The Rob Lee Am Worlds..

[p-katt]

We've had good Lubbock representation for several years at the past Am Worlds events. This year Rob seems to be the only one to make it all of the way up to Milwaukee. He is now a Senior Grandmaster...only to have a Pro Senior Grandmaster move into the play. Who cares! Rob, with his game can/should take 'em.

Rob won the long drive competion:

MS1 Rob C. Lee 13218 TX USA 105.50 1 $20 Trophy
MS1 Bob Chard 23377 OR USA 101.00 2 $10
MS1 Pete May 12700 GA USA 97.50 3

AND hit an ace today (Tuesday) in the first round. He will be on the leader card on Wednesday.

Also, Greg Brooks and Chris Brooks from Big Spring are doing well. Another familiar name, Jack Tabor, won the long drive in Masters and is playing well in the field. I recognize soooo many familar names...I sure wish I was playing.

[27515]

You can do it rob lee stay strong. What an awesome day he had to day. Keep your head up. U can do it. Also GO Brooks boys yall can do it to.

Never Fear the come back PUTT.

2 days until we fly to highbridge. Cant wait.

[sleeper]

Take it to 'em, Rob! No prisoners!

Good Luck to ALL of the West Texas contingent!

[nix]

Kick a s s !! ROB!! Congrats on the ACE!!

Dont worry about Pete May..HE is a good guy. He even offered sponsorship of the BAB a few years ago.....

[27515]

Rob is doing good keep it up. Four back. Never count the big gun rob lee out from the LBK. Cmon rob you can do it. Former worlds doubles champion. He is going to be your next Peter Shive.

Never fear the come back PUTT!!
40HRs until takeoff to Highbridge

[27515]

Rob eat your wheaties in the morning..... 2 back from the lead.. I think he will be bring the world championship. I have faith in you rob you can do it bro. Keep it up. See ya in highbridge. Good luck tommorrow and keep your head up. You can do it .


Never fear the come back putt.
36hrs until PRO WORLDS 07

[27515]

Looks like big rob lee ate his wheaties this morning. IN first place now. 3 strokes up now. Way to go rob lee keep it comeing... You can do it bro. Good luck. Keep up the awesome putting up.


Never fear the come back PUTT!!
Less than 18 hrs until Highbridge cant wait until the flight in the morning.,

[p-katt]

Wow. Now Rob needs to maintain...it's way too early to protect a lead with Calhoun and May right behind. Also, Greg is in second in grandmasters and ready to strike. Chris is a few back but with plenty of rounds to go to do some damage. C'mon West Texas!

[p-katt]

West Texas shows well with three entered: Big Spring's Chris Brooks fifth in <19, his dad, Greg Brooks takes fourth in Grandmaster, and Lubbock's Rob Lee was quiet, calm, and collective, took the much anticipated win over some fine competion in the Senior Grandmasters division!

Rob had an up and down week from being back, to leading, to two back going into Sat am semifinals. He had a good round, a four stroke swing, to take the lead by two strokes going into the final nine. Well, on the next to the last hole he took a four. One hole left, one stroke lead, tired setting in, etc. He said he Calhoun was about 100' out on his drive. Rob drove and was about 50' out. Calhoun had to go for it to tie...NOT. Rob layed up a safe one for the one stroke win!

<font color="blue"> </font> Now for the questions :o...Will Rob be declared a 'bagger' for his next event? Will Rob and Pete May become the new 'old' DG rebels (they roomed together)? Will Rob remember the littel people in Lubbock? Will Rob let us play with him now that he's a a World Champion? Only time will tell.... :D

[sleeper]

Rob, Lubbock is SO proud of you. I know that I am, anyway. Good job for an old fart! Enjoy every minute of this experience.

[27515]

LIke i said all week that rob was a bad [censored]. Great job bud that way to bring it back to texas. World Champion rob lee. Great job.

Highbride is so much fun they have some bad courses up here. We played two practice rounds today. We had alot of fun. You defintly have to keep it in the fairway. We will keep yall guys posted.


Never fear the come back putt

[p-katt]

I got a brief article put into the paper for Rob's win. Go to Lubbockonline.com, search disc golf. As always, things are a little messed up (it's the newspaper and city rule). Rob took a few pictures at the WI courses and will show them and discuss his big win at the next Windrider meeting (Matt's, Thurs. Aug 9th, 6:00, see other thread).

[JLTTU]

Way to go dad! Are you scheduled to host Saturday Night Live yet??

[p-katt]

I've got him lined up for another article...Get Fit Lubbock.

[TexBook]

WOW! You guys are GREAT! I didn’t know this thread was up until just now. Thanks so much for being so supportive! I’ve wanted to share so much of what happened at Milwaukee, but there is never enough time. DG World asked for some info for their Worlds issue so that forced me to put some things in writing. They won’t use much so I’ll try real hard to send a few posts over the next few days about all the ups and downs of this wonderful experience

The first time I played Am Worlds was as a MG1 in 2003 in Kansas City with Vicente and Cruz. In MG1 I finished 15th of 27-not even in the top half. This was the first year that Senior Grandmaster (MS1) was offered at Ams. There were only 2 players, both from Japan. They shot more than 50 strokes more than me. I was 56 then. This was the first time I thought I might be able to win an Am Worlds title; if I could stay healthy and play MS1 in 2007.

Along with Vicente and other Windriders (Gordo, Bo, Jon, Jeremy, JJ, Patrick, Stephen, Matt, and Marcus-hope I didn’t forget anyone) I returned to Am Worlds in 04, 05, and 06. I never finished in the top 10 in MG1, but each year I saw that I would be at or near the top in MS1. I knew, or knew of, most of the regulars my age and was certain I could beat all of them when I was 60, with one exception: Terry Calhoun. I met Terry in Des Moines in 2004. He beat me by 5 strokes, but I had better scores on 4 of the 9 rounds we played. He mentioned that he wouldn’t be able to attend a Worlds until 2007 when he would play MS1 for the first time. He won Am Worlds MG1 once (not sure what year) so I knew he would be a contender. I thought right then that I’d have to step up my game to make this dream come true. More later. Rob

[nix]

Very cool!! COngrats Rob, and thanks for posting- I enjoy reading about your superior disc golf adventures!!

[TexBook]

This was the first year I got an invite to play Am Worlds. That was a good omen ‘cause everything I fanaticized about in 2003 was either going to happen this year, or it wasn’t. I signed up right away and kept checking to see who else was going to Milwaukee. There were about 10-12 right away. Gordo was kidding me because at the time, I was the only guy rated over 900. That was short lived as there was a guy from Oregon and soon after, Terry Calhoun from Michigan; both higher rated than me.

My plan was to pick up my training and improve my game so I would be competitive. That meant putting every day, playing Mackenzie and throwing drives and ups at the soccer field twice a week, along with crunches, pull-ups, pushups, and yoga every day. Especially practicing throwing tunnel shots was a priority. I played Jerry Kingston’s Wild Hair tourney in Abilene as a warm up and felt everything was coming together.

Then I heard about this guy named Pete May signing up. I quickly learned he was a former pro player who finished second to Pete Shive 4 times! He was rated 956 and threw 2 rounds over 1000 at Pro Worlds last year. He is also a former PDGA Board Member. Pete May took amnesty last year and was now the favorite to win. However, Pete wasn’t winning fans as this move created quite a stir on the message board. In previous years there was ZERO discussion about the MS1 division. Pete changed that in a hurry. Three guys decided to cancel as a protest, includung the guy from Oregon. I had no opinion about his move to Ams. I just knew it would be harder than ever for me to win. That simply caused me to increase my efforts to get better.

Wanting to save some money on the trip, I posted a roommate request. Pete was the only person to respond. We emailed and spoke on the phone. I found him to be quite enthused about DG and he seemed like a really nice guy. Pete works for Morris Communications in Augusta, Georgia (they own the Lubbock AJ). Pete’s son worked for the AJ a few years back. Pete visited him and discovered Mackenzie Park. He was here during a Big Arms tourney; the one that included a Texas 10 day and talked to Bobby Logan about the AJ sponsoring a future event. Pete’s son moved away shortly after and that was the last time anyone heard from Pete.

Everything seemed to be going well and then 10 days before leaving I had a major incident with my back. I had a lumbar fusion in 2004 and back issues are always present. I developed severe sciatic swelling and pain from my hip to my toes. More later. Rob

[JLTTU]

He developed the sciatic pain from carrying me through college.

[prairie_dawg]

Rob,

It was so cool to see someone I knew putt out for a World Championship win :cool:

Way to keep your head and come from behind one last time :)

[27515]

What is the pro purse going to be at. Is there any added cash?

[TexBook]

Josh, Jon, and Ray-thanks for the support. I'm glad you all are reading this. This is my first blog and I've never tried to express something like this before. Heck, I've never EXPERIENCED something like this before!

Ray, what a special treat it was to have a fellow Texan be the first to step out of the crowd to congradulate me!

No. 3. Not wanting this back trouble to foil my plans, I began several days of RICE treatment: Rest, Ice, Cold, and Elevation. I stopped throwing, waited it out, and it improved enough to put in 2 short driving sessions before I left on July 20th.

The Friday flight to Chicago was smooth, but the 90 mile drive to Milwaukee took 3.5 hours. It seems that half the people in Chicago have cabins in Wisconsin and drive there on Friday afternoon. I stayed at one of the alternate hotels at half the price of the host hotel. There were lots of DGers there too including Jack Tabor and Steve Parker. I hooked up with Ron Put from Detroit whom I met at previous Worlds. He always rides his motorcycle to tournaments. On Saturday, Ron and I practiced Dretzka Original (DO) and Dretzka New (DN). Pete didn’t call and he was a no show at the hotel by the time I went to sleep, but he arrived at about 10:30. He is a very interesting person and we visited until after midnight.

Sunday was the field events. I got there early to warm up for the distance contest. It was overcast and muggy with a slight and variable breeze. There were only 3 of us signed up; Bob Chard, Pete May, and me. I saw Bob throw early while I was practicing. For his drives, he stands at the throw line facing backward. He twists his body to look down the fairway, then straightens up and looks toward the back of the box. Then he simply pivots and throws without any run-up or forward step. I practiced for this event all year. I won it as a MG1 at Des Moines in 2004 and I wanted it again. At home I was consistently throwing 370-380 in practice and I was ready. What I wasn’t counting on was how NERVOUS I would be. My head was spinning and my stomach was churning. My first 2 throws just powered over and started rolling. I was already out of breath; I was rushing and full of adrenalin and my form sucked. The line judge even said I should slow down, there was plenty of time. The third shot was more of the same. The forth throw was a 165g Orion LF. I got almost the right amount of anhyzer and it S-ed out nicely; much better but not great. The last shot was lousy! So I only got one decent throw. It was 105.5 meters. I saw Bob Chard back in the parking lot and asked him how he did. He said. “My usual, 330 feet.” In my altered state of mind I did a quick calculation and I thought he beat me! This really bummed me out because I never really let one fly. About an hour later I went to the scoring table and saw that my quick calculation was wrong and I threw 345 and was 15 feet in the lead. Now I was up again. Pete was not around and I didn’t know how far he could throw so I had to wait; back down. There was still 3 hours to throw so I went to lunch and played Dineen with Ron Put, Phil Bryan, and their friends. I didn’t find out until the next day that Pete threw 320 and I won it after all. This was a big UP for me. I was on track!

On Monday we were finally able to practice Brown Deer. The course is within a major ball golf course and there was a PGA event that just finished. Disc golf was closed until now. This is the toughest course of the 4. Long and TIGHT. It actually scared me after viewing the pictures on the web. Most of the holes looked the same: a 320 foot buggy path through the forest. I was not disappointed; however, the practice round was actually fun-I was ready.

The player meeting was that night. Typical, loud, lots of energy, unnecessary. The best part was the mascots from Miller Park. They had a “Weiner Race”. It was a hoot.

Competition starts tomorrow! Bring it ON!!!

[TexBook]

No. 4.

There were 18 SG1 this year. My first round was Dretzka Original with Lee Minehart and Laverne Mueller. I think we were the only 3-man card in our division. I expected to do well on this course, but as typical for me, I bogied our first hole, #17. This hole would prove to be trouble again later in the week. Another bogie on #2. Finally a bird on #3, but followed by a 5 on a tight and well guarded #6 that was only 390’. As you can imagine, I was not happy with that start. Two pars later things changed dramatically on #9 (the 11th hole of the day). This is a 295’ slightly uphill hole; wide open until you reach the pin. There is a huge guardian oak overhanging the entire basket area and solid brush only 10’ beyond the pin. I had the box and uncorked a big hyzer hoping to skip under the branches. I was a little high and I was then hoping to crash into the canopy and drop close by. My 166 gram dark red Orion LF disappeared into the dense branches and because of the wind and shade we didn’t see or hear anything. No one knew where it went, but I was sure it was close. One of the guys said “Maybe it went it.” It wasn’t until the others threw that we walked to the hole and sure enough, there it was, nestled nicely in the bottom of the basket. While I missed the typical jubilation of hitting an ace, I surely didn’t mind. I was pumped and held the box for the rest of the round winning skins on four of the last 7 holes, ending with a 55. Lee scored 62 and Laverne shot 67. I didn’t play with either of them again. Lee finished the tourney in 8th and Laverne was 17th. After the first round Terry Calhoun was in the lead with 50, Chuck Hornsby and I were tied for 2nd at 55, Howard Mcintyre and Dennis Webster were tied for 4th at 56, Bob Chard was 6th at 57, and Pete May and Bob Burton were tied for 7th at 58. Terry and I stayed on the leader card the rest of the tournament. The third and fourth card members changed several times. I had some ground to make up.

[TexBook]

No. 5.

Round 2 was at Dineen, an inner-city course on a former pitch and putt ball golf course put in just this year specifically for Worlds. At 5831 feet it was the second longest. Howard and Dennis were tied for fourth and Howard was put on the leader card. I started the round with a birdie and this was a good omen. I finished with 4 duces and 1 bogie for a best in division 51. Terry was one back at 52, so I gained one stroke on him and I was now 4 back after 2 rounds-PROGRESS! Chuck and Howard had trouble on hole 12 with a 6 and 5 respectively. This hole is 533 feet with OB on the entire left fairway only about 8-10 feet off the line of play. At 300 feet the right side chokes down to a 30 foot gap. Then it’s over a hill and another 150 feet to a pin with a guardian juniper tree in front and a solid wall of junipers behind. I mention this detail because we played it 3 times. Terry went 3-4-5. I went 3-3-4. That 2 stroke differential is but ONE of the myriad swings of this tourney that would make or break the final score. Dennis shot a 54 on the second card to replace Chuck in 3rd. Also on the second card, Pete shot a 53 to move from tied for 7th to 4th and move to the leader card.

I have to say that Pete May is one-of-a-kind. He is one of the most competitive people I’ve met and a darn good disc golfer. Just look at his player history and you’ll see he was not having a good tourney up to this point. Well, getting onto the leader card for Round 3 had him STOKED. The afternoon round was at Dineen again. Despite the day being warm and sunny, Pete shows up with a black ski cap with long trailing braids. Attached to the front is a hand lettered sign that says “Leader Card”. He was pumped and dancing around like a woodland elf daring you to catch him. If the adage “Who has the most fun wins” were true, we were all in trouble. So here we were, Terry still in the lead at 102, me at 106, Dennis at 110, and Pete and Chuck tied at 111. Chuck moved to Card 2 because Pete had the best previous round.

We started at Hole 14 with an all star bird followed by mostly pars until the fifth hole, No.18. Terry and Pete birdied and somehow, I managed to shank short, miss my up and score a 4. I was livid! But, I settled down and threw the next 13 holes at 2 down with no bogies, finishing with a 52. Terry did those 13 holes with one bird and 3 bogies for a 54. Dennis had minor trouble from the second hole on and finished with a 57. Pete had a division leading 50 to move into 3rd. Chuck had trouble with a 58 to tie for 5th with Bob Burton.

Round 4 moves us to Brown Deer. I have to tell you ever since I looked at the internet photos of this course I was truly afraid. At 6057 feet it’s not long by our standards, but it is TIGHT. I played it once in practice and didn’t keep score, but I played it better than I expected. I was still scart!

[TexBook]

Here is installment No. 7.

Round 4 at Brown Deer: Terry Calhoun leads at 156; I’m 2nd at 158, Pete May 3rd at 161; Dennis Webster 4th at 167. Chuck Hornsby was at the top of Card 2 with a 169. This was the round I most feared; however, it started out well. I gained 2 strokes on Terry after 2 to tie the match. Then I lost 3 on holes 4, 5, and 6 to go to 3 back to Terry. Pete gained 2 strokes on me also. Starting on the 7th hole of the round (Hole 2) I came alive and gained 6 strokes on Terry on the next 7 holes. I ended with a card-best 62 to go 2 strokes into the lead with 220. Terry shot a card-high 67 to drop to 2nd at 223. Pete stayed in 3rd with a 63 (224 overall). Dennis shot 65 but dropped to 5th because Chuck shot a division-best 61 to move back to the leader card with a 230 total.

I can’t believe it! I’m actually leading at Am Worlds! It’s now Friday and we have 2 rounds today with a VERY short break between. I was ready with snacks and drinks so I didn’t have to risk being late. The leader card would not change again; Terry, Pete, Chuck, and I would play the next 4 rounds together. We play Dretzka Original first and I was determined to better my 55 from the first round and increase my lead. Well, that was not to be. I shot like crap! I got 2 skins with birdies on holes 4 and 8, but that was about it. My worst was a card-high 5 on 15 when I wimped my drive short into jail, had to pitch out, and then overshot my up shot. Terry, meanwhile shot a division-best 52 to take a 2 stroke lead. Pete also shot a smokin’ round with a 53 to tie me for second. Chuck beat me too with a 56. Going into the afternoon round at Dretzke New it was: Terry-275, Pete-277, Me-277, and Chuck-286.

[JLTTU]

I feel like a 15 year old girl waiting for the next episode of 90210 to come on! Come on Rob - we need more!

[TexBook]

Starting Round 6 on Dretzka New it was Terry leading. Pete was tied with me for second but he moved to 2nd on the card because he beat me the last round. This was new for me as it was the lowest spot on the card for me so far. I didn’t like it. It was also new for Pete as he continued his climb. This was his best standing so far.

I gained a stroke on Terry and Pete the first hole, but gave 2 back to Terry as he birdied the next one and I bogied it. It was back and forth as all 4 of us traded shots. Pete held the box most holes. Thinking back to how close all this was in the finals, one hole on this round really was significant. Hole 12 is 242 feet slightly up hill all the way with an abundant scattering of trees in the fairway and a low ceiling. I reached into my bag for my 168 gram Orion LS. I was using it successfully for straight shots all week. It was not there. I realized I left it by the tee pad 2 holes back. With no time to get it I went to my 161 gram Orion LS. It is quite a bit flippy-er so I gave it a little hyzer and let it fly. It went straight up the hill, S-ed through the trees and skidded to a stop right under the basket. Everybody else took a 3. Again, one hole that could have gone any number of ways was pivotal to the final outcome. This was especially true because I gave up 2 strokes to Terry on the next and final hole of the day when I bogied the 201 foot No. 14! After all those ups and downs Chuck had the hot round at 50. He gained 3 strokes on Terry but stayed in 4th, 8 strokes behind. Pete shot next with a 51. This was 2 better than Terry who shot 53. This put Terry and Pete in a tie for the lead. I shot a 53 also to stay in 3rd; 2 strokes out. After 6 rounds: Pete and Terry at 328, me at 330, and Chuck at 336. Bob Burton had a good round with a 51 to move into 5th with a 340 and a shot at the finals. The semi-finals tomorrow and still anybody’s game.

[TexBook]

Jon, just don't start playing like a 15 year old girl! :D

I'm off on a backpacking trip in a Colorado wilderness all next week so nothing more 'till then. Happy trails!

[prairie_dawg]

Jon, just don't start playing like a 15 year old girl! :D





Jon wouldn't mind playing like Paige :o

ROTFLMAO

[TexBook]

I returned safely from a spectacular 5 day backpack trip in Colorado's Weminuche Wilderness. Four nights, 3 passes on the Continental Divide,and 40+ miles. Looking forward to completing this thread.

Semi’s (Round 7): I can’t remember all I was thinking going into this round although I’m pretty sure I wasn’t over analyzing it. I knew I was still in the running and only 4 of us would make the finals. With a 10 stroke lead over Bob Burton in 5th, I was certain I would make it. However, with only 8 strokes separating the top 4, and given the fact that we all had our ups and downs, anything could happen. I was certain I could maintain my lead over Chuck but it was anybody’s guess how Terry, Pete, or I would fare. Terry seemed to be struggling with the heat, but it never seemed to affect his game. Through 6 rounds I saw him have only one brain fart when he dinked an 8 foot put. Pete, on the other hand, was capable of a really hot round. It crossed my mind that Pete could be poised for a BIG push. Heck, I even entertained the idea that he was orchestrating his position and was exactly where he wanted to be.

So here we go; Saturday, 8:00am, Dineen. I’m not sure what hole we started on, but every other round started on 14, so that’s how I’ll run the narrative. Pete and Terry tied at 328. Pete has the box ‘cause he had the better score last round. I’m 3nd at 330 and Chuck is 4th at 336. The other 4 to make the Semis are Bob Burton (340), Dennis Webster (347), Bob Chard (348), and Lee Minehart (353). A lot of this round is a blur, but I’ll detail some of what I remember (I did keep a personal scorecard). We all parred the first hole, but I got the lone bird on the second (Now only 1 stroke out!). All parred the 3rd then only Chuck boggied the 4th with the rest of us with par. On the 5th (Hole 18), Terry, Chuck, and I got 2s and Pete shot a 3. Now I’m even with Pete and still one back of Terry. All pars on the 6th, no change. Pete gets the lone bogie on the 7th so I gain one to go ahead of him. On the 8th (Hole 3) Terry bogies, Pete and I par, and Chuck birdies. Now I’m even with Terry and one up on Pete. Terry gets the lone birdie on the 9th to go back up one over me. Here we are at the half way point and I’m doing OK having gained 3 on Pete to go ahead of him by one and gained one on Terry to be one out of the lead. We all pared the 10th. I got the lone bird on the 11th to tie Terry and to go 2 up on Pete! It was now a 3-man race with 7 holes left. Terry and Chuck parred 12 while Pete and I bogied; Terry is back in the lead by one! Terry and I par 13 while Pete and Chuck bogie. This makes 5 strokes I’ve gained on Pete to go 3 ahead of him. Pete and I par 14 while Terry and Chuck bogie. I’m TIED with Terry AGAIN! The 15th hole of the day was a BIG one for me. This is Hole 10 on Dineen. It’s 348 feet. It goes slightly up for 200’ to a rise. Its jail on the left with a 40’ wide opening beneath the overhanging branches of a guardian tree to the right. The tree has such a wide crown you can’t throw to the right of it and so tall you can’t go over it. The only way to get over the hump and in a decent spot for a par is to go under the branches and hope your disc neither fades nor flips. If you know me you know I don’t keep track of scores during a round. I had no idea I was tied for the lead. Even so I knew it was close and I didn’t want to screw up this hole with a bogie. I fired off my Orion LF as hard and as flat as I could. It screamed up the hill, under the branches, cleared the knoll by 2 feet and disappeared on the other side still going STRAIGHT! Terry and Chuck got past the tree for an easy up, but Pete hit branches and fell short. Pete’s up-shot was off and his 3rd shot missed. Terry and Chuck parked their up’s so I knew they would par. Well, we haven’t even SEEN my disc yet. It wasn’t until we walked up to the basket that we saw it 12’ wide left under a shrub. I eased my way in between the branches and canned the duce! Three holes left and I’m BACK in the lead by one over Terry and 5 over Pete. If I knew there were all these lead shifts I would have been a basket case. Actually, that would come later. On the 16th hole of the round Chuck and I got another birdie while Pete and Terry parred. Now I was 2 strokes ahead with 2 holes left. The 17th (Hole 12) was the 533 footer with the bottleneck, OB along the entire left fairway, and a protected basket. I 3ed it two previous times and was looking forward to the challenge. Pete had a poor short drive under branches just inches from OB but then threw a monster forehand about 300’ and PARKED it for a drop-in 3! I did OK with a 4, but Terry and Chuck got into trouble and carded 5s. Now I’m THREE strokes ahead of Terry. Never count Terry out though. He finished strong with a birdie on the last hole while the rest of us parred. I didn’t know until we tallied the card, but I had the hot round with a 51 to go into the finals with a 2 stroke lead over Terry who shot 55. Chuck was next with a 56 but he remained in 4th. Pete struggled most of the way to finish with a 58. So it’s time to grab a quick snack and rush over to Dretzka for the FINALS: Rob-381, Terry-383, Pete-386, and Chuck-392.

Hey, First time on the board in a loooong time and I see this. CONGRATULATIONS ROB "SANDY" LEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TexBook]

Jerald-What a putz I am for not calling with the good news. There is no doubt that you are one of my original mentors. You are the Master and I; a mere grasshopper! Are you coming to BAB? Will you ever visit your old friends at Mackenzie when you are in town? We miss you MAN!

[TexBook]

WOW!! Here I was; at Worlds and in the FINALS!! It was a gorgeous sun shinny day. Not too hot and only a slight breeze. It was a real party atmosphere. Everybody not playing was hanging out, snacking under trees, tipping a cold one, and/or watching the finals. Everyone started on the same hole. An official would gather the players at the box for official pictures. And we all took our own group shots. Each division had a tee time and a leader board except they ran out of boards for our group. Each player was announced as they teed off. I can’t remember everyone who was there to watch our group, but my friends from Michigan were there: Ron Put, Jeff Hildinger, and Donna Dennis. Phillip Bryan was also part of that group but he is from West Virginia. Phil is one of those guys that always has a good time playing disc golf. Even when a shot goes wrong he is smiling and upbeat. Phil came up to me just before the round started and asked if he could caddy for me. For an instant I thought about the effect of changing my routine might have on my game. Then I realized how worn out I was, how heavy my bag was, and I eagerly accepted his offer. The anticipation of starting was like getting on a big rollercoaster for the first time. I knew I was in for a big ride, but I didn’t exactly know what that meant or what it would be like. Here we go: I’m at 381 with a 2 stroke lead over Terry Calhoun at 383, Pete May 5 back at 386, and Chuck Hornsby 11 back at 392. As I mentioned before, I seldom know what the scores are or where I stand. But I sure knew all that now! Here is what I thought going into this round: 1) All of these guys have higher player ratings than I do, 2) All these guys threw better than I did sometime during the tournament (Pete had 3 rounds better than me, and Terry and Chuck each bettered me in two rounds), 3) With only 9 holes left I could not fall to fourth place unless I DNF’d, 4) The only way Pete could pass me is if he played his very best and I had a meltdown (I felt good and didn’t see that happening), and 5) Terry certainly had the ability, motivation, and guts to gain 3 strokes if I messed up. Hold on to your hats ‘cause here we go.

The final 9 was a combination of holes on Dertzka Original (DO) and Dretzka New (DN). They were DN 1, 2, 3 and DO 1, 2, 3, 4, 17, 18 in that order.

Hole 1 (DN 1) is 341’ of slightly up hill lush green grass. There is only a large overhanging tree left of the box about 50’ forward. Throwing RHBH you wouldn’t even notice it. I threw a nice slight hyzer 300’ for a possible birdie or a certain par. Terry doesn’t throw quite as far as me, but he can roll. That’s what he did. He let loose with a big backhand roller and smacked right into the tree in front of the pad. Pete and Chuck had decent drives and were looking at an easy up and down for par. Terry then took his second shot and drove past the pin. He missed the putt and took a 4. I lofted my 40 footer, dropped under the basket and took a 3. Going to hole 2 and my lead is up to 3.

While walking to the next hole a man and his son (about 6-7 years old) came up to me and introduced themselves. I asked them who they were here to watch and the guy said they were there to root for me. I was like WOW, I can’t believe it. And darn I can’t remember their names. So I asked the little guy what his favorite color was and he said blue. Well, I had one of my World Doubles trophy minis in my bag; a blue one, and gave it to him. Man, his eyes got as big as Frizbees and we walked to the next hole.

Hole 2 was DN 2. It’s only 240’ with OB road on the left and beyond. There is a single 40’ tree 2/3 down on the right that takes out a low hyzer route. Well, being schooled on our monster Mackenzie Park course, I took the high road with a big sky hyzer over the top of the tree and landed 18’ right, pin high. Everyone else was short or wide for pars. I stepped up to my mark and was thinking, “I can really make a statement if I can this bird.” I was actually very nervous, but I lined it up and drilled it home. Seven holes to go with a 4 stroke lead. I KNEW I could win!

The third hole was DN 3. It’s 325’ with parking lot on the entire right side with overhead power lines too. There was also what looked like a larger than normal port-a-john on the edge of the lot, pin high. It was actually regular size, it just seemed like it was looming there asking to be hit. The left side had a bunch of widely spaced small trees. The best routes were high hyzer over the power lines and the parking lot or straight at the basket. I couldn’t make it high or far enough to go high wide so I went straight. The danger is flipping over and going OB or fading left and hitting a tree. I took too much off my throw and faded left but missed the trees. I was pin high but 70’ left. Pete went straight but short. Chuck throws mostly forehand and as I remember he did hit the port-a-john and went OB. Terry was still bobbing. His drive went straight as an arrow and slid under the basket. Pete and I went up and down for par. Chuck finished with a 5 and Terry dropped in for a 2. My lead was back to 3.

Terry has the box for the 4th hole, DO 1. It is 295’ with solid shule on the right but wide open until a wall of brush hides the basket. There is a 40’ wide door you must go through. Then the pin is to the left and well guarded. Terry goes straight at the hole, goes through the door, past all the brush-PARKED. I made it to the door but was wide right in thick brush and couldn’t tell if I could get out. It looked bad. Pete went wide left with no up shot. Chuck got in trouble too and both of them took 4s. I crawled to my disc and saw a single hole to throw toward the pin. I got out and in for a par. Terry dropped in for a duce. My lead is down to 2!

I don’t remember the details of the 5th hole (DO 2) but it is a very tight 265’ tunnel and we all parred.

The 6th hole is considered the tightest-DO 3. Terry had a bad drive but I can’t remember where it went. I was short but in the fairway for an easy 3. Pete did the same. Chuck threaded the needle with his forehand and parked for a 2. Terry’s second shot went pin high but faded about 50’-60’ wide left. Overhanging limbs forced him to putt from his knees into the wind. I stood there mentally carding his 4 putting me back in the lead by 3 when his disc sailed out from under the tree and crashed into the chains to save par and keep me at 2 up. It was a GREAT shot by Terry and it really showed just how much of a competitor he is.

This is getting kind of long so I’ll take a break and post this. The end is near!

[marcace]

This is n awsome blog Champ :DCan we get a day and time for the last blog so I can get some popcorn and a coke first :p

[pterodactyl]

Ya, what happened? :D

[TexBook]

Finally, here is the final part of the Finals!

The seventh hole was DO 4. Its 250’ with the first 75’ pretty open. After that all routes to the pin involve numerous medium to large trees with dense overhanging canopies. There is no high shot. You have to stay low and miss the trunks. There are plenty of obvious routes, but there are plenty of opportunities to get into trouble early also. The last 75’ slopes gradually from right to left. Terry still has the box. He is from Michigan, he plays lots of tight courses, and he loves this kind of shot. True to form he cranks a backhand and slides it up under the basket for a drop in duce. I’m next. Using my Orion LS I make a nice straight shot that flips right toward the end and lands pin high but 60’ right. Pete and Chuck do OK with their drives for an easy up and down par. My second shot is slightly down slope and open, but it is FAR. Terry is fixin’ to turn this into a one shot game with 2 holes to go. I am SICK and starting to see this week-long effort slipping away. I was very confident when I had the 4 stroke lead. Now it was crunch time. I had to go for it but at the same time could not afford a roll away. I took a couple of deep cleansing breaths, lined up the shot, checked my grip and decided on a lofting anhyzer putt with a left fade at the end. I let it go and it flew like it was on a string. It took the EXACT flight I envisioned and gently brushed along the right side chains and fell in the basket! This was the most exciting shot of the tournament for me. It was better, WAY better, than the ace on the first day. I jumped and yelled and ran to the pin. This was also when I realized just how many people we had in our gallery. There were about 30 and just about everyone roared simultaneously with me. I was STOKED! As we walked away from the basket Terry good-naturedly said, “You didn’t putt like that before.” I said, “I saved the best for last.”

Hole eight is DO 17, 313’ down a perfectly straight tunnel with the basket tucked in on the right. Two holes to go and I feel I’m hanging by a thread with a 2 stroke lead. Terry’s up and fires another spectacular shot down the gut and slides to 35’ out. I’m next and I’m nervous. I go to my trusty Orion LS but instead of throwing hard with a little hyzer, I weenie it with anhyzer and it goes short and 10’ right, into the trees. Pete did OK but Chuck got into trouble too. I have no shot at the basket and have to lay out to the fairway. I’M DROWNING! I haven’t mentioned Phil Bryan since we started; he volunteered to caddy for me. He has been great, always there for me, discs and water ready and he has been a very calming influence throughout. I needed him now and there he was. He walked up to me, put his hand on my shoulder and said, “It’s OK, it’s OK.” I was falling apart and he was standing tall. Pete makes a good upshot and Chuck and I try long putts that don’t go. Now Terry lines up his 35’ putt to tie me with one hole left. Everyone is silent and I’m holding my breath. The putt is close but doesn’t go in. There is a groan from his supporters and I am secretly elated.

The ninth and last hole is DO 18. It is 318’ with a funnel of brush right in front of the tee pad. Get past that and it opens up for 150’ until you encounter 3 trees standing tall like biological goal posts. Beyond that is another tree to the right that takes out hyzer shots. Not highly technical, but possessing ample opportunity for something to go wrong, none the less. Terry has the box and zips a drive past all the trees but he fades hard and ends up 80+’ left. I knew the match and title was mine to win. It was also mine to lose if I made a mistake. The second to last thing I wanted was a tie and a playoff. The brush in front of the pad seemed to swell and beg me to hit it. The down range trees were beckoning my disc like sirens luring sailors toward destruction on shoreline rocks. This may sound dramatic but I must say my mind was reeling. It has been reeling since we started this round. I let my drive fly and it went just as planned. It was straight and high enough to pass through the brush and low enough to miss the crowns of the trees. It sailed past the tree trunks and landed on-line and 40’ short. Pete and Chuck did OK too, but it was only Terry’s next shot that counted. He had to sink the 80 footer to tie and force a playoff. He made a good shot but it missed. WHEW! My turn next. I only needed to go up and down for a par and the win. My mind was firing off all the possibilities. Don’t panic! Don’t fall short! Don’t over throw! Don’t hit the pan and roll away! Don’t be stupid! I lofted my putter high, it peaked out and dropped under the basket. Terry, Pete, and Chuck all putted out for 3s. I had been stoic for the last two holes, but I felt the tension begin to melt like blacktop under a West Texas summer sun. I started to think about all the guys back home who have been cheering me on; all the guys who told me to bring the title to Texas. It was all going to happen. I walked up and made sure it was my disc on the ground and dropped in my backup putter for a ONE stroke win! Scores for the last round were: Terry-25, Rob-26, Pete-28, and Chuck-29. The final scores for the match were Rob-407, Terry-408, Pete-414, and Chuck-421.

This whole experience was like a fantasy come true. I started out and finished healthy; I won the distance contest; I got an ace in the first round; I was on the leader card every round; I had the low score of the division for 2 rounds; I competed against some wonderful gentlemen; and I brought the title of 2007 PDGA Advanced Senior Grandmaster World Champion to Lubbock, Texas. Thank you everyone for your encouragement and support. I hope you enjoyed the journey. I sure liked having you all along for the ride of a lifetime. Rob

[marcace]

THAT WAS AWESOME DUDE!!! CONGRATS :D

[n8bitner]

Congrats on the Victory Rob...Now its time to MOVE UP!!! :D