A scratch player against Phil Mickelson with a 700 yard advantage....

[driveandputtmachine]

Just for the record. . .you've got your quotes all mixed up. Half of what you quoted to me is stuff you said, or someone else said.

 

Also, as a guy who doesn't belong to a private club (my "club" is a men's club at a public course). . .I don't know many of these "club scratches" you guys seem to know about. All the low guys I know have played forever, played in state golf association events, maybe sometime in the past tried an open qualifier, played in club championships. Not on a mini-tour, maybe not in college, but I just don't know many scratches who have spent their lives only playing for $5 nassaus.

 

It wouldn't let me quote the whole post, so I started removing stuff to get it to work.

 

I grew up at a private course. There was one scratch there that could go low, he played at a small college and a ton amateur events. The other scratches at our course never went low, were good at our home course, not much away from the course. They would throw up all over themselves playing a big name. They competed well in the club championship, but whenever we had our interclub matches they rarely performed at all.

 

Through my years working at I have been lucky to work places where golf is a big part of business, I have seen two or three other scratch players that played college or a pile of stat and amateur events that could go low, and at the same time have seen quite a few more of the "lifetime" scratch achievement guys. They play at their club, maybe in some city tournaments, but never anything state or nation level.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

what is a "FGI Custom Grind"?

 

I feel like I should know this but I just don't. I understand the custom grind part, but what kind of wedge is FGI?

 

I guess the question is what is a FGI wedge?

 

It's basically a magic club: it stands for "Fantastic Game Improvement".

 

Hit one, and it automatically heads for the hole.

[justasgood]

FGI = Fourteen?

[Obee]

what is a "FGI Custom Grind"?

 

I feel like I should know this but I just don't. I understand the custom grind part, but what kind of wedge is FGI?

 

I guess the question is what is a FGI wedge?

 

Sorry, I fixed it. They are FGO (For Golfers Only) custom grind wedges by Don Wood. Don was the lead wedge guy for Cleveland back in the 90's, and he opened up his own shop in Temecula back in 2003(?). I've had these since 2004 or so.

[station2station]

Latecomer to this thread.

 

I don't have a position on the topic but I'd love to be a bird in a tree for that match!

[CDLgolf]

Obee, just curious, whats in your bag ? I saw a 4 wood and 6 hybrid were used.

 

Driver: Callaway 816 DBD 9 degree with Rogue Silver 110 msi 60 3.4

4-wood: Callaway X-Hot Pro 17* 4-wood with Project X 6.0

3H: Titleist 816 H1 21 degree with Diamana Blue Board in S-flex

4H: Titleist 816 H1 23 degree with Diamana Blue Board in S-flex

5H: Adams V4 Tech with Grafalloy ProLaunch Blue in X-flex

6H: Adams V4 Tech with Grafalloy ProLaunch Blue in X-flex

7i: Ping S57 with KBS Tour stiff

8i: Ping S57 with KBS Tour stiff

9i: Ping S57 with KBS tour stiff

PW: 47* FGO custom grind (High bounce, radial sole front to back and side to side to prevent digging)

GW: 51* FGO custom grind (High bounce, radial sole front to back and side to side to prevent digging)

SW: 56* Cleveland CG10 3-dot (high bounce)

LW: 60* Cleveland RTX 588 2.0 3-dot (high bounce)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Blade (counter balanced)

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

 

 

Thanks Obee, this has been a great read, and thats a great bag. Nothing matches but it sounds like it all works very well.

[BRIDGESTONE1]

Obee, were Phil and Rickie going through their regular/full pre-shot routines?

[Obee]

Obee, were Phil and Rickie going through their regular/full pre-shot routines?

 

Absolutely. Rickie lines and re-lines his ball and is focusing. They make each other putt out everything, as they are playing each other (Rickie vs. Phil) in a money match as well.

[ShutSteepStuck]

Loving Phil's Cypress Point gear. Very strong!

[Obee]

So ...

 

We might have played again ...

 

And this time we might have won ...

[golferdrmjr]

So ...

 

We might have played again ...

 

And this time we might have won ...

Can't wait to see what "might" have happened! :-)

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

So ...

 

We might have played again ...

 

And this time we might have won ...

 

You little tease, you!

[Obee]

So we played again. What a day. :-)

 

It was Rickie, Phil, Pernice, and two other pros against myself and five of my solid am buddies. We played the blues, they played the blacks, same as last time. Last time, though, it was five against five and they beat us 17 under to 13 under. This time we got to add another player, and we beat them -21 to -16.

 

2 best balls, stroke play. conditions were perfect. Greens rolling true and 12ish. Not overly firm.

 

I won't bore you with a hole-by-hole this time since we didn't play with the pros (they played a fivesome ahead of us and we played a sixsome behind, so I didn't get to see too many of their shots), but wanted to give you the scores:

 

Rickie 65 (6 birdies an eagle and a bogey). He is just destroying the course. It's his old home course, so he knows it very well. He is 9-under on the par 5's in two rounds. Wow.

 

Phil 70 (2 birdies and an eagle and 2 bogeys). Still figuring out the course a bit. had another eagle on a par 5 today, which makes three in two rounds.

 

Obee 70 (5 birdies and 3 bogeys). After a rocky start, I played really solid golf. Was 2-over on the front and then made 4 birdies on the back (10, 11, 15, 17 with very makeable misses on 13 (10'), and 16 (9').

 

Am 70 (4 birdies and 2 bogeys)

 

Pernice 71 (2 birdies and a bogey)

 

Pro 71 (4 birdies)

 

Am 71 (4 birdies)

 

Am 71 (3 birdies)

 

Am 72 (4 birdies)

 

Pro 75 (2 birdies)

 

Am 76 (2 birdies)

 

I'll fill in with as many details as I can remember if you want to hear more glory story stuff! We putted for $$$ after the round, too. So much fun.

 

So I've played two rounds with Rickie and Phil and have shot 72 and 70, both times from the blues. I need to just play there all the time. Makes me feel like I can play decent golf! LOL

[golferdrmjr]

Well done Obee, sounds like a whole lot of fun! :-)

[8thehardway]

Your story was so good I'll be smiling for days. Thank you.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

Good score, Obee.

 

Will we be seeing Phil this season with a 6-hybrid in his bag? :taunt:

[s1mZ]

Excellent!

This is a beautiful thread, and congrats to you & team.

 

And I knew it... Rickie > Phil all day!!

[Chief Illiniwek]

I'm not sure what I'm more jealous of: the fact that you're getting to play competitive rounds with these great players, or the fact that you're playing golf at all in mid January!

[Blade Junkie]

Obee, just out of interest, what is your average score off those back tees that the Pros were playing ?

 

Great thread btw :)

[Obee]

Obee, just out of interest, what is your average score off those back tees that the Pros were playing ?

 

Great thread btw :)

 

69 is my low.

 

74-79 average this time of year because it plays very long for me.

 

In the summer, a little better.

[Shilgy]

Just for the record. . .you've got your quotes all mixed up. Half of what you quoted to me is stuff you said, or someone else said.

 

Also, as a guy who doesn't belong to a private club (my "club" is a men's club at a public course). . .I don't know many of these "club scratches" you guys seem to know about. All the low guys I know have played forever, played in state golf association events, maybe sometime in the past tried an open qualifier, played in club championships. Not on a mini-tour, maybe not in college, but I just don't know many scratches who have spent their lives only playing for $5 nassaus.

 

It wouldn't let me quote the whole post, so I started removing stuff to get it to work.

 

I grew up at a private course. There was one scratch there that could go low, he played at a small college and a ton amateur events. The other scratches at our course never went low, were good at our home course, not much away from the course. They would throw up all over themselves playing a big name. They competed well in the club championship, but whenever we had our interclub matches they rarely performed at all.

 

Through my years working at I have been lucky to work places where golf is a big part of business, I have seen two or three other scratch players that played college or a pile of stat and amateur events that could go low, and at the same time have seen quite a few more of the "lifetime" scratch achievement guys. They play at their club, maybe in some city tournaments, but never anything state or nation level.

Not sure about the rest of those on this forum but to me the guys in bold are not "scratch" players. They are likely in the +2 to +4 territory. To me a scratch player is a 0 handicap. Which means by USGA standards he will average about 3 over the course rating.

[QMany]

I saw this picture on Instagram, where Rickie references Pernice, and thought of you Obee!

https://www.instagra...by=rickiefowler

 

EDIT: From Collin Yost's Instagram, and I presume the same match:

[Obee]

Just for the record. . .you've got your quotes all mixed up. Half of what you quoted to me is stuff you said, or someone else said.

 

Also, as a guy who doesn't belong to a private club (my "club" is a men's club at a public course). . .I don't know many of these "club scratches" you guys seem to know about. All the low guys I know have played forever, played in state golf association events, maybe sometime in the past tried an open qualifier, played in club championships. Not on a mini-tour, maybe not in college, but I just don't know many scratches who have spent their lives only playing for $5 nassaus.

 

It wouldn't let me quote the whole post, so I started removing stuff to get it to work.

 

I grew up at a private course. There was one scratch there that could go low, he played at a small college and a ton amateur events. The other scratches at our course never went low, were good at our home course, not much away from the course. They would throw up all over themselves playing a big name. They competed well in the club championship, but whenever we had our interclub matches they rarely performed at all.

 

Through my years working at I have been lucky to work places where golf is a big part of business, I have seen two or three other scratch players that played college or a pile of stat and amateur events that could go low, and at the same time have seen quite a few more of the "lifetime" scratch achievement guys. They play at their club, maybe in some city tournaments, but never anything state or nation level.

Not sure about the rest of those on this forum but to me the guys in bold are not "scratch" players. They are likely in the +2 to +4 territory. To me a scratch player is a 0 handicap. Which means by USGA standards he will average about 3 over the course rating.

 

We are all 0ish this time of year. When the weather warms up, we get down to +1 to +2.

[Obee]

I saw this picture on Instagram, where Rickie references Pernice, and thought of you Obee!

https://www.instagra...by=rickiefowler

 

EDIT: From Collin Yost's Instagram, and I presume the same match:

 

That was us! Check out Rickie's SnapChat feed for video. Such a cool day.

[DavePelz4]

OB when are you going to call so I can caddie for you?

[GC70]

Those are two amazing rounds! Great write up Obee! Sounds like Rickie just owns that course.

[driveandputtmachine]

Just for the record. . .you've got your quotes all mixed up. Half of what you quoted to me is stuff you said, or someone else said.

 

Also, as a guy who doesn't belong to a private club (my "club" is a men's club at a public course). . .I don't know many of these "club scratches" you guys seem to know about. All the low guys I know have played forever, played in state golf association events, maybe sometime in the past tried an open qualifier, played in club championships. Not on a mini-tour, maybe not in college, but I just don't know many scratches who have spent their lives only playing for $5 nassaus.

 

It wouldn't let me quote the whole post, so I started removing stuff to get it to work.

 

I grew up at a private course. There was one scratch there that could go low, he played at a small college and a ton amateur events. The other scratches at our course never went low, were good at our home course, not much away from the course. They would throw up all over themselves playing a big name. They competed well in the club championship, but whenever we had our interclub matches they rarely performed at all.

 

Through my years working at I have been lucky to work places where golf is a big part of business, I have seen two or three other scratch players that played college or a pile of stat and amateur events that could go low, and at the same time have seen quite a few more of the "lifetime" scratch achievement guys. They play at their club, maybe in some city tournaments, but never anything state or nation level.

Not sure about the rest of those on this forum but to me the guys in bold are not "scratch" players. They are likely in the +2 to +4 territory. To me a scratch player is a 0 handicap. Which means by USGA standards he will average about 3 over the course rating.

 

I am one of those scratch players. I played in college, I have (not recently) competed in State and National amateur events. According to the handicap page I am exactly a scratch. I average 3.6 birdies per round, I average 1.5 strokes over par and my Handicap is exactly 0.0. Has it been lower? Sure, has it been higher? Sure. I have been in the 60's three times earlier this year, a couple of rounds 1 or 2 under as well. I have attached my USGA handicap card.

 

So I am a scratch, but not a scratch?

[driveandputtmachine]

Just for the record. . .you've got your quotes all mixed up. Half of what you quoted to me is stuff you said, or someone else said.

 

Also, as a guy who doesn't belong to a private club (my "club" is a men's club at a public course). . .I don't know many of these "club scratches" you guys seem to know about. All the low guys I know have played forever, played in state golf association events, maybe sometime in the past tried an open qualifier, played in club championships. Not on a mini-tour, maybe not in college, but I just don't know many scratches who have spent their lives only playing for $5 nassaus.

 

It wouldn't let me quote the whole post, so I started removing stuff to get it to work.

 

I grew up at a private course. There was one scratch there that could go low, he played at a small college and a ton amateur events. The other scratches at our course never went low, were good at our home course, not much away from the course. They would throw up all over themselves playing a big name. They competed well in the club championship, but whenever we had our interclub matches they rarely performed at all.

 

Through my years working at I have been lucky to work places where golf is a big part of business, I have seen two or three other scratch players that played college or a pile of stat and amateur events that could go low, and at the same time have seen quite a few more of the "lifetime" scratch achievement guys. They play at their club, maybe in some city tournaments, but never anything state or nation level.

Not sure about the rest of those on this forum but to me the guys in bold are not "scratch" players. They are likely in the +2 to +4 territory. To me a scratch player is a 0 handicap. Which means by USGA standards he will average about 3 over the course rating.

 

We are all 0ish this time of year. When the weather warms up, we get down to +1 to +2.

 

Everyone's handicap fluctuates. Last year mine started off low, but in the middle of the summer i hit a bad patch and it was just below a 1. This year it started off just about scratch, in the summer hit a +2, but now is back up to scratch. 9 months out of the year I end up around scratch(+.5 to -.5). I view myself as a scratch as I spend most of the year right around scratch. I never play games with handicaps, but always have my card with me to show my current handicap for anyone I do not regularly play with. In college I carried a +3.8(practicing and playing all of the time)

[Shilgy]

Just for the record. . .you've got your quotes all mixed up. Half of what you quoted to me is stuff you said, or someone else said.

 

Also, as a guy who doesn't belong to a private club (my "club" is a men's club at a public course). . .I don't know many of these "club scratches" you guys seem to know about. All the low guys I know have played forever, played in state golf association events, maybe sometime in the past tried an open qualifier, played in club championships. Not on a mini-tour, maybe not in college, but I just don't know many scratches who have spent their lives only playing for $5 nassaus.

 

It wouldn't let me quote the whole post, so I started removing stuff to get it to work.

 

I grew up at a private course. There was one scratch there that could go low, he played at a small college and a ton amateur events. The other scratches at our course never went low, were good at our home course, not much away from the course. They would throw up all over themselves playing a big name. They competed well in the club championship, but whenever we had our interclub matches they rarely performed at all.

 

Through my years working at I have been lucky to work places where golf is a big part of business, I have seen two or three other scratch players that played college or a pile of stat and amateur events that could go low, and at the same time have seen quite a few more of the "lifetime" scratch achievement guys. They play at their club, maybe in some city tournaments, but never anything state or nation level.

Not sure about the rest of those on this forum but to me the guys in bold are not "scratch" players. They are likely in the +2 to +4 territory. To me a scratch player is a 0 handicap. Which means by USGA standards he will average about 3 over the course rating.

 

I am one of those scratch players. I played in college, I have (not recently) competed in State and National amateur events. According to the handicap page I am exactly a scratch. I average 3.6 birdies per round, I average 1.5 strokes over par and my Handicap is exactly 0.0. Has it been lower? Sure, has it been higher? Sure. I have been in the 60's three times earlier this year, a couple of rounds 1 or 2 under as well. I have attached my USGA handicap card.

 

So I am a scratch, but not a scratch?

I misunderstood your post or you misunderstood mine. IMO there is a big difference between a club player than manages to stay scratch but has never been better and a player like yourself or Obee that has been a +3 or better and played collegiately and/or national am events.

Does that make more sense of my post?

[driveandputtmachine]

 

 

I am one of those scratch players. I played in college, I have (not recently) competed in State and National amateur events. According to the handicap page I am exactly a scratch. I average 3.6 birdies per round, I average 1.5 strokes over par and my Handicap is exactly 0.0. Has it been lower? Sure, has it been higher? Sure. I have been in the 60's three times earlier this year, a couple of rounds 1 or 2 under as well. I have attached my USGA handicap card.

 

So I am a scratch, but not a scratch?

I misunderstood your post or you misunderstood mine. IMO there is a big difference between a club player than manages to stay scratch but has never been better and a player like yourself or Obee that has been a +3 or better and played collegiately and/or national am events.

Does that make more sense of my post?

 

So I think we are saying the same thing. Myself as a scratch stands a much better chance of winning than your scratch golfer that has been playing at mostly his home course and never in "real" competition. I was saying there can be huge differences between two scratch golfers.