Chapter 17: Valuable Lesson

Dave woke up at seven-thirty without his alarm on Saturday morning. He immediately noticed that both Roxanne and Sarah were gone but their aromas were still in his bedding. He had three hours before his tee time so he showered before he went looking for Sarah.

He found her in her room just getting ready to go downstairs. He walked through the open door and first took Roxanne and then Sarah into his arms and kissed each tenderly. He explained, "Last night was spectacular. If you two ever see two lost school girls again, please send them to my room."

Both smiled at him before Sarah asked, "Do you mind if we go watch you golf today? Harry, the pro at Blackheath, said spectators are welcome."

Dave hugged her and replied, "I'd love to see you there; but you have to promise me that you won't talk to me or motion to me while I'm playing any hole. I will come see you some when I'm between holes but for the most part I have to stay focused, okay?"

Both nodded agreement and they all walked to the informal dining room. Sarah was dressed in an off-white pair of dress shorts and beige blouse while Roxanne was still wearing her uniform. Dave looked at her questioningly and she relied, "Don't worry, I will change before we leave, it's just that Lord Thurlow requires that I wear my uniform while inside the residence."

Dave nodded and continued to the dining room. He ate a large breakfast before asking Raymond for a drive to the course. Sarah said she and Roxanne would see him later.

Dave practiced for several hours before his tee time; he spent half the time hitting balls and the other half putting. As his tee time neared he got more and more focused on his round. When he was finally called to the tee he was ready.

Dave was surprised at the number of spectators watching - he had thought this was just a small local tournament but, as he played and spoke with his playing partners, he found out this tournament was one of the top three junior events in all of Britain. He was playing with a young Scotsman who was one of the top four in all of Scotland and the third player was the top ranked junior in Wales. They were playing in threesomes as is common in tournaments. Dave knew this was to increase the speed of play which tends to be slower because of the more deliberate style golfers normally use in tournaments.

Dave found both competitors very friendly, polite and, more importantly, both were very strong golfers. Dave hit the ball really well and actually enjoyed having Sarah and Roxanne following him. He shot a great round of sixty-five and beat both his playing partners by at least three strokes.

Sarah had done as he wished and not disturbed him. He found two occasions, when he was moving from a green to the next tee, where he walked beside Sarah and Roxanne and talked to them casually. After he finished signing his card, he and his two ladies walked to the leader-board to see where he stood. He was pleased to find out he had the second best round of the day tied, at one-off-the-pace, with James Bravant who Dave had played with the previous day. Someone told him the leader, Tim O'Reilly, who shot sixty-four, was from Ireland.

After reading the board, Dave asked if the girls were ready to go home. He didn't want to stay and just watch the leader-board. He explained, "I'll call the course in a few hours and find out what time I tee off tomorrow but it will probably be around twelve-thirty as that was the last tee time today. It looks as if I will be in one of the last few groups."

Sarah and Roxanne agreed and they left for home. The day was hot so Dave and Sarah agreed to relax in the pool before having a late supper. With Sarah's parents home Roxanne had to again play the role of the uniformed maid.

After swimming for an hour and then eating a large supper, Dave called the golf course and confirmed he was actually in the final group at twelve-thirty. He then spent the evening surfing the internet and working out his remaining summer schedule. He recreated his old plan and listed the dates and locations in an excel spreadsheet. Dave looked at his planned schedule and realized how busy the next three weeks were going to be.

He would arrive home on Wednesday and have three days with Jennifer before he golfed in a Merit Tour event on Saturday. His father and he were leaving right from that golf course for his tournament in North Carolina. He remembered the trip to South Carolina earlier that year and realized they would have to drive until after midnight just to get halfway. Then on Sunday they would drive to Cornelius, North Carolina. Dave went to the MSN maps site and found Cornelius situated just north of Charlotte.

On Monday Dave would have to qualify for the tournament which would be played Tuesday through Thursday. After the tournament was complete they would leave for home and hopefully arrive late Friday night or early Saturday. Dave then had Saturday and Sunday to prepare for the Merit Tour Championship on Monday through Wednesday. He then had a few days off before going to Cape Breton for the Atlantic tournament.

Dave just shook his head and asked himself, "Am I nuts?" Then he laughed to himself, "No, I'm just a golf nut."

Dave spent some time on the American Junior Golf Association website and estimated what he needed to shoot to qualify. He looked at some of the earlier results of tournaments to date and was surprised when he heard Sarah ask, "Are you going to sleep tonight or spend all night on the computer?"

Dave looked at his watch and was stunned to see he had been surfing the web for two hours. He smiled and replied, "Yes, I think I'll head up now. I lost track of time."

Sarah walked up beside him and watched as he closed down programs. The spreadsheet was the last program open and Sarah asked, "Do you mind if I ask what that schedule is?"

Dave explained, "That is my golf schedule for the next month."

Sarah choked, "Are you serious? All you will be doing the next three weeks is traveling and golfing."

Dave answered as he closed down the program. "That's what summers are for."

Sarah just shook her head as she followed Dave upstairs. They walked into his room and Dave was pleasantly surprised when she stripped down and climbed in bed with him as if that were the most natural thing to do. He cuddled her soft warm body as he cupped a round breast in his hand. He was thinking about the wonderful time he had had with her and Roxanne the previous night as he fell asleep with her comfortably in his arms.

When he awoke the next morning, she was gone. He showered and went to her room. She wasn't there so he went looking for her. He found her in the library surfing the internet. She asked him how he felt and he said he slept really well and had dreamt all night he was holding a gorgeous English princess.

She smiled as he kissed her softly. Roxanne soon entered and announced that breakfast was served.

Dave ate a large breakfast and thanked Sarah's parents when they wished him good luck that day. Sarah said she and Roxanne would see him later at the golf course and Dave warned her that he may not talk to her at all during the round today as he wanted to show he could win this big tournament. She said she understood as he kissed her goodbye at the door and walked to the Rolls.

Raymond dropped him off at nine-thirty and Dave spent an hour and half hitting balls before he went to the first tee to watch Chris and then shortly afterwards Thomas tee off. He wished both of them luck and they returned the good wishes. Thomas added, "And for the Queen's sake don't allow that Irishman to beat you." Then he laughed and said, "Just kidding."

Dave thought back to the first time he met Thomas and how Thomas teased about only liking him because he was a good golfer and he truly wondered whether Thomas was completely joking then or now. He again thought about the wealthy environment Sarah, Thomas, and their friends grew up in and he considered himself lucky to be just "common folk". He really liked his life and was happily reminded that he would never trade it for anything.

Dave walked to the putting green and spent an hour putting and chipping. A little after twelve he hit a few more balls to make sure he hadn't stiffened up; then he went to the first tee.

Eventually there were only the three leading golfers left to tee off; James was called to the tee first. James hit a nice drive down the middle before Dave was called to the tee. He was focused and ready; after going through his normal pre-shot routine he launched a huge drive down the left side of the fairway. The Irishman, O'Reilly, hit last and his ball finished slightly right and longer than James' drive but much shorter than Dave's. Dave and James both birdied the first hole while O'Reilly bogeyed.

Dave and James set the pace on the front nine and traded leads several times. Through word of mouth of the crowd Dave and James knew they had slipped ahead off all the rest of the players by three strokes. They were both five under par through nine holes.

Dave made a rare bogey on the tenth hole and James birdied, giving him a two stroke lead; but Dave battled back and birdied the twelfth, thirteen, and fifteenth holes to pull back even with James.

Dave was still amazed how well James putted while only driving the ball adequately. Dave thought about the famous golf saying "Drive for show and putt for dough." And he immediately knew James could definitely putt for dough.

They both made par on both sixteen and seventeen so they arrived at the par four eighteenth tied at seven under par for the day and twelve under for the tournament. The wind was at their back and Dave had the honor from his birdie on fifteen. He decided to hit a three-wood and use the strong tailwind to carry the green. After a focused practice swing he stood over his ball and nailed the three-wood perfectly. The ball landed on the upslope in front of the green but still bounced forward and rolled to the back of the green. Lucky for Dave the pin was just past middle and he had about twelve feet for an eagle attempt.

James hit next and hit his three-wood into the fairway to the right side - a perfect place for his approach shot. Dave didn't pay attention to O'Reilly as he was all but out of this round.

Dave walked up the fairway confident he had a good chance to win this tournament but he was focusing on the putt.

James hit just a fair wedge shot and it rolled just past Dave's ball and slightly to the right. The Irishman hit his second shot onto the green about three feet from the pin.

Dave and James both surveyed their putts before James eventually stood over his ball. He focused on the hole and hit the fourteen-footer dead middle. He didn't even flinch when it hit the cup and dropped; he just coolly walked to the hole and pulled out his ball.

Dave felt he had the line for his putt and he finally stood over his thirteen foot putt knowing if he sank it; he won. Dave pulled the putter straight back but as soon as he hit the ball he knew he was off the hole and his ball rolled past the edge and about a foot long. Dave lined up his short putt and knocked it dead centre for his birdie. O'Reilly also made his birdie.

Dave knew that he and James were headed for a playoff. Dave had never participated in a playoff before but he was psyched for a win today. After all the scorecards were signed and the officials were satisfied that a playoff was required, Dave and James headed to the first tee, the playoff started on hole number one.

A huge crowd followed but Dave was in a zone and closed everyone out completely. They flipped for honors; Dave won the coin toss and teed off first. He hit a huge drive down the first fairway - well inside the one hundred and fifty yard marker. James hit a solid drive but it faded into the rough right of the fairway.

James' second shot landed short of the green but the ball came out of the rough hot and it bounced, then rolled, to the back of the green. The pin was on the front leaving James about fifty feet from the hole.

Dave settled over his shot and hit a nice wedge. He bounced the ball well in front and it rolled to about six feet - bump-and-run. Dave clenched his fist and did a low fist pump, then straightened up quickly and moved to the green confident he could knock the six foot putt in and win.

James took his time looking at his putt from all sides. Dave figured that, with the two different breaks on the green, James would do well to finish within five feet of the hole. James finally settled over the ball and, after a pregnant pause to confirm his line and weight, he stroked the ball smoothly.

Dave only half watched as James hit the ball but half way to the hole Dave could tell the weight looked right and so did the line. Dave watched in total shock as the ball broke in the second direction and headed directly to the hole. The ball continued dead on line, rolled over the middle of lip, and dropped to the bottom without even touching the side of the cup. With everyone holding their collective breath, the sound of the ball rattling in the cup was clearly audible before a huge roar erupted from the gallery.

Dave was flabbergasted. He couldn't believe James had made the putt. James didn't cheer; he didn't pump the air - he simply nodded to the boisterous crowd and walked to the hole to retrieve his ball.

Dave looked at his own putt from all sides but somehow he couldn't get James' unbelievable putt out of his head.

Dave finally settled over his ball, pulled his putter straight back, and stroked it straight through. The putt had a small break to the left and Dave watched as the ball moved from his right lip line to dead centre and then slowly towards the left lip. The ball dove into the left side of the hole and Dave prematurely started to lean forward to retrieve the ball from the hole when the ball cruised around the back side of the hole and popped straight out the front of the hole towards Dave. A huge "OOOOHHHH!" came out of the crowd.

Dave stared at his ball in disbelief as it hung on the front lip of the hole. Dave waited for the ball to drop but, as he walked forward, it was obvious the ball was not going to move. Dave waited another second then tapped the ball in the hole and walked to James. Dave congratulated the winner, "Helluva round, James. You are by far the most incredible putter I have ever seen. Congratulations."

James shook Dave's hand and replied, "I've never seen anyone hit the ball so far and so consistently, Dave. It was a pleasure playing with you this weekend; thanks and good luck back in Canada."

Dave nodded and then turned, picked his ball from the hole and looked for Sarah and Roxanne. He received many congratulations from people he didn't know and some from golfers he had met over the weekend. Chris walked by and said, "Unbelievable, Dave. That was the most exciting finish I've ever witnessed."

Dave thanked him and continued through the crowd until he finally found Sarah and Roxanne. He hugged them both and gave Sarah a little kiss before he picked up his clubs and the three of them walked back to the clubhouse.

Dave was deep in thought as he walked, and a hundred "what ifs" ran through his head. The large crowd walked back to the clubhouse in groups and Dave heard the occasional compliment but he was still thinking, "I can't believe James made that putt."

When Dave reached the clubhouse he set his clubs down and sat down on a bench putting his face in his hands. He was still shocked when it finally hit him like a ton of bricks. "James didn't beat me - I beat myself. I assumed he could never make that putt and when he did I was so distracted that I didn't make a good putt."

Both Sarah and Roxanne were sitting quietly beside Dave not knowing what to say. Dave suddenly sat upright, smiled, and pointedly said, "That was one helluva valuable lesson. I'll never make that mistake again."

He smiled and stood up. Both Sarah and Roxanne were totally caught off guard by his sudden and drastic attitude change. Sarah whispered, almost too afraid to ask, "What lesson?"

Dave pulled her to her feet, took her in his arm, and replied, "Dad always told me whenever I lost to not pout or cry. I can hear him clearly 'Look at why you lost and, if you determine that you did your best and lost, then just hold your head high with pride. If you made a mistake and lost, then figure out what the mistake was and store it in your memory so you never make that mistake again - and then hold your head high with pride.'