The 2020 season was different to any other season we have ever had. With a late start due to the coronavirus lockdown, the season was a quick one.
In the weeks leading up to competitions I played more ‘social golf’ than I have for years. This made a nice, relaxing change to my feelings on the golf course. In this period, I began to play consistent, solid golf which I hoped I would take into the competitive season.
The first competitive round this year wasn’t until the 28th of June. After a long wait for the season to begin, my putter let me down in the first round. I posted a very poor round of 80 after a SIX PUTT on the second hole which set me back for the rest of the round. A disappointing start with redemption needed the week after.
The Lee Trophy qualifier was next on 04/07/2020. A different story here, as I posted my lowest ever competitive score, equalling the course record at the time of 69 (-4). This was a very big confidence boost for me which proved that I am capable of posting a good competitive score.
A few solid rounds followed with 75 (+2) being the worst of the next 4 competitions. Another good round of 70 (-3) brought my handicap down to a comfortable 1.1 which it would stay on for the rest of the season.
The Club Championship is a tournament which I was looking forward to competing in this year. Feeling like I had a very good chance of taking first prize after playing the most solid golf throughout the season.
It was not to be as Hugh Jackson, one of my playing partners on the day, posted a first round of 68 (-5) breaking his own course record. This placed me 6 shots back after a frustrating one over par, giving me a lot of work to do to catch up on the second 18 – but the trophy was still in reach.
The second round started with a 25-foot birdie putt from Hugh and a missed opportunity from myself, having failed to get up and down from the front of the green on the par-5, settling for a par.
Now 7 shots back the lead was increasing and a mistake from me on the fourth resulting in a 6 (double bogey) and solid golf from Hugh meant that his lead had extended to 10 shots after 9 holes.
The Championship seemed to be out of reach at this point, but mistakes from Hugh on the back 9 – making bogey on the par-3 11th and going out of bounds on the par-5 12th – allowed me to close the gap.
However, 3 birdies on the back 9 was not good enough to worry the very experienced golfer, who also birdied the 15th hole to prevent me from closing the gap further. 3 pars would then be enough for Hugh to comfortably take the title of Wetherby Golf Club Champion 2020 by 5 shots – very well deserved on the day.
With not much golf to remain, my attention turned to the two knockout finals I had managed to get myself into – the Scratch Trophy and the Lee Trophy.
Played over 2 evenings, the Lee Trophy came first. 4 up after 19 holes, I was getting pretty confident, but as my opponent hit form in the middle of the second 18, making lots of par-nett-birdies, my lead quickly disappeared. A careless out-of-bounds tee shot from myself on the par-4 14th meant that I was 1 down going onto the 17th tee!
The pressure was on, I had to win the next 2 holes giving away a shot down the last. A great tee shot on the par-3 17th set up a comfortable birdie – part one complete. Solid tee shot down the last put pressure on my opponent, who didn’t manage to get hold of his tee shot leaving him a long way into the par-5 for his second. A mistake with his lay-up, his ball flew into a tree and playing his 3rd shot he still wasn’t past my ball. A third mistake in a row was enough for him to shake my hand and concede the match as his ball was lost and I was set up nicely for a birdie. Not the way you want to win a match, but a win still it was.
My second match was 36 holes played on one Sunday. After losing the first hole, I went on to not lose another and was 7-up after 18 holes, where my opponent ‘gave up’ and conceded the match, not wanting to go out and try to win the holes back.
A successful end to a very different season and I am very happy to have now signed up to do my PGA qualifications and be in the professional ranks. I have been working towards this for the last few years and I am very excited to see what the future holds and play golf as a professional.