I stopped at a Havre de Grace 7/11 on my way to Bulle Rock today to buy a few newspapers. As you may remember (you do, right?) I had my photo snapped by a Hartford County newspaper photog while walking the course with Paula Creamer on Thursday. I was figuring they wouldn't print it, with me being from New Jersey and all, but lo and behold (whatever that means) here it was, on page 10 of The Record (serving Havre de Grace, Aberdeen, Perryville and Port Deposit):
It beat the Hell out of the story on page three of the Aberdeen man who was killed while trying to cross Route 40. I took a shuttle bus.
Meanwhile, on the course today, I had another opportunity to enjoy the company of Paula's mother Karen. I wanted to tell her how impressed I was with her daughter's kindness toward me on Thursday, and she remembered meeting me the past couple of years on the course. We chatted and walked the course with Paula in the mid-June Maryland heat.
The morning started off promisingly, with clouds and a cool breeze. The clouds reminded me that I had forgotten to bring my umbrella, so I beat a retreat to the souvenir stand, which coincidentally was selling umbrellas. For $23.50 it seemed like cheap insurance. It was, for a while.
Five minutes before Paula teed off (at 1:09pm) the skies brightened and the wind stopped and that Maryland heat kicked in. The umbrella was an ornament now, and truly a souvenir. Unfortunately for me, I'm absent minded, and the heat makes my mind wander, and once I was standing on 18 (Paula teed off at hole 10) I realized I had left the umbrella on the ground near the 13th green. Either I go back for it and miss part of the second half of her round or I let it lie and (a) go back for it later or (b) leave it for the squirrels. I decided on b.
I finished the round with Paula, who had started the day at 2-over (and in danger of not making the cut and going home early) but finished at even par and assuredly playing on Saturday, with me likely in tow. Along the way, I got a few nifty tidbits from mom and met her coach David Whelan, who was walking the course as well. I thought about going back for the umbrella, but if someone had offered me $23.50 to walk the 1,000 yards from hole 9 (where Paula finished) to 13 (where the umbrella may not still be waiting) I'd have said, "Thanks, but no thanks."
As it was, I didn't leave the course until nearly 7:00pm, and may have missed the last bus to the parking area had I gone back for the rain gear.
So, there she is, 7 shots off the lead but still playing on Saturday. Anything's possible in golf, including, but not limited to, finding my umbrella in the lost and found on Saturday, or having Paula come from 7 shots back to win the thing.
I'll keep you posted.
2 comments:
"I absolutely love this sport"
Was that your comment or theirs?
That was someone else's quote. All the newspaper wanted from me was my name and hometown for the photo caption.
Although, I would have said the same thing. The girls are awesome and they're great players.
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