University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Off the Tee, Day 4
3/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
Off the Tee, Day 4
Day 4, final round, March 11, 2003
Today was moving day and although we knew the conditions were going to be tough, we still didn?t gain any ground. It was a grind from the get-go for me. Everyone grinded it out today, and we turned what could have been a terrible round into an adequate one.
We teed off about 7:40 a.m. with the sun trying its best to come out. It finally did and it turned out to be a perfect day for scoring and golfer tanning. Too bad they had the flag sticks tucked in every dangerous corner they could possibly be in on the greens. I think the pin on the par-three ninth hole was about three steps from the water. From the tee on that hole, the pin looked as if it was just short of center. That didn?t bother freshman Justin Elliott when his ball barely cleared the water and landed on the green for a tap-in birdie.
There were many so-called ?sucker? pins out there that some college golfers take chances on. Usually the ones who do go for those pins pay the price with big numbers. I know I did on the par-five 11th hole when I tried to hit it in the center of the green, and instead, I hit a pretty little fade right at the flag carrying the ball over the green. It took me two shots to get over that green and then another five to finally get it in the hole for a double bogey.
Things would turn around soon after my freshman-like play on the 11th when I holed out from the bunker for birdie on the 12th hole. ?Back in it? is the familiar phrase that Justin Elliott would use. In the end I felt as if I ran out of holes as we all did eventually, but if I had a few more I would have grinded my way back to even par.
The course didn?t give away many birdies, but the 18th hole did for Matt Wofford. For you Hattiesburg golfers, this hole resembles the ninth hole at Hattiesburg Country Club. Matt finished his round with a birdie, and you could tell he had grinded it out all day because he looked worn out.
We were all mentally drained from the grind, and it showed, but we can look forward to relaxing the rest of the week because it is spring break. It was nice to come home and not have to cram for a test or make up work that we missed for golf.
So we made it home eventually after being a part of the interstate clogging that occurred around Baton Rouge. We are happily sporting the ?golfer tan? with white foreheads and feet. Our face, forearms, and legs are nice and tan though.
