The 2011 Winter Classic Champ is crowned!

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CONGRATS TO THE 2011 WINTER CLASSIC WINNER, BILL SCHAFF!!!!!

We wrapped up the second annual Breakfast Ball Winter Classic yesterday and Bill is our 2011 Champ! Beating me out by 1 stroke!

 

Winter Classis Champ

 

It actually came down to the final hole. On the Par 5 ninth at Conestoga Bill was on the green with a nasty putt from around 15′. Me, well I was in the green side bunker getting ready to hit my 4th. Bill’s approach shot found the water and I played my shot very, VERY conservative. I actually aimed for the bunker. Yep, I said it I aimed for the bunker. Considering I was 12 for 13 on executing my sand shots for the three days I was, in my opinion, in the better place hitting out of the sand. After Bill’s drop and 4th shot he chipped on from off the green and was looking at his putt for a bogey 6.

I hit my sand out and was left with a 30 footer for my Par. The putt broke from left to right, but I read it very poorly because it broke from LEFT TO RIGHT!!!! Wow what a crazy putt that was. The numbers don’t show it but I putted really well all day, actually all three days. I was absolutely stunned that the putt ended up where it was. Bill stepped up and made a clutch putt for his six.

A word of advice to anyone out there who cares. Be sure to know where you are in the overall of a tournament when you stand over a putt on the last and 54th hole. I needed my second putt from 10′ to drop to tie. Bill and I had talked about where we stood with five holes to play but I honestly wasn’t thinking about it and I probably should have been. Does that mean I would have made the putt, no, but you never know! Bill knew where he stood and sank it with a lot of pressure. I wish I could have put that pressure on myself, because my ten footer came up about 5 inches short and that was that. 1 Stroke. I still can’t believe it!

I am happy with how I played. I started the last round better than any round I have before. I told myself before we started that I wasn’t going to let Conestoga beat me and that I was going to play the course to my ability and not make costly errors. Then, on our 6th hole the Par 4 15th my mental toughness that I was so proud of took a beating and I never recovered. 8 penalties on holes 6-15. That not going to win you jack!

I made three really stupid errors. One each day that cost me three strokes overall. Mental Toughness. Mind Over Golf, a book about the mental side of the golf game, Dr Richard Coop the author talks about (on page 72) mental toughness and I think I might need to get this definition tattooed on my forearm;

The ability to consistently control the mental, emotional, and physical response to situations in which there are stimuli that produce high levels of distraction, stress or tension.”

I could write for hours about the mistakes I made or what I should have done or this or that, blah, blah, blah. What I am going to do is take this entire weekend, every round, every stroke and every costly penalty add it to my library of experience so next year I’m even more prepared.


Follow Mathew Wangrycht:

Writer and founder of the golf blog The Breakfast Ball. My wife will tell you I'm obsessed with the game, she's right! It's that obsession which drives me to become a better player and make this site enjoyable for everyone.

One Response

  1. Three Guys Golf Blogger
    | Reply

    Sounds like a great event. I have found tournament play to be a blast and a great learning experience. Of course we are sure to forget any lessons we learned in short order as we are morons!

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