Cameron Morfit Blot
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<P _extended="true">Cameron Morfit blasted out of the sand on the 12th hole at Augusta National. Yes, he's played the ultimate course, but he's not a pro yet.
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<H1 _extended="true">From 6 to Scratch: Still Fighting the Lefts
<P class=subhead _extended="true"><SPAN class=byline _extended="true">By <SPAN class=byline_name _extended="true"><A title="Cameron Morfit" href="http://www.golf.com/golf/writer_repository?scontrib=Cameron+Morfit&column=contributor" _extended="true">Cameron Morfit<BR _extended="true">Senior Writer, GOLF Magazine<BR _extended="true"><SPAN class=timestamp _extended="true">Published: November 11, 2007<BR _extended="true"><BR _extended="true">
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<P _extended="true"><EM _extended="true">This is part of a <A href="http://www.golf.com/golf/search/results/1,28208,,00.html?squery=6+to+scratch&archive=&x=0&y=0" _extended="true">regular series that will chronicle <A href="http://www.golf.com/golf/writer_repository/1,28280,,00.html?scontrib=Cameron+Morfit&column=contributor" _extended="true">Cameron Morfit's attempt to erase his handicap. If you have questions or comments for Cameron, send them to <A href="mailto:golfletters@golf.com?subject=6toScratch" _extended="true">golfletters@golf.com.
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<P _extended="true">BOISE, Idaho — I played 18 with the reigning Idaho Open champion, Scott Masingill, the other day, and he shot the easiest looking 69 you'll ever see. I fired a smooth 84 with two birdies, an opening double-bogey and a whole lotta bogeys.
<P _extended="true">The crazy thing is I drove it great. (If you're ever in Payette, Idaho, play <STRONG _extended="true"><A href="http://www.golf.com/golf/courses_travel/coursefinder/course/0,28290,1289188,00.html" _extended="true">Scotch Pines. Masingill and his dad built pretty much the whole 18.)
<P _extended="true">In my quest to go from a 6 handicap to a scratch I can see glimpses of the player I could become. Thanks to <A href="http://www.golf.com/golf/instruction/article/0,28136,1656824,00.html" _extended="true">new clubs, a personal trainer and a handful of lessons, I hit more good shots, make more birdies and even card an eagle every so often. I hit it longer, thanks to <A href="http://www.golf.com/golf/equipment/finder/gear/0,28426,1584216,00.html" _extended="true">my new driver and maybe the fact that I've lost 15 pounds of fat and gained 9 of muscle.
<P _extended="true">Alas, I still suffer from the Big Miss. This is the result of a stronger left-hand grip, which continues to lead to the occasional wild hook and, just as damning, the premonition that one is on its way. (Which of course leads to a block-push out to the right.)
<P _extended="true">The other issue is my short game. I couldn't putt worth a damn the other day, and I get the feeling my stroke is way off. I can see the line but I can't seem to hit it there. My chipping, usually one of my strengths, isn't so hot, either.
<P _extended="true">Basically I'm not playing enough golf. It's getting almost too cold to play here in Boise, as it is in most places in the United States, but that's a lame excuse. Masingill can putt. Boy can he putt. He expects to make them from 30 feet, and when he doesn't he's usually close.
<P _extended="true">Then again, he's won the Idaho Amateur about 10 times. He shot 59 to win the Idaho Open this year, and he's in Florida for the second stage of <A href="http://www.pgatour.com/qschool/" target=new _extended="true">Champions tour Q-school this week.
<P _extended="true">As a collegian at Oregon State he played against such PGA Tour luminaries as Craig Stadler (USC), Tom Watson (Stanford) and Peter Jacobsen (Oregon).
<P _extended="true">Even in those days Jacobsen was a world-class mimic, and Masingill recalled a tournament in which they were paired together. Both shot a pedestrian 73 in the first round, so they were paired again for round two. That's when Jacobsen decided to channel Arnold Palmer.
<P _extended="true">The big, bold swing with the whirlybird finish, the hitching up of the pants — Jacobsen embodied every Arnie tick for all 18 holes.
<P _extended="true">And he shot 68. Masingill shot another 73.
<P _extended="true">"That's when I realized," Scott said, "This guy might be better than I am."
<P _extended="true">After my craziest miss of the day, a 9-iron from the fairway that soared 20 yards left of the green (which had a right pin), I asked Scott to intervene. He said misses like that were often caused by a failure to shift one's weight onto the left side, and that I ought to visualize hitting a cut. This led to some of my best shots of the day, including a drive that nipped hisown solid strike by a yard or two.
<P _extended="true">I'm encouraged. I want to play more golf, and for the sake of my game, I need to.
<P _extended="true"><STRONG _extended="true"><A href="http://www.golf.com/golf/search/results/1,28208,,00.html?squery=6+to+scratch&archive=&x=0&y=0" _extended="true">Read the rest of the series.
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