I ran out of time for the March tourneys, so no help from me at St Andrews. I actually did start it a couple of times earlier in the month but ran away with my tail between my legs. High winds and Champ greens from the tips can be brutal there.
But hey! Andy's is back this month in unlimited mode with the added bonus of uneven lies! TLs even get a break on the wind for a change (moderate), increasing the odds of holding another 2 or 3 of the reachable greens in regulation. I loaded up the golden clubs and GI2-S (I might use that kit for all of these) and jumped in.
Started with a nice 9 iron to set up a burdie. Drew a headwind on the 2nd that stranded my drive in fescue. Punched out, rolled 40 feet past, and lipped the putt. Got the stroke back from almost as far on 3, then a wind-aided GIR and 2-putt on 4.
I was gifted the ideal R-L wind on 5 and took advantage with an approach that just caught the good side of the hump and a nice 18-footer coming back. Then I caught the bad side of the false front on 6 and hit a flop of a flop up and past...only to save my beans again from 25. I opted for the short rough on 7 and got a nice uphill lie, but hit it too hard to take advantage of the relatively soft landing.
I had the tee shot measured on 8 but missed early, then the putter shanked one that I'm confident would have gone in with the Nike for what would have been the first of four straight birdies. Drew the tailwind and a nice bounce on 9, right to perfect full FBS SW range. Knocked it close again on 10.
This is where I checked the leaderboard. I was within range of placing better than last! An lucky bounce backed up by a sinker from the fringe on 11 moved me into sole possession of second-to-last place at -5.
Then things got slightly ugly. I really wanted to rip the drive with the tailwind on 12, but it was too easy to see a way into each of four fairway bunkers. I couldn't cash in on my layup when mt approach doinked off the back of the bunker and shot off the back. I missed the ding on a makeable putt on 13 and had my third land a yard short from rolling toward the pin on 14, where another bad flop led to another bogey. I used the flop more this round than i might usually use it in a week.
My bogey streak having neutered my birdie streak, it was time to settle down and finish under par. 15 and 16 were both great examples of why champ greens are such a challenge with starters (or Tour Starters, to be precise). Each rolled well over 100 feet, probably more like 200. The 15th stayed on for a 57-foot 2-putt, the 16th rolled off the back for an up-and-down.
I got an unlucky bounce into the rough on my 2nd on the 17th, then a lucky bad mishit that sat up on the side of the bunker for an easy upslope-assisted up-and-down. One more barely short approach sent me to the Valley of Sin for a final flop, this one successful for the under-par round.
