The Misadventures of John and Sean were to continue this past Saturday, as they found themselves on the 10^th tee of Royal St George preparing to engage Rod aka Bluzgolf and Joe aka Bagman62 in a friendly skins game.  Joining John and Sean on the 10^th tee was Rod, a tall drink of water from somewhere in the boondocks of Montana (although he looked dressed for the occasion in his tartan’s).  Tapping our toes while we waited for the fourth person in our party, Rod exclaimed “Joe is probably watching his beloved Cubs getting beat like a government mule”. In what would only take as much time as it would take the Cubs to cascade to the basement of the NL Central, Joe finally went “green” and we were set to tee off.

 

The group of Senior Citizens stared down the tenth fairway glistening an emerald green in the fading afternoon light, Sean was 1^st to tee off. He was to set the tone for his match launching an errant shot out of bounds muttering something in Spanish which loosely translated meant he was having a dinger dilemma.  Amazingly his second attempt was able to find the fairway albeit not very far. The rest of the group found the fairway and were on the green in regulation, but what a severely undulating green it proved to be. Rod sunk a 20’ putt for birdy and the first skin, sending the match to the 11^th hole - a challenging 3 par.

 

Tee shots from John and Rod found the green while Sean’s ball resembled a fried egg as it lay in the greenside bunker buried in 40-50 soft sand. Sean being away, he blasted out of the bunker sending his Nike ball streaking like Hailey’s comet to the nether regions of the green some 45 feet away from the pin. Wrong club. It still being Sean’s shot as he was away he picked up his ball again muttering something in Spanish. Joe’s tee shot found the edge of a different bunker with a lie in 30/40 rough about 19 yds from the pin. You could see the desperation in his eyes as he lined up his flop shot. Being the only Tour Master in a group of Legends…he felt he had something to prove. Joe took a couple of practice swings, looking quite a bit like a young Ron Santo taking batting practice at Wrigley. In a shot that can only be called “Truly Legendary” he flopped his ball up onto the green right on the edge and let the ball drift down to the cup with a KERPLUNK! What a shot for a birdy and the skin! (you can see his replay on his profile) In his excitement, he yelled “Hey, don’t need no stinkin’ putter here!!!” Dumbfounded, the other three golfers could only congratulate him on a damn fine shot.

 

The 12^th tee was waiting for the group with a brutal 21 mph crosswind which Rod and Joe the Cub lover were able to negotiate with ease, Joe going deep center cut. All were able to get nicely on the green but Rod and John were in tight. Joe and the Spanish speaking Expat from Ecuador both hit long putts close to the cup and Rod, the Montana Putt Master, shaved the hole, missing by inches. John had an easy 6 footer but hit an all too familiar putt 0.3 away from the hole and watched his best chance for a skin flutter away in the wind as two tap-in pars by Joe and Sean sent the skin to the next tee.

 

As we headed to the 13^th, you could sense the anticipation in the air…2 skins were up for grabs. Three of us sent our shots into fairway bunkers but Rod hit his drive into center cut fairway. Following that beautiful drive was an even more beautiful approach shot to within 2 yds of the cup. Sensing defeat, John and Sean picked up their balls but Joe would have nothing of it. He hit away with a do-or-die attitude that only his beloved Cub’s could appreciate but it was too late as Rod sank his short putt to capture 2 more skins. Congratulations were showered upon Rod by all, with John quipping “Dang Montana flesh monger!”

 

The 14^th hole was a long par 5 that Rod played with expertise to win the skin and the 15^th par 4 with its challenging triangular green proved no match for Joe’s approach shot skills, deftly sinking an easy putt for another skin.

A short par 3 was next…easily tied by the group. On the 17^th par 4 though, there was some excitement again as this one was worth 2 skins. Joe was first with his approach shot, which hit what apparently was a WALL, as his ball stopped dead short of the green. Rejected…just like a Cubs playoff game! John stepped up and sent a gorgeous shot to within 2 yds of the cup…you could hear him say “Not gonna get skunked on THIS skins game”. But it was not going to be that easy. Rod was looking doubtful laying in 20/25 rough but when he smacked his ball, you could see it arcing towards the cup…and landing within 1 yd…what a beauty! Sean hit his ball from a nasty looking lie and landed 7 yds away…”Just not my day” he said under his breath. Joe steps up for his flop shot from the front of the green, with visions of his previous flop still vivid in his head and he confidently hits his ball up to within 1 yd of the cup. Great shot, Joe.

 

John drills his 6’ putt for a birdy and so does Rod, sending the group to the 18^th tee with 3 skins on the line. At this point, Rod has 4 skins, Joe has 2 skins and our dynamic duo are sitting with zeros. They eyeball each other at the tee, both knowing that one of them was going to step up and grab those skins.

 

Four long drives found their marks in the fairway and the group set up for their approach shots. John’s shot found a trap and Rod’s shot landed quite surprisingly 6 yds from the cup. Joe landed his shot 4 yds from the cup…it was up to Sean. He carefully took dead aim and hit a beautiful shot landing his ball within 2 yds of the cup! It looked like those 3 skins were going to be his. John hit his shot from the trap and landed a beauty of a shot 4.8 inches from the cup. Legendary! Now it was up to Rod…staring down an 18 foot putt for birdy. Sean nervously watching as Rod lines up his putt and in the middle of Rod’s backswing…Sean “accidently” drops his putter! Did it cause a distraction? We all watched Rod’s putt meander down towards the hole….and DROP in for the birdy!!! You could see Sean’s knees buckle. Joe stepped up for his 13 foot putt and drained it for the tie. No skins would be handed out and the game was over. Hands were shook and backs were slapped as the group wandered off to enjoy a drink on the 19^th hole.