[ThinkingPlus]

The cream rises to the top. Congratulations Steph!

Now, are you going to tell your fellow competitors how you did it ?

Thanks. I played well the first day and shot a 76 (good ball striking - 11 GIRs on a long, but easy course).

On Saturday I started well with a 38 on the front, but we got behind and the marshal started hassling us (NMF - we had a C player who was very slow). He threatened to bump us up a hole which DQs us. Play deteriorated rapidly and I hacked my way to a back nine 44.

Started the final day 4 back with no chance to win (in my mind). Ball striking went south and the rough at the shortest course was U.S. Open (3" - 5"). I did not see a ball hit the green all day in our group from the thick stuff. My chipping saved me until the ball striking kicked in the last 5 holes. EA plus BRW plus vertical hinging saved me. The vertical hinging allowed me to play high soft shots out of the super thick rough (pure hitting technique on the chipping). I did not get up and down that way (putter, arrgghh), but no doubles. Others were blading / chunking balls back and forth across the greens. It was painful to watch.

Once the ball striking came back at the end, I poured it on with the 9I 123 yards to 1 foot on 17. I hit driver 265 (downhill - don't get excited) on 18 and hit another 9I uphill 105 to 15'. Made the putt which felt really good since the putter was a block of ice all weekend.