bhoese:Still, I think [Cerino] might be right about the possibility of making par. It would be a great round, but not impossible.
I managed a 76 that fits very well with CD's card for a below-par best ball of 69. My putting wasn't bad for a 28-putt round, as I sink all of the easy ones and converted a couple of longer tries. My wedge game was awful.
CerinoDevoti: Right back at you Ben. I shot a 74 with all starter gear in the Qualifier this morning. Could have been 3 strokes better on wedge and putting mistakes otherwise I couldn't get any more out of it today. Had great wind so I'm a little disappointed in myself for those 3 strokes.
Well, I think I've found the new Holy Grail to chase: a par round in the Qualifier: Pinehurst with Champ greens from the tips with full starters.
I've shaved a couple of shots off the target, and had a great opportunity to manage it in par but faded down the stretch.
72 for me (+2)
Pinehurst #2 / Champ tees / Mod wind / Champ greens / flat lies / full starters
Highlights:
#1 super putt for birdie | #2 9ft par save after nice SW from 74 yards landed just to the side of shade (I've found this 3rd shot to be really tricky to get close, but perhaps by aiming well left there's a landing zone that allows the shot to stop in time)
#3 8ft birdie putt | #4 great 3rd should have led to par but pushed the 6 footer
#5 approach went much further left than intended and somehow held 2 yards away, for 6ft birdie
#7 2nd failed to climb ridge, left long lag putt which I pushed badly with 150 meter but sunk 9ft curler to save
#8 sloppy 3rd shot approach was long and made mess of the putt to end with bogey
#9 tee shot just short (little mishit), back into bunker when it seemed it would stay up: but good up and down
#10 this 3rd is about as close as starter clubs can get it, I think, but I misread the early part of the break on the 21ft attempt
#11 a bad 2nd left me short of correct distance, tried ns 70 instead of punch with next club up. A poor strike left me right and 5 yards short, and a bad attempt meant another bogey.
#12 Couldn't reach fairway (the only hole on which this was the case). Got nice 190 club out of 15-20% sand, and hit great 89% 90 wedge to 1.5ft
#13 oh boy, tried one club less (having gone long in previous practice, and seen how horrible it is from beyond the pin) and was miles short!!! oops!, but super flop from 25 yards
#14 awkward distance for 3rd having tried to reach green, duh!, but played super full bs 42 punch 75% to 1 yard
#15 A slightly miscued tee shot went way right into bunker: and was short on escape: pushed 12ft save attempt for another bogey
#16 super approach with 137 to 1 yard for par
#17 lucky to get headwind here of 14 wind @ 5:30, and hit perfect Driver full bs and got lucky fringe landing to kill pace: really should have made very straight 12 footer, but late click when most needed a ding!
#18 a little long on 2nd, and pulled 3rd a touch, led to this infuriating missed 5ft curler
So, even with better putts on the last 2 holes alone, par was a possibility. I'll keep trying!
I calculate that the best-ball score for the three of us is a spectacular -5!!!