Chapter 48

The next morning I awoke at my normal six a.m. and was glad that night was over. By the time I had finished my exercises and daily run the world looked better. Breakfast was bacon, scrambled eggs, and home fries. That along with toast and orange juice set me up for the day.

There was a bowl of apples set out. I snagged a couple for the course. Our foursomes tee time was nine o’clock, so we would be out on the course at lunchtime.

I limbered up on the driving range, but only did a dozen balls with each club. I spent most of my time on the practice green.

Soon enough it was time to tee off. The first hole was kind to me again. I played it the same as yesterday and had the same result, a birdie to start me out at one under.

The second hole was also a replay of yesterday. I landed on the lower portion of the green and ended up taking two shots to get the ball in the hole. So I was still one under.

I had a birdie on three yesterday but today it was par. The greens uneven surface was too much for me to read correctly and I left it six inches past the hole. A simple tap in left me still at one under. I was glad that Mr. Palmer wasn’t there to see my poor showing.

I made up for it on the fourth hole. Yesterday I had a par, today a birdie. I landed the ball in the center of the green and it had enough backspin to roll back to within two feet of the pin.

The fifth hole played exactly as it did yesterday. The green was small and so fast I didn’t want to take any chances. I walked away happy with a par and being two under.

On the 231 par 3, I hit the ball sweet this time. Yesterday I had been a little fat, getting under the ball too much, so it ended up in a high short arc, landing on the fringe. Today it wasn’t fat and left me a birdie opportunity, which I sunk to make me three under.

Yesterday I bogeyed the number seven hole. Today it was a par. Again on in two, but this time it was a two-putt for a par.

The eighth hole was becoming my favorite on the course. Last time I had a birdie. Today my approach shot to the green went where I wanted it to and left me three feet from the pin. That left enough distance to actually have to think about it, but I didn’t overthink. Well, the real truth is, I quickly addressed the ball and drained it like I knew what I was doing. This eagle put me five-under.

Nine was the same as yesterday, I was on in two. Then I ended up long and had a nervous twenty-five-foot putt to get the ball next to the hole, then tap in for par.

At the tenth guys were scarfing hotdogs. I was satisfied to have my apples with a drink of water. I looked for Judy, but neither she nor her parents were around.

It would be nice to report that I cruised through the back nine setting a course record. Instead, it got ugly real quick.

Ten must have given me a false sense of security because I birdied it in the same fashion as yesterday. I was now six-under for the tournament and on course for a sixty-six. Last year at the Open the best round recorded by a Professional was sixty-eight. I wish I hadn’t put that together.