Chapter 31: The Canadian Open

Dave woke fairly early on Tuesday and went to the fitness room. He worked out hard for an hour then got on the bike for thirty minutes. He finished his workout with a hard forty-minute swim. He returned to the room and showered. He peered in the mirror at his black eyes which looked to be finally starting to clear. He knew it would be days before his face returned to normal.

Roger woke as Dave walked out of the bathroom. After Roger showered and dressed, they went down for breakfast. Dave's tee time was eleven-fifteen so after eating they went to the course where Dave could practice.

As soon as Dave reached the practice range he noticed the golf manufacturers' tents were still up but there weren't any representatives or equipment there. Dave saw a lot of pros including Vijay Singh, Brad Faxon, Mike Weir, and Tom Lehman. It felt really strange to be practicing next to them and he began getting butterflies thinking about competing against them. Dave saw John Daly at the far end of the practice tee and he watched as the big man took furious swings at the ball. Dave eventually started hitting balls but the truth was he was more interested in trying to enjoy the moment. He eventually hit balls before going to the putting green. After putting for forty-five minutes Dave heard his name called to the first tee.

He arrived at the first tee and met Chris Baryla, the other high-ranked Canadian amateur. The third player in their group, Ian Leggett, showed up shortly after Dave. Dave teed off first and hit a solid drive down the left side. The other two players both hit good drives as well.

Roger and Dave spent most of the practice round getting more familiar with the course and in the end Dave was happy with his even par seventy. Leggett shot seventy-one and Baryla was seventy-three. Dave had five birdies, one double bogey, three bogeys and nine pars. He noticed that there were a lot more fans watching then he was used to but most were following the big names like Mike Weir and John Daly. He wished Baryla and Leggett luck before he and Roger went out for supper. They found a nice steakhouse and ate a good meal.

When they returned to the hotel Roger called Carol and let her know everything was going well. Roger then called one of his friends in Toronto and arranged to spend the next day with him. Dave was playing in the ProAm with the RCGA team and Dave and Roger had agreed that Roger would not be needed to caddy. They watched television for a while before going to sleep.

The ProAm had a shotgun start at noon so Dave woke early and went to work out. He worked out hard and returned to the room. Roger was already showered and ready to go so Dave showered quickly then dressed. They ate breakfast in the hotel before Roger dropped Dave off at the course and headed for Toronto.

Dave practiced on the driving range and immediately noticed that the golf manufacturer representatives were back again after taking the previous day off. Dave was really happy with his ball striking and after he hit balls for ninety-minutes he went to the putting green. He found he wasn't as distracted by the PGA pros today. The practice green seemed to be getting faster each day and today the speed was lightning fast. Dave had never putted on greens this fast before and he spent over an hour trying to get a good feel for the speed. He was finally confident he was ready shortly after eleven.

He went in the clubhouse and ordered a sandwich for lunch. He had noticed more and more pros on the practice green but he hadn't talked to any. He did see Chris Baryla and they talked briefly about the upcoming round. They were playing with Mike Weir and Doug Ross. Jeff Sluman was putting and he and Dave exchange friendly nods but didn't speak.

After Dave ate he went back to the practice green and Chris introduced him to Doug Ross. They talked for a moment before Mike Weir walked onto the green. Mike walked over to Doug and shook his hand. Mike was introduced to Chris and Dave. When Mike shook Dave's hand he looked at Dave and asked, "What happened to your eyes?"

Dave smiled, "I got in a little tussle during a hockey game last Thursday."

Mike laughed, "Ahhh! A hockey player, eh? I loved playing hockey but unfortunately I was too small. You definitely don't have that problem. Who are you playing for?"

Dave replied, "I just signed with the QAI Missiles of the Q." Dave knew Mike would know what the Q was.

Mike looked surprised, "A star golfer and major junior hockey player. I'll make sure I don't piss you off."

Dave laughed, "No, I'm a lover, not a fighter."

Mike rolled his eyes jokingly, "Yeah, right! And your face proves that? I don't think so."

An announcer asked the golfers to go to their assigned holes. It was obvious the RCGA had a lot of influence on the draw because their team was teeing off on the first hole. As they walked to the tee Dave immediately noticed the crowd was much bigger than the previous day. Doug explained that the format today was different from Monday. All the players were playing their own balls and the best two net scores counted for the team score. The amateurs were allowed to reduce their score by their handicap but both Dave and Chris were scratch golfers which meant their handicap was a positive number and they wouldn't get any strokes. Doug was a minus ten handicap which meant he would get one stroke on each of the ten hardest ranked holes. One stroke would be subtracted from Doug's actual score on those holes to give his net score.

The round went well for Dave and he shot sixty-eight. It took some adjustment to get used to the large but supportive crowd. Dave was surprised how well he played and he was really pumped about the tournament. Mike Weir had beat Dave by only one stroke and Chris was two strokes higher. Doug shot eight-one. Their team score was twenty under par which placed them in tenth overall. There was a formal meal and presentation after the round and Dave's team each received golf shirts for a prize. Dave and Mike got along really well and Dave was happy he got to know Mike before playing with him the next two days. They talked a lot about hockey and the AJGA golf tour which Mike had also played.

Roger showed up during the presentations and he and Dave left shortly after. Dave told his dad that Mike was a great guy and he was looking forward to playing with him. Dave had an early tee time on Thursday and a late time on Friday. The draw was in two flights where half teed off early the first day while half teed off late. They switched the following day. They teed off both the front and the back nine similar to how Dave had played in South Carolina. Dave's group were teeing off on number ten on Thursday.

Roger and Dave returned to the hotel and went right to bed. Dave was going to call Jennifer and Katherine but decided to call them after his first round. He was tired but he couldn't get to sleep. He was too excited about playing the next day. He tossed and turned for hours - he visualized every hole over and over. The last time he remembered looking at the clock before he finally dozed off was at 2:03.

He woke at 3:23 and looked at the clock again. He dozed off again but woke and looked at the clock at 3:55. This continued all night as he woke at 4:40, 5:18 and finally at 6:15. When the phone rang at six thirty for the wakeup call, Dave jumped out of bed and rushed into the shower. Roger entered the bathroom as Dave exited. Dave pulled on his beige dress pants and his Blackheath Golf shirt. Roger quickly showered and dressed and they ate a good breakfast before leaving for the course at seven-fifteen.

When Dave arrived at the course he was going to the practice tee when Randy Simpson, the RCGA official he had met the first day, called him into the registration tent. Dave walked in and Randy handed him five dozen Titleist Pro V1 golf balls. Dave asked what they were and Randy explained that all players without sponsors received them for the tournament. Dave asked whether it would affect his amateur status or college eligibility and Randy said it wouldn't.

Dave went right to the practice tee and hit balls for forty minutes before going to the practice green. The greens were smooth and Dave felt he adapted to them well. It was eight forty-five when he heard his named called to report to the tee. Roger carried Dave's clubs and they walked to the tenth tee. Dave's stomach was churning and he actually thought he was going to throw up.

He fought his nerves as he reached the tee and managed to smile at Mike and Bob Estes. They shook hands, exchange scorecards and wished each other luck. Dave looked at both Mike and Bob and both looked excited but not overly nervous. Dave walked over to his father; Roger could see the stress in his son's face and whispered, "Okay, Dave. Just focus on your swing mechanics. Visualize your shots and think about smooth swings."

Dave nodded agreement but he kept hearing his mind say, "You're playing the Canadian Open with Mike Weir. This must be a dream."

The crowd was even larger today then it was the previous two days. There were thousands of people standing around the tee. Dave was happy he didn't have to hit first as he listened to Bob Estes get introduced. Dave had his driver in his hand and he took several practice swings trying to focus on his golf instead of his stomach which was ready to explode.

Dave watched Bob hit a solid drive down the left side of the fairway before Mike was introduced. Mike's introduction included his victories and the last announcement was his Masters win that previous spring. Mike strode to the tee to loud applause and took his position. Mike took a couple practice swings then stood over his ball. He focused on his target before looking down at his ball. He pulled the driver back half way and stopped in his patented practice swing style. He then concentrated on his ball and took a long full swing. The ball launched off the tee starting down the left side of the fairway and drawing back into the middle. The crowd went crazy and Dave heard lots of yells, "You're the man, Mike."

Dave was temporarily distracted watching Mike but the second Mike's ball landed in the fairway Dave's mind switched back to him having to hit next. The announcer introduced, "Next on the tee is Dave MacDonald from QAI, Canada. Dave was the runner up in the Ping American Junior Golf Association Open in Hartford Connecticut, runner up in Royal Blackheath Junior Invitational in London England, winner of the Golf Pride American Junior Golf Association Open in Cornelius, North Carolina and winner of the Canadian National Junior Golf Tournament in Mont Tremblant, Quebec."

Dave was surprised by the long introduction but he didn't hear much of it as his stomach continued to flip-flop nervously. He heard a loud applause before he walked onto the tee and found a nice level area to hit from. He pushed his tee into the ground with a newly marked Pro V1 ball on top. He stood up and took several practice swings. As he looked down the fairway he was surprised to see both sides of the fairway lined with spectators. He had noticed them when Mike and Bob hit but now as he stood over his ball they looked to be standing much closer to the fairway. The spectators hadn't moved but Dave's perception changed when he was the one teeing off.

He tried to visualize his shot and he drew the club back smoothly but as he drove down through the ball his right hand turned over a little to fast and he knew immediately he hooked the ball. The ball started down the left side of the fairway but the hook spin on the ball was turning the ball hard to the left and Dave suddenly heard the words he dreaded, "FORE on the left side." Dave prayed his ball wouldn't hit anybody and he watched as a crowd of people on the left side of the fairway scramble out of the way.

Dave watched as the area finally cleared and there didn't appear to be a body lying on the ground. Dave sighed as he thought, "At least I didn't kill anybody." He turned to Roger who walked to him and took the driver from his hand.

Roger spoke softly, "Okay, Dave, the first shot is always the hardest. We're okay now. Just relax."

Dave looked at him if to say, "That's easy for you to say. You're not the one playing." But he said nothing and simply nodded.

As Dave walked off the tee he noticed Mike looking at him and Mike seemed to be waiting for Dave to catch up. Dave walked towards his ball and as he passed Mike, Mike walked beside him. Mike encouraged Dave, "Dave, I watched you play yesterday. You have a helluva good golf game. Just relax and enjoy the day. Don't worry about the fans; they'll get out of the way. You're probably not the first player to hit one into the crowd today and I guarantee you won't be the last. Just try to make one shot at a time. You'll find your rhythm. I'd be willing to bet the hockey player you fought with last Thursday is more sore than any spectator will be out here today."

Dave smiled at the hockey comment and that seemed to relax him slightly. He thanked Mike as they parted ways and walked towards their respective balls. Dave had actually hit his ball very long even though it was off line and when he reached his ball he was farther then either Bob or Mike. Bob was the shortest and had to hit first. The first thing Dave noticed when he reached his ball was that the spectators had formed a small tunnel like opening between his ball and the green with people standing on both sides of his line to the pin.

After Bob hit, Roger stepped Dave's distance to the pin off and told Dave he had one hundred and twenty-five yards left. Dave was happy that he had a decent lie in the heavy rough - the ball was sitting down a little in the long grass but it wasn't completely buried. Dave watched Mike hit a good shot close to the hole. The pin was in the middle of the green and Dave knew he had to land the ball on the front of the green or even a little short because he could not put any spin on the ball out of the rough so it would roll a lot once it landed.

Dave had his pitching wedge in hand because he knew that with the heavy rough he would have to hit it full to get it to the green. The front of the green was protected by two sand traps; one on each side. As Dave stood over his ball he realized that the tunnel created by the fans was not very wide - only about twenty feet. He suddenly thought that if he hit a really bad shot he could easily hit the fans on either side.

His thoughts as he stood over his shot were not, "smooth full swing on target" but instead "don't hit a bad shot and kill somebody". Dave finally swung nervously at his ball and made solid contact but his lack of focus on his swing pushed the ball short and right; his ball landed in the sand trap with a splash of sand. Dave was actually relieved that he didn't hit anyone and was not upset at being in the sand trap.

Dave handed Roger his wedge and they strode up the fairway together. Roger whispered to Dave, "That was a pretty good shot out of the gallery. Let's get our sand shot close and save par." Dave nodded agreement.

Both Bob and Mike were on the green in two so it was still Dave's turn to hit. The ball had buried in the sand and looked like a fried egg with only half the ball above the sand. Dave took his fifty-six degree wedge and waded into the sand. He had landed in several traps over the previous three days and really liked the consistent texture. He lined up his shot with a nice open stance and buried his feet deep into the sand. He took a half practice swing making sure he didn't touch the sand with his club - the last thing he needed was a two stroke penalty for grounding his club.

He chose his landing spot on the green then looked down at his ball. He pulled the club back and swung hard driving the blade of his wedge deep into the sand behind the ball. He made sure to swing hard though the ball and sand sprayed in all directions as the ball popped out of the sand and landed just on the green and rolled a short distance before stopping fifteen feet short of the hole. Dave knew he had taken too much sand but he was happy the ball was on the green.

Bob was a little farther from the hole than Dave so he was first to putt. Dave handed Roger his wedge as Roger passed him the putter. Dave walked onto the green and marked his ball. He lined up his putt as he waited for Bob to settle on his line. Dave briefly looked over his shoulder and watched Roger rake the trap.

Bob rolled his putt just past the hole then tapped in for par. Dave circled his putt several times before he stood behind his ball and talked the putt over with Roger. They agreed that the break was six inches to the left. Dave stood over his ball and took two practice strokes concentrating on the weight. He lined up to the hole and stroked the ball smoothly. The ball held its line until the last second then darted hard left and rolled just past the left lip of the hole. The ball rolled three feet past the hole and Dave chose to mark it.

Mike Weir had a nice eight foot birdie putt and after looking at it from all directions he rolled the ball dead centre for an opening birdie.

Dave lined up his putt and was happy that he was now directly below the hole with a straight in three-footer. He settled over the ball and rolled it firm to the centre of the hole. He was relieved to hear it hit the bottom of the cup. His first hole was finished and the butterflies had pretty much disappeared. As he walked to the next tee he thought that the best way to avoid hitting through another tunnel of fans was to hit the damn fairway off the tee in the first place.

The next hole was the long par-four signature hole for the course. A large portion of the crowd was following Mike's group from hole to hole; so as they stood on the tee, the crowd was just as large as it had been on the previous tee.