MPC Tour, Week 4

This past weekend The Tour traveled to Oaktree Country Club, and most of the players agreed that Oaktree was by far their favorite course to date. The course is much nicer than the previous Colony West and Margate Executive stops, with nicely kept greens that are fast and undulating. The fairways are tree lined and narrow, with water on several of the holes, including a Par 3 16th which Jamey noted looks strikingly similar to Augusta National's 16th. Locals say that this course will be a challenge for even the most experienced golfer. And with the loser having to buy the winner's round of golf, the stakes were even higher.

The locals proved correct. True to form, Jamey took an early lead out of the gate, winning the first skin before Jason could manage to pull even and then pass Jamey for an early 5-2-0 lead. With 2 skins on the line and a chance to head out from the front nine with a five hole advantage, Jason choked and three putted on the 9th green. Jamey had battled back from an errant second shot that put him in the bunker, but with a spectacular chip and putt, Jamey took the 2 skins. It looked to be another 18 hole battle between Jason and Jamey.

Then the unthinkable happened. Brien came blazing out of the gates on the back nine to win 10, 11, and 12 - his first three skins of the tour and was suddenly challenging for the lead. This proved to be unnerving to all the participants, particularly Jamey, who managed to lodge his pitching wedge in a beautiful tree lining the fairway on 13. Brien's sudden success also rattled Jason, feeling the pressure of possibly having to buy Brien's round of golf (a bet he had previously thought was un-losable).

Jason and Jamey both gathered themselves, however, and Brien soon found his old form, and by the last hole Jamey and Jason were knotted at 7 skins each. With Brien behind by 4, the Tour Committee decided to make the final hole interesting, increasing it's value by 3 skins, thus elevating it to the rarely seen status of a Four-Skin hole. This "next shot wins" opportunity meant that whoever took the Four-Skin would be the winner. The Par 5 18th proved to be too much Four-Skin for the competition, however, and showing the grit and determination that has propelled him to his current lead atop this year's winnings, Jason holed a difficult 10 foot putt and managed to win his 4th game in as many outings.

Despite the familiar ending, this game was anything but usual, and the players are eager to return Oaktree in the future: Jason to defend his title, Jamey to challenge, and Brien to find Jamey's pitching wedge in that tree.



Season skin totals:

Sleuth: 28 skins
Jamey: 20 skins
Murray: 3 skins
Kit: 1 Skin

Victories:
Sleuth - 4
Jamey - 0
Murray - 0
Kit - 0