhill putt makes 5. Mac stutters his way to a 6 but it's good enough for a push. HTIG 3up and dormie.
#7 McD chips to two inches meaning Fred has to sink his chip from the right to keep the match going. That does not happen and it's HTIG 3 and 2.

       It is so difficult to play against two people. They can make the occasional mistake but you can't. Fred hung on gamely for almost three hours then seemed to fade a bit as fatigue set in,
Nevertheless he played well and who knows? With a healthy partner they just might have given HTIG a run for their money. As it is, HTIG finishes the tournament with their heads held high having taken seven of a possible eight points in their final four matches. The commissioner really ought to let them into the playoffs on the strength of that, right?
       Thanks to everyone for seven wonderful matches (some more wonderful than others).

Fred 81 net 70
Mac 96 net 72
GMcD 83 net 70

                    GMcD