By Ian Callen
Former North Ringwood fast bowler Malcolm Moore recently won the RACV Healesville “Friday Shoot Out”, an elimination event.
Who better to play the Par 4, 3rd the ‘Hump Back’ than a man so respected for his easy going pleasant demeanour and such a fierce competitive instincts inherited from?
With a 14 handicap, Malcom Moore arrives at the tee block to turn and face Mt Rael in the distance; knowing he’s not eligible for Stableford stroke allowance.
For those who haven’t played it, the trip from tee to the pin is about 330 metres downhill via a fairway that falls left to right before it dips to a humped back green with steep gradients at the rear.
Moore finds a spot between the markers, sets his ball up in the tee box, hesitates and returns to his bag, where he replaces his driver for an iron, executes a couple of practice swings. Returning to his ball he sets the target line, addresses his ball, loads up and unleashes the type of blow a prize fighter might give to an opponent’s mid section; the ball screams above the distant skyline towards trees to the left before banking right to fall out of sight.
Following his electric buggy to the fairway the picture becomes clear. Moore’s tee shot had landed and jagged like a fast bowler’s off cutter down that infamous Lords slope; leaving it perfectly positioned at the 150 marker.
The distance to the green allowed Moore to pull his favourite ping from his bag. His second shot is just as crisp as the first; the ball rises high and plunges into the hump of the green to kick and roll to within metres of the pin.
Malcolm Moore has made it look all so easy; two perfect irons, a simple read and a putt to roll it home for birdie and 3 stableford points.
Next week it’s the Par 3, 4th, ‘The Gully’.
