May 12, 2009

POWELL, OH — Honors are an intrinsic part of the game of golf. The Rules of Golf makes reference to "honors" in determining order of play. There are no penalites for playing out of order in stroke play. Honors is really just a matter of etiquette.

Michael Gibson has been playing golf for years. He has played many different courses including both public and private. He has experienced the shanks, a frustrating hook, and a club-breaking duff. He has even experienced a decuple bogey, but had never seen a nonuple bogey with privileges.

The rules of golf suggests that "honors" is the golfer who hits first from the tee box. On the first tee, honors can be determined randomly or by any means desired. Thereafter, the golfer with the lowest stroke score on the preceding hole gets honors on the next tee.

Michael Gibson and Pat McElroy joined Greg Long and Bill Bateson to brave the US Open rough and 35 mph winds at Scioto Reserve Golf & Athletic Club on Saturday. Everyone had their problems during the round, but not like Gibson at the 15th hole and especially at the 16th tee box.

"Your up," said Pat McElroy to Gibson at the 16th tee box. "I had a 13." Gibson replied with a chuckle, "No. Your up. I had a 14."

The 15th hole is a dogleg right par 4 with a small lake that hugs the right side from tee to green. Both McElroy and Gibson found the water numerous times, which resulted in a nonuple and decuple bogeys. Partner Greg Long took at quadruple bogey and teed second at the 16th hole.

"It was quite a disaster," says Gibson of the 15th hole. "Nobody mentioned my par at the 16th hole. I took 11 strokes off in one hole. The back nine was brutal today, but even good weather requires my head to be down while hitting driver."

Gibson, Bateson, McElroy, and Long all shot 50+ strokes on the back nine Saturday. McElroy racked up bysep brusing and 81 strokes.

"I did bogey the 11th hole," said Pat McElroy after the round. "It wasn't a complete disaster." McElroy scored 13 points on Saturday and received 20 points for the course difficulty.

Gibson scored a pairing-high 52 points and moved into 27th position with the 2009 Virtual Tournament. Bateson moved into 26th position and Slick scored just 51 points moving into 29th position.