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'Tough-It-Out II': The Trans-Atlantic Starter Clubs Uneven Open RETURNS!

• Corwyn 2,410 Posts

  Tue, Feb 12 2013 5:05 PM

  Leaderboard is now updated.

  Just Neil (unclenewy) left to play his final round...

• CerinoDevoti 3,232 Posts

  Tue, Feb 12 2013 5:56 PM

  Corwyn:

  Well, Cerino and I finally got our 4th Round in earlier today. (I had to collect kids from school right after so only now posting our sorry efforts!)...

  I was so hoping to cause Hans a few nervous moments as I described birdie after birdie dropping in on the front 9... but oh, actually those were just in my dreams. After last 3 practice rounds of -2, -2, and -3 last night (both of the last 2 with no bogies), I managed a new first today, a round with no birdies!

  Cerino called RSG a real heart-breaker course, and once again, it caused me sorrow, as I posted my worst round of the tourney yet again. This time it was a 74 (at least an improvement on my 76 in TIO 1).

  My inability to hit the ding on putts really wore me down, and although the front 9 was all pars, (and even 100% GIR), I kind of sensed that it was going to turn bad. This missed birdie putt on #5 summed up my day: a perfect read on a double-breaker but left inches short. And when it came to the back 9 I had a poorly thought-out or badly executed shot on every hole, and there's just no forgiveness for that in this format. On #10 I somehow put myself in this awful place, and despite a great full punch PW to 8 ft, of course I missed the putt. This approach on #12 was a poor club choice, fell a few yards short and got a comically wicked forward bounce (I did save par though with my only holed putt from longer than 5 ft all day). And then my luck disappeared altogether: when we got to #14 with the perfect 21mph tailwind, I was thinking possible eagle to get back in it (and see if Shiner's prize could be won!), but my perfect dinged drive somehow went all of 283 yards to a horrible spot (but at least not actually in the "Suez Canal"). [Check out the lie in my screenshot below!]. Par ended up being a great score there!

  Poor Cerino didn't play anywhere near his potential either, and had an extraordinary day on Royal St. George's greens, recording what must be close to the lowest total distance made putts possible: a staggering 24.76 ft. No less than 8 times his putts grazed the cup and ended up mere inches away; another 9 putts were under 2.8 ft, and his longest holed putt was 4.3 ft, for one of 2 birdies. But amid this tale of woe, Cerino did manage to achieve one of his targets: no 3 putts! And so, he alone among us all, has gone through all 72 holes without once recording 3 putts. It's so ironic that he secured that prize with such an extraordinarily unlucky putting round.

  Here is the full story, kicking off with my adventure at #14... almost had to take my snazzy plus four socks off!

  

  (I feel a little cheated by RSG's demons: if anyone still hankers for another go there, hit me up sometime in the next few days, and we can try and do some exorcism!)

   

  Just want to add my pics and my tale of woe. RSG left me broken-hearted once again. I went in looking for 4 birdies and zero 3 putts at any cost including sacrificing Corwyn if I had to.;-) That crashed to the ground not long into the round. I hit exactly 2 dings in all the putts I had on 18 holes. That includes missing most of the dings on my little clean up's.  My longest putt was 4.3 feet and I missed the ding on that too. Making 4 birdies became impossible and I had 6 makeable ones. I was able to avoid the 3 putt with a little cheeky play by missing greens on the good side so I didn't have to putt from very far away.

  RSG took it's pound of flesh from all of us I suppose so who am I to complain. :) I had fun preparing for the Tourney and thinking about strategies  and ways to get around on certain holes and courses. I look forward to the next time we Play Tough It Out.

  

   

• bhoese 679 Posts

  Tue, Feb 12 2013 7:39 PM

  Corwyn:

  I feel a little cheated by RSG's demons: if anyone still hankers for another go there, hit me up sometime in the next few days, and we can try and do some exorcism!

  That's funny.  Before tapping in the final putt of our round, I told Mizzy it would be my last stroke with starters for quite some time...and five hours later, feeling exactly as you do, I was back with the basics at RSG!  I was 4 under thru 13 and got disconnected, restarted the back and totaled -6 for 22 holes with no bogeys.  It didn't really help, though.  It's just not the same when its unofficial.  Or maybe just unseen.   If you're ever online a little earlier than your chart says, I'd love to get at least 9 in with you.  

  You're also the runaway winner of the Master and Below contest.  Congratulations!  Let me know which set you'd like and it will be in your locker.

• Phaxda 145 Posts

  Tue, Feb 12 2013 9:50 PM

  The special mention is well-deserved! Really enjoyed our round together.

   

  hyena64:

  CerinoDevoti:

  I'd like to give a shout-out to Hyena64. He was the "anchor" of the Tourney and never complained about anything. Sounds like he gave up more than a pound of flesh to the UL and still came out the other side smiling.  You have to have no ego at all and love the game to keep posting scores at the other end of the leaderboard. A special un-announced prize will be going to him for truly "Toughing It Out" and bringing it home with grace and humility.

  Thank you very much sir for the kind words.  If it only had been the lies that got me, it would be easier to live with. It was the putting & that 30 mile meter that got me more than anything; but then putting is my Achilles for sure.  To be certain I gave up some, but have more to give it as soon as the next one comes around.

  As far as any prize goes, I got mine by enjoying this tourney & meeting new people along the way; not to mention a fresh perspective of & rejuvenation for the game.  But if anything is bestowed upon me, I will humbly & gratefully accept it.

  Thanks one more time to all those who participated & especially those who put in so much work for us to have so much fun.                

  And what would a hyena do but laugh anyway?

   

• Corwyn 2,410 Posts

  Wed, Feb 13 2013 10:57 AM

  bhoese:

  ...and five hours later, feeling exactly as you do, I was back with the basics at RSG!  I was 4 under thru 13 and got disconnected, restarted the back and totaled -6 for 22 holes with no bogeys.  It didn't really help, though.  It's just not the same when its unofficial.  Or maybe just unseen.   If you're ever online a little earlier than your chart says, I'd love to get at least 9 in with you.

  Great scoring, Ben! I couldn't help going back for more last night, and of course, shot -3... Ah well, such is life...

  I'd love to tackle RSG together some time. I'll certainly look out for you if I can get on earlier some evening.

  (I'll PM you about the prize.)

• Woodoworkery 3,498 Posts

  Wed, Feb 13 2013 11:35 AM

  Crowyn are you going to list who won what?

• Corwyn 2,410 Posts

  Wed, Feb 13 2013 11:56 AM

  I certainly will, Gary, and it's a pity it's dragging on...

  ... but we're still giving Neil (Unclenewy) a day or two more to try and get his final round in given his difficult circumstances. I promised to give him every chance to complete the tourney, and have asked him again via PM whether he can realistically get back online quickly.

  Some standings are not at all likely to be overtaken by Neil (including your Total Distance Putts, and Birdies prizes) but since nothing is certain (!), and because I'd prefer to wrap everything up at once, I'm going to wait till Friday AM (PST) to write up final prize info. I hope that works for everyone, and that all our generous sponsors can wait till then.

  (If we haven't heard back by 10am 2/15 PST, in this thread, or via PM, I'll have to assume Neil has withdrawn.)

  Thanks for your patience!

  [Leaderboard with tabs showing (almost) final standings for all the prizes]

• Woodoworkery 3,498 Posts

  Wed, Feb 13 2013 12:00 PM

  Thank you Corwyn on your reply. 

  Gary ( woodo )

• Corwyn 2,410 Posts

  Thu, Feb 14 2013 11:01 PM

  Still no word at all from Neil (Unclenewy), so it's looking more and more likely that we'll have to consider him as a WD. Where are you, Neil?

  I'm hoping to wrap up placings and prizes tomorrow one way or another. Neil's deadline is 10am PST Friday.

  One thing to note is that Hans' wonderful coaching prize may be preferred by some of our winners, so if you're drawn at random for that you'll have the option of taking that prize, and letting the next-placed player in the relevant standings pick up the winnings.

  -------------

  In other news, some of you have already seen that Shiner has jumped right in to the Unevens fun and set up a Better Ball tourney: "March Madness" 2 Player Best Ball Starter Clubs Uneven Lies Open. Check it out, and sign on up!

  ----------------------

  Corwyn:

  I couldn't help going back for more last night, and of course, shot -3... Ah well, such is life...

  And, finally, in further news...

  I still can't put these clubs away... It's the strangest thing. Midway through the tourney, I was certain I'd be desperate to pull out the G20s and start making birdies again, but RSG with this setup has really gotten under my skin.

  So, of course, I had another go earlier today and it all clicked (well, almost all... still missed ding on a few very makeable putts). Some of those demons are being exorcised!

  I have to say this total immersion in Royal St. George's has really given me a huge respect for the course, and its challenges. I remember coming to it after the last tourney, and finding it absurdly easy with 'fancy clubs', as artificial flat lies and the darts right to the pin took all the contours out of play. But with this format, it's a real course again: I love the decisions involved in how to approach all those holes with ridges protecting the pin. You really have to consider your shots. And I still can't reliably get anywhere near the hole on the two par 5s, aaarggghh!

  Here's my card: a best-ever effort with Uneven Starters, on any course, of -5 (but, of course, not when it mattered! I'm kind of glad in a way: it would have been awful to miss a 16 footer on the last to tie Hans!!!).

  

• alosso 21,040 Posts

  Thu, Feb 14 2013 11:52 PM

  65 - an awfully good job Corwyn! I'm certainly challenged to get there under standard conditions!

  I for one was glad to put those canes back into the garage and leave the bumpy courses for a while. The UELs (and the Starters as a secondary reason) make me feel like playing worse than in RL, more pain than fun in every day's games.

  Alas, I'm back in the March madness with one of the volunteers of my CC, fairwayruepel.

  Must be golf, isn't it?