Colonial: Day IV
The starting times for Round 4 were emailed to us last night and I went a step further to the www to get my pairing to see who the players I would be with. I see 10:05, Vaughn Taylor and Jimmy Walker both at +1. I had had each in the past so I was neither excited nor over-flowing with enthusiasm. My time was 11:05 and I was on the CBS website so I assumed the time zone was not compensated for.
Sunday morning I get up and going comfortably, have the light breakfast and head to the course with plenty of time to spare thinking I would walk slowly, watch a few groups, stop by the practice range and watch players warming up and then proceed to the volunteer center to ‘work’.
After getting off the shuttle bus and passing onto the grounds proper, I picked up the free pairing sheet and I see Taylor & Walker at 10:05 and I about messed with Texas in my briefs.
It took me a couple of minutes to realize that my error but not BEFORE I called the chairman to tell him I was late but on my way. Well, thankfully he did not pick up and I kept walking briskly hoping to just make it.
Then slowly my mistake started to dawn on me. As I cut thru the crowd I realized my start time WAS 11:05 but I referenced the GROUP and not the time. I checked and sure enough, at 11:05 there WAS a pairing of Kevin Streelman and JJ Henry both -1.
ANY CHANCE OF GETTING TO THE GOLF TODAY?
Sure Honey.
On the first tee both players introduced themselves to Judy the scorer and I before the announcer formally announced the pairing to the galleries.
I had been with Judy before and she was very nice. An older lady, good sense of humor and she asked if I had a pocket to hold her GPS device for the tournament AND get this, a tube of lipstick. I told her yes but if she told ANYONE or anyone found out about the lipstick, she was dead meat and I would haunt her after I passed.
Bill has lipstick …!!
Anyway, both players played ‘well’ but could not gain any ground. Henry started -1 and I believe he ended -2. Streelman couldn’t get out of a green side bunker on 18 and made double bogey and ended +1. He was not happy at all and after the round I did not get a ball from him. Which is fine. JJ signed his in purple being a Horned frog (TCU) alum.
SUMMARY
Kevin Na walked away with the large trophy and gave the car to his caddie as a ‘regift’.
The wire services covered it to death and was/is all over the ‘news’.
Jonas Blixt finished 5th recovering from his slips on Saturday. I was very happy for him more so than Na. I would have rather seen JBlix win.
Other factoids, players from this year and perhaps favs from the past ... Na & Blixt are the best finishers of players I ever had.
Russell Knox T8 at -5. Last year Knox actually gave me two signed balls one to give away. We are BFF.
A number of players failed to make the cut including the entire group from Friday. John Rahm surprisingly from the pro-am (+6) and the other pro-am player Scoot Stallings (+5).
Jim Furyk and Charlie Hoffman had good tournaments both T13 at -4.
Rory Sabbatini, now playing under the flag of Slovakia, past champion and the only player to give me a signed glove (I had two balls from him) finished T6 at -6.
Good stuff.
After play a group of us hung around the Volunteer center drinking beer and engaging in a story swap and gigglefest.
I left before it got too silly out.
