Golfers always talk about “the shot that brings you back.” You sink a 35-foot putt on 18, a killer approach shot that lands, and sticks, close to the pin on 12, it all brings the average golfer back, right?
If that’s true, my front nine at Pinelands last week with my pals Terry & Jerry should keep me around for a while. My score wasn’t that great, 50, but it was the shots I hit that made it great fun. Except for one hole that we all screwed up, I hit bogey (on #1, which always kills me), par (after a crappy tee shot, I got on and in with a nice, long putt), bogey (an incredible 2nd shot out of the sand that landed right in front), par (just hitting them like you are supposed to, right?) to start. Of course, the real me showed up after that, but it only shows me how close I really am to being a low to mid 90s golfer.
Therein lies the rub, right? Makes you realize how one of the pros can show up and win wire-to-wire over the weekend in Memphis, leaving almost everyone to say, “Who is Brian Gay?”
Sure he has had 4 Top 10s this year, but did you know that? His $2.7M in earnings this season has him at #8 on the money list, and the win at The St. Jude’s Classic vaults him 12-4 in FedEx Cup points. Oh yeah, there’s also this small detail about the win garnering an invite to next week’s U.S. Open at Bethpage Black.
Here’s the funny part. Gay was so sure that the required win this weekend was not in the cards, he booked vacation plans for next week’s U.S. Open. Hope he can get a refund, although I am sure his wallet can withstand the hit.
Keep ‘em in the short stuff!!!