Not all have the opportunity to play in the annual Fil-Am Invitational in Baguio City, Aniversario Partolan considers himself lucky that he gets to play for the seventh time.
“I wasn’t able to join the last time which is okay because I’m not a good player and those who played were deserving,” said the 59-year-old project engineer representing Tieza Club Intramuros Team 1.
An on-and-off golfer since 1998, Partolan carries a 20-handicap at Club Intramuros but is having a hard time coming up with a decent score at Camp John Hay Golf Club, considered the easier of two courses used in the annual team event.
Partolan has not counted for the team for two straight rounds, but this is par for the course. What embarrasses him the most is his two-day output – 4 points.
On Thursday, he made his first and only par after 36 holes and closed with a bogey to make 3 points in the second round.
It was a modest improvement from his score during the previous round where he made only one bogey.
“I thought I would end up scoreless,” he said, recalling his first round.
“It was a little frustrating because I kept on three-putting the greens.”
When he thought the ball was going in, the ball would swerve right or left.
After picking up in the first 10 holes, Partolan heaved a sigh of relief when he bogeyed the par-4 second hole. The team started on the back nine.
“I drove before the fairway bunker, hit my second shot before the green and was on in three and two-putted,” he recounted.
“I thought I would be okay, but then, I drove out of bounds on the next hole.”
On the fourth, Partolan drove into the bunker and took shots too many to get out. He went on to finish the round without scoring a point.
He admitted to getting nervous after being assigned to the Fil-E division.
“I was forcing my shots and changing my swings. I should have been more relaxed,” Partolan said.
His teammates sympathized with him and told him to take it easy.
“They told me to not force the issue because the par-4 holes have been lengthened. Hit the green in three and two-putt,” Partolan quoted his teammates as saying.
The agony continued for the Tieza official as he picked up in the first 15 holes before finally hitting paydirt in the last three holes.
Quitting never crossed his mind despite the ordeal.
“I see them as a challenge to do better next time,” said Partolan, admitting that this is his worst performance so far.
Partolan sits in last place in the Group 6 individual division. Mercifully, there is one player who has so far scored 3 points in Group 9.
He said he normally plays once every two months because of his job. He was able to play twice a week only this month at Club Intramuros.
After a rest day, Partolan resumes his hunt for points at the Baguio Country Club this weekend.
