Eagle Ridge Golf League News
Bill Jackson
Here Comes da JUDGE!
Tuesday evening, on a beautiful night, District Judge, the Hon. John Chaffin showed both his skill and mettle. It was a nail-biter, a shootout, and well played between him and Charlie Curnutte all the way to until the end. The foursome of John Chaffin, Charlie Curnutte, Dave Wallen, and me, Bill Jackson, were playing for the second half league title. Judge Chaffin will be in the finals with James Chaffin, the first-half champion, and probably one or two players who have the most total points for the year.
Now for the “blow by blow.” First, Dave and I were not having a good day. I hit every fairway except one, yet could not strike my irons nor putt. Dave, on the other hand had like type problems. He was killing his drives and fairway woods but could not keep them in bounds. We both had 39s, not embarrassing but not how we wanted to play in a championship. But Charlie and the Judge started game on. Charlie was only one over after five holes. He then had a couple of bogies. The Judge was playing right along with Charlie, although the Judge started with a triple bogey. He had thrown in a birdie within the first five holes, bringing the match to even. On hole number six, the Judge pulled one shot ahead.
There the contest remained until the final hole. Teeing off on hole number nine, with the Judge still holding his one-shot lead, both combatants hit the fairway. Then came the golf shot that changed the match. With the Judge hitting his second shot to the center of the green, Charlie had only one chance. He had to go for the pin. This would take the slope of the green out of play, and Charlie could get enough spin that would hold the ball on the green, and the ball would feed to the pin. He had to have a birdie. The flag was set in the right of middle the green close to the lower edge. The location was relatively easy unless you were attempting to get close enough for a birdie. To the right side of the pin, there were three feet of green, two feet of the fringe-fairway, then over the hill into high almost unplayable rough. Charlie hit his approach shot, and it was a dandy. If was straight at the pin and looked as though it was going to land right at the hole. Sadly, had the ball landed on the green a foot to the left or two feet further, it would have been in close for his needed birdie. Charlie ended with practically an unplayable lie where he could barely get it out of the rough. Moving the ball to when he could play, he then chipped on the green, and two-putted for a double bogey. The Judge two-putted for an easy par. The match ended with the Judge shooting a 5-under par 31 and Charlie had a 2-under par 34. An excellent competition well played ending with a very deserving champion.
The 3-shot difference is rather deceiving. He could easily have hit the center of the green and easily two-putted for a par. But the center of the green, and attempting to force a birdie, would have ended as a three-putt bogie. So, Charlie made the right decision. But don’t under estimate the Judge. His steady play place him in an easy two putt situation. He played the right shot at the right time. What a well-played match, much like watching chess.
Charlie can think of what could have been; a birdie would have tied. The Judge can remember that he played the hole precisely as he should, placing the pressure on his opponent. Dave and I neither enjoyed how we played, but we unquestionably were an audience to a grand match.
There was some excellent scores shot on Tuesday. Now for the rest of the scores.
September 3, 2019:
Scores
Low Net Score (29) J. Lynn See
Low Net Score (29) Tarky Blackburn
Low Gross Score (39) James Chaffin
Low Gross Score (39) Ronnie Maynard
Skills Competition
Closest to the pin (#8) Dean Stinebring
Longest Putt (#14) James Chaffin
Closest to the pin (#12) Dave Wallen
Longest Drive (#7) Elvis Clark
Closest 2nd shot (#11) Charlie Curnutte
Fewest Putts (14) James Chaffin
Fewest Putts (14) Ronnie Maynard
Next week will be the League Championship. For those not in the Championship, there will be a Ryder Cup competition among the remainder of the players. James Chaffin (1st half winner) and Judge Chaffin (2nd half winner) will be the captains of the two teams. This sounds somewhat like the baseball games between West Louisa and Highbottom we played as youngsters. Oh! That was sometime last century.
See you on the course.
Bill Jackson
