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Pro matched me and we were tied through one. Long par four is next as we head back to the clubhouse. I stroked a decent drive down the left side but ended up in the rough. Thankfully, I had a ridiculously good lie and had the EXACT same yardage that I had on the first hole: 218 yards. For whatever reason, I picked a 4-iron again, likely due to the fact I didn't have a lot of confidence in my rescue club at the time. Of course, 218 yards uphill and into a slight breeze meant I ended up short. But I missed the mammoth bunker that fronts the green and had another easy pitch shot to the pin that was cut near the front of the green. Unfortunately, I got a bit quick with it and my ball rolled 15 feet past. My first putt was right on line but a bit too frisky, ending up about four feet by. I'd miss the comebacker for an ugly double bogey six.
Pro made a bomb from 30 feet to save an unlikely bogey after he got into trouble off the tee, so he's one up in our straight up match. This is an interesting hole. It's a relatively straightaway par four with a center line cross bunker about 180 yards off the tee. However, the hillside to the right of the fairway offers a little visual deception and the way the bunker is angled gives the player the impression that the hole is a dogleg right. I ended up cutting my drive slightly and while I thought I was in good shape, my caddy said it would be a tough shot into the green from there. By playing down the right, I brought the front bunker into play and I learned my second lesson about playing Riviera: placement off the tee is of paramount importance. I hit a bit of a double-cross with my 9-iron approach and ended up in the rough to the left of the green.
It wasn't an overly difficult chip shot but the kikuyu got the best of me for the first time on the day. I hit what normally would be a great shot in Canada, a little chip into the collar, but it just died right on impact, even though it was shortly-trimmed fringe. From there, I hit another horrible putt way past the hole and again missed the comebacker, making my second double in a row. At this point, I really haven't made a poor swing but I'm four over through three. Pro made another nice up and down for par and was two up. This hole is an absolute animal. 236 yards into the breeze with bunkers surrounding the entire front of the green. In the old days, players were able to play to the right and get the old 'member's bounce' back toward the green. However, that stategy became obsolete with the planting of the kikuyu grass, which just doesn't allow for any release off the hillside.
So that meant I'd have to hit the ball over those bunkers and try to softly land it on the putting surface. I'd have to get over my fear of the hybrid club, something this shot absolutely demanded. I pulled my 3-iron rescue from the bag and made a perfect pass at the ball. I looked up and watched it soar right at the flagstick, hit about five feet short of the pin and roll about 15 feet past. I hit a great putt and left it right on the bloody lip, tapping in for a VERY satisfying par. Pro made an incredible up and down here after snapping his tee shot way left. He pitched to about 15 feet and made it, something that was becoming quite common through the early goings. What a great golf hole! A tree-lined dogleg left with out of bounds to the right, helped somewhat by the fact that the fairway slopes severely from the right to left as well. From there, you have a mid-to-short iron shot downhill over a huge grassy knoll and over the barranca to a green that is pitched in similar fashion to the fairway: right to left.
