Drive, approach, putt ... EAGLE!

For the first time in my life, I felt what the pros must feel when they hit two solid shots to hit the green on a par 5 and then putt in for eagle.

I was playing the Singapore Golf Association (SGA) annual tournament (as a guest, of course) at Palm Springs in Batam. I was playing bogey golf until I came to the 6th which I triple bogeyed. So inwardly, I was thinking, there goes my round of bogey golf. But nothing would have prepared me for what was to happen on the 8th.

Since I had screwed up the 6th, everybody else had the honor to tee off before me. So one by one, I saw the guys in my group hit the left sloping rough by the fairway. As I stood on the ball, it was the first time I really felt comfortable and knew it would be a good drive. It surprised even me.

My ball soared straight down the center of the fairway and settled to 170mts (187 yards) from the green. The drive had been a mammoth 345 yard one, straight down the center of the fairway!

When I reached my ball, I knew the lie was very good and that unless I screwed up, I could reach the green in two. The second shot requires a carry over a lake which runs along the right side of the fairway and almost runs to the green. There are bunkers running all along that side of the green to trap people who "go for it" from where I was.

I took my 5 iron, made a few smooth practise swings and then reminded myself that this was my 5i yardage and that I did not have to hit it hard and aggresively to get to the green. A smooth swing would be enough.

The moment I hit the ball, I knew it was good. It didn't waver even a little bit, held the line straight to the green , dropped in the center and started to roll towards the flag. The ball stopped 8 feet from pin!

Most of the other guys were struggling to get on the green and almost all of them were on the green in four, and way further than where I was in two.

So I looked at the putt from every single angle and decided on the line going an inch to the left of the cup. Scotty stroked the putt and a second later, the ball had dropped in.

EAGLE!!!!

This was the first intentional eagle of my life...and the second ever. Though the first was a lucky shot where the approach on a par 4 went straight in the hole. This one was immensely more satisfying. A perfect drive, a perfect approach and a fabulous putt. A 2 under par for the hole!

Aaaaahhhhhh! What a feeling, I tell you. I remember very little about the round in general yesterday, except the fact that it felt like walking on air. I felt so good that I almost drove the green on the next par 4 and then parred it!

And to cap a great day, I won a 2 year membership to the SGA!

I need to go and claim my membership today.