A grind of a day, but not out of it yet
Editor’s Note: This is part of a a series of daily diary entries by Alabama Golf News Editor Gregg Dewalt, who is competing in his first Myrtle Beach World Amateur Handicap Championship, the largest gathering of amateur golfers in the world.
MURRELL’S INLET, South Carolina – The first round of the Myrtle Beach World Am didn’t go quite as planned. I shot 83 for a net 77 on a tough TPC Myrtle Beach course.
Given that I didn’t play very well, that’s about the best score I could have shot. My short game was on point, but nothing else. I usually drive the ball pretty straight, but even that was not very good today. I double bogeyed my first hole with a second shot that went in the water, and it was a grind the rest of the way. But I hit a couple of good shots late in the round that gives me hope for the rest of the tournament.
People I talked to said TPC Myrtle Beach is the hardest of the four courses we are playing, so that was good news. We played the back nine first and I made seven pars and two double bogeys. The front nine features three par 4s over 400 yards that I could not reach in two, so it was a grind. Both my playing partners shot 81 for net 74 and the two leaders each shot 76 for net 69. That’s really good for 7 handicaps. I’m eight shots back and tied for 15th out of 49 players in our flight, so I am not out of it yet.
The highlight of the round was playing with Steve Roberts from Columbia, South Carolina. The retired military veteran talked a little bit about his son, Andre, who was a third-round NFL Draft pick out of The Citadel who played 13 years in the league. I asked him what it was like from a father’s standpoint to see his son drafted and he said “pride and elation. Happiness.”
During the round I texted Alabama native Stewart Cink to congratulate him on his PGA Tour Champions win at the Ally. I pointed out that the winner’s check – $330,000 – isn’t as large as those on the PGA Tour.
One of the things that is great about Stewart is that he also has some self-deprecating humor. His reply – Sunday’s winner’s check was bigger than what he’s been cashing on the regular tour lately.
On to Brunswick Plantation for Tuesday’s second round. Gotta play better, as Rory McIlroy would tell me.
Gregg Dewalt is the editor of Alabama Golf News
Have a story idea or a news item to report to Alabama Golf News? Email gregg@alabamagolfnews.com
Featured image courtesy of TPC Myrtle Beach
