With the summer tour upon us Joe’s golf game has taken its usual turn from bad to worse.  Perhaps the pressure of retaining his tour championship for 5 straight years has finally taken its toll on his nerves.  Playing at Vista Verde with Critchley and his two friends Max and Dan, Joe found himself taken a serious butt whooping from former tour champion, Dave Critchley.

Coming into hole 18 Joe had not put a ball in play off the tee since hole #6.  Needless to say he was angry, frustrated, and all around a bad cart companion for Max.  With Critchley up $45 and heads up press coming Joe desperately needed to put a drive in play.  Calling upon years of experience hacking his way around the course Joe proceeded to pull slice a drive which miraculously found the green stuff.  Critchley stepped up and knocked his safety iron deep into the desert on the right.

Feeling good about his chances Joe was demoralized to see Critchley find his ball sitting behind a bush.  Thinking he still was in good shape Critch managed to hit a beautiful recovery shot just short and left of the green leaving a relatively easy pitch to the pin.  Joe had 140 yards into the green and proceeded to hit a solid 9 iron to the green which just found the greenside bunker to the left.

Joe hit a safe yet unspectacular bunker shot to about 25 feet just off the green in the fringe.  Critch managed to chunk his pitch to about 35 feet and then rolled a nice putt to gimme distance for his bogey.  Staring down a 25 foot snake putt Joe calmed his nerves and drew upon his championship experience.  The putt was true and justice was served!

Critchley, having been robbed of his yahoo money proceeded to throw not only his putter but also that chunk inducing wedge into the adjacent lake.  SO….the moral of the story is this: No matter how bad you are playing…remember there is always 18!