YES SIR!!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday 13 August 2011 at 2:32 pm I can't help it, but everytime I think of incredible golf moments only one comes to mind, Jack Nicklaus hitting the putt for the lead (tie) on 16th at Augusta in 1986. I was only 1 at the time, so I didn't witness it live, only in replays over and over again. Verne Lundquist screamed, "Yes sir!", into the microphone as Jack Nicklaus drained his putt for birdie while raising his putter. It's one of those moments that make the hair stand up on your body, clutch moments that are once in a lifetime.If only Verne Lundquist was at Morton, MN to see what transpired on Monday. We have had some good memories in TBGA competition, the Eagle by Mark Juhl on 9 to get into a playoff in the Sioux Invitational 3 years ago, the three man playoff at Rodina between myself and my two brothers, but this moment takes the cake.
Back to this mystery moment in a little while, but it wouldn't sound near as dramatic if I didn't give you background as to why the moment was sooo large. Just like the win by Jack Nicklaus wouldn't have been as dramatic had he been 25 and not 46. I (we) have been playing in the same Grace CRC Golf Scramble Outing for 6 years now. The first year it was only me, on a scramble team of a couple of men from the church, it was more or less getting my feet wet. I saw that first year that Jim Anderson and his group were a dominant group, in fact they had never been beaten, EVER. The next year I came with Dan, Justin, and Mike Houtsma. We blitzed the course that day. In the first 9 holes we were 3 under, on 18 we stood with a share of the lead at 6 under (with the Andersons group), only to shank 4 consecutive tee shots, and 4 consecutive chips to recieve a heartbreaking bogey to lose by 1. The following year, I inserted James instead of Mike Houtsma. The result was marred by poor putting and we finished 3 shots off the lead (again the Andersons won). The 4th year was another tough defeat by one stroke to the Andersons. Last year we substituted my grandpa in for Dan, only this time the course was at Dacotah Ridge a change of venue from our normal track at the Grandview Golf Course. We were one stroke off the lead on the last par 5, easily reachable right? Only we got the yips again while chipping to the green on our third shot and again left in angst. One stroke short.
So to Monday, the Andersons were cautiously optimistic, having won the event every year since 1998 (the inaugural event). This year seemed like a make or break year for our team. Our team of Justin (Stino), James, Grandpa, and myself was what we arrived with. We started off ice cold with the putter. We had makeable putts for birdie on 3 of the first 4 holes only to come away with par on each. You could feel the tension mounting as Stino was starting to get on edge. The last of that 4 hole stretch was a par 3, Grandpa knocked it stiff from 140 and we all missed a 5 foot putt for birdie, we were so close! We needed more putts, but they just weren't falling. Next we rolled off a birdie on a very diffucult par 4 with a water hazard all around the left side. The monkey was off our back. The next hole, a par 5, we birdied again! Now at 2 under, things would start rolling right? No, holes 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 were all pars. The only solace we received was knowing that the Andersons were also -2 at the turn. We figured -4 (-6 total) on the much tougher back nine would put us in good shape for the win, the thick air was starting to get a little thicker. Righting the ship, we rattled off two more birdies on 12, and 13! Minus 4, that might be enough... No, we need two more, I know we need two more.
In retrospect we played extremely well, scoring a bogey was never really a threat, and we had a thousand opportunities for birdie. Again we got into a lull, 14, 15, and 16 were pars. Only now the pars were getting tougher, things were looking grim. 17 and 18 at Dacotah Ridge are real risk reward holes with dangerous dog legs, we needed to go 2 under on those holes to feel comfortable. James hit a beautiful drive on 17 cutting the corner and putting us 20 yards from the green directly underneath a tree. Flashbacks from all our failed clutch moments kept creeping up as Grandpa, James, and Justin all hit mediocre chips. I walked up with my 60 degree wedge and dared to play with the tree branches. The gamble paid off as my chip landed squarely 6 feet from the hole. You could feel the cotton mouth and the forlorn faces, as all 4 of us missed the birdie putt. ANOTHER opportunity blown. I even told James I felt that we lost this tournament by missing that birdie opportunity.
So on 18, we are 4 under. Lets just get a birdie, than MAYBE we have a shot. I hit my drive out of bounds, Justin does the same, James does the same. On 18 at Dacotah Ridge it is an easy dog leg left par 5 if it weren't for the narrow fairways with Out of Bounds on either side of the fairway. James and I couldn't watch, if Grandpa doesn't hit the shot in bounds we are looking at a for sure bogey, and a definite loss. At the last minute James tries to tell Grandpa to just lay up and hit an iron, anything to keep it in bounds. I quickly drove our cart out of range so Grandpa couldn't hear us, and to get a good view of the shot. James was on the edge of sanity, we couldn't imagine what Grandpa was feeling. There is no argument that Grandpa is the weakest driver of our bunch. It is also no secret that he has struggled in extremely competitive situations. Before he has time to stew in the moment, he hits the shot... and it's perfect! 180 yards to the green is all we had left, we were thinking eagle! All those heartbreaking losses must have been too much weight to bare again, as all of us hit right of the green, leaving us with a 20 yard chip. Let's just get this close, get our birdie and take our chances at 5 under, I thought. Grandpa hits first and sends his chip over the green, here we go again. James hits his about 15 feet out, whew! We now have something we can play with. That left Stino and myself to get closer.
Now before we made the trip to Morton, Stino broke his lob wedge. It was a POS Dunlop that he got with his junior set, it was time for a new club. There were no sporting goods stores in between Orange City and Morton so we had to go to the clubhouse and overpay for a club. Stino chose a Titleist Vokey 60 degree, a nice choice, but still nervewrecking because he hadn't hit a single shot with it. He could have really sucked with it for all I knew.
Back to the 18th. 20 yards out. I pulled out my 64 degree Cleveland because the pin was tucked on our side of the green, and set it down to watch Stino's chip. He hits the chip just perfectly onto the fringe, bounces once, bounces twice... Seemed like every bounce was getting slower and gaining more attention from the group. All of the sudden the cat calls come, "Look at that! Get in there! No Way! HAHA! Yesssss!"
Jumping, screaming, hats and clubs were thrown in the air, pretty much anything not nailed down sailed in the euphoric air. There is not a more beautiful site than a golf ball going in the hole like what we had all witnessed. Hugs, high fives, and high steps, even though we had yet to see the Andersons score we knew we had it. Stino's eagle chip on 18 put us at 6 under. The score was ONE stroke better than the Andersons group giving us the win. The celebration had begun, and yes the hair on my arms stood up at that moment. No, Verne Lundquist was not there, but if he was, the moment certainly would have warranted his patented, "Yes Sir!"
