Gross Doubles Match Update - July 19,2022
Bussmann/Gustafson vs Date/Larson
Prologue:
The Teams arranged the match for 1152AM on Monday July 19, 2021, at Gross National. The combatants introduced each other and set about figuring out the handicap strokes for the match.
Steve Date was the low handicap player with a course handicap of 6. His Teammate Steve Larson had an 8, Paul Bussmann a 20, and Paul Gustafson a 23. Steve Date played at scratch (Np handicap) as the low player in the group, Steve Larson got 2 strokes, Paul Bussmann 14 strokes, and Paul Gustafson 17 strokes.
The Bussmann/Gustafson team won the tee flip and off we went
Front Nine:
The front nine was an amazing back and forth struggle between the teams. The Bussmann/Gustafson team won holes 1, 5, and 7. The Date/Larson team won holes 2, 3, and 9. Three holes were halved. Steve Larson scored birdies on the three holes that the Date/Larson team won, and we quickly labeled Steve Larson “The Bird Man”. Steve Date drove the ball beautifully and recorded 8 pars and 1 bogey for a score of 36. Steve Larson shot a 39 with three birdies, Paul Bussmann a 45, and Paul Gustafson a score of 44. The match was all square after 9 holes.
Back Nine:
Paul Gustafson parred 10 and 11, resulting in net birdies and hole wins for the Bussmann/Gustafson team. The teams tied holed 12 and 13 as Steve Larson just missed a birdie on #12 and Steve Date on #13. On the 14th hole, Steve Larson got his second handicap stroke of the day. The Bussmann/Gustafson group was worried. Paul Bussmann hit his second green in regulation for the day with a hybrid from 175 yards and 2 putted to put the Bussmann/Gustafson team 3 up with 4 holes to go. On the 15th Paul Bussmann recorded a two-putt par and Steve Date, after a 280-yard drive, just missed his birdie putt. The Bussmann/Gustafson team won #15 with a net birdie and closed out the match with a 4 and 3 victory.
Epilogue:
This was great match and all players played well despite the hot weather in the 90’s for the match.
Steve Date had a gross score of 77/Net score of 71
Steve Larson had a gross score of 76/Net Score of 68
Paul Bussmann had a gross score of 89/Net score of 69
Paul Gustafson had a gross score of 88/Net score of 65
The beauty of match play is that you often get to play against Men’s club members that you had never played with. I had never played with Steve Date and Steve Larson, and it was a treat to see them work their way around the course. Steve Date is a great driver of the golf ball and he hit some long drives. Steve Larson is more of a tactician, and he is a fine putter. Most of his putts look they will go into the hole, and we were surprised when they missed.
Watch for the next update as the Bussmann/Gustafson team head to their third match in August.