This is my entry for @pete freaky Friday organised to encourage writer’s showcase how good they are with the pen. Interested blogger can join the contest by following the link below to be part of the contest that has helped many people on this platform grow.
https://scorum.com/en-us/golf/@pete/welcome-to-freaky-friday-january-25-2019
Golf has remained the most expensive sport in recent history with a lot of dollars moving across tournaments and athletes as well. There is no gain saying that golf remains one of the oldest sports in history dating back as far as 1400s where is was first practice in Scotland. Scotland monarch King James II had in 1457 banned the game because he considered it a distraction as widows and widowers became major participates of the game.
The main objective of the game is for the athlete to ensure that him or her ball from the starting point called TEE to the green with the possibility to ensure the gets into the hole with as few shots as possible. The whole area from the tee to the green including the physical hole hoisted with flag where the ball must sunk are all called ‘’The hole’’. There is no standardized golf course or playing area, size or layout but should consists of 18 different holes which are played in turns, tees, greens fairway and hazards.
Golf Equipment
The equipment used in golf was quite familiar to me as I was always followed my friend to golf course where I use to carry his bag. All the equipment were regulated by the R & A which make such that there is exalt specification for every equipment used from the make and model permitted in terms of size, shape of grooves; this is the surface on which the ball is hit, the exalt weight and the aerodynamics features of the ball.
The rules of the game were once again rolled out to the top athletes that are taking part in the tournament for emphasis sake as I listened along side with them. The players were all curious to bypass this stage as all that was being said are something that is very familiar to the players.
The topography of the course no doubt was very beautiful one to admire but the average hills, slopes and especially the water bodies scattered around it can get one’s ball stuck in any little error. ‘’This is what every golf player fears most in the game, ‘’the ball must be played as it is found without the player shifting it, breaking or bend anything on the ball’s part’’ so the only option is to get the ball in a better position and that will increase stoke play; that is the scoring method total shot taken by a player to get the ball into the hole’’ he was telling me as we walk down to where he will be taking the first hole;
‘’The first hole is always the ball furthest away from the green area, this is the most difficult hole and it takes couple of shot to get it right but if the player in unlucky there may be problems for him’’.
‘’If the ball gets stuck or into water hazard, then the player has five minutes to get the ball and it will cost him one shot but if the ball is lost or out of bound, he starts again’’. I was keen listening to every details of his talk as we moved along the course.
Before we got to the first Tee, there were a lot of golf fans cheering and shout out the name, Woods! Wood,! Some few others wanted him to sign the autograph for them at the fairway which almost made him to shed tears. His eyes were misting already and he had signed some autograph at the entrance into the golf course and it was time for business.
‘’This is what is going to be happening in the next four day when the tournament comes to an end as we try to cover the four rounds of 18 between today: Thursday to Sunday’’ he remarked.
‘’Okay sir, its going to be a tough one then’’ I implies.
‘’Let me have my club’’ he requested as we reached the spot. I brought a club, glove and a ball for him.
‘’Once we get the first hole perfectly, we are winning this tournament’’ he said as he was collecting the ball.
He put on my glove on his left hand as right-handed player and collected the tees; this is the small peg that is used to elevate the ball and pinned at the exalt spot where he will be taking his first shot for that particular set. He handled the first club and it was somewhat heavy in his hand and requested I get him another. As a player he is allowed to have up to 14 clubs.
‘’We shall do our best sir’’ I replied feeling happy for using the plural ‘’we’’ it was like I was the one playing. Immediately, I got emotionally attached to his cause.
He positioned himself for several seconds and when it seems he was about hitting the ball, he will give up and start again.
‘’Getting your composition right is the first step to getting the ball to where you want it’’ he said.
Once he got his posture right, he hit the ball with a great energy. The ball flew up the sky going over the tress to the other part of the course about 100m plus like a projector. The angle of the ball and the way it travels in the air makes it so beautiful to behold.
This was followed by series of rounds until the final day which was Sunday. It was the final round and Woods was leading. He only needed to protect 54-hole lead of at least 3 shots. He had taken two shots which had thought was enough to get him victory.
Hit the ball for the second time to beat a small hill that didn’t give him visibility to the hole. The ball flew up the hill with minimal velocity and landed as expected but is rolled out of direction by little elevation on the way. He was almost upset because if he must win the tournament, he must put the ball to the hole with the last shot. So, he went closer to the ball, marked the place the ball was, lifted it and cleaned it as his own way of wishing himself best of luck.
‘’A player is permitted to lift the ball so long as it is replaced at the exalt spot’’ he chatted me.
‘’Do you think one hit is possible to get the ball into the hole’’ he asked me.
‘’Sure Wood, this isn’t the first time you will do this’’ I replied softly.
‘’That was in the days when Wood was himself’’ he said.
‘’Hahaha, a Lion is always a Lion until he stops breathing’’ I said.
‘’Let me believe you on this but I don’t believe myself any more’’ he said while trenching his hand for his towel.
He positioned himself, I could deduct he was drawing strength from the inside. Sometime like a force was taking over him that I couldn’t decipher. He positioned the club at certain degree and then hit the ball.
The man Tiger Woods
This was his 80th PGA tour and a memorable on for that matter after going through a turbulent time in his life. He had believed he wouldn’t be taking part in the tournament.
‘’I didn’t even know if I was going to play golf again’’ he said in the PGA Championship.
Woods had experience some life wounds which looks like a self inflicted pains but his fans had their opinions as well but the fact remains that one of the finest golf player in history of the US but his ability to pull out from what he had called ‘’some really dark, dark times’’ makes it one of the greatest golf comeback ever. The last time Woods won any tournament was about 5 year ago but to many fans this looks like it was 10 years ago when he dominated the World Golf Championships to win his 10th title at Firestone in 2013 that he lost counts of his title and mistakenly asked in one of the interviews some time ago.
‘’Eight or nine’’
‘’Ten, he was told’’
Woods made count of victory made people believe that is was very simple to win just a PGA Tour. He conquered dozens upon dozens of his opponents, reduced the game to springtime walk in the park and unarguably made became the most recognised athlete in the World.
He vulnerability as a man, athlete and a celebrity had drove him into series of infidelity that ultimately cost him his marriage to Elin after the 2009 Thanksgiving when he had collided his car on a fire hydrant.
This saw his golf live swindled up and down with a lot of back injuries here and there and bedridden some times. The pain he had in his leg whenever he bent most times caused his hands to shiver
‘’I couldn’t even go out for dinner. I couldn’t sit. I couldn’t move from point A to B in the house’’.
Coming back and playing golf was never in my thought he told ESPN
I have promise to win this tournament for my daughter Sam and son Charlie’’ he smiled at me
Conclusion
Tiger Woods will forever remain one of the talked about and respected golfer that world has ever witness despite all the troubles that had happened in his personal or rather may be the last time to hear Woods win a major tournament after lifting the first at the age of 20 in 1996.
The ball rolled on the field in what seems like forever as I held my breath. The ball rolled in a circular form and hit the hole as it was about deviating and fell into the hole.
At the end of the tournament, Wood outplayed his opponent as a new and re-branded golfer by clinching the victory No. 80 two away from the records set by Sam Snead thereby fulfilling his promise to his daughter and son, Sam and Charlie.
This my lilted fiction mixed with fact about one of golf greatest player Tiger Woods as well as x-ray the rules of the game of golf.
You will remain in my heart the greatest golfer of the 21st century.
Thanks for reading
Your comment is welcomed.
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