It is hard to write a recap of a Major when you weren't there, so I asked Greg to send me some talking points about the day. Below is his very thorough account:
Undy/Feller shot a 9 under on the best ball to lead after
first nine. Geez! shot 6 under. George shot a 45/31. I'm not sure what Feller
shot, but he was on fi-ya! He made a par on the 6th hole (#1 handicap) for a 2
and couldn't have shot higher than 41. He and Undy showed early that
they would be a force in the event.
Geez! shot a 36/31 on the "Black Nine".
Undy/Feller shot a 38/34. On this side, which was a very entertaining 9 holes,
Undy/Feller was again rock steady, parring the first six holes and narrowly missing a
couple of birdie chances. Meanwhile, Geez! birdied the 440 yard 11th hole, and
followed that up with a chip-in from off the 12th green for birdie. Geez
would end up with 3 birdies, 3 pars and 3 bogies. Undy/Feller made 7 pars and
two bogies.
The third nine may have been some of the best, and most exciting golf ever played in the CGA. Geez was getting 10 shots; Undy Feller was getting
8, so Geez started out with a 2 shot lead net. Undy/Feller made a very solid
par on the first hole. Geez was on their way to a double, but George drained a
25 footer for bogey.
Undy/Feller got up and down on two for par; Geez! didn't . . . all squared up going to 3rd hole. Both teams bogey the 3rd hole. Undy drains a 25 footer for par on the 4th hole for a sandy. Geez makes par. Still tied. Feller hits a 6 iron all over the flag on par 3 over water, with other CGA groups watching from the 6th tee. George matches it. Greg drains 15 foot downhiller for birdie. Undy lips out 12 footer for birdie. Geez! goes up one.
Undy/Feller got up and down on two for par; Geez! didn't . . . all squared up going to 3rd hole. Both teams bogey the 3rd hole. Undy drains a 25 footer for par on the 4th hole for a sandy. Geez makes par. Still tied. Feller hits a 6 iron all over the flag on par 3 over water, with other CGA groups watching from the 6th tee. George matches it. Greg drains 15 foot downhiller for birdie. Undy lips out 12 footer for birdie. Geez! goes up one.
On the 6th hole, Feller stakes a 4 iron from 180 to 5 feet
left of flag. Incredible shot. Geez! has short game issues and makes a double
bogey 6. Undy misses the birdie putt, but Feller makes a comebacker. The lead flips and Undy/Feller go up by one shot.
On the par 4 seventh, Feller drives it in water on right. Undy hits a big drive down
the middle. George hits it unplayable left. Greg drives it into the fairway bunker on
left. Feller comes up short on his approach. George hits a 9 iron from 115 out from fairway bunker to 7 feet. Greg misses the birdie putt, but George taps in for par. Undy
leaves his approach putt short, and Feller misses the par putt. The teams went to the 8th tee all tied up.
On the par 5 eighth, George pops up drive. Greg crushes one down
the middle. Feller fans it right. Undy hits it past Greg down middle. George
hits it right and it is basically unplayable. Greg his utility to 65 yards out. Undy
hits a great second shot to 50 yards out. Feller hits driver off the deck and
almost gets it on the green. The ball tried to roll up the apron, but ran out of steam and ended up in the front left trap. Had it made it onto the green, it could have been a game-changer. On the third shots, Feller hits
wedge to 15 feet below the hole. George hits wedge to 12 feet pin high, left and above the hole. Undy blows his uphill birdie try by the cup, leaving Feller a 6 foot downhill par putt. Greg drains 12 foot downhill left to
righter for birdie. Feller misses par putt. Geez! up 2 shots.
Final hole. George hits it left in trees. Greg is straight down
middle. Feller hits it left. Undy hits it down middle. Greg hits George's ball
off of tree root, through a gap in some bushes to 30 yards out. George pushes his wedge shot left into a plugged lie in the greenside bunker. Feller sticks it to 15 feet. George chips a wedge
to 20 feet. Greg drains a 20 foot downhill right to lefter for par and the win.
Geez! finished 19 under. Undy/Feller finished 17 under. Geez made five natural
birdies in last 18 holes (scramble and alt shot). For George, it is 3rd
straight TEA and 4th overall (each with a different partner). For Greg, it is his
3rd TEA and 4th major. Greg also broke his own record for being oldest player to win a CGA
major (49 years, 8 months and 19 days) previously set at the 2008 CGA Match Play Championship.
The Wall of Fame and the Career and 2012 money lists have been updated.
See you on Mundy.
See you on Mundy.