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| Casey Smith congratulates Aaron after losing the playoff on hole #10. Aaron made a 3, Casey made a 4. |
The popular horse race, starts with a number of players between 10-14, and higher scores are elimintaed in every hole. In this case, two players were eliminated on #1, two on #2 and one in each hole after that.
First players leaving on #1 were Rocky Andresen and Rod Little after playoff with Jeremy Gray and Keith Hulen.
No playoff was necessary on #2, when yours truly, Alex Alvarez butchered the hole from 120 yards in from the middle of the fairway and then Keith Hulen three putted for a matching double bogey. So long friends!#3 claimed Trey Scales who lost a playoff to Jeremy Gray, Andrew Albert, Mark Fairchild and Chris Pearce... they all had bogeyed the short but tough par 4 hole.
Mark Fairchild was next out when he hit hit shot left of the green on #5 and could not save his par. Five left!
Hole #6, playing a little downwind, fooled a couple of the players, but no one more than Andrew Albert who hit his tee shot in the water hazard left. He then hit his third shot way over the green, meanwhile, everyone else was either safely on, or close by, away from the second hazard that guards the left of that green. Andrew could not make better than a double bogey six, and went home. Four left.
Hole #7, playing slightly into the wind, was tougher than normal and
everyone, but Aaron Kauk, missed the green right.Casey Smith chipped first to about 15 feet, then the unimaginable happened.. Jeremy Gray lost his concentration for a split second and cold-topped his ball across the green and into the later hazard, the subsequent double when he could not hole out from the side of the hazard, sent him home empty handed...
Three players remained, and the play of the next two holes would determine "Win", "Place" and "Show".
First out was Joby Gray who never bogeyed a hole... both Aaron and Casey birdied #8! Joby had played safe with a hybbrid, and so did Aaron, while
Casey hit a tremendous drive to the front of the green to set up an relatively easy chip shot. Aaron hit a great short iron from the left rough, over the trees and hazard that guard the left of the green to about three feet, while Joby hit his third shot to about 3 feet as well. Casey birdied, Joby made par and it was left to Aaron on where he would have a playoff with Joby or eliminate the 2011 Club Champion.Aaron's putt was dead center. Bye, bye Joby!
Casey and Aaron tied #9 with a par, which set up a playoff on #10. Casey pushed his right, Aaron hit his on the green. Casey went over the green but chipped back to 3 feet. Aaron did not give Casey a chance by leaving his first putt only inched from the hole for an easy par that won the 2 hour event. Afterwards, we all went inside to enjoy a cold drink and air conditioning!
Congratulations Aaron!