Monday, September 14 at 4:15
After two relatively grueling days of stroke play with a full field of 156, the match play rounds today are speeding along. The difference between three players in a group and a single match makes the golf quicker and very few of the matches make it to the 17th hole. Despite having said that, we had one match go 20 holes today. Vinny Giles, of Kinloch Club in Virginia, was one down on the 18th tee after his opponent birdied #17. Undeterred, the 68 year-0ld Giles hit the 566 yard 18th hole in two and made the eagle putt to put the match into extra holes. After that spectacular play on the final two holes, the match ended on a somewhat ugly note, with both players chopping their way to the second green where it appeared to one observer that Giles' opponent conceded with Giles ready to put for a seven!
Bill Ploeger, a 69 year-0ld from Columbus, Ohio made it into the next round of match play with a victory today. My dark horse pick, Pat O'Donnell from Happy Valley Oregon, won 4&2 to advance to the round of 32, as did Paul Simson, George Zahringer and Bill Doughtie.
The golf course is getting more difficult as it firms up. The fairways are now very hard underfoot and the greens are starting to get that shiny look from all of the direct sunshine of the past week. Luckily enough, the forecast calls for warm temperatures, blue skies and clouds for decoration.
I worked as a forecaddie on the 9th hole today and had the chance to speak to a couple dozen players and USGA Rules Officials. The praise was uniform. The feelings were genuine.
We should all be proud to be a member of Beverly because our club is really at its zenith this week. It's not often that the committee members from golf's governing body consistently say that a club and its golf course are perfect sites for their championship. But that's what we're hearing this week.
Terry Lavin
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I forecaddied the 4th hole on Sunday. In the morning pairings only one threesome had all three players on the green in regulation. One of the player's wives raved about an outing on Lake Michigan held on Saturday. The USGA rep told me it was the only tournament course he's ever been to that did not have any ground under repair. We could not have asked for more ideal conditions to showcase our club.
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