Mesquite Am 2013 Day 4: Opening round of Tournament play

Opening Round: Falcon Ridge

Tuesday arrived and it was time to head back to Falcon Ridge for the second day in a row, this time for the first round of the tournament.   This was a shot gun start and my round started on the 7th hole, a long par 5.  Here is my scorecard from the round:

The tees were back on a few holes from the day before so yardage was probably closer to the rated distance.  I went in feeling confident from the round before.  I started with a nice par, then bogey on the next 2 holes.  I had a miraculous par on the 10th hole.  The 10th has a creek that runs right down the middle of the hole dividing the fairway into two. (See picture below).  My drive was drawing and looked like it landed right in the creek.  The one time, not to hit it up the middle!  Getting to the creek, I find my ball resting on some grass just on the edge of the creek.  It's in the hazard and there is water seeping through the grass.  I take care not to ground the club and use a 7 iron and chip it out and up the fairway.  I took a 5 iron and hit a great shot to about 5 feet and then made the putt for par.

Par 4 10th

I played pretty well on the round expect for four holes.  The 12th, 16th, 4th and the 6th hole. The 12th I wasn't too concerned about, it was a triple bogey on a par 5 where I had a penalty stroke.  The 16th hole hurt badly.  Its a narrow par 5 with out of bounds on both the left and right side of the hole.  My drive was short of the fairway and rolled back down the hill toward me and I hit a decent second shot to get to the fairway.  This left 260 yards to the green.  I planned to hit my 3 hybrid to get  down the fairway a bit.  However I pulled it left OB, dropped then hit another left and likely OB, dropped again and finally kept it in the fairway.  In hindsight, should have just taken a 7 iron and got down the fairway a bit playing for bogey.

I bounced back ok from the bad hole but had another on the 4th.  My approach plugged in a bunker.  My attempt to get out stayed in the bunker and rolled back into my foot print.  I again failed to get out from there.  On my third bunker shot I finally escaped.  On to an 8 for the hole!

The 6th and my final hole was a total disaster.  Sliced my drive into the water right of the fairway.  Took a drop, then proceeded to bump the ball through a couple of bushes.  My 6th shot finally got near the green, but found a fairway bunker.  Took 2 to get out, another shot to get on the green, and 2 putts.  Finally in for an 11.  Just a case of losing focus.  I felt uncomfortable with my club selection after the drop and should have changed clubs, but didn't.  Yikes!  Not the start I wanted to the Am.  

The good news was Bryan had a great start to his Am and was tied for 3rd after day 1!

I witnessed something I'd never seen before on the 18th hole.  One of the players in my pairing hit two OB off the tee, then hit a greenside bunker.  On his shot out of the bunker he skulled it over the green, took one step then snapped his wedge over his knee!  Wow...talk about uncomfortable.  Was not sure what to say.  He apologized a few holes later and bought a round of drinks in the clubhouse.