Chapter 22: Stepping On Tiger's Tail

Dave woke up at his usual six o'clock the next morning, after his morning routine, he tapped lightly on Alec's door. Alec opened it immediately and slipped out with his clubs. Dave drove Sarah's car to the golf course and he was happy he was only going a short distance. Driving on the left side of the road felt very strange - he was constantly tempted to slip over to the right side.

When they arrived at the course there were only a few staff around and Dave politely asked a man about getting balls to practice. In a very heavy Scottish accent, the man explained, "Sorry, laddie, but the course is closed for the Open Championship."

Dave smiled and put out his hand, "I'm Dave MacDonald, and I am playing in the Open. I have a practice round scheduled for today."

The man looked surprised, "Sorry, Mr. MacDonald, I didn't know you were one of the players - you look so young. I'm Gary McGregor and I would be pleased to get you some balls. The practice range is over there; I will bring balls for both of you."

Dave looked in the direction the Scotsman was pointing then nodded, "Thank you, Gary; and please call me Dave."

Gary nodded before walking into the clubhouse. Dave and Alec strolled to the practice range and began loosening up. While they were still limbering up, Gary returned with a large pail of balls and a strange looking pyramid shaped contraption. Gary laid the pyramid shaped bucket on the practice tee with the pointed top sitting on the ground then he started filling it with balls. Dave realized that he was creating a pyramid of balls. He had seen them on the practice tee at the Canadian Open but had never really known how it was done. When the pyramid shaped holder was filled, Gary placed a cover on top. The cover had ball indentations in rows that matched the top layer of balls in the pyramid bucket. He then flipped it upside down and the top became the base to hold the bottom row of balls in place. He removed the triangular shaped bucket leaving a perfect pyramid of balls. Dave and Alec had both watched him intently then smiled at each other.

Gary repeated the process again leaving another perfect pyramid. "Thanks, Gary. Is there someone here every morning around this time? I plan on practicing every day until the tournament starts on Thursday."

Gary nodded, "Yes, Dave, I will be here at six every morning. I'll have balls stacked up and waiting for you."

Dave put his hand out again and shook Gary's hand. "Thanks, Gary. Have a good day."

Gary nodded before he walked back to the clubhouse. Dave and Alec hit balls for two hours and Dave felt very confident in his swing. He was hitting his irons very consistently and his driver felt great as usual. They walked to the practice green and putted for another hour. The green was very fast and Dave took a while to adjust to the speed. When he and Alec left at ten o'clock, Dave was excited and ready to play the Old Course.

Sarah was waiting for Dave when he returned and she kissed him passionately before she said, "Thank you for last night. You felt wonderful. It was so nice to fall asleep in your big strong arms."

He agreed, "You felt fabulous as well. I didn't wake you when I left this morning, did I?"

She shook her head. "No, I slept well. Shauna, Hilary, Bob, and I ate breakfast together this morning. Hilary is a really nice person. I didn't actually know what to expect because of her popularity but she seems really down to earth."

Dave agreed, "I found the same thing when I met her on the plane. She is very mature for her age and she is very nice. What are our plans for the rest of the morning?"

Sarah hugged him before she explained, "I thought we could go for a swim. I know you love to have a relaxing swim most days."

Dave kissed her. "Thanks, that sounds perfect. I'm a little juiced up about playing the Old Course so I think a swim would be great."

Dave simply pulled on his bathing suit but, as Sarah tried to put on her bikini, he kept teasing her. When she pulled on her bottoms, he walked behind her and rubbed his hands all over her ass and mound. He whispered how gorgeous she looked in just the bottoms and then asked if they could pretend they were in France again and go topless. She loved the special attention and melted into his arms. When she finally pulled her top on he again began massaging her round breasts and teasingly begged her to let her marvelous breasts go free. After ten minutes of kissing and cuddling, Sarah called both Shauna and Hilary to say she and Dave were going to the pool.

They had the pool to themselves when they arrived so Dave dove in and started swimming laps. He swam for forty minutes before he stood up in the shallow end to see if anyone had joined him and Sarah. When he stood up. Sarah smiled at him and walked to the pool steps located next to him. Hilary had been sitting beside her talking and also stood up and followed her to the pool. Dave had to force himself not to stare at Hilary's trim curvaceous body. He stared right at Sarah's breasts instead and when she looked at him staring at her, he simply winked. Sarah was very flattered that he only had eyes for her. Sarah and Hilary climbed into the pool and pushed their way through the water to Dave. Sarah hugged him and asked, "Feel better?"

He smiled. "I feel much more relaxed."

Hilary asked, "How many years have you been swimming? You swam steadily for over a half hour and that's just since I got here. No wonder your body is so well-sculpted."

Dave blushed and Sarah rubbed his chest as she replied, "Dave has been swimming for years but he also works out with the weights when he is at school. Last summer when Roxanne and I visited him on QAI we were both shocked at how much bigger he had gotten from the previous summer. He told us that he worked out with the hockey team. I'm surprised that he is even bigger this year but I know he continued his weight training at Wake Forest." She looked into his eyes, "I love to just rub my hands over his strong chest, and when he wraps his arms around me, I feel like no one could ever hurt me. He's my special knight in muscular armor."

Dave was very embarrassed by all the talk about him and his body. With a very red face he said, "I am her knight but my princess needs to cool down a little." He lifted Sarah into his arms and threw her easily through the air and into the water about five feet away. Sarah came up sputtering and pushing her hair out of her face. She quickly splashed him and a short water fight ensued between the Dave and the pair of beautiful women.

They had been splashing and playing for ten minutes when Alec called from his seat, between Shauna and Bob, "Dave, we should go eat lunch before we head to the course."

Dave nodded and quickly dunked each woman before he raced for the steps. He just reached the first step when he felt two hands grab his suit and pull him backwards into the water. When he resurfaced the two women were dashing up the stairs as Sarah said over her shoulder, "Didn't your father ever teach you that it's ladies before gentlemen?"

He laughed and chased up the stairs after them. When they reached their towels, he hugged Sarah before he started to dry her off. She then dried him as the other four watched them. Bob shook his head before he said, "You two act as if you have been a couple for years."

Dave chuckled then replied, "We feel we have been special friends forever." Sarah simply nodded agreement. Dave and Sarah promised to meet the other four in the restaurant after they showered. They cuddled in the shower but didn't have enough time to really enjoy themselves so they were content just to wash each other thoroughly.

After lunch, Dave, Alec, and Bob went to the golf course. They met Mike Weir on the practice range. Mike shook Alec's hand and said he remembered him from the previous fall in Florida before Dave introduced Bob. They warmed up briefly before going to the first tee. Numerous spectators had paid to see the practice round and Bob found it strange to have people following him while he played. Dave was impressed with his solid play as Bob shot eighty-three from the long back-tees. Dave compared Bob's golf game to his father's and decided Bob was about three strokes better than Roger.

Alec played a solid round as his game continued to improve. He was satisfied with his round of eighty-one. Mike Weir had played the Old Course before and shot two under par. Dave was happy with his round of one under par, seventy-one. He was now very comfortable with the bump-and-run style of golf and only once found himself in the very nasty fairway bunkers which were more like small three-foot deep potholes with a generous amount of sand in the bottom. Dave had quickly learned that to score well at the Old Course, these traps had to be avoided at all cost. He and Alec both took good notes of where the traps were located and which ones would come into play based on potential wind conditions and tee placements.

Bob, Alec, and Mike all got along wonderfully and they really enjoyed the round together. Dave and Mike talked like old friends and at one point Mike asked Dave when he was going to turn pro. Dave told him he wasn't sure but he wanted to finish his college first. Mike nodded and agreed that was a good idea but also suggested that if he continued to be competitive at the PGA level he should also consider finishing his education while he played on the tour. Dave thanked him for the advice. Mike then told Dave that if he ever needed an agent to just let him know as he was very happy with his agent and could also recommend several other top notch agents. Dave again thanked him.

Sarah, Shauna, and Hilary were waiting for them when they finished. After saying goodbye to Mike, the three men squeezed into the Mercedes with the three women for the quick trip back to the hotel. They went to supper as soon as they returned and after a large meal they went to Dave and Sarah's room to talk. Bob had been very excited all evening and, when he left to call his wife, he thanked Dave for the memorable day. Dave stood and shook his hand as he replied, "It was a pleasure to play with you, Bob. If I am ever looking for a game in Houston I will call you or if you are ever in my area, wherever that might be at the time, please call and we will play again. You're a great golfer and it was a very fun day."

Bob smiled and thanked him again before he left the room. As soon as the door closed, Hilary stood up and moved into Dave's arms. She hugged him close and he unexpectedly felt her round breasts push into his stomach. She spoke very softly, "Thanks, Dave. You have no idea how much my father enjoyed today. He has always been proud of his golfing ability and to play with you and Mike Weir was a dream-come-true. He tossed and turned all night last night worried that he would embarrass himself. But he told me after supper tonight that the three of you made him feel so comfortable that his nervousness disappeared immediately. I will never forget the smile on his face as he was walking down the final hole with you today. Thank you so much."

"You father is a very nice man. He is very much like my own father and that is how I treat him. I enjoyed today as much as he did."

Hilary then said she better get to her room as well, she had to contact her agent to confirm her bookings for the following week when she returned to the States. She said goodnight to Shauna, Sarah, and Alec before she thanked Dave again and left.

Shauna and Alec stayed and talked for another hour before returning to their room. After they left, Dave and Sarah cuddled in bed before they fell asleep.

Practice went well on Monday morning and Gary McGregor was true to his word - there was a neat pile of balls waiting for Dave. Alec knew he couldn't practice with Dave after Sunday but he went with him and they worked together as a team to prepare for the tournament.

After practicing for four hours, they spent the balance of the day with Sarah, Shauna, Hilary, and Bob. They went to numerous tourist sites including the St Andrews Castle and St Andrews Cathedral. After a good dinner in the old town of St Andrews they finished the evening with a stroll along the Fife Coastal Path.

When Dave arrived back at the hotel he was tired but very happy he had gotten to see the spectacular old country of St Andrews. He was still amazed how the buildings and artifacts dated back to the thirteenth and fourteenth century - hundreds of years older than most structures in North America. He also enjoyed spending time with Sarah and she remained cuddled to his side most of the day.

They made tender love again that evening before Dave fell asleep tired but happy. He continued to ask himself what it might be like to live in Sarah's life but the answer was always the same - they were just too different for a long term relationship to last. He fell asleep with his precious princess in his arms.

He practiced again the next morning and spoke to Gary for several minutes as he was loosening up. More pros joined him on the practice range as the morning passed; Dave thought Tiger had glared at him as he arrived to hit balls. Dave shrugged it off as he focused on his own game. He thought he was ready for whatever Tiger threw at him. Vijay Singh practiced most of the morning with Dave and they talked casually about the weather, the golf course and about Scotland. Alec was still surprised how easily Dave was accepted by the other pros but as he thought about it, he realized that by winning the Canadian Open Dave had proven he belonged.

The practice round was with Justin Rose, a very good English golfer and Lee Westwood, another strong English golfer. The crowds for the practice round were huge and Dave was surprised that the crowds were almost as large as the tournament rounds at the Canadian Open. Dave wondered how big the crowds would get when the tournament actually started. He was happy with his two under par seventy. Rose shot an even par seventy-two while Westwood shot sixty-nine.

Dave went for a swim when he returned to the hotel. He was very relaxed when he sat down for dinner with his friends. They spent another quiet evening in the Dave's room.

The one thing that Dave couldn't find was a coffee shop to start his day. He wanted to continue the routine that helped him get focused for important tournaments. He decided to ask Gary the next morning.

The next morning as Gary was preparing the practice tee, Dave asked, "Gary, can you recommend a good coffee shop where I could start each morning of the tournament. I actually drink hot chocolate, not coffee, but I like to find a nice quiet place to get focused."

Gary chuckled, "There aren't many shops like that - and none open that early who serve hot chocolate. But I do know where you could get a warm cup every morning. Where are you staying?"

Dave replied, "I'm staying at the St Andrews Bay Hotel."

Gary chuckled, "That be perfect, my young Laddie. You are only a half mile from the best hot chocolate in all of Scotland. What time do you tee off today?"

"Eleven o'clock."

Gary nodded. "Perfect, I can show you when you finish. I am done work just thirty minutes before you should finish. Find me when you complete your round."

Dave thanked him and promised to find him. Vijay Singh showed up about a half hour after Dave started hitting balls and they talked occasionally as they practiced. Alec also watched John Daly hit balls for a while. A huge crowd of fans watched Daly intently as well. Daly took some mammoth swings at the ball and hit some huge drives - the fans went crazy with excitement. Alec noticed that when John hit a big drive that it was only about ten yards farther than Dave's good drives and that Daly wasn't nearly as consistent as Dave who had remarkable control of his driver. Alec suddenly realized what he had always suspected - Dave definitely did belong at this level of golf. In fact, he could drive the ball longer than most of the tour players and his accuracy was far more consistent. Alec shook his head in disbelief - his best friend was one of the best golfers in the entire world.

Dave noticed Alec looking at him strangely and asked, "What? Is something wrong?"

Alec shook his head, "No, nothing is wrong. I was just thinking that we are going to have a great tournament."

Dave smiled, "We'll see. The best in the world are here - I'm just looking forward to the experience."

Alec smiled then asked, "What do you think of Tiger?"

Dave laughed, "You know what I think of Tiger. He is going about his business and I'm doing the same. I'm trying to focus on my swing - not on him or anyone else."

Dave eventually moved to the practice putting green and he was surprised to see it was even faster than it had been the previous day. He putted for an hour before he heard his name called to the tee. He was playing with Shigeki Maruyama from Japan and David Toms from the USA. Dave played a solid consistent round and was very happy with sixty-nine. Maruyama only spoke limited English but he was a nice guy. Dave spoke to David Toms most of the practice round.

When the round was finished, Sarah and Shauna were waiting for them. When Dave explained that he was going with Gary, Sarah looked at him curiously but didn't say anything. She pulled out of the parking lot as Dave went to find Gary. When he found him, Gary asked how his round was. Dave explained that he shot sixty-nine and he was getting comfortable with the course.

They walked to the staff parking lot and got into a small British car. Dave was surprised his large body fit reasonably comfortably into the front seat. Gary took the same road Dave had taken from the hotel and just before they reached the hotel Gary pulled down a clay lane and up to an old stone house. Dave looked at the obviously private house and then he looked curiously at Gary. "Is this your home, Gary?"

Gary nodded, "Aye!"

"Why are we going here?"

Gary smiled then said, "You wanted the best hot chocolate in Scotland. My wife makes the best and I know she would love to have you drop in for a cup. She's always up with me when I leave."

Dave shook his head. "I couldn't intrude on her or you like that."

Gary turned off the car after he stopped beside the house and looked at Dave. "You won't be intruding, laddie. Our children are all growed and we'd love to have the company."

Dave slowly agreed as he climbed out of the small car and followed Gary to the door. Gary opened the door and stepped inside before he yelled, "Annette, we have company." A large woman in her mid fifties strolled into the kitchen where Dave and Gary were now standing. She looked at Gary questioningly before he explained, "This is the young Canadian laddie I was telling you about. He's staying at the Bay Hotel and was looking for somewhere to have an early morning cup of hot chocolate before he started his golf. I told him you make the best hot chocolate in Scotland and that you would enjoy his company."

She smiled and replied in a similar Scottish accent, "It would be nice to have you stop by each day. I'm always on the go by five o'clock."