The group managed to get 14 golfers to make up 4 flights today. Pakdokter had to play in the 1st flight as there was a lunch to go to in Putrajaya. Some old members of the Sunday group who returned to play today included Mohd Shahezan and Adam Aziz.
Pakdokter played with Ismail Shariff (18), Syed Izuan (23) and Amerul Fares (14). We played cut-throat starting with a 15-5-5 wager with auto-double on the 2nd Nine and all fringes included. This ensured that we all took our games seriously or else the damage would be high.
Syed Izuan, who had not played with us @ RSGC, was the 'buaya' indeed. He 'out-drove' all of us most of the times. He returned a score of 44! at the 1st Nine of the Old Course. Pakdokter only managed a 48 but cut the losses by capitalising on 3 fringes - one for the 'birdie' at the par-3 hole 4, one for the 'sandy par' at the par-3 hole 7 and for the 'double par 3'.
Pakdokter won a little from Fares but lost by a small margin to Syed Izuan and Ismail.
Pakdokter played poorly at the first 5-holes of the 2nd Nine Old Course. By then pakdokter was 5-down and game over with Ismail. Not wanting to give up - pakdokter opened a 'new frame' against him and squared him on the 15th and 16th hole. The 16th should have been a winner for pakdokter - it was a 2-feet downhill putt for a par against the rest who had already putted for bogeys. Pakdokter firm putt grazed the lip and went down by the hole by 2-feet. Luckily pakdokter took the 17th from Fares and Syed Izuan and went into the 18th with the game already won against Fares, dommy one against Ismail and Syed Izuan. All of us teed-off well at the 18th. Pakdokter's 2nd shot grazed the top of the mid-fairway bunker and stopped at the 115 yards spot from the pin. Ismail sent his second into the left green bunker. Syed Izuan hit a long second on to the green but it rolled over to the top right rough. Pakdokter hit a beautiful 3rd with a 9-iron and the ball landed 2 feet below the pin and rolled up 2 feet above the pin for a fast downhill putt. Seeing pakdokter was going for a par, Ismail had to ensure his sand shot will get close to the pin - but his effort was too strong and the ball ran fast and past the pin and green to the other side of the green. His fourth from the rough also went way past the pin. He finally putted in for a 6. Syed Izuan had a chance against pakdokter. But from where he was - if he chipped in too weak the ball would roll down back towards him as it was a steep uphill chip to the pin placed at the edge of the steep slope. And he did just that - chipped in rather weakly and the ball rolled down the slope back to the apron. His 4th was better - went up the slope but about 6 feet on top of the pin for a downhill putt. Musa, his caddy, was great in giving him the correct line. The firm putt sent the ball straight into the cup - if not it would have gone past and probably out of the green. Pakdokter must putt in for a par - a bogey would square Syed Izuan at this hole but would still give him the match. Pakdokter putted in after the ball scarily rolled around the lip of the hole before dropping in. So pakdokter squared the match against Syed Izuan but took the dommy for 2 balls. Pakdokter had lost 4 balls to him in the 1st Nine but because it was decided that we 'auto-double' into the 2nd Nine - so we both shook hands for a 'sun-shine'. Against Ismail pakdokter would have lost easily another RM100 if not for the last par at the 18th. In the end pakdokter only went down RM7.50 to him - losing in the first frame, took the 2nd frame and the buy as well. Whatever losses against him in the 1st Nine was mostly cancelled out in the 2nd Nine.
Poor Khazanah Director, Amerul Fares, was our flight's sponsor today. Zulfikar who played in the 2nd flight had agreed to compare cards with pakdokter for a matchplay. He won in the 1st Nine but lost out in the 2nd - and pakdokter apparently lost RM25 to him. Anyway there was more than enough earnings from Fares to pay for that.
Syed Izuan in the end came out the winner for the week. His splendid score of 44at the 1st Nine earned him 23 stablefrod points and with 18 from the 2nd Nine - he was winner with 41 stableford points. So, next two weeks his handicap will be 21!
It was also an auspicious week for Syed Izuan - yesterday, in conjunction with the Birthday of the DYMM Yang diPertuan Agong, he was bestowed with the State Award of a Datukship.
So, Datuk Syed Izuan, Sir, this is pakdokter's and the rest of the Sunday Buayas 'Congratulations' to you.
Pakdokter looks forward to more outings with you - hopefully in the not too long a future, we no longer need to give you any strokes.
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