|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
That darn 18th hole
Leta Lindley, 28, is in her sixth season on the LPGA Tour. She had her best year in 1999 with a tie for second, as well as four other top 10 finishes. In 1997, she finished second at the LPGA Championship, losing to Chris Johnson on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff. She was a four-time All-American at the University of Arizona and set an NCAA record for lowest 54-hole score (9-under-par). Check out Lindley's diary each Wednesday on CNNSI.com.
July 26, 2000 Let's get this over with. First of all, I should say I shot 14-over in the U.S. Open. Two or three holes really hurt me. On Saturday the 18th really hurt. For those of you that don't know, I scored a 10 on that hole in the third round. The tee shot on 18 sets up the whole hole and depending on where you are in the fairway, you can reach the par-5 in two, giving you a chance for an eagle or easy birdie putt. On the final day of the telecast, NBC's Johnny Miller was saying how easy the hole was playing (even with my score it ranked the easiest of the tournament!). I bogeyed it the second round. I hit my drive in the water, so then I had to drive again. I had to hit an eight-foot putt to bogey and make the cut, which I did. So that was a big, "Yeah, me!" I knew what I had to do and I did it. So I actually birdied it, if you don't count the fact I hit the first drive into the water. I played pretty well in the third round, four bogeys and no birdies going into 18. I was in a good frame of mind. I wasn't thinking about the day before. We picked a line to carry the ball over the water. I didn't feel like I was biting off more than I could chew. So I teed it up, then I watched the splash. I teed it up again, and did the exact the same thing -- hit the ball on the bottom of the clubface - and splash. The third time, I asked for my 3-wood and I hit it 50 yards right of my original target just to get it in play. I hit it in the rough. I had a horrible lie. I tried to hack it out and it was still in the rough, so I hacked it again. This time I made it to the fairway. I had about 75 yards to the pin and I hit an okay wedge shot, and I two-putted for a 10. I was trying my heart out for a 9 -- I so wanted to avoid double digits. Whenever I've seen someone shoot in double digits for a hole, I've said to myself, there are two possible scenarios: One, you must be an idiot or two, you must have given up. But I now know that's not true. I don't think I'm an idiot and I didn't give up for one second -- I wanted to make 9 so badly, to make that 15-footer. I can't remember the last time I shot a 10; I may have been nine years old. But, I wasn't the only player in the tournament to make double digits: Helen Alfredsson and Sophie Gustafson made 10 on the third hole. I had some company.
I got my sweet revenge. I birdied 18 on the final day. And I finished under par on the final day, too, shooting a 71 (I finished the tournament tied for 46). If you can believe it, at times I was brilliant. I putted really well and chipped awesome. I had some up and downs I was so proud of. I was like, "Wow, I'm good." At times I was brilliant, at times I was average and at times I stunk. But like I said before, I mainly had trouble with three holes: 10, 17 and 18. That's all it takes. After a round like Saturday's, you must have a pow-wow with yourself and go through these self-affirmations, saying positive things to yourself. You come away thinking that you're just no good at this game. But I had to sit down and say, I'm a good putter, a good chipper, a good pitcher -- I do all these things well. Obviously I was disappointed, but I'm not going to let it get me down. I opened with a really good round and closed with one. And the two rounds in between, well.... I know there's a lesson in there somewhere, yet to be seen. I went through it. I had my 10, I signed my scorecard, I signed some autographs and I teed it up the next day (trust me, I didn't want to get out of bed) and I moved up a number of spots. It's just part of the game. I tried with my heart and soul out there. I'm watching all these balls splish-splash in the water. I don't know what Tommy was thinking. I think he must have been in shock. The one thing I can say about myself is, I don't give up. I'm going to come back and be better and be better for it in some way. I finished on a good note. I birdied my final hole. It wasn't the Open I dreamed of, but I was proud to have been there. It is the finest tournament we have and I was so proud to have earned my spot. I could have had the weekend off, but I fought to make it to the weekend. It was another cut made. As a friend of mine said to me, it was just one bad day in a great year. I need to remember that. The timing was terrible, but as long as I tried my hardest (and I tried on every shot) and didn't give up, then I can be proud and let it go. It's a bump in the road. I'll continue on my way. So on to the next one. I have a week off and I'm back in California to see Lud. I've been working on my own for three weeks now, and I need to see what he says about how I'm doing. Then I'll be out on the road for four in a row. I still feel like I'm just about to turn a corner -- that top-3 finish is nearby. I still feel that way, even after making a 10. I feel like some good golf is up ahead. I'm not going to dwell on all the negatives and I'll keep climbing until I reach the top. -Leta
| ||||||||||||||||||
