2008 SHELL'S WONDERFUL WORLD OF GOLF
JEFE VERSUS JIMBO
ARCADIA BLUFFS GOLF CLUB
2nd Hole: Par 3, 153 yards
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An interesting subplot to all of our rounds together is the race for number two. After years of toiling away at this game with nary a hole-in-one amongst any of us, three years ago Jimbo broke through and made the first ace in the group. With the flood gates opened, Jefe made his first ace later that year. Last but not least, I joined the club a year later. Three aces in a span of 18 months.
The funny thing about a hole-in-one is if you don't have one, you wonder if you're ever going to get one. I thought for sure I'd be that guy who played golf for 60 years yet never tasted the glory. But once you make one, you think you can makes lots of 'em. One of us should have another one by now.
We've had our fair share of near misses this year. My first encounter with a par 3 at Ballyneal, the 3rd hole, was greeted by a shot dancing around the cup. Jefe nearly had one at the tail end of the same trip at the 5th hole. And Jimbo nearly had one here at the 2nd hole at Arcadia, firing one right at the stick and ending up less than a foot away. Wouldn't it have been great to get a hole-in-one on camera?
The consolation to not getting an ace is getting a kick-in birdie and gaining a stroke to Jefe in the match. Jefe hit a good shot that stayed below the hole, but left his birdie attempt short. After two holes, we're all square.
Jefe: I was aiming right at the flag with it being a green lighter but pushed it slightly. The slope kicked the ball towards the flag, and I actually thought it would be a lot closer than it ended up being. Jimbo hit an amazing shot, I thought it had a real chance of going in.
Jimbo: Jefe can be a tough front runner so I knew I couldn't afford to get way down early. Jefe hit a pretty decent shot below the hole. However, I noticed the ball didn't carry very well in the cool morning air, so I took one extra club and wacked a 6 iron. I caught it pure (for a change) and watched it stop about 3 inches from the cup. The race for ace #2 almost ended right there. Back to even for me.
After 2 Holes: Jefe Even; Jimbo Even
