There’s an old saying about match play, that three-up with two holes to play never wins. I hadn’t gotten there, exactly – actually, not even close. Here’s what happened:
I was one-up on the 14th green, a par five. I’d hit the green in two (no small feat for me) and lagged to about two-and-half-feet. A sure birdie. My opponent had hit his second shot into a greenside bunker. His escape went long but he rolled his birdie up fairly close and I conceded the par putt. We’d had a good close match. I’d lipped out a couple of times, which cost me but I'd played the hard holes well and no one won anything with worse than a par. It’d been fun. Match play, for those who don’t get a chance to play it very often – which is just about all of us – is a hoot.
We happened to be paired with two other golfers and one was near enough to my putting line that I went over and tapped my mark down. For this occasion, I’d chosen a special marker, one purchased at Old Tom Morris’s golf shop next to the Old Course in St. Andrews. The center is made of blue enamel. It commemorates the 2000 Open, which I was lucky enough to attend.
I did think about it for a moment but went ahead and very carefully placed my putter head on the marker. To my horror, it came up with the putter. Not trying to be heroic here, but no one saw it but me. I immediately alerted my opponent, picked up, and conceded him the hole. The match was now all square. I’d been a tap-in from going two-up, with a par-three and drivable par four ahead of us. I was thinking 3-2.
I now know that I should’ve replaced the mark and putted out, at the very least to give myself an argument. Leaving the green was sheer bonehead but I thought the rules, especially for match play, are fairly explicit: break one, lose a hole.
Now, it didn’t help that I three-putted the par-three, lipping out from four feet (going for broke on a makable birdie putt). I nearly drove the green on 16, which I won – all square - then, still pissed at having learned the truth from an official - I plowed my drive into the hazard left off the 17th tee, a first for that day. Down one hole with one to play, I played 18 manfully, a tough tee shot and a perfect 7-iron to a back pin. My opponent was on the green in two and secured his four. Moment of truth: I needed a birdie to continue the match, from about 8-10 feet. It broke more than I figured. Match over, 1-down.
Guess I'm gonna need a new lucky marker. I hereby resolve to go back to a dime, which I had in my pocket - just hit the "lucky" marker first fishing in my pocket. Match play? Don't just watch the Ryder Cup, see if you can find someone who'll organize it. Some fun. -0-
