Chapter Five - And then disaster hits

Chapter 5 – And then disaster hits.

Saturday morning we have an 8:40 tee time. At the Futures event they re-shuffle the players each day, unlike the LPGA events where you stay paired with the same players for both of the first two days. Likewise during LPGA events your first day starts on either the 1st or the 10th tee and the next day you switch to the opposite tee while your tee time usually alternates between either an early or late tee time for the first two days. Because of the reshuffle each day at the Futures events, we start mid-morning both days on the first tee.

A good warm-up is rewarded with birdie on the first hole again and this round already has a much better feeling that Friday’s. Ball striking is good and there is a good feel to the day. Today we are going to go low.

The second hole is a par three. It is interesting how precise the conversation gets about yardages on the par threes. Not only how far to the front and to the pin from the tee location, but then there is discussion about where you want the shot to land, how much it will roll out and is there slope to be considered. It seems like we discuss the same topics on the approach to each hole, but at the par threes it seems to be more intense. During the practice round the laser measuring device was used to get the yardages by standing on the front of the green and measuring back to a permanent item (such as the rock tee sign) and we have marked the yardage books accordingly.

Today we have 158 to the front with a 182 to the pin. The pin is tucked only 4 from the right edge and the way the green is shaped this shot needs to carry a full 170 yards. The 25 degree hybrid is chosen and is hit a bit left of target (that 25 degree is the replacement for the broken club and tends to fly with a bit more draw than it should – the lie might be off slightly). Tee shot ends up in the center of the green and two putts for a good par.

The third hole is a long distance from the second green so carts are used to transport the players, caddies and scorers. This course has 4 or 5 places where everyone uses a cart to get from green to tee. The third hole is a mid-length par four that seems to play very long. It has a slight dogleg left around a big tree so the tee shot needs to be to the right side of the fairway so as to ensure a good look at the green for the second shot. The shape of the green also requires attention to the pin location and the associated carry on the line to the pin.

Our tee shot goes right and we end up at the base of a tree. No real option other than to play a safe shot out to the fairway towards the green. We end up 69 from the front and 74 to the pin. The 54 degree wedge carries a little long and the putt just misses so we fall back to even for the day.


The fourth hole is a long par 5 with bunkers down the left. The tee shot is hit a bit left and catches the second bunker on the left. Unfortunately the ball ends up close to the front lip and the best solution is a nine iron back into play. Angela walks into the bunker and sets up to play the shot while I have picked up the rake when disaster hits.

My biggest fear in working with Angela as her caddie is that I never want to make a mistake that would cost her a penalty. Keep in mind that the player’s caddie is considered the same as the player. If the caddie causes the ball to more it is a penalty (as noted in earlier chapter). If the ball was to hit the caddie it is just as if the ball had hit the player, etc. Well in a moment of total lack of concentration as I am standing at the side of the bunker I notice a foot print in the sand left by someone and casually rake it smooth.

Now while this is a nice thing to do during our casual weekend rounds, today it is disaster. Angela has not hit her shot yet and as soon as I pull the rake through the sand, she hears it and stops. Yes I realized what I had done immediately. While I was no where near the location she is playing from it is still a penalty according the rules. It is considered testing the sand and is not allowed. I can’t believe how stupid and bad I feel at this moment.

Angela advises her playing partners of the infraction and then proceeds to take the shot. Now rest assured there is nothing anyone can say that will make me feel any worse and I surely understand that Angela has every right to be upset, but then I find out why I respect and like this young lady so much. As she steps out of the bunker she turns to me and tells me to forget it. It is over and done. An honest mistake and nothing either of us can do about it. Her ability to proceed with the hole is remarkable.

After getting the ball out of the bunker and back into play we still have almost 200 yards up hill and into the wind to get to the green. Angela hit a good three wood that just drifted into the greenside bunker from where a sand wedge and two putts completes the hole. Angela was unsure whether the penalty was one or two shots so we either have a seven or an eight for the hole. Standing by the greenside bunker there is a little good natured ribbing about not even picking up the rake until she has hit her shot, but I don’t think this is a mistake I will ever make again.

The round continues and a couple of birdies helps us get back to a respectable round ending up with a score of two over for the day. We actually decided that one of the two strokes I caused was given back to us by the golf gods. We were on the 18th hole when the tee shot drifted right into what looked from the tee box to be a hazard. As we approached the area a marshal told us that the tee shot had come down and hit a red stake directly on top and bounced about 20 yards forward back into play. The large red paint mark on the ball proved what we were being told. It is a very strange game.

After the round we have some lunch and I then drop Angela at her host family’s home. I am still feeling really low and concerned that I have probably caused her to miss the cut, so I went by the course to see what the morning scores were like and then headed to the hotel to relax before dinner. (We were invited to dinner with Angela’s host family to a restaurant that specializes in ribs.) I spent the afternoon doing some work on the computer and keeping an eye on the real time scoring that the Futures Tour provides on the internet. The afternoon scores started coming in and with the wind picking up and the greens getting harder to hold, the cut line kept moving up. By dinner time I can relax since the cut line is set at 6 over and we are in at plus 5. Dinner will surely taste better than if we had missed the cut.



Sunday morning we tee off on the 10th hole towards the end of the tee times. The first nine was a steady nine but then we had a good run starting with a birdie on the 4th hole (same hole that I messed up the day before). A four shot difference between the two days on that one hole. Ended up even par and in 44th place. Each day the scores improved and while not where we had hoped to be not a bad week.

Interestingly after the final results were posted I looked to see how much the 2 strokes hurt over all. The difference between being 5 over for the week which was tied for 44th and 3 over for the week which would have been tied for 36th turned out to be a total of $71. Just points out how hard it is for the players to make a living on tour. (see my earlier blog – They call this a living?)

We headed to the airport later that afternoon and I flew to Chicago to see the grandkids. As we drove into town we talked about a variety of things and as well as about seeing each other later in the year in Maui for the Kapalua LPGA Classic and the Aloha team Classic – 2009. (Unfortunately it was just announced last week that the Kapalua LPGA Classic has just been canceled, but the Aloha Team Classic – 2009 will be held.) Sitting at the airport waiting for my flight I am reflecting on the 10 days and how fortunate I am to be friends with this wonderful young lady. I have sincerely enjoyed the experience of sharing the good shots and the bad, but she always reminds me of what is really important. She is truly inspiring. I look forward to playing with Angela in the years to come and who knows maybe we will even do a few more tournaments together. Thanks Angela!

I hope you have enjoyed sharing this experience and would only ask one favor. When you have the chance support the players on the LPGA and Futures tours. Support them by going to their events and cheering them on. Support them by volunteering to be a host family if you have an event in your town and if you know some young players encourage them to keep working at it. Who knows you may be encouraging the next generation of tour professionals.

If you would like to experience playing with some of these fine players give us a call at Beyond the Rainbow Foundation (800-541-7357) and plan to come to Maui in October. The Aloha Team Classic – 2009 will be a great golf vacation/tournament and you will have a chance to meet some of the LPGA players as well as playing either 1,2 or 3 rounds with them. World class golf in paradise and you can even feel good about doing it since you will be helping the Foundation “Helping Maui’s youth realize the promise of their future!”.

Aloha and Mahalo for following along and sharing your thoughts and comments.

Stuart