On Wednesday afternoon, August 22nd four working men played hooky and met on the playing fields of Loyalist (Garrison too wet for carts and Mac needed one) to determine which team really is the cream of this year's Waterfield teams. It was one heck of a match.
    FIrst the headlines:
STEVE DOESN'T SHOW UP UNTIL #9, LEAVING THE FIRST 8 TO GMcD (WAS THAT A GOOD IDEA?)
MAC PLAYS #10-#14 IN NET TWO UNDER PAR
BOBBY PLAYS #10-#17 IN ONE UNDER PAR
MAC AND BOBBY MAKE FOUR BIRDIES/NET BIRDIES ON THE BACK
   Steve and GMcD didn't really have much of a chance against such an onslaught of birdies. Or did they ...?

Now the details:
#1. S/G dodge a bullet when Bobby takes three from the fringe to tie Steve's bogey.
#2. S/G dodge another bullet when Bobby three putts. GMcD unexpectedly drills a ten-footer in for par and it's S/GA 1 up.
#3. Bobby uses driver and goes into the hazard. Mac struggles but still has a chance until he leaves his net par putt one pubic hair short. S/G make net pars and they are now up 2.
#4. Mac stroking on a par 3 but can't make it pay. S/G dodge a bullet when Bobby takes three from the fringe. GMCD hammers his birdie putt 12 feet past the hole - uphill!! But he unexpectedly drops the come backer for par and the win. S/G 3 up.
#5. Mac scrambles to get on in 4 then rolls in his 40 footer for net birdie. S/G back to 2 up and the momentum has shifted.
#6. But not for long. Bobby leaves his 40 foot downhill putt 20 feet short and misses the par. GMcD makes his par and S/G are back to 3 up.
#7. Bobby gets over the pond in two and eventually makes par. GMcD has a long birdie putt and blows it 18 feet by. He misses that one, makes net par and it's still S/G 3 up.
#8. Bobby and GMcD are both on. S/G dodge a bullet when Bobby's birdie putt just misses. He and GMcD make pars. S/G still 3up.
#9. Steve loses his drive right and hits a provisional. Booby creams his drive down the middle then puts his second 30 feet above the hole. Then Miracle of Miracles - Steve finds his ball in great shape having doinged it off a tree. He lays up just short. Bobby leaves his birdie putt 15 feet short and doesn't get it to go. Steve gets it up and down for a shocking win and it's S/G 4 up at the turn. Bobby has hit the ball 42 times. Half of them have been putts! That's when things really begin to turn around.
#10. Bobby leaves his second six feet above the hole. Steve sculls his to 50 feet above the hole. But they both take two putts for their pars. Mac also makes par. S/G 4 up.
#11. GMcD has a short putt for par when Mac knocks it in from off the green for 3 net 2 and the win. The momentum has clearly shifted. S/G 3 up.
#12. Bobby drives it 310 yds down the middle and eventually makes birdie. Mac makes net birdie. S/G only 2 up and fading fast.
#13. Mac makes another two putt par. He is on a tear. But everyone else makes par too and it's a push. S/G have stopped the bleeding. Temporarily.
#14. Steve and Bobby both hit the green and make tap in pars. Still S/G 2 up.
#15 Steve and Bobby both make pars. Mac has an uphill putt for net birdie but it stays out. S/G 2 up
#16. Bobby over-cooks his approach into the rough behind the green. Everyone else has a chance for birdie. With the shot of the day, Bobby chips in for birdie. Mac also makes his. Steve and GMcD do not and their lead has dwindled to 1.
#17. Steve and Bobby both hit the green and make two putt pars. S/G still 1 up and dormie and they haven't won a hole in two hours.
#18. Mac goes right. Not o/b but in deep rough. Bobby is thinking a mid-iron to the green for his second shot and a putt for eagle. He hammers his drive. Hard. Right. Way right. Long gone. Three off the tee eventually leads to 7. Mac is stroking but can't do better than 7. Steve and Gord are astounded and grateful for the unexpected gifts. They play conservatively and make pars. The match finishes S/G 2 up. But it so easily could have been otherwise.

Mac 53-45 98 net 74
Bobby 42-38 80 net 73
Steve 42-40 82 net 74
GMcD 43-44 87 net 71

Sent from my iPad