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Thursday, October 30, 2003
Chiongbian: Memoir of the sopping October tournaments
By Edgar R. Chiongbian
Tee Time
CAN’T wait to say goodbye to that October weather which is causing havoc to our golf game. The low temperatures were a welcome treat though with the clouds providing a nice shade from the sun. But the water pouring down from heaven seemed like another ha-zard added to our game causing muddied golf balls and fairways.
Making it worse were the many tournaments lined up in October that caught most of us out of practice due to rainy days. Less practice and more tournaments can make a golfer a dull boy. I talked to a lot of people and they said the same thing that their game is out of whack, just like mine.
My flightmates of about 10 players have now handicaps of 21 or above and have no excuses for it. Their handicaps are on the same trend as our peso exchange rate. I hope that things go the other way soon because giving these guys four to five strokes on each nine is too much for my wallet.
The only guys enjoying the splendor on the grass now is Eric Deen for sure and so are Enrico Solon, Jovie Neri and Nonoy Tirol. Okay guys you can stop smiling now; someday soon we will get our game back, if not next year.
We give you some memorable notes from our golf tournaments. On the GBT Cup, Bernard Sia was so happy that the coveted Most Exercised award, was not included in the format. Otherwise he would have won that, hands down. He complained though that he should have won for the most strikes because his scorecard was filled with “X’s” with a string of them for a triple turkey. Sorry Bernard that works only in bowling.
In the Corn Tee, we had the privilege to play six-some on the first day because we were the last group and oh boy, did we take a long time at the greens. It’s a good thing the greens are not as steep as before but it still gave us a lot of trouble.
What I remembered most was Peter Dy, who was Alvin Alazas’ partner. Peter played very well and complained whenever he made a bogey. We listened to this the whole afternoon until we realized that his handicap was 28 and those bogeys were really net birdies. So his grumbling was not about the bogey but missing the net eagle.
On the Samsung Tour, I could not believe the dedication and determination of the golfers to play well during the typhoon-drenched second day of the tournament. And they were not even in contention for any win.
Some people commented that the putting challenge gave the players with more P100s to play with, the best chance to win. I checked the winners and I assure you that they won because they are excellent putters even with their thick wallets.
For a miscellany, why is it that whenever Joe Suaco goes to the country club for a meal he is always surrounded with ladies. It must be his nice swing with the forks and knives that are charming the ladies. And when Bombi Aznar and Rolly Santos danced the cha-cha with the pretty singer at awarding night, they showed us the same prowess with their hands and body as in their golf swing.
Last Monday night, Edward gave a surprise birthday party for wife Eleanor at the Hayco house in Beverly Hills. Those invited were the dancesport diehards of Cebu. While it is widely known that dancing gives you good balance, it can also help your golf swing. Many superstars like Michael Jordan took dancing lessons to improve their game. So you all now rush in and sign up for dance lessons, you hear!
GOLF TIP: If you have not found a successful routine for short downhill putts, you can try this one. First thing is to have a very positive attitude that you will sink the putt. Then make a stroke or two to determine the speed you want for the putt.
Set your stance so the distance of your feet matches the length of your putting stroke with the ball played in the middle. Pick a spot to roll the ball over. Keep a light grip pressure on the putter and swing the putter back to your right foot and through to your left. This will help prevent you from steering or guiding the ball.
(October 30, 2003 issue)
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