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“I’ve got to get myself a tournament,” Ace said, pounding a fist against his open hand. “Can you imagine? With this following? It’d be the biggest event of the season! There’s got to be some way to open up a weekend on the schedule.”
“Maybe if the Augusta National was buried by a volcano,” Co
Ace nodded grimly. If he perceived that Co
Co
Fitz tugged at his sleeve. “Look, before you start, let’s go over a few things.”
“Nah,” Co
“Do it? Do what? Do what you did yesterday?” Ah, now this was more like the Fitz Co
“Fitz, you know I don’t take well to scoldings. Let’s just play.”
“If you play like you did yesterday-”
“Yesterday I was playing with a nine-iron that wasn’t mine. Today I’m not. That should make a difference, don’t you think?” Co
Fitz screwed his lips together and, after transmitting a few stony glares, stomped away. Apparently even he knew when persistence was futile.
True to Co
“Now be careful,” Fitz said, bending Co
“Lay up?” Co
“I know you do. But we aren’t on the playground and this isn’t the time to show what a macho stud you are.”
“Only wussies and sissies lay up.”
“Sissies like Arnold Palmer? Wussies like Jack Nicklaus? Champions lay up, Co
“If being a champion means being a sissy, I’d just as soon not.”
“Co
“I don’t like playing it safe. Doesn’t seem right.”
“Do it anyway.”
“Mmm… nah.”
“Co
“Thank you, Bagger Vance. I’m going for it.”
Fitz looked as if he might start tearing his hair out at any moment. “Co
“I’ve made up my mind. Give me some room, okay?” Co
Co
Gasps emerged from the peanut gallery. The ball was halfway down the fairway and still flying fast. The only question was how close it would get to the green.
The ball started its downward spiral, finally plopping impressively close to the green. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there. There was a little bounce as the ball touched down… and then it began inexorably rolling downhill. It moved slowly at first, but to Co
A groan from the spectators followed the little plopping noise that told Co
“Don’t take it out on the cap,” Fitz said sharply. “It wanted you to lay up.”
Gritting his teeth, Co
No, there was no ambiguity about it now, Co
By the time they reached the seventeenth hole, relations between Co
The seventeenth hole was a par-five, but Co
Given the importance of the matter at hand, Fitz apparently found himself unable to remain quiet any longer. “Use the seven-iron. Go for four. Five, even.”
Co
Fitz clutched his forehead. “Please tell me you’re not going to try to get to the green in two.”
“I am.”
“Are you nuts? Do you not see those pot bunkers out there?”
“I’m over par.”
“What’s done is done. You can’t make up for past mistakes now. The smartest thing to do is just try to play the rest of the holes right.”
“I think I can do this in two.” He reached for a wood.
“You’re delusional! You’re in Fantasyland!”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Co
Fitz jammed the seven-iron back in its slot, and kicked the golf bag for good measure. “Why do you bother to keep me around, anyway?”
“Because you’re such a snappy dresser.”
Co
By the time he finished the eighteenth hole, there was no conversation between Co
“What are you doing here? Don’t you have some… caddie stuff to take care of?”