April 25-29 - DGV Matchplay Trophy

This week keeps me in Germany, circa 4 hours NE of home in Frankfurt.  We are playing the German Matchplay Trophy, where the top 32 ranked players in Germany are invited to partake in a matchplay duel, leaving one man standing on Sunday.    

Here are some shots of inside Frankfurt.  Amazing city, but a bit too aphotic for me.  Hardly a comparison to Munich :)

Festivities started April 24th at the cocktail drawings party, where the top 8 players were given seeds, and the rest were drawn out in style to complete the bracket of 32.  I was given the 3 seed and immediately my mind raced to possible play-outs... If I win, I'll likely have #1 seed Staben in the semi-finals and my friend S. Still in the finals.  Probably not the right approach, but that's just how my mind runs.  

DGV Bracket pre tournament

Round 1.

My first round opponent is D. Pietsch, also from Bavaria.  He made me look like a pawn from the Tee by averaging a good 15 past me.  I'm not going to get into too much detail, but I won the first hole, he wins with birdies on the 5th and 6th, and I steal hole 7 with an unexpected birdie.  We are All Square through 8.  I take 9 with a par, and my putter heats up and I one-putt the next 4, winning 10, 11, 12, 13.  I was -4 after 14, and the match was over 6 & 4. 

The #1 seed B. Staben unexpectedly lost in the first round, stomping my plans of a colossal semi-final.

Day 2 - round of 16.    

My next opponent is young-phenom Dominic Foos.  He is 16 years old and plays off of +3.1.  Great 2nd round opponent, I thought to myself as I looked him up the night before.  He's 16, and we are playing matchplay.  Perfect.

Well google immediately spit out some numbers were I did a double take.  He just returned from Dubai after shooting a 62 in a pro-am and played for the German National Men's team last year at European Nations where he had the lowest stroke play round of the Germans.  Our match is the "featured match" of Day 2.

Hole 1 starts off like a peach, where I put my 6 iron to 6 feet.  Domi's par is conceded and I miss my short putt to win the first hole.  Not the best way to put him under pressure, which was my planned strategy.  This is reaffirmed as he drains long birdies on 2 and 4, where I was proximity to the hole, yet missed.  I'm 2 down through 4. 

I finally get something going on 8, making a difficult downhill birdie to go back to 1 down.  This is only reversed on 9, where Domi nearly holes out in two from 170.  His birdie is conceded, I miss my long put.  I win 11, he wins 12 and I cannot birdie the par 5-15th, which he of course does.  I'm not playing terrible, 2 under par and dormie 3 down!  But my desire to win hasn't faded and I fight to win 16 and nearly make a 2 on the par 5 17th, to also win that hole.  I'm 1-dn going to 18.

18 is a beautiful par 4 with an elevated tee box.  I give 100% and hit my best drive all day, finally putting some pressure on this kid.  He stands tall, nods at his caddy and splits the fairway.  He has 184 and I have 168 to pin. 

After some discussion, Domi finally hits his shot and it's absolutely perfect.  Tour-fade 5 iron.  A tap in birdie.  Standing ovation.  Great - I need to hole out to extend the match.  My 7 iron is right on line and carries to pin by 2 meters.  Good game.

I'm out in the round of 16, ironically, to a 16 year old.      

  

I played 3 more successful consolation matches for placement and finished 12th.  

Remember the name, Dominic Foos.  He went on the win the entire matchplay tournament, fighting back from 4 down in the finals.  He is the youngest ever National Matchplay Champion.  

I'm off the Lytham St. Anne's, England Wednesday morning to play the Lytham Trophy at Royal Lytham GC.  This is also the site of the 2012 British Open.  I'm very excited.  Half of my suitcase is backed with sweaters, long underwear and rain gear.  This is far from home for Florida boy.