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Subscribe to our NewsletterA Tale of Two Nines
July 25, 2025
This was a Tale of 2 Nines.
Gord had terrific drives, fairway woods, and chips, but his putter abandoned him.
Garry was "steady-Eddy" and used his strokes judiciously except on those holes when he had 2 strokes.
John took a while to get warmed-up, but after 9 he was absolutely unstoppable.
Tom (the author) was magnificent (actually, he played to his handicap).
Here are details.
T & G were worried because John uncharacteristically hit a random shot off the tee onto the 9th fairway about 40 yards out. However, Tom came to the rescue and parred the hole - J&T - 1 up after 1. Gord had a great tee shot up the middle on #2, parred and won the hole. John kind-of messed up his tee shot and ended with a bogey. All even after 2. John won #3 with a par - J&T one up after 3. John decided to tee off #4 with his 3-wood, and he starts well, however, ends with a bogey and Gord's par wins #4. All even again. Tom, John, and Gord all bogey #5, Garry double-bogeys, but Tom & John each got a stroke. J&T one up after 5.
So far, it was back-and-forth on every hole.
All even after #6, too. Gord puts his tee shot on the green on #7, and pars. G&G one up after 7. No blood on #8 - Gord parred and Tom bogeyed with a stroke. Gord wins #9 with a bogey, and G&G are 2 up at the halfway point. G&G have the momentum at the turn.
Garry's double bogey & 2 strokes on #10 equals John's par, and G&G remain 2 up after 10.
Gord hits a beautiful tee shot and lands within striking distance of the pin. Garry is off the green somewhere. John is on the green but miles away. Tom's in the sand. Tom's sand shot comes to within about 3 feet of the hole, and John putts to gimme range. Gord's putt slides by and he misses coming back. So instead of being 3 down, J&T are just one down after 11.
John pars again on #12 to win the hole (all even after 12), and both Tom & John par #13 to tie that hole with Garry. John with a par, and Tom with a bogey and stroke win #14 with a par and a stroke - J&T one up after 14. All even on #15 - John bogeys to break his string of pars. John pars 16, 17, & 18, and it's all over but the crying.
A good match - if Gord's putter was working, it would have been an entirely different story. John had an amazing back 9, which could have been even better if he had made some putts that came very close.
