BOB WEST ON GOLF: Tearing page from hacker’s manual
Published 3:51 pm Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Weekend hackers everywhere must have gotten a least a twinge of satisfaction Sunday after watching two of the world’s greatest players — Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth — look like guys who ought to be getting double digit shots in the club member guest.
In case you missed the bizarre final round of the Genesis Open Sunday at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, both players suffered through seriously humbling moments.
Thomas, leading by four shots when the final round began, basically gave the tournament away by three-putting twice and four putting — yes four-putting — once on his final nine holes. Conditions were brutal but a blindfolded 20 handicapper couldn’t have butchered things any worse.
Then there was Spieth, who has gone from boy wonder stalking a grand slam to basket case in less than four years.
In a season when his game consistently unravels on the weekend, Spieth made a quadruple bogey 8, aka a snowman, on the par 4, 10th. It took him a stunning four shots to get out of a back bunker when he was less than 30 feet from the pin. That followed airmailing the green from a front bunker.
Spieth, who also had a double bogey and a triple bogey, went on to shoot 81. And he had to play the last eight holes in even par to do it. The 81 raised his final round scoring average in the 2019 portion of the PGA Tour to 76. By comparison, his round one average is 67.
Bottom line, golf can be a cruel, frustrating, humiliating game, even for guys capable of making it look so easy. Keep that in mind next time you feel foolish, or want to throw or break a club after a bad hole or series of ridiculously bad shots.
CHIP SHOTS
Port Neches-Groves ex Braden Bailey also encountered a snowman Sunday, on his very first hole in Houston’s All-American Intercollegiate at the Golf Club of
Houston. Bailey bounced back, however, to play his next 35 holes in one-under-par to finish tied for 22nd at 148 (75-73).
Sam Houston State upstaged Baylor and Houston to win the rain-shortened event by five shots with a three-under-par team total of 573. Lamar placed 12th in the 14-team field. LU’s Kevin Lee finished 12 overall at plus one.
Cecil Wegener of Ole Miss earned medalist honors at minus 6 138 . . .
Jason Adams of Port Neches-Groves shot a 79 to win Boys 16-18 on the third leg of the Texas Louisiana Junior Tour played Saturday at Babe Zaharias. Adams finished three shots clear of Brody Jeanes of Sour Lake.
PNG’s Timothy Feemster, who had won the first two tournaments, did not play because of an injury.
In Boys 14-15, Connor Denson of Hankamer prevailed over Xander Parks of Orangefield in a scorecard playoff, after both shot 74. Other flight winners included Lincoln Parks of Orangefield (76 in Boys 12-13), Cari Denson of Hankamer (77 in Girls 16-18) and Mattie Purgahn of Lake Charles (48 in Girls 12-13).
In the Coed flights, Ricardo Cardenas of Beaumont won 10-11 with a 36 and Erin Eaves of Beaumont finished first in 7-9 with a 29.
Final event in the Texas Louisiana Junior Tour is set for Saturday at The National in Westlake, Louisiana …
In the Monday Senior 50 Plus 2 ball at Zaharias, played in threesomes, the team of Russ Gloede, Calvin Landry and Duane Benoit won the front in plus 2.
Plus 2 was also the winning score on the back for the team of Bob Byerly, Rick Pritchett and Bob Barnes …
There was a three-way tie for first in the Super Saturday 2 ball at Zaharias. Captains of the three teams finishing at 7 under were Gloede, Bim Morrow and Joe Gongora.
The Gloede team, which included Pritchett, Mike Tibbets, Buddy Tibbets and a ghost player, also won the back. Closest to the pin winners were Gloede (No. 2), Dan Flood (No. 7) and Landry (No. 12) …
In the Friday 2 ball at Zaharias, the team of Bob West, Cap Hollier, Gary Fontenot and Jeff Greenway won the front with minus 8. The foursome of Kenny Robbins, Gary Hanan, John LeBlanc and Barnes took the back with minus 4.
Closest to the pin winners were Hollier (No. 2), Tom LeTourneau (No. 7) and Robbins (No. 15) …
Wednesday’s Babe Zaharias DogFight was won with 17 points by the team of Robbins, Butch Cross, Paul Duplantis and a ghost player. Second with 14 points was the team of LeTourneau, Adam Noel, LeBlanc and a ghost.
Closest to the pin winners were LeTourneau (No. 2), Cross (No. 7) and Ron LaSalle (No. 15) …
Freshman Nicholas Miller and sophomore Jake Gauthier shot 79s at the Country Club of Texas to help PNG defend its title in the Vidor Junior Varsity tournament with a team total of 336. Gauthier won the sudden death playoff to take medalist honors.
Other scores that counted for PNG were an 88 by Michael Blother and a 90 by Braden Broussard …
5 Under Golf Center in Beaumont (formerly Games People Play) is hosting a TopGolf Spring Break Camp for juniors March 11-14. The camp is open to students ages 5-17, with a fee of $100. Siblings can participate for $50.
Instructors include Texas Golf Hall of Famer Hal Underwood, Lamar women’s golf coach Jessica Steward and pro golfer Andrew Mayaimi. The camp will provide instruction in all areas and will offer games on Toptracer by Topgolf.
Call 409 232-0205 or email fiveundergolf@gmail.com for more information.
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Golf news should be emailed to rdwest@usa.net.