DESERTDUEL2

DESERT DUEL 2

5/21/05 (continued)...so, Snaggles takes a drop in the sand trap and lies 5. He has about 150 yards to clear the sand trap if he goes straight (again, water everywhere to the right), or he could chip it out to the left. He precedes to Tin Cup...he puts six straight balls into the lake in every form or fashion. He hits nice shots that just come up short, he hits shanks to the left into the lake, he hits topped line drives that never go above two feet, and precede to skip along the water until they bounce off the railroad ties that line the lake and meet their demise. So...now he lies 16 in the trap, and he has no balls left. Bubba is collapsed in the cart, laughing. Snaggles is steaming. He picks up (well, actually, he just quits, since he doesn't have any balls left to pick up), and they drive the cart to Bubba's ball. He is given a 19, meaning he would have escaped the trap, hit a ball on the green, and one-putted. But no one knows what the score could have been.
Now it sounds harsh that Bubba was laughing, but throughout the weekend, Bubba and Snaggles came to an agreement that trash-talking was encouraged, and Snaggles gave Bubba well-deserved smack for the length of his drives, as Bubba constantly reminded Snaggles of any hazards that may be present on the right side of any hole. By the time the round ended, both players were more than ready to escape the desert heat. Neither player broke 100 in this round, but it was not because of the difficulty of the course...it was more because of the heat. The views were breathtaking, and it would be well worth playing again.

5/21/05...Not to harp on anything in general, but Snaggles had one interesting trend. Outside of the previous 19 discussed, and a par 5 where he preceded to dump several chip shots from 60 yards into a lake preceding the green, Snaggles played the par 5s remarkably well, and played the par threes remarkably poorly. Out of the 22 par 5s played (taking out the two previously discussed), he shot 3 over. That is an amazing stat considering the abundance of hazards. Now the par 3s. Out of 24 par 3s, he made par on half of them, and had no birdies. But...he had 3 triples, three 7s, three 8s, and one 10. And every high score came when a lake sat on the right side of a green. Had that been eliminated, it would have made for some impressive scores.
Also, it should be noted that most individuals think that Snaggles is from Australia, and that they like to ask him about this whenever he has hit his worst shot tof the day, further increasing his hatred toward daft Americans.
As for Bubba, his driving was deplorable. Sure, he may hit a fairway, but the length of his drives were deplorable. As expected, the desert courses didn't hurt his scores as much as it should, but it is definitely a flaw that necessitates corrective action. Snaggles made several comments that were well deserved whenever a carry over 150 yards was necessary from the tee. And Bubba usually came through with a drive just poor enough to not make the carry.

5/22/05...The last round was played in a small town in Wasco, California. It was your standard Muni course with no elevation, a few trees, and a little water. It was a course made to boost your confidence. Both Snaggles and Bubba shot a horrible front nine, necessitating they shoot even par on the back nine to break 80. It should be noted that the fairways were not cut and were wet, so drives had no roll, but the greens were in fantastic shape. And the course was the longest of the weekend. It was a self-described Grip It and Rip It course. Bubba and Snaggles battled it out on the final nine holes, where Bubba continued to make a number of unexpected saves for up and down to put himself one stroke ahead coming to the final hole. Both players hit good drives on the par 5. It was Europe vs. America. Snaggles mentioned that he thought Bubba might be a choker down the stretch, but that he wanted to confirm it. On the third shot to the green, Bubba smoked a 6 iron from 190 yards (the hole was 570) to about 6 feet. Snaggles knew he needed a birdie and was 90 yards from the hole on his third shot (killed a drive and 3-wood to that spot). Bubba reminded him innocently that he had not been very effective for the day from that distance. Snaggles skulled the shot over the green, ending the match, and ending a great weekend. Bubba proved he wasn't a choker, but it is a trait that will have to be proven in the future. Snaggles and Bubba headed back to the East Bay, where Snaggles went on to try his luck at a poker tournament...the results of which have not been updated.