Matchplay League: 1st gameday

Actually, yesterday was the 2nd gameday of the Matchplay League, but we were free of play on the 1st. So, Martin and I stepped up to the challenge at GC Prenden against the team of Berlin Business’n'Golf, Jan and Christoph.

We knew it would be a tough one as only the gross scores were counted, Martin has a 24,2 HCP, me 31,2 against Christoph (HCP 19) and Jan (HCP 10). So our strategy would be that Martin tries to attack with driver and I would play all-irons to make all fairways and provide a solid backup.

Our start on a rainy and rather cold day was pretty good, as we halved the first two holes. But then things started to get a little shaky, we didn’t hit the green on the par3 third, Jan played solid par and they were one up. Then two par5′s followed, on the first my par putt stayed short, Martin also missed par, 0-2. Martin had to do all the work on the following hole, as I left shots in the rough and moved myself out of contention. Jan was on a roll, so it was 0-3 after 5.

On the following par3 it was me against Jan, Martin had hit his ball into the rough, Christoph was behind the green in the bunker. My tee shot had rolled off the green and I had an downhill lie towards the green that was sloping away from me. Missed par by a fraction, Jan secured par with a solid putt, 0-4. We lost seven and eight also, so we were 0-6 when we approached the ninth. I mada a poor tee shot, but surprisingly was the only one that found the fairway. As the others also had trouble with their second shots I had my chance. My third shot bounced off the green, chip and putt secured bogey and brought us back one to 0-5.

Stepping up to the par4 10th I was pretty confident, had I played par numerous times before. But this time I was unable to pull it off as my tee shot went left and smacked a tree and had a lie amidst other trees with no chance to play towards the flag, so I had to chip out sideways onto the fairway. One shot back, I had nothing to do with the score on this one. Jans lie was in the bunker, pretty close to the bunker lip and he still had some 150 meters to go towards the green. I would have chosen a wedge out of the bunker to make the green in three, but he took mid-iron and whacked the ball out of the bunker within two meters of the flag. Shot of the day, absolutely stunning. So we lost the hole 0-6 again.

A par 5 followed, we both missed our par putts to halve the hole, 0-7. On the par3 12th, Jan and I made the green, we had similar distances to the flag and both putted to within 30cm of the hole. Jan was first to make his par putt and then he missed it by a fraction to the right. My par brought us back to 0-6.

Our hopes to bring us back into contention were thin to non-existing and on the following hole I missed the bogey putt to halve the hole. So our matchplay ended 6&5.

But we were pretty happy with the way we played, almost on every hole the winning score was par, and most of the time we were close. But then you see the handicap difference shine through.

We decided to finish the round and on the last remaining holes we played for the round of beer at the clubhouse, we were given a one stroke advantage per hole. Suddenly, a whole new picture, my bogey at the 18th sealed off our clubhouse refreshment.