On Friday July 8th at Garrison the two top seeded teams in this year's Waterfield Cup competition, GT/Mac and Ken/GMcD faced off against each other to determine Waterfield Supremacy, at least until they meet again in the playoffs.

 

First, the headlines:

 

GT/MAC NET TO 66 ON THE FRONT WHILE KEN/McD NET TO 70

MAC ONLY 4 OVER PAR AFTER 8 HOLES WHILE McD IS 10 OVER AFTER 10

GT/MAC BIRDIE THREE OF THE FINAL FOUR HOLES ON THE FRONT 

KEN/McD GO OVER 2.5 HOURS BETWEEN WINS

GT NEEDS ONLY 28 PUTTS

 

Ken and McD never really had a chance against the birdie machine. Or did they......?

 

And now the details:

 

1. Mr. 20-handicao Gervan hits two excellent shots to 40 ft. Ken gets his second to 35ft. McD is even closer but just off to the right. Mac makes a great putt to gimme distance for his net birdie. So does Ken. So does McD. Meanwhile, GT gets up and down from 60 yards (of course) for his par. All square. 

2. GT goes long out of the trap and takes three from the back for bogey. Mac has gone way left with his drive, avoids the trees with his second, chips on and just misses the par. Ken and McD are both on in the 20-25 foot range. Ken pars (McD doesn't) and K/McD are 1 up. It would be more than two and a half hours before they would even win another hole. By then it would be very late. Perhaps too late...?

3. GT gets up and down from close (of course). Ken does likewise from a bit further out and it's still K/McD 1 up.

4. All stroking. Mr 20-hcap hits three excellent shots to 25 feet. McD goes long and has to putt from downhill from the fringe. After several dire warnings from Ken he lets it feed down to 4 feet. Mac babies his putt to inches and taps in his net birdie. Ken gives McD the read, then closes his eyes and prays to Buddha, Ganesh and the Golf Goddess. His prayer is answered as the putt drops. K/McD still up 1 but that is all about to change. Big time. 

5. Mac (stoking) hits two beauties to the fringe, chips on and misses the putt but he doesn't need it . His net par is good enough and the match is now All Square.

6. Everyone is stroking to GT. McD gets wet but still has a putt for a net bird. It doesn't fall. Ken skulls his second over, chunks his chip and takes two more also for net par. Mac goes really long - over the garden and onto the side of the next tee.But he makes the net par as well. GT has made two great shots to 20 feet. It's looking like a push until GT calmly rolls in the BIRDIE! GT/Mac 1 up.

7. Everyone is on but McD who is on the edge of the woods but manages to get it to five feet. Then miss. But Ken makes the two-putt par, as does GT.Mac then rolls his footer uphill and into the cup. BIRDIE!!! GT/Mac now 2 up and Ken and McD are looking  a little shell-shocked. 

8. Ken manages to staunch the bleeding temporarily with a fine two-putt to match GT whose birdie putt doesn't miss by much. GT/Mac 2 up. 

9. Mac goes O/B with his  second. McD goes 40 yds long (!!)  with his third. But Ken is on the fringe and makes the par. GT has hit it pure from 120 yds to four feet. Of course, he makes the putt for BIRDIE!!! and GT/Mac are 3 up at the turn.

10. GT and Mac decide to play with their opponents' heads by going left leading Ken to whisper to  his partner those famous last words "Gord is out of the hole". NOT! Mac is soon out of the hole and looking in the dense bushes left for his ball. GT gets it to 75 yds. A chip and two putts later he has his bogey. Meanwhile, Ken and McD end up way ant the back and fail to make bogeys. Push. GT/Mac still 3 up and Ken/McD have missed a rare opportunity to win a hole and get back in the match.

11. Everyone on . Mac 80 ft, everyone else around 20 feet. Mac makes a superb two-putt par. Ken and McD miss their birdie tries. Then GT misses by a centimeter almost as it would be just too embarrassing to make another one and further humiliate the opponents.

12. Mac is in good shape just off left. McD is in even better shape 16 feet below the hole. Mac makes an excellent chip to inches and taps in his par. McD has a chance to finally get a win for his team. He doesn't. Leaves it short. GT/Mac still 3 up and time is running out for K/McD.

13. GT gets up and down from close (of course). Mac two putts for par. McD and Ken leave their birdie putt/chip 4 feet short. McD goes first and makes it . So does Ken. But it's GT/Mac up 3 with five to go and K/McD barely hanging on by their fingernails.  

14.  Mac goes into the woods right but still manages to make 6 with his second drive. Ken, GT and McD are all about 135 yds out. Ken and GT both bail to the fringe right. McD decides to go for it and hits a good 8 iron to 12 feet. GT and Ken make long distance pars. Ken gives McD the read then closes his eyes and prays to Allah, Krishna and the Golf Goddess. His prayers are answered as the putt falls for BIRDIE!! Ken and McD have finally won a hole. They had forgotten what that felt like. GT/Mac 2 up.

15. All stroking . Both Gords go into the woods right with their seconds. McD still has a makeable net birdie putt but it doesn't drop. Mac and Ken are in good shape after two. Mac pulls his third to the back, 60 feet away. Ken hits it to 18 feet. Mac goes way by on his first attempt and is still away. The next one is close but no cigar. Ken doesn't even try to make the bird. He taps his putt to ten inches, makes the net birdie and all of a sudden a match has broken out. GT/Mac only 1 up.

16. Mac is stroking. He, Ken and GT fade right and have three trees to contend with. McD pops his drive very short but gets the next one inside the 100. Ken and GT have to go under the branches and end up way left. Mac tries to go through the branches. That doesn't work and his ball pops out sideways to the 150. Four more shots from there give him net bogey. McD is on in three 35 feet away. Then Ken hits the Miracle Shot of the day (so far). Ball below his feet , the left trap almost in his line, he chips it low, it bounces twice, and up onto the green. It stops five feet left of the pin. GT then stubs his chip, just misses with his next and has to settle for 5. It's all up to Ken's putt. Slippery, downhill. He puts it in the heart for a remarkable par and now the match is back where it started. All Square.

17. Mac and McD are stroking . They both fade right and have to deal with the tree. They do so by fading even further right. They are now both pin high with the trap and a small amount of green between them and the hole. GT is on, Ken is just off. They both make pars. McD hits an excellent lob wedge to 5 feet below the hole. Mac leaves his on the fringe and takes two from there for net par. Ken gives McD the read - inside right edge then closes his eyes and prays to Zoroaster, Confucious and the Golf Goddess. Once again his prayers are answered. The putt falls for net birdie and, incredibly, Ken and McD are 1 up going to 18.

18. Mac is stroking but goes well right. Everyone else more or less on the fairway. Mac manages to get through the trees without nicking so much as a leaf, but he's still right and has tree trouble. His third has to go very low and only gets to 80 yds. His next shot is on and below the hole. Ken hits in from 100 and leaves it 25 above a front pin. GT and McD are side by each 98 yds from the pin. GT goes first and wisely leaves it on the fringe below the hole. McD hits it high but a bit right of the preferred line. If it  kicks right it's in the trap. But with a little help from all the deities who have been called upon to this point it hits the good side of the little hill at the front and bounces up towards the hole. It stops two feet away. Eventually it is McD's turn and he strokes in the (un-conceded) putt for BIRDIE!! And the win. The match ends with Ken and McD 2 up.

 

It says something about this wild and crazy game we play that a team could go 12 consecutive holes without a win then win the last five to claim an unlikely victory. It's really never over till it's over. 

 

Mac    42-46 88 net 68

GT      37-41 78 net 72

Ken     39-39 78 net 66

GMcD 44-38 82 net 68