Sept 8th - German Amateur Championship

I apologize for the delay - the last 2 events between Switzerland and now I will write-up after the German.  The tournament now is live and underway.  The German Amateur is our version of the US Amateur except it is played out in 4 rounds of stroke play, no match play.  We are in Hannover, Germany at GC Gleidingen where they hosted the PGA of Germany a few weeks ago.  The winner of that tournament, (-2).  Looking in every direction, I see endless windmills and dunes.  Why?  This place averages about a 25 mph wind.  We played the first round in 50* weather and rain, and 25-35 kmh winds.  Brutal.  The greens are enormous and very fast.  The DGV had to replace a pin during the round because the ball would not stay in place around the hole.  The wind simply blew the ball off the green.

German Amateur Homepage

Link to Live Scoring

The leader board had to be taken down due to the wind.

OK, enough of me telling you how difficult it is :).  My DGV handicap of +4.3 placed me in the first group with Germany's best Marcel Schneider (+5.1), and Benedict Staben (+4.1).  I've never played with Marcel, but I've heard stories.  To no big surprise, in the first 8 holes he holed every put from every location.  It was a different class of golf, easily going -5 in impossible conditions.  Touche.

I clawed hard to make my pars, staying +1 through 7.  Relatively content, I find myself 6 back of Schneider.  Hmmmm.  

On the very difficult 8th, we were hitting 3-woods on a 195 yard hole to a half island-green.  Dead into the wind.  We all miss right so we could take a shot at par and move on.  From the rough, I play a flop to a downhill, downwind pin.  It takes about 10 seconds from the point of landing to get to the hole, or better yet, into the hole.  Birdie on 8 easily gives me 2 shots on the field.  What a bonus.  

Number 9 was also a beast into the wind.  Par 4, 430 yards with water all the way down the right and in front of the green, waste area left, and OB over the green.  I hit driver - hybrid to 4 feet, make the putt.  Another bonus, putting me -1.  Schneider and Staben play the 2 holes in +1; 3 shot swing.  I continue the momentum train and birdie 10 and 13, going -3, co-leader with Staben and Schneider.   

The finish.  As you can imagine, 17 and 18 on this quality of course are designed to put your round to the test.  17 (below) is a close-to-a-replica of TPC Sawgrass's 17 island green par 3.  Except we are playing in 25 mph winds.            

I miss the green but am fortunate to stay out of the water.  I still make an unnecessary bogey.  18, similar to 9 is a longer par 4, into the wind, with ob right and water left.  9 and 18 have one enormous double green with pins about 70 yards apart and a large lake in between the fairways.  I hit driver and a 4 iron from 155 yards, which was still not enough club.  Water.  I drop, pitch, 2-putt, double bogey.  Thank you very much.  72 in round one.  Normally I am fully content, but given the finish...  Anyway, I'm T-8 of 90.  The leader is -3.  Schneider and Staben both bogey 18 and shoot 70.