I dread the end is near

For a year now I've been playing golf with Retro and who is going to win has never really been in doubt. He's struggled and while I have continued to bash his need to practice every day and take thousands of swings in his living room, continually threatening the well-being of his children, he has proved that practice does help.

I always told him that I would have to kill myself if he beat me (I was joking, hope he's not worried about me), and now I fear the time may be coming soon. He's actually starting to play well.

His first 3 weeks of golf league were a joke: 57, 53, 60. Then we go to Whistling Straits and while he wasn't god-like, he did shoot a 51 on the front nine and he was actually hitting the ball pretty well. We get back to league Wednesday and he fires a 47! Luckily I had a 40 so the outcome was still never in doubt.

Then we go out Friday to play nine and after 8 holes we were tied! I didn't panic and when he drove his tee shot into the bunker I knew I was safe. But just to make sure I hit my drive 270 down the middle and hit a 3-wood 225 to 4 feet. Of course I missed the eagle putt but made birdie and he made 7 and I won 44-47. But again, he shot 47! This is really something for a guy that regularly was well over 50 and his best 9 ever is a 45.

Once again we head out to play 18 Sunday morning, this time with Dr. Mike joining us. Mike decides he loves the number 6 and proceeds to have 8 of them on the front 9 (only marred by a par 3 on the 8th) and shoots 51. Retro continues his torrid pace and fires a 46, bested only by my 44. Now Mike is nervous... he's got a bet with Retro (2-1 odds on a case of Guinness) that Retro won't have a lower handicap come September 30th. Mike starts playing better on the back and Retro comes unglued for 1 hole, as he usually does, and shoots a 10 on the 11th hole. He recovers but Mike plays well enough to take advantage and when he bogeys 17 to Retro's double he makes up the 5th stroke and they're tied. I'm maintaining a slim 3 shot lead over both of them.

We head to 18 as ominous black clouds gather over head. Mike hits first and hits a short drive but he's in the fairway. Retro rams one well right of the fairway and I hit a bomb about 30 yards short of the green. We all miss the green on our second shots with Mike in the rough and Retro and I on the fringe. Mike makes a good shot but it rolls past the pin onto the back fringe. I putt up close and tap in for par. Retro putts well right of the hole and leaves himself 10 feet. Mike somehow makes his 12 footer from the fringe for par leaving Retro his 10 footer for the tie. I don't think he knew it at the time though and snuck the putt in the left side for the par and the tie. The finished with 94's (Mike 51/43, Retro 46/48), the best I've seen Retro shoot for sure. I managed a 47 on the back for 91, barely hanging on to beat him by 3. A far cry from the usual 20 stroke wins I've been having.

Now I'm the one that's nervous...