On Tuesday August 16th, the rainiest day of the summer, the two most highly touted teams in this year's Waterfield, Ricky/Steve and KdK/GMcD, met to determine at least North Country supremacy.  They had the course to themselves,

First the headlines:

   STEVE SINKS MONSTER PUTT ON FIRST HOLE (#10) TO SET TONE

   RICKY MAKES CONSECUTIVE PARS/NET PAR ON #13, #14 AND #15 TO ALMOST SALT AWAY VICTORY

   STEVE ONLY ONE OVER AFTER FIVE HOLES

   McD MAKES FOUR COSTLY DOUBLES

KdK/GMcD never really had a chance. Or did they...?

And now the details:

#10.  Ken and Gord get in trouble left right away but are still in it until Steve sinks a bomb - well, a hand grenade - from 16 feet for par and a 1 up lead. The rout is on.

#11. Gord gets it up and down from in front of the trap and Ken's birdie putt twists away at the last moment. They tie Steve's par and briefly stop the bleeding.

#12. Gord misses an easy uphill putt. But so does Richard. And so does Steve. R/S 1 up.

#13 Gord misses an easy four footer but Ken comes through with his five footer for par to tie both Ricky and Steve. Ken/Gord hanging on by their fingernails. They are about to let go. 

#14. Ken goes into the woods left. McD is stymied by trees left. Neither of them could even make bogey. Ricky and Steve had no such trouble. Their pars are conceded and it's Ricky/Steve 2 up and starting to run away with the match.

#15. Everyone stroking. Ken and Gord both make net birdies. Good enough for the win, and ever-so-briefly it's back to R/S 1 up.

#16. Steve hits the green with two shots. Unfortunately, that was after his first effort went O/B. Still, his 6 matches McD's. But Ken comes through with a two-putt bogey from 30 feet and it's all square.

Twenty minute rain delay.

#17. Steve, who is about to turn 50, smashes his drive almost a full and for each year of his life. But that's better than Ricky's drive which goes O/B. McD almost goes O/B but stays in, takes two extra clubs from 155 into the wind and ends up on the fringe pin high. Par is good, and, incredibly, KdK/GMcD have a 1 up lead. But that was all about to change.

#18. Ken makes a phenomenal sandie sinking a putt from 25 feet for par and the win. It's K/G two up at the turn.

#1. Ken misses his birdie putt by inches. Ricky makes a great two putt from 65 feet for the net par and a push.

#2. Ricky makes a fabulous chip to gimme distance. McD has to make a tricky six footer for par and the push. It drops.

#3. Everyone has a putt for par. Everyone misses. K/G still 2 up. But that was all about to change.

#4. Stroke hole. McD the only one on n reg but 35 feet above the hole. Ken gives him the read, he leaves it two feet away and makes the net bird for the win. K/G 3 up.

#5. McD pulls his second left into the trees and can only get to the fringe. Ken flubs a chip. Then Steve flubs a chip. Meantime, Ricky has gone O/B. McD leaves his fourth 9 feet above the hole. Ken reads a much bigger break than McD would have played, and the putt drops. Steve's stays out and it's dormie 4.

#6. Steve goes hazard left. Ricky, stroking, goes deep woods left short of the first hazard stake. Ken and Gord go up the right safe then both put their seconds in the trees. Their thirds are no great shakes - still not on. But Ken makes the coup de grace by leaving his fourth three feet away. When Steve's chip for five goes by, Ken's bogey is conceded and it's all over - 5 and 3.

 

Nobody played particularly well in the very wet and windy conditions, but still, it was a pleasure to be playing golf on a summer evening.

 

Ricky 97 net 80

Steve 90 net 80

Ken 85 net 73

GMcD 88 net 75