Chapman Wins Four Ways

Caption: The author (top) poses at Tamarack West's par-5 third, one of the best holes in New Jersey. Chapman at the tee of the tricky par-3 ninth, where he won the front side.

Let us recap the salient facts from the Clark-Chapman $2 Nassau of July 7, 2007.

Playing with Hal and Scotty W. on a sweltering hot day at Tamarack West, Damon Chapman set the tone early. His drive sailed far right into the woods, and he could only punch out. Clark (the author), meanwhile, was comfortable next to the green in two. He chipped to within five feet, and felt the hole was his. But Chapman sank a 30 footer for par, a tremendous up-and-down from 140 yards. Rattled, Clark’s putt never got to the hole.

At the second hole, Clark regained form – fairway hit, green hit and two putts for par. Chapman was lost in the woods again. All square.

The third hole is one of the best holes in all of New Jersey. A history buff can easily imagine General George Washington leading his Continental Army across its gently rolling features to the battle of Monmouth. Clark scrambles for his par 5, while Chapman again gets lost in the woods. Clark stands one up.

At the fourth hole, Chapman lets fly a gigantic drawing three wood that almost reaches the pond. Clark rallies a par of his own. Push.

Let us be kind and pass over all the various strokes that occurred at numbers five and six. Suffice it to say, both holes were pushed.

At seven, Chapman again is in the woods, and Clark sits pretty in the fairway. Any objective observer at this point in the match, would certainly feel a sense of sympathy for Chapman. Things look bad for the New York City boy. He is spending an inordinate amount of time in the woods. The deer ticks are piling up in the hair on his legs, and he is beginning to itch. A long, hot day is staring him in the face. And then there’s the wedding he has to attend later that night. Surely, that’s weighing heavily on his mind.

But yet, incredibly, it’s here on the dramatic 546-yard par 5 number seven, where Chapman gains, and Clark fades.

Clark’s 4-iron approach is so far to the right that it takes a massive hop off the cart path (there is no record of any similar shot in the history of Tamarack golf) and lands over by the tee of number 8, where his unlikely lie entertains a group of smiling Koreans. Meanwhile, Chapman’s drive was actually safe, in the fairway, and he’s on the green in regulation. After two putts, he’s safely in for a par, to Clark’s double bogey. All square.

Chapman finishes the front par, par, while Clark can only muster bogey, bogey. Chapman wins the front 2-up. Both men shot a disappointing 45.

A word here about Hal and Scotty W. Hal is playing well, despite a shockingly fast swing tempo that throws him 3 feet from his address after impact. He golfed his ball around the front in 46, with nice pars at 4, 5 and 9. Scotty W. swings his club more smoothly, but with less success. He scores a 50 on the front.

On with the match. Clark hits two strong shots at no. 10, and wins with a bogey.

At 11, the long 178-yard par 3, Clark’s 4-iron is so far right, it lands in the woods on the fly. (Clark decides he has had enough with these ridiculous TourEdge muscle black irons with the rifle shaft.) Chapman wins with a tap-in bogey.

At 12, the short par 5, Clark gets up and down from 40 yards to push Chapman, who squandered two massive shots with a poor chip.

Clark’s hopes glimmer at 13, a tough dogleg right that requires two solid shots. Damon’s drive and then his provisional disappear hopelessly into the brush. But Clark chips and putts for par to celebrate his last, great achievement of the day.

Clark and Chapman both bogey the short 14th, but let’s examine Hal Cohen’s game for another moment. He sticks his tee shot to 10 feet, and sinks for birdie, shouting “One time, one time!” as the ball falls over the lip of the cup. Well done, Hal. Fairway Scriptures salutes you!

At 15, Chapman pulls away. Clark’s drive was probably inches from being perfect. Instead, it falls into the forest, requiring a fatal punch out. Damon pulls to even on the back.

Heroics strike on 16. Clark and Chapman both drive down the pipe. Clark pulls out his clunky TourEdge muscle-back pitching wedge with rifle shaft. The club feels like it weighs 20 pounds. He hits the ground an inch and a half behind his ball and hangs his head in dejection. While picking up his divot and walking back to his bag, he hears Hal and Scotty W. applauding Damon’s approach. “Go in the hole,” says Hal. The ball goes in the hole. Eagle. Clark wasn’t even watching. For all intents and purposes the match is over.

Chapman ran away with it, winning the front, the back, the total and the 18th-hole press. Still, there were some fireworks, and some memorable holes. Not every match can be a memorable down-to-the-wire barn burner. It’s worth mentioning that Chapman, Clark, Scotty W. and Hal all par 17 – never saw that before. And then on 18, Chapman sank another 30 footer to win the press.

Note to Damon: Clark still owes you $2 for the press.