You never know in the Pot Game when something extraordinary is going to happen. Saturday was one of those moments when one of our regulars did an unbelievable thing.
Saturday was forecast to be the best day of the weekend. Twelve Pot Gamers showed up to play a little 3BB on the south course. Mad Dog was going to play and come out of retirement (again) but when he saw he would be the 13th player he bowed out.
Team #1 Bear, Jay Esh, 99 and Rama got off to a steady start +2 after 6 holes but slipped up on 8 and 9 to end with +6 on the front. 99 shot a smooth even par 36 on the front with a nice 38 by his partner Jay Esh, but it was enough to make up for the 4 bogeys their Captain was making.
Team #2 TJ, Brad-Brian, Brett and Jerry went red on the first hole but struggled on 8and 9 also to shot +6 on the front. Captain TJ shot 38 with C man Brett throwing in a steady 39 but they couldn't get a third ball from their other players.
Team #3 Triple N, Andy Mac, Skrocki and House had the best team on paper all they had to do was go out and play. A and B players did their part with 35 and 37 but never were able to get a third par or birdie from the C and D players and ended up with +6.
So each team knew with a three way tie whomever won the back won 2 1/3 sides. Mad Dog drove up to Team #1 on the 11th tee and asked to play along.
All three teams came off the 10th hole at -1 thinking they were at least 1 or 2 strokes down to everyone else. Team #1 on the strength of two birdies in the first three holes from Jay Esh were able to ding/dong their way to even par through 14 holes.
Then it happened. 99 who was only 1 over on his own ball on the 15th tee, popped up his hybrid into the very front of the fairway trap. In typical Mad Dog style he said "Nice pop up". 99 without missing a beat says "It is going to be one hell of a birdie". To which Bear replies "I'll take a par from there and be very happy". So as they walk down the fairway they see 99 take out his hybrid and start digging his feet in the sand. Rama looking on from the edge of the trap is thinking what the hell is he doing. Nobody tries a 220 yard carry shot over water from the sand playing 3BB when all his other partners are yet to hit. But 99 does... With a mighty whack he hits a missile of a high draw that hits on the left side of the green and rolls to the back collar 32' from the pin. His partners go crazy.. Yelling at him they can't believe he didn't lay up. As 99 walks to his ball Bear yells out to him "You can only be a legend if you make the putt". To which 99 just smiles. As 99 is studying his putt he asks Jay if he wants to play as he isn't quite ready. Then he checks with Bear to see if the pin is leaning in his favor. Finally after lots of analysis he pulled his putter back and stroked his putt, then watched as it rolled through the fringe over two swales and dead into the middle of the cup. Securing his place as a legend in Pot Game lore forever.
He then birdies 16. If that wasn't enough he push fades his tee shot on 18 almost into the first fairway. Then he tries to hit a 3 wood through the trees but catches one flush shooting the ball across the 18th fairway to 174 yards out. He hits his third shot 12' past the hole and calmly drains it for an incredible 71. A score so low that Bear had a hard time having the GHIN computer accept the score.
Mean while Teams #2 & 3 were melting down with back nines of +15 and +6. So Team #1 swept 2 1/3 sides.
Low scores of the day were 99(The Legend) 71, Triple N 73, Andy Mac 77, Jay Esh 78, Bear 79 and Brett 79. There were 4 skins worth $15 a piece (99 2, Brad-Brian 1, Jay Esh 1)
Sunday looked to be a good day to stay home and relax because of a rainy forecast and several Pot Gamers were playing in the Elks vs Italians tournament. But when the weather called for showers to be over during the early morning seven either brave or crazy Pot Gamers showed up to play.
Chuckie made up the teams. But Mad Dog who had to be coaxed to play insisted that he had to have Jedi on his team. Which forced Bear to trade his own son for Skrocki.
Team #1 Mad Dog, TJ and Jedi (also using Birdie's score) teed off first on the North course hoping the rain would hold off. They got off to a slow start and held it together to shoot a +3 2BB on the front which given the on again off again rainy weather wasn't bad.
Team #2 Bear, Andy Mac, Skrocki and Birdie jumped started their round on the strength of Skrocki's birdie on the first. They followed that up with two more birdies on the 5th hole which gave a solid even par on the front to take a three shot lead over Team #1.
Team #1 rallied on the back with TJ and Jedi both posting 38s and with Birdie giving them two birdies they shot a solid -2. However Team #2 was still firing birdies with everyone scoring between 36 to 40 on the back which gave -3 to sweep all sides.
Low scores of the day were Bear 76, Andy Mac, 77, Skrocki 77 and Jedi 78. There were 8 skins worth $4 a piece. (Skrocki 2, Birdie 2, Jedi 1, Bear 1, Mad Dog 1 and Andy Mac 1)
Mad Dog finally took on the Bear to resume their season long match. Bear came away with $4 making the YTD Bear up $7.
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