Now this was more like it.  Green speeds were up.  Jason threw up a challenge.  Love it!!  For us back of the pack guys this is the real treat, playing pro speed greens and pin placements.  Dr. David was just off the green on 12 after hitting a great recovery shot from over by the cart path about 160 out.  It wasn’t the distance so much as the fact that he was in the drainage ditch with an ugly lie.  For his reward he chipped a tad to hard and bingo off the green.  Instant double, unfortunately many of us know that one.

I was lamenting to Jason that I shot 90 today and had to par the last three holes to do that and he says, (I am not kidding here) do that tomorrow and you will move up.  I tell him I am going to write that and he replies “add in that Costco has a sale on “mop and glow” cases”.  Ouch, could we have been lulled to sleep in rounds one and two?  So a word of caution to us high single handicaps, going for the green in regulation may not be a good idea.  Could be like years past when a good lay-up, just off the green, and below the hole may be much better than a long putt of birdie.

If you want to see some really interesting data check out the MP website www.mpcchi.org and go to the tournament section and “results”.  Then find rounds 1,2,3 statistics.  Really interesting to see which holes were playing toughest each day.

Mid Pac’s version of amen corner (13,14,15) and 7/8 are tough each day.  What I found interesting was that #5 was so tough on day three.  One and 10 are easy starts on each side so if you blow up on those it only get worse after that. 

Looks like day 4 should be a fun one, although 6 hour golf can be a bit wearing on the mind and body.  Hope to see a lot of you out there following your favorite players.  I always like see what the Pros do on holes I have already played so right after my round I plan on jumping out there to catch 4 or five holes. 

Great event once again, thanks to all the volunteers who allow us to make this happen. 

Well it is officially in the books.  The cuts have been determined.  Once again the debate ran rampant.  Would it be 169 or 170 in A? Did the 94 that the goat shot throw him into a spotters roll on Saturday?  Who was in and who was out.  When the numbers finally came out there were high 5’s and plenty of groans.  Fast Freddie just made it at 178 and there was hand slapping all around.  You read it correctly, a pair of 89’s gave you a Saturday tee time in the B flight.

There was a bit of movement as well.  A couple of players who were probably more deserving of the A flight competition level did get to upgrade by leaving the rest of us in the dust.  Kudos to the committee for giving them a chance to shine against better players.

Now for the day on the links.  A bit damp and very little wind so even though the intent was to speed up the greens mother nature didn’t co-operate.  In some ways this was a good thing because nary a contrary word was spoken when Jason arrived with his lovely wife.  This year he didn’t need that protection because no one could blame their pathetic scores on the course set up.  (I can use that word because my score was indeed pathetic)

On this day all of the wayward scores were self inflicted.  The pin placement on number 8 was as bad as it got and because the green didn’t dry out even that was not the disaster that our loving super had planned. 

One of the things I did notice this year was that a bunch of us are really starting to show our age.  Now mind you I didn’t see any candidates for the “Biggest Loser”. On the other hand there were not many poster children for the Shintani Diet ads either.  It does seem there is a graying of the field if you get my drift.

I am looking forward to my early tee time and am actually just glad to have one.  I was hoping to get bumped into A but I guess two miracle rounds were not in the cards.

Tomorrow should be a hoot.  Hope to have some good “war stories” for you.