This year I tried out for the Boys’ Varsity Golf team as a 7th grader. I made the team and a few games later, I had earned the number one spot on the team. In our league, we play six against six. The number one from one team plays the number one from the other team, the number two plays the number two, and so on. Then we split it up so there are 15 points available. For example, one team could win 14-1 and another 8-7. You can get one point for winning by getting the lowest score, and you can also get a point for winning the most holes, and once everyone is done, you take the four lowest scores from each team and see which team has the lowest. This gets you 3 points.

Anyway every year there is a League Tournament and it rotates courses throughout the league. This year it was the Canajoharie Country Club. It was a beautiful day outside and a day out of class. When I got there, I found out I would be playing with some of the best players in our league. We started out on this long par three. It goes up a hill and then there is water on the left. All of the people in my group went in front of me and I was last to hit. They all hit their shots really close so there was a lot of pressure on me. I walked right up to my ball and hit it closer than all of them. This was the start of my great day. After four or five more holes, I was still on track and playing great. When I got to the 14th hole, I got hungry and opened my packet of jerky. I had hit one great shot and was ahead of everyone else. While I was waiting for other people to hit, I was shoving my face full of jerky. You can’t blame me though–I was hungry and it was delicious. When it was my turn, I was faced with this downhill and really hard breaking to the right chip. The pin was really close to the front of the green and there wasn’t much room to work with. I decided that I should chip it short and let it roll down the hill. I did that and guess what? It hit the flagstick and went right in. I think it was because of the juicy beef jerky.

After a few more holes, I finished that nine with a score of 40. That amazing score tied my best score ever. I try not to look at my scorecard when I am playing because I get too excited and then it usually doesn’t end well. When I was on hole three, I was talking to some other people in a different group and we were talking about how well we were doing. The league champion, who has won for the last three years, tells me what he is at. Then of course, I add up my score and compare it to his (which I shouldn’t have done). I found out I was tied with him and there were four holes left. At this point, my heart was racing like crazy because I had a chance to beat a senior AND WIN THE LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP. Even with all the pressure, I pushed through and ended up with a 39 for those nine holes. That is now my new best for nine holes and that gives me a 79 for eighteen holes, by far my best. This amazing round of 79 tied me for 2nd place. This day was unbelievable and I won’t forget it.