Now, on the 10th tee of the International, about to play The Back Nine, we’re moving from a scramble format into match play, one versus one. After that goal, this could be a short video. Best of luck, my man. Well done.
Right, so match play, hole number 10. We’ve got a 350-yard par 4, little dogleg round to the left. I’d say anything right of that pile, and you’re looking golden. Let’s see if we can change the thread of this golf I’ve been having. Start out to the right and let’s drift it around. Play well, mate.
Bang, straight right. What’s that? Out to the right. That’s right, yeah. Drops up into the rough on the right-hand side. Where’d your ball go, mate? Where did my ball go? Oh, see, I told you, it happens. Quick match play question: Go on, are you doing gimmies here? Like, you can have that?
“Sensible?” Yeah, sensible, okay.
And you’ve hit one straight down the middle. Great goal, mate. Nice kick, though, but that’s lovely. Good shot, bud. Hold on. Match play action. It’s a different game. The scramble is very friendly, you’re all going around, but match play’s when it’s… um, it’s you on your own.
Yeah, precisely. You’ve got to try and get out of the mindset that someone else is there to pick up your pieces if you mess a shot up. Miss a part, etc. It’s all you on your own.
I’ve got 109 to the flag, wind right behind. So, I reckon a sensible enough approach wedge. Very thin again. Oh, it’s massive. And it’s into the bushes. This certainly is windy today. It really does mess with you.
Alright, 70 yards, pin 54° wedge. Good, get us to the hole.
People… Oh, Chris lost it in the sun. Oh, there it goes. Again. And again. I think our friend Jack tried to find his ball… and he found it! He found it! Not the best of lies, this one, mate.
Not the best of lies, mate. Not the best of lies this one. So, I’m going to play it off that bank on the right. Alright, out of that lie, I’ll take that.
You’re on for a birdie, then, mate, and I’m for a par. It’s good, though. Yeah, it’s good for you.
Good par! Oh, I deserved it. That deserved it. So that’s Rick one up.
He made a good par. Solid par. Really good wedge, shame you missed the birdie putt.
To all the golfing nerds out there, we do play Ready Golf, and I think it’s fair to say Rick isn’t the quickest of people out there. Is that fair to say?
Yeah, I mean, you do come with a little bit of life admin, don’t you?
Yeah, I do. I don’t move as quick as I’d want to.
What’s that? Right down the middle, mate. Sorry to see it. That’s gone, gone, gone. That’ll be three off for me.
Mate, we do play a little series of our own match play series back at home.
What’s the score? You’re beating me at the minute, 3-1.
So again, you’re beating me in the series, 3-1?
Yes, mate.
Yeah, yeah, this isn’t counting towards our series. This is just on the day, right?
Yeah.
Okay, very kind of you, mate. You’ve got to aim for that bunker on the left. Right-hand side of that bunker.
Dead straight. Well, not hooked, but dead straight.
Yeah, just short. Just bumped into it, then it rolled in.
Alright, so Rick’s found the fairway bunker on the 11th par 5.
Yeah, I’m worried about that lip.
Well, you’ve got to give it enough to get out of it, mate, haven’t you? So, we’re zapping the edge of the fairway over there. Just take the line over that bunker in front of you with enough loft to get out. You’ve got 125 yards.
125 yards?
Yeah, you need loft to get over that bloody lip.
So, what are you going to hit?
Pitching wedge.
Yeah, that’s the right shot, mate. Yeah, that’s lovely. Exactly where you wanted to be.
Right, so I’ve got 230 to the front. I think it’s fair to say, I’ve got to try and make something happen here.
Great strike, mate. Yeah, a little bit flared out to the right, wasn’t it? Didn’t see it down.
Rob, you had a lovely little recovery out of that bunker. Mate, you got there, didn’t it?
So, I’ve got 125 to the middle, that’s at the back, 135 shot back, I reckon. Good 9-iron, yeah.
I like the cut of your jib, mate. I like the cut of your jib.
A little bit chunky, that. It’ll roll down a bit, though.
Right, so this one now, mate, tricky. Really fluffy lie. If you don’t carry it far enough, you can hit the downslope and it shoots on. This has got to get there.
Yeah, this is tough. Great hit, mate. It’s a good go.
Similar kind of shot. You’ve got to make sure you carry it far enough.
Really poor, really poor 9-iron from back there. Really poor. So, I’ve got to try and make the most of this now, because you’ve got a good look. Nice release, though. That’s a nice shot, mate. Not terrible. I was too concerned about going over the back, because there’s a downslope there.
Happy with that, mate. Oh well. Two good looks here. A shame it’s for pars and not for birdies. But well, Jackie boy was three off the tee, so a bit of a meltdown.
This is my hole, however. I wish that was for birdie, but it’s not, it’s for par. So, let’s see how we get on.
Alright, we’ve got to try and make something happen here.
So, you’re saving par. I’m saving par, too.
Right, so I didn’t break at all, did it?
I’d say that’s your roll, mate.
No worries, mate. I’ll tap it in for par.
We’re on par, mate. Hole 12 is here. 12, 3-over the drink. Another glorious-looking hole on the back nine of the International Course at the London Golf Club. What do you say, sir?
156 middle. 156 middle. 140 to cover the water.
Okay, right, so Rick finds himself two up through two. My golf game, I think it’s fair to say, has left the building.
That’s a beautiful shot, mate. Oh! Golf isn’t golf without a great shot. Well done! Pin high, 10 feet to the left.
Follow that, follow that. I love golf. Whoever says golf isn’t great doesn’t know what they’re talking about.
Absolutely, mate. That’s the thing. Just one shot, one good shot. Bring me back in.
Brings you back in, didn’t it? Oh, that’s going right. That’s wet, mate. That’s a soggy one.
Unlucky. Another ball.
Is there a drop zone anywhere? I can’t see one.
That’s sad.
What’s it look like when someone’s truly got the yips?
Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s good, Mr. Kempton.
With an absolute worldy tee shot there. I’ve conceded this hole. First tee shot in the drink, second tee shot chunked beyond belief and it went about two feet into that. So, I’ve conceded. We’ve come over to have a look, see if Mr. Kempton can get a nice little birdie, because it is a glorious hole. Shame I’ve completely ruined it for myself, but well mate, look, there’s no pressure to this one, which is nice. So, roll it in. It’s going to break towards the water, isn’t it?
Yeah, I can give it a good go.
Go on, it’s your roll.
Let’s get a birdie on the card, mate.
Go on, get in!
Well done! That’s two birdies today. Brilliant, mate.
This is what golf is all about. We’re in match play, but mate, what a tee shot and what a putt.
Take it, mate. I know you played a couple of bad shots there, but you don’t mind losing a hole to a birdie, do you?
Of course not. You take those.
Like I said, what a glorious-looking hole. It’s scary standing on that tee box looking at that water. But the thing is, that’s the same kind of hole as number 8 was, yes? Par 3. Same golf club, shanked it straight into the middle of the water.
You did.
I didn’t shank mine into the water, but I did flare it straight out right. So, I can’t afford to be throwing away tee shots.
Not you, two famous enough yet?
Yeah, very true. Very true. Don’t worry too much about the golf. Come down for the sausage rolls.
Straight with a little fade, was it?
I don’t know where that shape’s come from. Straight at that tree, was it?
Yeah, it was, mate. That’s a great drive. Really good drive.
Oh, yeah. Made it over.
Here I am then, just on the right-hand side. Looks like you’ve done me on the angle again, mate.
Feeling a little 7-iron, mate. Right-hand side of the fairway, keep it in play.
Let’s see what we can do.
Oh, where’s that come from? What happened? That didn’t even sound like a shank.
It wasn’t. It was off the toe. Shanksville, Tennessee.
Alright, want another one?
Right, I’ll go up and hit it again. You just keep the car rolling. Ain’t got too far to go for Jack, have we?
Right there, mate.
I don’t think he
’s happy with that. I mean, I’m not saying anything. I’ve not hit mine yet. But as far as match play goes, it’s kind of what you want to see. We love golf. We love playing golf, and we love to see others do well.
However, every single golfer that finds themselves in a match play situation will agree with me when I say I’m standing here now watching him, going, “Shank, shank, shank,” into the water.
In the water. He’s in play. That’s fine.
You don’t want to talk about it?
Don’t want to talk about it. Don’t want to talk about it.
What a lovely drive! Lovely little drive, bit of a squirter, mate. Get her going down there.
Oh, it’s a lovely little shot, mate. That’s exactly where you want to play it. Perfect bounce. Great shot, mate.
Great.
So here I am then, after… what am I playing? I’m… what? 120 middle, that is. 140 back. So, I don’t think I’m going to fly the back with my pitching wedge.
Oh, getting fed up now. Smashing my camera up. Missed it again. Oh, that’s not going very well. I’m going to hit a very, very soft pitching wedge here. I can’t help but stare at that water.
Yeah, I’m not surprised. You know what I mean.
What you can really do is tow it so hard that it misses the water. Just talking from experience.
Just blade it clean over, yeah.
That’s what I wanted to do, just way off where I wanted it. That’s a shame. Try to save a bogey now.
Not playing our most consistent golf here, are we?
That’s a good one, though. That’s a lovely little shot, mate.
That’s a good one. Okay, you’re in for four.
That’s me in for bogey. Oh, Jack’s got two for the win, three for the half. I can’t see him taking much more than three. Let’s see what he can do with these, as described in the Crane Valley video: very well moisturized hands.
So when we first got here, he just bolted straight for the toilets—not to do anything apart from check out what he had in there.
Don’t like this. Just catch it in there.
Oh, that’s it all, mate.
Oh dear. Could be wet. That could be wet.
Oh no, not in the water! Don’t go in the water!
Oh, is it wet?
It’s not wet. I think you arrived just in time.
If you’re talking about awkward stances, I mean, how about a bit of that, myself, into that? I stood behind it and repeatedly said, “I like this.”
Oh, Jesus Christ.
So that’s a bit of an awkward stance. And I’d say that’s a good solid 10-foot drop into that water, mate. So, you need to up and down this for your half.
I will say this: I’ve got a 50° in my hand. I mean, it’s good. It’s rolling, though. Yeah, keep going.
One more. I mean, you gave it a go. It’s a good putt, just out to the right.
Alright, so all square. All square.
That’s it. Went wrong, didn’t it?