Chris Stroud got caught in the “Bear Trap” last Friday and the result was something that he can never recall happening to him, dating back to his earliest days in junior golf.

“It was the first time I’ve ever made a 9,” he said. “I made some 7s and some 8s, but never a 9.”

Even worse, the 9 happened on a par 3. He came to the 185-yard, 15th at Palm Beach National one over in the Honda Classic and tied for 22nd. He left it, seven over and with no hope of making the cut.

“I was rolling along in really good shape,” Stroud said. “It’s a tough golf course and I thought I had myself in position to do really well. Looking back, I just didn’t give the hole enough respect. It was a lesson learned. A very costly lesson.”

Stroud started his adventure with a 5-iron. Factoring in the wind, he figured he need to fly the ball 200 yards to reach the pin. Unfortunately, his shot wound up in a watery grave.

“I kind of undercut the first one, but didn’t really hit it bad,” he said. “The wind gusted and the ball just went straight up and didn’t go anywhere. So I pulled out a 4-iron, which really wasn’t the right club, and I hit it too easy.

“The wind gusted again and blew the ball into the water to the right of the green. At that point, I said, ‘screw it, I’m going to have to hook the ball.’ I caught the next one flush, the wind died down and the ball went over the green and into the water.”

That left him still on the tee, hitting seven. He got that shot on the green and two-putted.

Stroud, who was coming off a 12th place finish the previous week in the Mayakoba Classic, knew he wasn’t going to be around for the weekend. But he didn’t just play out the string. He went par, birdie, par on the final three holes, nearly making an ace at the 17th.

Despite the 9, his 36-hole score of six-over 146 missed the cut by only two strokes. Even with a double bogey, he’d have comfortably made the cut. The difficulty of the course was borne out by the fact Ernie Els won at six-under-par.

“I was really playing well and it’s disappointing for something like that to happen,” Stroud said. “It can be a cruel game at times. It never lets up and you can never let your guard down. Things can change so fast.”

Stroud doesn’t have to wait long to try and get back on track. He’s playing in the PODs Classic that begins Thursday in Tampa. He’s currently No. 130 on the money list with 2008 earnings of $87,869.

CHIP SHOTS: Tom Bell of Beaumont scored a hole-in-one on the 130-yard, 17th hole at Bayou Din. Bell, who was playing in a foursome that included Greg Fulgham, Gary Celli and Brett Vickers, used a 7-iron . . . Robert Bunyard shot a net 67 to win the Monday Seniors at Belle Oaks by one shot over Gene Harrison. Macy Dubose and Jim Brown tied for third at 69. Norm Pasche won closest to the hole on both No. 8 and No. 15 . . . In the Friday Seniors at Belle Oaks, Larry Guidry, Tyman Ash and Brown finished in a three-way tie for first at 66. Pasche was fourth at 67. Brown (No. 8) and Dubose (No. 15) were closest to the hole winners . . . John Bass fired a net 65 to win the Wednesday Seniors at The Palms at Pleasure Island. Joe Bennett, Butch Strange and Mark Lee all finished with 69s to tie for second . . . The Senior 65 Plus Game at Babe Zaharias was played in a 2-Ball format. The foursome of Murphy Demarcay, Ken Cook, John Culbertson and Jess Evans (plus 1) won the front and the overall (plus 5). The team of Tommy Trahan, George Besse, L.J. Hardin and Dwain Taylor won the back at minus five. Demarcay (No. 7) and R.C. Russell (No. 15) won closest to the pin . . . The Babe Zaharias DogFight was played in a 6-6-6 format. There was a two-way tie at 72 in 1st Flight between Vernon Drummond-Hilario Padia and Drake Romero-David Evans. Billy Tucker-Pat Waite took 2nd Flight with a 74, besting the team of Adam Noel-Teddy Davis (77) and David Colton-Bob Barnes (77). Dickie Robinson-Jim Cooper won 3rd Flight with a 77, edging Clay Lewis-John Veillion by a stroke. Gary Fontenot-Harry Guidry took 4th Flight with a 78, finishing two shots clear of Gary Anderson-Charles Macha. Closest to the hole winners were Jess McPhillips (No. 2), Hilario Padia (No. 7), Buddy Sepeda (No. 12) and David Evans (No. 15) . . . The team of Mitch Priddy, Kyle Mehl, Tim Turner and Gene Harrison (15&2) tied for first with the team of Bill Hatfield, Hilario Padia, Tom Stirling and Charlie Huckaby (15&3) in the Belle Oaks DogFight. Third place at 12&4 went to the team of Randy Monk, Butch Cross and Billy Pennington. Pennington (No. 3) and Ricky Brunner (No. 15) were closest to the pin winners . . . The Bayou Din DogFight was won by the team of Padia, Pennington, Warren Johns and Dan Flood (15&2). The team of Allan Sohosky, Tom O’Grady, Hamilton Thillet and Gary Anderson (12&1) finished second . . . The Nederland Heritage Festival Tournament is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Bayou Din. Two person teams flighted by the lowest handicap play best ball the first day and scramble the second day. Entry fee of $30 goes into the prize fund and does not include Bayou Din’s greens and cart fee. Tee time is 8 a.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. on Sunday. Call 796-1327 to enter . . . Port Arthur area juniors between the ages of 12-19 are invited to compete in the Arrowhead Junior Golf Tour Contraband Bayou Junior Classic in Lake Charles March 25-26. Deadline for tournament registration is 6 p.m. Saturday. Players wanting to enter should call 850-243-6333.

Golf news should be faxed to 724-6854 or e-mailed to rdwest@usa.net.