by Portia Bennett
By Portia Bennett
This story takes place in the world described in The Cynthia Chronicles. It is now twelve years since the conclusion of Cynthia and the High School Years — Part 2. Bobbie (Schmedlap) Anderson is playing in the most important golf tournament in her young life. Since turning pro after her graduation from college, she set the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) tour on fire, winning just about everything in sight. Now she is playing in both the LPGA and PGA, and continuing to win. As you read, you will find out how she arrived at where she is. She has done it with the support of her husband and high school sweetheart, Andy Anderson, who is a pretty good golfer, too. She is now locked in a head to head battle with a male chauvinist golfer who has made it known that the idea of a woman golfer on the PGA is repugnant, especially in this particular tournament. It doesn’t help that Bobbie has defeated him in the past. Some of you may recognize what tournament they are playing in right away. It won’t be kept from you for very long, if you don’t know.
For the last few months, Bobbie has been receiving threatening notes, vowing to expose her as a witch. If it was done, it would destroy her and Andy’s careers as professional golfers. It would also cause serious damage to the magic world, and would probably lead to the destruction of professional sports, in general. Who could be doing this, and why? What can Cindy, Bobbie, The Wizard, and the rest of their friends, magical and non-magical do to prevent this disaster?
The bulk of this story takes place over one day. There are eighteen chapters (holes), plus the Nineteenth Hole. I then added four more chapters to follow what happened to the antagonists over the following years. Those last four chapters might become part of a future story.
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy, Bobbie, and the rest and how they arrived where they are now, you should probably read them. Start with An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, and Cynthia and the High School Years — Parts 1 & 2.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations. I’m sure that could happen at any time.
Once again, Holly did an outstanding job of fixing my punctuation errors and occasional wanderings into gibberish. My thanks also go to Beachbud, Michell, and Djkauf for their subjective proofing and comments.
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 1 — Tea Olive, Par 4, 455 yards
“You can do it. Just keep it to the left of the bunkers just like you’ve done it for the last three days.
“How are you feeling? Any nausea?”
“No, I was fine when I got up, and breakfast seems to want to stay down.”
“You can do this Bobbie. You’re right there. There could be a two stroke swing on any hole. Just play your game and we’ll talk about the options when we come to them. Take a deep breath. They hit their second shots. We’re up.”
A loud ‘pop’ over the speakers indicated the starter had turned the microphone on. “Ladies and gentlemen, the final pairing of the day: From Bridgeport, Connecticut, at eight under par, Bobbie Anderson.”
She was hitting her driver. Her slow back swing was deceiving. Her swing was not. She hit the low draw she had been hitting for years. It headed for the bunkers on the right, before turning toward the center of the fairway. Her ball stopped just past the leading edge of the first bunker.
She handed her driver to Andy and he cleaned it off before covering it and putting it back in the bag. It was a beautiful place: park-like with flowering shrubs and trees everywhere. The beauty was not lost on them, but for the next five hours, or so, it would be strictly business. The beautiful shrubs, azaleas, dogwoods, redbud, and pines lining the fairways would be their enemy, and the less they saw of them, the better.
The starter turned on the mike, “From Saugus, California, at ten under par, and the defending champion, James Campion.”
Campion, a notoriously long hitter, teed up with the driver in hand. He didn’t need a driver even on most of the longer holes. He had an agenda and had made it clear the previous day’s news conference. “She is a joke, a fluke, no, a freak of nature. They should check her DNA.” His tee shot cleared the bunker on the right by five yards, giving him an easy wedge to the green. He was a good thirty yards ahead of Bobbie’s tee shot. The crowd cheered their favorite, not that Bobbie didn’t have a huge following of her own.
As he leaned over to pick up his tee, he looked at Bobbie. His sneer was obvious to those around the tee, and to millions watching the tournament on television. Bobbie gave him a most beautiful smile in return, which for her was not a difficult thing to do.
The golf pundits on TV commented about their difference in distance, “She’s at a two, three, or even four club disadvantage against the men. I know she’s probably the longest hitter on the LPGA, but she just can’t hold up against the men, especially on a course like this.”
“Al, I’m not sure what you’re talking about. She’s played in this tournament for five straight years and has not only made the cut every time, has finished in the top ten every year. But for an unfortunate club choice, she might have won two years ago.
“Your problem is just like all the members of this club. They tried everything in the world to keep her from playing here, but could never come up with a legitimate reason to prevent her playing. She met all the criteria and she has played the course better than most of the men. She hasn’t missed a fairway all week, and has missed only two of ten up and downs. The only negative is that she hasn’t made an eagle, but that’s hardly a negative. She’s birdied four of the par fives and eight other holes against only four bogies. If it wasn’t for Campion, she’d be three shots in front right now. I think we need to sit back and watch one of the most skilled golfers in the world, woman or man.”
Earlier in the Year
“The Ad Hoc Committee formed to investigate allegations of the use of witchcraft to influence sports events will come to order,” Esmeralda Alden was sitting at the position of power and started the meeting. The family room at the Schmedlap’s house was usually the scene of happier events than this. Bobbie had nervously greeted Esmeralda Mather and Evelyn Alden at the front door a few minutes before. She noticed that they had arrived without their car: something they seemed to do more and more.
There weren’t many witches who could transport with ease. It was something that seemed to develop with maturity among the witches, and Esmeralda and Evelyn were both well over three hundred years old. But even with the older witches, the talent wasn’t that common. Of course, The Wizard did it with ease. In fact, it was his preferred method of transportation. The Wizard and Wolf had arrived early in the afternoon. It was now 8:00 in the evening, and Wolf was off with the cats, kittens and younger children.
“Let’s review the facts as we know them. Bobbie, why don’t you start?”
Bobbie looked around the room. Everyone she loved and admired were there, at least all the adults were. The children were being looked after at the Lewis’s home. This was just a fact-finding meeting. She knew she hadn’t done anything wrong, but if the allegations got out, her whole life as a golfer would be destroyed. She would never be able to show her face on a golf course again. What made it even worse was that the love of her life would never be able to play either.
“As you know, I started receiving letters in the mail two months ago. Whoever wrote them said he or she knew I was a witch, and that I was using witchcraft to win the tournaments I have won. They also accused me of using witchcraft to enable Andy to win his tournaments on the Nationwide Tour, plus enabling him to finish where he has been finishing on the PGA Tour. You have copies of all the letters. Esmeralda has the originals.”
“Yes, they are right here. His Wisdom has examined them and is ready with his report.
“Your Wisdom.”
“Thank you, Ezzie. I have had the opportunity to examine the letters and the envelopes. There is no question that whoever sent them is from the magic world. Someone tried to erase any personal aura traces, and they succeeded. However, all of the letters and envelopes retained a trace of the spell. It’s sort of like a soap residue left after laundering some clothes.
“The paper stock used to print the letters is the same. In fact, it came from the same ream. Likewise, the envelopes came from the same package. The envelopes are postmarked from different cities in the New England area. That’s no big deal. Anyone could easily do that.”
Andy was contemplating what might happen if word got out that a professional athlete was using magic to improve his or her performance. This was far worse than any chemical enhanced performance scandal. “Your Wisdom, why would anyone do something like this? I don’t see where the payoff is. The damage would be far more serious to the magic world than whatever it would do to Bobbie and me. Yes, our athletic careers would be over, but far worse would be the fact that the existence of magic would become well known, and in a negative way. This is assuming, of course, that the existence of magic could be proven.
“We know that someone with magic powers is behind this. I think the sole intent is to scare Bobbie off the tour; maybe me, as well. Why would they do that?”
“I think I know,” The Wizard said quietly, “however, I don’t think we have that much to worry about right now. Whoever is doing this doesn’t want Bobbie on the tour for two reasons. Bobbie is such a damn good golfer without magic, that she is a threat to this person’s status. The second thing is that someone is using magic to enhance his career.”
“That certainly makes sense,” Bobbie responded. “It wouldn’t take much magic to influence a round of golf. Just one or two little ‘nudges’ a round can make all the difference in the world. Look at what could have happened at the Masters a while ago. A blossom from a pine tree fell in the path of Phil Mickelson’s putt, knocking it off line. Fortunately, it didn’t affect the outcome in his case, but it could have. I could easily cause a bee to sting a player at a critical moment. I could subtly push a ball away from a hole or into a hole. I never would, but it would be easy to do.
“What would I gain by cheating in a game I love so much? Not a damn thing. I can see it now: a group of witches playing a round of golf and all score eighteen for the round. What’s the point? I would never cheat, even though Gramma Naomi made sure I couldn’t use magic in sports.”
“Bobbie, I need to tell you something. I never did cast that spell. That would have been mind control, and I could never do that to my granddaughter. You were so young then, such a happy, beautiful little girl, and I wasn’t sure how the fact that you were a witch would have affected you. I know now I should have never said anything like that. I’m so sorry I did. Please forgive me.”
“Gramma, I think I really knew that. Gosh, I had been a physical girl for just a little over a year then. Cindy and I were having so much fun. We still are. Who would have guessed?”
Esmeralda noticed that Myrna Moscowitz had something to say. “Myrna, you have a comment?”
“Yes, first of all, I would like to thank you for asking Avery and me to attend this meeting. We both feel it is quite an honor.”
“Myrna, I think you know how we feel about you and Avery. You are very important to us and our future. You honor us by being here.”
“Well, thank you again … now I’ve lost my train of thought.”
Avery whispered something into her ear.
“Oh, yes, silly me, I want to be able to sample those envelopes. If the person who sent them licked the glue, he or she left DNA. I can analyze it, and at least get a DNA chart on the perpetrator or perpetrators. If it ever comes down to proving who sent them, we might have irrefutable evidence. We are building quite a file of DNA information, by the way, thanks to the volunteers.”
“I think Myrna should get all the envelopes right now,” The Wizard commented. “I know she’ll take great care of the evidence, and she knows how to get it back to us.
“As far as Bobbie, Andy, and golf go, I think we can ignore this for the moment. For the reasons we’ve already discussed, I think it is obvious that this person’s sole intent is to scare Bobbie off the tour. To that extent, I think we can ignore this threat, because there is nothing they can do.
“We do need to find out who is doing this, though. This is the type of situation that needs to be stopped as soon as possible. There are some serious implications for all of us.”
Back to the Present
“Anderson is hitting first. Campion outdrove her by forty yards. This is what I was talking about earlier. What’s she hitting; five or six? He’s hitting a sand wedge, if that.
“The pin’s in the back right; the usual location for the final round. The greens are starting to get crusty, and they’re very fast.”
“She’s hitting a six iron,” the on-course announcer offered. “She has a good lie. It is a bit uphill to an undulating green. Okay, she’s given it a good chance with that swing. If it’s long enough, it’s right on line.”
“She cleared the bunker just fine. She might have been about a half club short. Her ball stopped about twenty five feet short of the pin. It’ll be pretty straight, with a bit of a break to the right the last few feet.
“Okay, here’s Campion with a sand wedge. He’ll be disappointed if he can’t get it within ten feet.
“Oops, he’s not happy with that shot at all. He’s pulled it, and it might not stay on the green. Well, he got lucky. It’s just rolled to the fringe. There were a couple of shots like that earlier today that rolled all the way off the back. With that pin location that’s almost a sure bogie. No one’s gotten up and down from down there all day.”
There was the usual banter among the announcers as the two made their way to the green. Campion was several feet closer to the pin than Bobbie. The camera and the announcers picked up on the fact he seemed to be nervous. He kept glancing around as Bobbie placed her ball back at her mark after Andy cleaned it for her. She lined it up and calmly stroked it toward the hole. It broke just like the announcer said it would, and stopped about eighteen inches to the right of the hole. She calmly walked to the ball, lifted and replaced it, and stroked it into the hole. She received a loud cheer from the massive crowd.
Campion opted to chip the ball and almost mishit it. The ball stopped five feet from the hole. He fretted over the putt for a long time. The putt, when he finally stroked it, barely crept into the low side of the hole.
“Seventeen holes to go, and Campion still has a two stroke lead. Campion’s at ten under par, and Anderson is at minus eight.”
”ƒ
Chapter 2 — Pink Dogwood, Par 5, 575 Yards
The Present — On the Course
“Andy, that putt should never have gone in. It should have kept breaking to the right, but it didn’t. It curled to the left against the grain.”
“Sweetheart, you played it perfectly. Don’t worry about him. He’s scared of you, and you’re a better golfer. Just keep playing your game. Okay, this is a three wood and a layup. Hit the wedge right and you have an easy birdie. He’s going to self destruct. You can bet on it.
“Just do it like you always have: three wood down the right side, lay up with the seven.”
Campion had the honor, and hit one of his patented humongous drives. It worked against him this time. He hit it through the dogleg, and it trickled into the short rough.
From the Announcer’s Booth
“Al, I don’t think there’s any question that he will go for the green, but with that pin in the far right, I don’t think he can go for the pin. The lie is pretty good in the short rough, but he might catch a flyer.”
“I think you’re right.
“Anderson has never tried to go for this pin any of the times she’s played, and this time doesn’t look any different. I think she’s going with the 3-wood again. Obviously, she’s going to lay up.”
Eight Years Before
Bobbie, her body and hair wrapped in towels, walked to the the incessantly ringing phone. She made it before it cut to the recording. It was Cindy. “Hi, Cindy”
“Bobbie, have you seen Sports illustrated?”
“No, what about it?”
“You’re on the cover.”
“What!”
“You’re the Sportsman/Sportswoman of the Year. Didn’t you know they were going to do that?”
“Not really. They wanted to take some pictures, and I let them. They said they were going to do an article about my golf. They did say something about wanting me to do some pictures for the swimsuit issue next spring.”
“Bobbie, they have that old picture of you and me in the article when we were fourteen. They photo shopped the hell out of it and we look like twenty-five year-old beach bimbos. Actually, we look pretty damn hot. It’s the same photo they used a couple of years ago.
“Are you really going to do the swim suit issue? You may never be able to live it down.”
“I’ll do it if you’ll do it with me. You know what I said. If you got it, flaunt it. I think it would be a lot of fun. Besides, they will pay us fifty grand.”
“You said ‘us’. Have you already told them that I might do it?”
“Well, they did ask. I know we don’t need the money, but it might help get the sponsors and endorsements when I go pro.
“Andy and I have been talking about it, and he’s okay with it. He’s doing well on the Nationwide tour, and will probably qualify for the big time next year. We think the husband-wife professional golfer thing might bring in some good sponsors. Our agent thinks so, too.”
“Bobbie, I’ll do it if it doesn’t bother Don. I don’t think it will, but I will ask. Don’s pretty cool about things like this, and I don’t think he would ever be the jealous husband.
“If I do it, I want them to donate the money to that orphanage that took care of Donna. They certainly need it more than I, and I think Don would like that, even though he was never there in this reality.”
Cindy thought back to the time nearly fifteen years before in another life, when she had no life. She had been Al Gontarski in those days, and he’d religiously bought the Sports Illustrated swim suit issue, and then spent hours looking at the gorgeous models, while wondering what it would be like to have a body like theirs. The pages were often spotted with dried tears.
Well, that was no longer a problem. She knew she was attractive. No, that wasn’t true at all. She was drop dead gorgeous, just like Bobbie. They had been so fortunate, and they had the right to show off once in a while. Cindy continued to maintain excellent physical conditioning, as did Bobbie. For Cindy it was a matter of pride. For Bobbie, it was a necessity.
Back to the Present — In the Announcers’ Booth
“Anderson has a seven iron. She’s going to try to put it up past and to the left of where Campion’s ball is now.
“Her husband’s helping her line it up. You know, that is an interesting situation. He’ll caddy for her in the important tournaments, and she’ll caddy for him when she can. She’s qualified as a regular on the PGA tour, with her wins and high finishes, but she vowed long ago to never compete against her husband on the tour. She said there was no reason to do it, and if she did, they couldn’t help each other.
“I’ve been told by a source to remain unnamed, that he never did beat her until he was a senior in college, and they played from the same tees. He’s a good golfer, and he’ll break through some day.
“Okay, she’s hit it perfectly, leaving her with probably a wedge to the pin.
“Campion seems impatient. He’s hardly taken time to line up his shot. Whoops, he came over the top with that 7-iron, and has definitely pulled it to the left. Wow, that is plugged right below the lip of the bunker. He’s going to have an impossible shot to get it close.
“Here’s Anderson with a pitching wedge. I think she’ll hit a little knock down.
“She’s done just that. Look at that! Two hops and it stopped two feet from the hole. That should be an easy birdie for Anderson.
“Campion has a miserable lie. Talk about a fried egg. The best club for him would be a shovel.
“Boy, did he get a face full of sand, and the ball barely made it to the fringe.
“He’s going to putt from the fringe. He’ll have to be careful. It could get caught up in the fringe.
“He’s done just that and has left it about four feet short. He’s still outside Anderson.
“Wow, he just barely curled that one in to save par.
“Here’s Anderson’s tap in, and now she’s only one stroke back. Campion’s still at ten under par, and Anderson is now at nine under par.”
”ƒ
Chapter 3 — Flowering Peach, Par 4, 350 Yards
From the Announcers’ Booth
“This is one tough little hole. It is so tough that they haven’t touched it for over thirty years. It was one of the few holes that they didn’t lengthen when everyone started hitting wedges to the par fives. Some of the longer hitters have been going for the green on their drives, and McIver eagled it on day one. A lot of good it did him. He missed the cut.
“Campion’s gone for it twice, and put in the bunker each time.
“Anderson has the honor and she’s going with a three wood. That will take the bunkers down the left side out of play.
“She’s split the fairway again, and will have a little wedge to one of the nastiest pin placements in golf. It’s down there on the far left, and there is hardly any green to hit to.
“Campion’s going with the driver. I wonder what he’s trying to prove? Everyone knows he’s one of the longest hitters around, but even if he gets it on the green, he’ll have a very difficult put. There’s no way he can get it close to the hole with his drive.
“It’s going right at the pin, but it’s short. He’ll have to pitch it up the hill and hope that he gets it close. Too short, and it’s back down the hill. Too long and he could go off the back of the green. Too far right, and he will have one long, lighting fast putt back down the hill. I don’t think he can go straight at the pin. There’s just too much trouble. He should have laid up like Anderson and most of the others have.
Eight Years Earlier
Graduation was behind them. Cindy had at least eight more years of medical school and residency ahead of her. Don was going to the Harvard Law School. He was in the 99th percentile on the LSAT and had apparently watered the acceptance committee’s eyes with the letters of recommendation and his own letter of introduction. Don had continued to be very active in intercollegiate sports, and was recognized as second team All American as a place kicker. He was also First Team All American as a soccer player. He had been the 60th pick over all in the NFL draft, which was exceptionally high for a place kicker. There was a nice seven figure signing bonus offered, but he refused the offer. Getting their careers and family established was far more important.
Myrna Moscowitz was already working on her masters in biochemistry, and continuing directly into a doctorate program. Avery, her husband, had changed direction slightly, going into physics after getting a degree in electrical engineering two years before.
The three happily married couples were relaxing at their favorite little getaway spot. They would meet there at least twice a year, just to relax and enjoy each others’ company.
“Well, I have an announcement of the obvious,” Bobbie stated as they sipped their margaritas. “I am officially going pro, and will be playing in the State Farm Classic next week. Wish me luck.”
“That was a no-brainer,” Myrna said, somewhat facetiously. “I don’t understand why you didn’t do it years ago. You could have won millions by now.”
“I guess there’re several reasons. I love sports and athletics. That is something that will never change. That was one reason that no one outside my family, except Cindy and The Wizard, knew about the horrible conflict I was going through as a little boy. I wanted to be a professional athlete, but if I had SRS, and that was definitely going to happen some day, I would never have had the freedom I do now. Even if I could have gone on the tour, there would always have been that ‘thing’ hanging over me. Thank God, Cindy found me, and we are now having this wonderful adventure.
“I owed it to Wake-Forest, too. I had a wonderful scholarship, and if I could, I wanted to give them something in return.”
“I certainly think you accomplished that,” Cindy said as she motioned to the waiter. “Shall we have refills on the margaritas before we order?”
“I better pass on that,” Myrna said while grasping Avery’s hand in hers. “I think from all indications, we may be expecting an addition to the family in about eight and a half months.”
That announcement raised the euphoric level among the three couples to an even higher leves.
“Bobbie, correct me if I’m wrong,” Cindy said, bringing the conversation back to Bobbie and golf. “You were First Team All American four years in a row; you won the US Amateur the last two years, you also won the NCAA Championship the last two years, and led your team to the championship as well. You’ve won three professional tournaments as an amateur, and the athletic equipment companies have left a trail of saliva to your front door, wanting to sign you up as soon as you turn pro.
“Have I left any thing out?”
“Well, there were a couple of other tournament that didn’t really amount to much; however, you left out the most important event.”
“And, that was?”
“The day I married the love of my life: I couldn’t have done any of that without his support and love. I may love golf, but that is insignificant compared to my love for Andy and the love I have for all of you. If I had to make a choice, I’d quit golf right now, rather than lose you guys.”
Back to the Announcers’ Booth
“Ray, what’s she hitting?”
“She has a sand wedge. She and her husband talked about it for quite a while. I think she would just like to get it close. A two-putt par would be just fine.”
“I agree, Ray. The scoring average for the week is 4.25. This is one nasty little par four.
“Here’s her shot. She’s hit it very high and to the right of the hole. What a shot! It took two hops and she somehow managed to get a little back spin on it. Here it comes. It’s rolling; it’s rolling and it’s stopped about three feet above the hole. That’s going to be a real knee knocker. It would be very easy to hit it off the green.
“Ray, what does Campion have left?”
“He has about thirty yards to the pin. I don’t think he can go right at it. No, he’s going to chip with a seven iron and try to hit it on the slope and hope it rolls back toward the hole. I don’t envy him this shot at all.”
“Oh my, he’s hit it much too hard. It’s stopped on the upper level and he’s going to have fifty feet down to the hole. I don’t think it’s possible to get it near the hole. He could putt it right off the green.”
“Anderson’s marked her ball, and Campion has walked this thing back and forth about six times. This is just one nasty putt.
“He’s hit it to the edge of the slope and now it’s starting to pick up speed. He might be hitting a sand wedge next.
“I don’t believe it. There’s no way that ball should have stopped, but it did.
“Campion knocks his ball in from about a foot away, and now Anderson is lining up her putt. This is one nasty little three-footer.
“She just barely taps it and it’s in the heart, a birdie for Anderson. Folks we have a golf tournament. Campion and Anderson are even at ten under par, five strokes ahead of the field. This is a two man, er person tournament now.”
Out on the Course
‘Cindy, Charli, can you hear me?’
‘Yeah, what’s up? That was sure beautifully played.’
‘Thanks, but we’ve fifteen holes to go. Don’t get your hopes up yet. There’s something bad going on. He never should have made that putt on the first hole. It really had me wondering. I never thought I would see it, but now I know for sure. He’s getting a magic assist. Somebody put the brakes on that downhill putt. It wasn’t a little nudge. That putt was so off the green. I picked up the magic right away.
‘Get The Wizard, and keep your eyes and senses open. Campion has a helper out there somewhere. If I am going to win this thing, I am going to win it fair and square. But if he continues cheating, my hands are tied, and that really pisses me off.’
‘Stay calm, Bobbie, you’ve got that bastard by the short hairs. If he has to cheat to win, he’s very afraid of you. He’s going to crumble.'
Three holes down and fifteen to go: I wonder where the magic is coming from? Things will definitely get tougher before they get better. Campion’s big, tough, and nasty, but is he really a golfer? Bobbie brought up a good point about magic and golf. It just isn’t right. What can a group of witches do about what’s going on, and where is The Wizard when he is really needed?
By Portia Bennett
Bobbie realizes that Campion is cheating. She thought his putt on the first hole shouldn’t have gone into the hole, but it did. When Campion’s long downhill putt was destined to roll off the green, but stopped next to the hole, she felt the magic ‘push’ that stopped it. Now she is waiting for the other shoe to drop. She is certain that whoever is doing the magic will start to affect her ball as well. It is only a matter of time.
The problem is Bobbie will not use magic in retaliation. It will destroy everything she believes in. Her hands are tied. She is just going to have to gut it out. Bobbie’s friends know what is going on and have notified The Wizard. He will not do anything to affect the play of the game.
The bulk of this story takes place over one day. There are eighteen chapters (holes), plus the Nineteenth Hole (Conclusion).
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy, Bobbie, and the rest and how they arrived where they are now, you should probably read them. Start with An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, and Cynthia and the High School Years — Parts 1 & 2.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations. I’m sure that could happen at any time.
Once again, Holly did an outstanding job of fixing my punctuation errors and occasional wanderings into gibberish. My thanks also go to Beachbud, Michell, and Djkauf for their subjective proofing and comments.
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 4 — Flowering Crab Apple, Par 3, 240 yards
On the Course
“What do you think? I’m thinking 3-wood. Try to fade it in between the bunkers, and hope it stays on the green. That wind’s not helping a bit.”
“Do you want to hit the driver, you know, take a little off it?”
“No, that’s too long, and if I ease off it, all sorts of bad things could happen. We’re not going to get a stroke on this hole, regardless. He’ll hit a long iron in there, and two putt at worst. I think I need to stay away from that right hand bunker. If I go into the bunker on the left, I still have a lot of green to work to. Yeah, fade the three wood and stay out of trouble on the right.
“You know he’s cheating?”
“Yeah, I thought so. Where do you think it’s coming from? You do mean magic, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but don’t let on we know. Whoever’s doing it has worked on two of his putts. I wouldn’t be surprised to see whoever it is to start working on a few of my shots as well.
“Cindy, Randi, Marti and Charli know, and they are contacting The Wizard.”
Up in the Announcers’ Booth
“Well, Anderson and her husband have been having a major discussion. This hole hasn’t been kind to her. She bogeyed it in the first round, and had two up and down pars the next two days.
“Al, this is where the length difference really hurts her.”
“Yeah, her and about half the field: right now she is 40th in driving distance, which means there are twenty guys out there she’s out-driving. For that matter, she’s played safe on most of the par fives, and that accounts for some of the discrepancy in length. Quite frankly, she has played the course perfectly.
“She has chosen not to play in several tournaments because of the length disadvantage. It’s amazing that she even made the cut in the PGA and US Opens. I think it’s a testament to her skill, but she realizes she is beating herself to death on some of those courses.”
“She’s taking the 3-wood.
“I don’t think it’s going to make it. She tried to fade it into the wind, but it’s short, and in the left hand bunker. However the lie looks pretty good, and she has a lot of green to work with.
“Campion’s going with a five iron. He’s started it down the right side, hoping the wind will bring it back.
“What a shot! It’s stopped dead, five feet to the left of the pin. This looks like an easy birdie.
Eight Years Before — In the Announcers’ Booth
“Well, folks expected great things from this young lady, and she didn’t disappoint them one bit. The fact she had already won three pro tournaments as an amateur certainly helped her. She has a little three foot putt to close out one of the most dominating performances I have ever seen. She reminds me of what Nancy Lopez did many years ago.
“There it is. A wire to wire, five stroke victory. Her husband, and caddy, has thrown a big hug and kiss on her, and I think I see a few tears from both. I see her parents and her best friend at the edge of the path leading to the scorer’s tent where she will sign her card before coming back for the presentation on the green.
“Sam, it’s hard to remember a performance like this against such a strong field. She is just so strong. I’ve seen that Sports Illustrated spread where she and her friend posed in some pretty provocative swimsuits. There were some comments made about their physiques. They made some of the other models look anemic. She freely admits that she is between 165 and 170, but you sure can’t tell it. You can see she is very muscular, and at five foot ten inches she just wears it so well. Her friend is a bit shorter and carries a bit less weight, but it is obvious they both work out. My son has both their pictures on his bedroom wall. I can’t say I blame him. I’d better shut up, or my wife won’t let me in the house.”
There was the usual greenside interview for the television audience before they went to the more in-depth press conference. Bobbie insisted Andy be allowed to sit with her. She was asked to make a statement before the media started with the questions.
“I want to thank the people of Springfield and the Panther Creek Country Club for being such wonderful hosts. My husband and I couldn’t be more pleased about the reception we’ve received. In spite of the rain, the course was perfect. I think the grounds people worked some miracles there. The LPGA did a fantastic job, as always, running the tournament.
“What can I say? My first tournament as a pro, and I won. I think we’ll just open it up to the floor for questions.”
“Ms. Anderson, is there any truth to the rumor that you are using performance enhancing drugs?”
“First of all, let’s get several things straight, here. I fully intend to win a few more tournaments, and expect there will be a few more press conferences. If you wish to address me formally, it’s Mrs. Anderson. It’s been that way for more than a year. If we are going to be informal, you may call me Bobbie, or heaven forbid, Roberta. I think we will probably have to get it straight about Andy, too, since I will always intend to have him up here with me if he caddied for me. He’s Mr. Anderson, or Andy. He might answer to Felix, but somehow, I doubt it. These same rules apply when I am caddying for him. Hopefully, this won’t come up again.
“Now about performance enhancing drugs: golf is a game of honor. It is the most honorable sport known to man, I use that term in the species context. The day I cheat at golf, and using performance enhancing drugs is cheating, is the day I quit. Sure the check is nice, half of it is going to charity by the way, but what’s important is playing the game to the best of my ability, and I know Andy feels the same way.
“Andy and I get up at five A.M. We run five miles, sometimes ten. We eat what we think is a healthful breakfast, then rest a bit before working out with light weights for about an hour. Then we hit the driving range. I did take some analgesic for a mild muscle strain, but that’s about it. My weight is ideal for my height, five-ten in case you didn’t know that, and my fat content is toward the low side. Muscles do weigh a bit more than fat.
“I’m sure this question will come up, too. I am all woman, and Andy is all man, and really, we both hope that this sort of question doesn’t come up again.
“If it does, I will ignore it. Next question, please.”
“Yes, er Bobbie, there were some rather provocative pictures of you and another young lady in Sports Illustrated. Do you think that that sort of display is in the best interest of the LPGA?”
“Wow, doesn’t anyone want to talk about the golf tournament?
“Cindy Brewer and I were asked if we would pose for the issue. Cindy and I have been best friends since grade school. Stand up Cindy, you too, Don. Don is Cindy’s husband by the way. So you guys can forget her, too. In case you’ve forgotten, Don kicked a seventy yard field goal against Harvard two years ago. There’s still an old picture floating around of Cindy and me that was taken when we were 14, and we thought an update would be nice. We are not ashamed of our bodies, and in this case it was for a good cause. All the money we received went to an orphanage.
“There have been dozens of attractive golfers who have posed for various magazines: Jan Stephenson, Laura Baugh, Natalie Gulbis come to mind. Frankly, I don’t think it’s done the LPGA any harm. Quite to the contrary, I think it has helped erase an undeserved image about ladies’ golf. There are some attractive hunks playing on the men’s tour, Andy included. They should probably do a swimsuit issue about those handsome guys, too.
“Let’s keep the questions to golf please.
“Yes sir, the gentleman standing next to Cindy. If you’re through drooling, I’ll be glad to answer your question.”
“Thank you. First of all: congratulations on playing a spectacular tournament.”
“Thank you.”
“What would you consider to have been the most significant shot of the tournament for you? And may I follow it up with another question?”
“Certainly, the most important shot was the drive off the first tee, because that was the first shot of a career that I want to follow for maybe the next ten years. I hope to sneak in a Masters in Psychology in that time. Cindy will be finishing up her residency in psychiatry at the same time, and we want to start a clinic for children with certain issues. That will be a long time off, though.
“Your second question?”
“I heard rumors that Andy has never beaten you at golf. I can see you would have an advantage hitting from the women’s tees.”
“May I answer that, Bobbie?” Andy asked.
“I think you should. I need a rest.”
“First of all, I have known Bobbie since I was in tenth grade. Our high school didn’t have a girls’ golf team, and she petitioned to be allowed to play on the men’s team. We had a team tournament to set the seeding. Everyone, including the coach and yours truly, rode her unmercifully. Here was this, and I realized it right away, beautiful redhead who thought she was going to play golf on the men’s team. We really gave her a bad time.
“She smiled that beautiful, innocent smile, and said she was invoking ‘El Paso’ rules.” There were some guffaws from the crowd. “I won’t explain what ‘El Paso’ rules are, and to that point in my life, had never heard of them. Let’s just say that it involves not being able to hit your drive past the ladies’ tee, and a penalty. She explained what the rules were. Now you have to remember that this is coming from this innocent redhead. She teed up her ball at hit it darn near 300 yards down the fairway. None of the guys had ever seen anything like it.
“Needless to say, I lost. She beat all of us. I’m still waiting for her to invoke the rules. I fell in love with her that day, and we’ve been together ever since.
“By the way, as long as I’ve known Bobbie, she has never played from the ladies tees.
“Now for the second part of the question: I am a lot stronger than she is, and I am four inches taller. We have been on the same team since high school and there have not been too many times when we actually played competitively against each other. I no longer have to worry about hitting it past the ladies’ tees, and I probably have a two to three club advantage. In that time I think I’ve beaten her in stroke competition twice.”
“Actually, it’s been at least three times,” Bobbie added. “But, it’s not fair to compare. We are not competing against each other, and never will.”
The conference went on for quite a while, and the LPGA had a new heroine.
Back on the Course
“Just hit it at the hole. It’s uphill, and it won’t roll very far. Just get your par,” Andy whispered.
From the Announcers’ Booth
“She does have a good lie, and it’s far enough back that I don’t think the lip will be a problem. She’s running eighty percent on sand saves for the week.
“Oh, just a great shot. It stopped almost dead about five feet below the hole. She’s just inside Campion, but his putt is more of a side hill putt. Hers is pretty much straight on.
“Campion is lining his putt up. It should break about eighteen inches to the right. This is not a sure thing.
“Right in the heart, that was the best stroke he’s made so far.
“Anderson is lining hers up. It might break just a bit left at the hole.
“Not a problem. That was some save, but Campion is back in the lead by one stroke. Campion’s at eleven under, and Anderson’s at minus ten.”
”ƒ
Chapter 5 — Magnolia, Par 4, 455 Yards
Out on the Course
“Just hit that beautiful little draw of yours down the right side like you’ve done for the last three days. We don’t need to try anything funny. Just be cool. I love you.”
Bobbie and Andy were standing politely to the side as Campion got ready to hit. He hit another prodigious drive, and cut off the dogleg. His ball stopped dead center, giving him a short iron to the green, where the pin was located about as far back as it could get. Once again he sneered at Bobbie as he picked up his tee. It was a malevolent sneer.
Bobbie wondered what it was that was driving him. She had beaten him in the past, but it had never been head to head. They had been paired together in a couple of early rounds in a couple of tournaments, but they had never played together in the last two rounds of any tournament. He had beaten her as well, the previous year, when she had finished fifth to his first. Now she was beginning to wonder how much of a factor magic had been in that victory, or in any of his other victories, for that matter.
It was beginning to make sense. For a number of years, he had been known for his prodigious length and lack of control. Then at about the same time Bobbie started playing on the men’s tour, his game started improving tremendously. In fact, he had been averaging five victories a year over the last five years, including three majors. With a major or two, plus a couple of other victories, he was a sure thing for the Golf Hall of Fame.
She lined up her drive, aiming at the top of a tree far beyond where her ball would come to rest. Once again, her patented draw worked perfectly, but she was still forty yards behind Campion. He was looking at no more than an eight or nine iron, probably a wedge. She would probably have to hit a five. Still, if she remembered her golf history, the 5 iron was pretty standard forty or fifty years ago for the second shot. She had nothing to be ashamed of.
Back in the Announcers’ Booth
“Once again, Campion has a tremendous advantage. What do you think, Al?”
“Maybe yes, maybe no: He’s going to have to be very careful. If he puts a lot of spin on it, he could draw it back to the bottom of the green. I think she’ll hit it short, and let it run up as much as she can. I don’t see any particular advantage to him at all.
Eight Years Before
“Andy, does it bother you that I am winning tournaments before you do?”
“Oh, my beautiful wife, if that bothered me, I never would have asked you out that first time. I knew you were a better golfer than I was then, and you still are. I’m getting better, and my time will come.
“I asked you to marry me because you are the most wonderful woman inside that I ever met. The fact that you are absolutely gorgeous, is a definite bonus. You are also absolutely bewitching.”
She giggled and poked him in the side, finding his ticklish spot immediately. He tightened up a bit and penetrated her even deeper than he had been a few seconds before. He resumed the motion they enjoyed so much.
Their quickening respiration was the only sound in their room for the next few minutes. Sated, they lay side by side, his right hand gently holding her left. They were in their pleasant motel room near Pittsford, New York, the site of the LPGA Championship.
“What are we going to do after you win this one tomorrow?”
“I don’t think things are any different now than they were before. You need to get back on tour. I’m taking you away from your game.
“Dammit, Andy, you’re a good golfer, and you should be playing the big time. I don’t think we’ve worked this out very well at all. I have an idea. We are in this thing together for the short and long run.
“Cindy knew what I wanted the first time we met. She knew about my love for sports. She knew about my desire to have a family. She knew about my desires to help others who weren’t as lucky as she and I were. We were just ten years old, well she had lived a lot longer than that, but we didn’t have a clue. We had so much to learn, and being a witch just compounded the problems for us. Thank God, The Wizard kept us out of serious trouble.
“You saved me, just like Don, at first as Donna, saved Cindy. We grew up overnight. It’s amazing what falling in love can do. We are both going to outgrow golf one of these days, but it’s going to help us do so much more. The Wizard won’t tell us, but we know that we, and that includes you, our children, our children’s children, Cindy’s family, and many others who are close to us are going to be around for a long, long time. Apparently, the magic world has many plans for us.”
By this time Bobbie had figuratively dragged Andy into the shower. Her tee time was the last one the next day, and there was a lot of the night still left. After they dried off, they fired up the laptop.
“Look, here’s the LPGA schedule. I’ll just slide this over here, and we can compare it week by week to the Nationwide schedule. Okay, I want to play in these tournaments. I certainly don’t need to play every week. That gives us these weeks where I can caddy for you. I think you can win and move on to the big time next year. Let’s avoid ‘Q’ School. That’s a pain in the ass.
“Now, let’s look at the PGA schedule. The LPGA has cut their schedule down quite a bit. That gives us the first nearly three months of the year where I can caddy for you. Depending on how things are going, we can adjust things. I know this. I play better when you caddy for me, and you play better when I caddy for you.
Andy was entranced with his beautiful wife. He realized once again, it was about them and their future. There was never going to be any professional jealousy between them. “Let’s talk to Zachary on Monday. He’s been lining up some great endorsements, and there might be an interesting angle on this whole thing that he can play up. We’ll show him how our schedules can be juxtaposed.
“If this is going to work, I better get my act together,” Andy said as he lightly cupped Bobbie’s breast and kissed her neck.
Back in the Announcers’ Booth
“Anderson and her husband have talked it over, and she’s going with the 5-iron. The only trouble is the bunker on the left. The pin is far back. It will be interesting to see how she plays this.
“She’s hit a low shot, and once again it’s a straight as an arrow. She’s hit a zinger. This might roll all the way to the pin.
“Oh, she’s hit another absolutely wonderful shot. It’s stopped pin high about ten feet to the right of the pin. It’s not an easy putt, but she has a very reasonable shot at a birdie.
“I don’t believe Campion. He was walking to his ball before Anderson hit hers. I think she saw it, but it didn’t seem to faze her. We’ve known it for years; however, I am going to say it again, this lady can play golf about as well as anyone out there. Her course management and demeanor are spectacular.”
“Campion has a sand wedge. He’s not taking any time at all. Oh, this is right at the flag. It’s taken two bounces forward, and here it comes, right back at the hole.
“If it had hit the pin it might have gone in, but this is going to be lucky if it stays on the green. It’s left him a good forty feet up the hill.”
Bobbie marked her ball and she and Andy stood well off the green as Campion stalked the green. He and his caddy conversed briefly before he hit an excellent lag putt that stopped eighteen inches from the hole. He walked up to hit, and, without lifting and cleaning, knocked it into the hole.
“Anderson is lining up her putt. It should be just outside and right of the hole. We’ve seen this putt several times earlier today. It shouldn’t be any problem for her.
“Here’s the putt. I don’t believe it, and she can’t either. It never broke at the hole. That should have been in the heart, but it hung out to the right. A half inch to the left and we would have had a tie again. Campion’s at eleven under and Anderson’s still at minus ten.”
On the Course
“Andy, I don’t make excuses, but that putt should have gone in. I felt something for just a microsecond, and the ball moved right when it should have moved left. I don’t like it that he’s using magic to affect his game, but when somebody starts fucking with my game, it really pisses me off.”
‘Cindy, did any of you get anything that time?’
‘Bobbie, I felt it.’ It was Randi. ‘It’s coming from someone near the green. Whoever it is, just gives a very short burst aimed at the ball. Whoever it is, had to have been standing opposite me. We’re going to split up and try to circle your ball each time. We might be able to triangulate and get a fix on whoever is doing it.’
‘Have you contacted His Wisdom yet?’
‘Yes, he said to hang in there and do the best you can. He said he can’t do anything to directly affect the outcome, but he has a plan.’
”ƒ
Chapter 6 — Juniper, Par 3, 180 Yards
In the Announcers’ Booth
“We’ve three replays: one of Aaron’s putt earlier, and another of Kaminski’s from about the same location as Anderson’s. As you can see, the first two start to break left about two feet from the hole. Now, look at her putt. It looks like it’s going to break, but then it just goes straight. She hit it perfectly, and didn’t get the result she should have. That’s golf for you. Sometimes things like that happen, and they can’t be explained.”
On the course
“Take a drink of water. Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine. Give me one of those power bars, too.
“What do you think: an easy 4-iron, or a hard five?” she asked.
“I’d go with the hard five. I think it will come in better. Going long and putting down the hill is worse than being in that bunker. You can always get up and down from there. You have before.”
From the Announcers’ Booth
“Campion still has the honor, and he’s hitting a seven iron. He birdied this hole the first two rounds, but this is really a nasty pin placement.
“He’s hit a towering shot and isn’t even bothering to watch it. OH MY! It’s stopped three feet from the pin. I think they heard that roar all over the course. Dudley’s over on the 17th tee, and he stopped his swing. Jackson was putting on the 16th and I think he was startled. He missed a relatively short putt.
“Anderson’s hitting a 5-iron. She’ll have to get all of it to reach the green.
“Oh, oh, the wind came up just as she hit it. It’s switched a bit into her face, and the ball’s ballooning.
“Three more feet and the shot would have been perfect. She caught the upper slope of the bunker, but it’s rolled down to the flatter area. It does look like a good lie, just slightly uphill, but Campion’s got a sure birdie. It looks like he’ll have at least a two stroke lead again after this hole.”
“How’s the lie, Ray?” The camera panned in on the ball as it sat at the end of its little path in the sand that looked like it had been left by a middle sized snake.
“It couldn’t be better, not to say she’s in the best location. The lip’s pretty high, but I think she can get it close. She’s been doing it all week. If she doesn’t, it could be a two stroke swing.”
On the Course
“You hit it perfectly. That gust of wind just killed it. I don’t think they could have had anything to do with it.”
“Yeah, I thought it was right there. Whoever is doing this couldn’t have done that. They have to be closer than that, and I don’t think they can affect the wind. That takes too much of a spell, and we would have felt it for sure.”
The network had at least four cameras on her, including the one from the blimp. They all showed the same thing. She caught the sand cleanly, and it lifted the ball high into the air. She would have to see the replay later to know what happened, because she had to turn and close her eyes and mouth to avoid a face full of sand. The ball cleared the lip by several feet, took two little bounces, and disappeared into the hole. The roar eclipsed the roar that Campion’s shot had received.
Bobbie acknowledged the crowd as she smoothed the sand. Andy would finish the raking. There was no doubt that in other circumstances they would have exchanged kisses. It was obvious the shot had buoyed her spirits.
‘Take that, you crooked son of a bitch,’ she thought, as she slid her fingers between the stick and the edge of cup to pick out the ball.
‘Bobbie!’ admonished Cindy.
‘Well, he is, and there is not a damn thing we can do about it. Did you read anything?’
‘No, I don’t think they were expecting having to do anything. That was a great shot, by the way.’
‘Thanks, that took a bit of the sting out of that last putt. I’m going to beat that son of bitch, and I am going to do it honestly.’
‘Just keep your cool. We’ll do what we can to find out who’s doing this.’
From the Announcers’ Booth
“Here’s Campion lining up his putt. Once again, he seems to be in a rush. He’s hardly taking time to line it up.
“Wow! He almost missed that one. The ball circled the rim of the hole and fell in on the second time around. That could have gone three or four feet past the hole. I think Anderson has him rattled. I never thought it would be possible, but I think she has him rattled.
“Well, we’re going to the seventh, with Campion holding a one stroke lead. Number seven is a tough driving hole, and it definitely favors the long hitter. Campion’s now at minus twelve, and Anderson’s at minus eleven. What a show these two are putting on.”
After six holes, Bobbie has managed to pick up a stroke on Campion in spite of the meddling by whoever is wielding the magic. There are some tough holes coming up, not that the first six were easy. We learn a little about the resistance Bobbie meets from the golf press when her goals come to light. Bobbie loses her cool after being verbally challenged. We are going to find out how she managed to get on the men’s tour.
By Portia Bennett
Ever since high school, Bobbie has been known for her short game; that is, her approaches to the green, her ability to play sand shots, chipping, and putting. She knows, as does everyone else, that it is the reason she is where she is in the tournament. Well, she caught Campion and whoever his accomplice is off guard when she sank her sand shot on six. It’s only a matter of time before the evil forces are going to try to disrupt her game even further. They are not very nice people.
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy, Bobbie, and the rest and how they arrived where they are now, you should probably read them. Start with An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, and Cynthia and the High School Years — Parts 1 & 2.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations. I’m sure that could happen at any time.
Once again, Holly did an outstanding job of fixing my punctuation errors and occasional wanderings into gibberish. My thanks also go to Beachbud, Michell, and Djkauf for their subjective proofing and comments.
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 7 — Pampas, Par 4, 450 Yards
From the Announcers Booth
“Back in 2010, they lengthened this hole by 40 yards. They moved the tee back into the forest and you’re looking down a chute between the pines. Still, most of the hitters are hitting eights, nines, and wedges for their second shot. Anderson has hit a seven iron each of the last three days for her second shot, and has parred the hole each time. This hole hasn’t been a challenge to either of them, so far.
“If there’s any trouble, it’s around the green. There are five bunkers waiting for an errant shot.
“Campion has the driver out again. He takes that patented waggle and crushes it right down the middle. It should easily be on the upslope.
“Anderson’s going with the driver, too. Oh, oh, something happened during her swing. The ball’s going right, and I’m not sure whether or not it’s going to stay out of the trees.
“Ray, what’s it look like down there?”
“Al, she did get a bit of a break. I think she can see the green, but I’m not sure whether or not she can get the ball there. It’s sitting down in the pine straw that they cart in here by the ton for the tournament.” The cameras focused in from several angles to show the ball partially nestled down in the orange straw about twenty feet to the right of the fairway.
“Let’s take a look at the slow motion and see if we can figure out what happened. Her set up is great. Everything looks fine on the take-away. Look at this. It looks like she might have lost her balance on the down swing, or maybe she was distracted. She turned and gave someone a real nasty look after she hit the ball. I wonder what it was? The mikes around the tee didn’t pick anything up.”
On the Course
‘Cindy, somebody pushed me. Did you get it?’
‘Yes, it was pretty strong. It definitely came from around the tee box.’
‘Charli and I felt it, too,’ Randi chimed in. ‘I’d say it came from somewhere within fifty feet of where you were standing. Whoever is doing it is pretty quick.’
‘Well, Andy and I are going to have to check the damage. God, I hate hitting out of that shit.’
“Andy, somebody pushed me. I couldn’t stop the swing in time and had to hit it. I think it could have been far worse. Let’s see what we have. If I ever find out who’s doing this, I’m going to turn them into toad pee.”
“I figured that’s what happened,” Andy answered. “This is the first fairway you’ve missed all week.”
The cameras followed the couple down the right side of the fairway. Campion and his caddy stopped in the center of the fairway even with Bobbie’s ball. They looked at her and Andy, almost as if they were gloating over her misfortune.
“I don’t think I should go for it. I’m for punching it out and hitting a wedge to the hole. Those bunkers are death.”
“I agree. Choke down on a six and punch it down there just past where his ball is sitting. You might be able to save par, and a bogey wouldn’t be that bad.”
“Yeah, give me the six.”
Golf historians would ponder for years about what might have happened. Bobbie knew exactly what happened. She was screwed.
Eight Years Before
“Bobbie, what do you think of England now that you’ve won the Women’s British Open?”
“I love England, and I love playing links courses. My husband and I played over here when we were in college, and we have always wanted to come back. One of these days, I would love to play in The Open, too.”
“That would be a bit difficult, you being a woman, and all.”
“Mr. Brewster, I’ve researched the criteria for qualifying, and I don’t see one thing in there about having to be a man to play in The Open. One only has to win certain tournaments or reach certain levels of ranking, or merit as you put it, to be eligible to play. I’ll bet you 100 pounds of Stilton that I’ll play in The Open within ten years. I’ll bet a cask of fine port, that I will win it.”
“You’re fookin’ bonkers. There ain’t no fookin’ skirt what’s going to win The Open, much less any American or European PGA men’s tournament. You’re fookin’ daft.”
“No, Mr. Brewster, I am not fookin’ daft. I am a fookin’ good golfer, and I am not going to let you or any other bigot tell me what I can or cannot do on the golf course. I will play by the rules, and I will win.
“Now that we’ve clarified that matter, are their any other questions? Yes, Mr. Simard?”
A Few Days Later
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“As serious as a heart attack: I’ve never seen any reason I couldn’t compete on the men’s tour. I may not be ready yet, but if I can get my foot in the door, I would love to give it a try.
“Don’t you think I can do it?” She was sitting on him, fully impaled. They were spending a few days in London before returning to the US while celebrating her sixth professional victory and third victory in a major tournament in less than a year. In a few days, they would return to the U.S. and try to make sure that Andy did well enough on the Nationwide tour that he would get an exemption to play the main PGA Tour.
“Not only do I think you can do it, I’m positive you can do it. It won’t be this year or next year, but it will be soon. I’m behind you one hundred percent.”
“I’m not too sure about the ‘behind me’ stuff. We’re pretty close, but I think you usually get there just before me. Let’s see.”
It was a dead heat.
The Present - From the Announcers’ Booth
“There’s no question that she’s making the smart decision. Just punch it out, and then try to hit it close. She can still get her par.
“Alright, she’s trying to get settled in. Look at that slow backswing. Oh, oh, there’s a problem, and she’s stepping away.
“Ray, what happened? Did the ball move?”
“I think it did, Al. She’s calling the official over and pointing to where the ball is sitting. This could be disastrous. If it moved after she addressed the ball, it’s a one stroke penalty. She’ll have to replace it.”
“Let’s see if the cameras picked anything up. Yep, there it is. She’s addressing the ball, and, look at that. The ball moves up a bit and rolls about an inch. There must have been a stick under all that pine straw, and she stepped on it when she addressed the ball.
“The officials are talking to the control trailer to try to determine where the ball was. Anderson’s pointing to the spot where she thought the ball was resting. The official agrees, and she is being allowed to place the ball. She and her husband caddy are carefully checking the surface out. She doesn’t want to move it again.
“Okay, she’s punched it out and it’s stopping just past Campion’s ball. She’s lying three, staring at a sure bogey, maybe even a double. This hole has been a disaster for her. But, you know, this gal has guts. If there was ever a time for her to suck it up, it’s now.
Out on the Course
“Don’t say anything, Bobbie. Here, take a drink and have some more of the energy bar,” Andy said as he handed Bobbie a bottle of chilled water. “Are you still okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine, just madder ’n hell. You know something; I am going to beat that bastard so bad, that he will never play again. Let’s get this hole over with. The good ones are just coming up.”
“I know they moved the ball, Bobbie. There was no way that your stance could have moved it. That crap was real thin under your feet. You couldn’t have moved it.”
‘Bobbie, we think one of them did it. Four of us sensed the spell. The ball was caught in that stuff, and it had to be lifted. That takes a stronger spell, and it had to be a longer interval. It’s either Campion, or the caddy,’ Cindy offered.
‘But you know what that means,’ Bobbie replied. ‘That means one of them is a sorcerer or wizard. It can’t be Campion. It has to be the caddy. But, there aren’t sorcerers or wizards in this universe other than His Wisdom, and ‘you know who’. I don’t think the latter’s up to doing this, yet. This is really strange, and really shitty.’
‘His wisdom has been talking to Marti and Charli on their I-Phones. He said to keep your spirits up. The tournament isn’t over yet.’
From the Announcers’ Booth
“Here’s Campion with a wedge again, and he hits it safely to the center of the green. Who would have ever thought that a 450 yard hole would be a driver and a wedge?
“Here’s Anderson with her wedge. Unfortunately, this is her fourth shot. Her ball lands outside of Campion’s. I think she pulled it a bit.
“You know, in spite of her misfortune on the hole she still seems to have a bounce in her walk.
“There’s nothing very tricky about the putt, but it’s a long, long putt. Such a beautiful stroke; it has a chance. Oh, my, she had it perfectly on line on the high side. One more rotation and it would have been in. Well, it’s a double for Anderson and that leaves her at nine under. She’s still one under for the day. The fortunes of golf can be so cruel.
“Campion leaves his putt about a foot short, and it’s an easy par. We head to the eighth with Campion at minus twelve and a three stroke lead. There’s still a lot of golf left, and no one else is making a run at them.
”ƒ
Chapter 8 — Yellow Jasmine, Par 5, 570 Yards
From the Announcers’ Booth
“This is one of two holes on the course without a bunker around the green. Regardless, the area around the green is full of hills and valleys. It’s definitely reachable for Campion; however, Anderson has strictly played it by the books. It’s been a driver, middle iron, and a wedge for her. Campion’s eagled it on day one, then missed the green with his second the next two days. Anderson has gone par, birdie, par.”
Back on the Course
“There’s no reason to try to play this any different than we have for the last three days. Let’s just take our par and move on. If we can birdie it, so much the better
Campion opted for a 3-wood to avoid the bunkers on the left, and Bobbie hit a nice drive down the middle. There was no reason for her to try to kill it. She ended up probably ten yards behind Campion and had avoided any trouble as well. That was fine with her. There were four par five holes on the course. To this point, she had played the par fives fourteen times. She had not even thought about going for the green with her second shot any of the times. She knew she wasn’t out of it, regardless of whether or not he was using magic.
Five Years Earlier
“Daddy, guess what?”
“You’re pregnant. No, that wouldn’t be it. You would have asked for your mother, first. I give up. What is it?”
“I’m going to be playing with the men.”
“What’s Andy going to say about that? I thought he was the only man you were going to play with.”
“Daddy, that’s not very nice. I am going to play golf with the men. I’ve received an invitation to play in The Travelers in Hartford.”
“Do you think you’re ready to do this baby? You’re going to catch all sorts of hell from some of those guys.”
“Daddy, I’ve been ready for a long time. I need a challenge, and this is it. Andy says I can do it, and I think he’s being honest with me. He really wants me to do it.
“I have a couple of months to get ready. I’ll keep playing on the LPGA tour, but we’ve some things we’re going to try to give me some realistic practice.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re going to lay back on the drives, to force me to hit longer shots into the greens. Of course there will be some holes where that isn’t possible, but we’re going to do what we can to get mentally ready.
Five Years Earlier — The Announcers’ Booth
“Arnold Vincent has won the Travelers Championship rather handily; however, that almost dims in light of the performance turned in by the young Bobbie Anderson. She received a sponsor’s exemption and invitation to play in her home state, really as a symbol of appreciation for what she has accomplished in women’s golf over the last few years.
“All the pundits said she’d play two rounds and wave goodbye. That was not to be, she easily made the cut, and what does she do? She finishes in tenth place, only six strokes out of the lead. We have seen all sorts of history made this weekend. This young lady can play golf. This was no fluke. She has won everything in sight on the ladies tour. Why shouldn’t she try to play on the men’s tour?”
“While we’re waiting for Vincent to sign his card, Archie Chambers has this astounding young golfer by the eighteenth green.
“Go ahead, Archie.”
“Thanks, John.”
“Bobbie, congratulations on what many are saying is a shocking event. Not only did you make the cut in a PGA tournament, you shot a final round 68 to finish in tenth place. I don’t think anyone anticipated anything like this. How about you; what did you expect?”
“Archie, it’s so nice to be able to talk to you. I guess it’s been since the US Open last year. I’ll be quite honest with you. I wouldn’t be playing here if I didn’t think I had a chance to win. My husband and I have thought for quite a while that I could do it; however, getting a chance has been a different matter. I want to thank the folks at The Travelers for inviting me and giving me this chance.
“I think this will all sink in, in a little while. It has been everything I hoped it would be. I want to say this right now before I forget. The players were professionals in every sense of the word. They treated me with the respect I hoped they would. I must say this has been a very encouraging week.”
“By encouraging, you mean?”
“I mean I am going to be playing next week at the John Deere Classic, and if I play well enough, I plan on continuing to play on this tour.”
“So you don’t think this was a one time event?”
“I think with a few breaks, I might have won this tournament. This just confirms what I’ve felt for a long time. I can win out here, and I intend to.”
“What are you trying to prove?”
“I don’t think I am trying to prove anything, other than that skill and cunning can beat strength in this game. This is not about man vs. woman. This is about playing a game that requires skill and strategy. I am not a four-hundred pound gorilla. I play the game the way it was intended to be played.”
“So what do you weigh?”
“Archie! No gentleman asks a lady that, and I will have you know that I am every bit a lady.”
The Present — On the Course
Once again, Bobbie hit first after the drive. Her easy 7-iron ended up near the right edge of the fairway, leaving her with a strong wedge to the pin that was about as far back and far to the left it could get.
Campion had a 4-iron and blistered it toward the green. Once again, he pulled his shot, leaving him with a very nasty pitch over the mounds, and no green to hit to.
“Hit this,” Andy said as he handed Bobbie the pitching wedge as they walked up to her ball. “Just put it in the center and below the hole. He’ll be lucky to get his par.”
“Have I told you over the last few holes that I love you?” Bobbie countered.
“Well not directly, but the fact you’ve been taking my advice is all I need to tell me that you do. Let’s get past these next two holes, and then I think we can start tightening the screws on him.
“I have an idea; run it by the others. Let them know we know what they are doing. I’m not saying do anything. Just let them know that we have as much or more power on our side, and that we can screw up his game just as subtly as they have been doing to yours.
‘Guys, did you get that? What do you think?’
‘We’ll run it by His Wisdom,’ Cindy replied. ‘It makes sense. By the way, your dad said to take the driver and hit Campion between the legs.’
‘I’ll have to wait until after this is over. That would probably get me DQ’d for interfering with an opponent. That would be fun, though. Let’s just see how this works out.
‘I’ve got some work left here. Let me know what His wisdom thinks when we reach the next tee.’
For once, Campion and his caddy stood politely out of the way as Bobbie lined up her shot. She couldn’t see the bottom of the pin, but she knew exactly where it was. Unfortunately, she didn’t take enough spin off the ball and it came up about twenty feet short. She’d take it.
In the Announcers’ Booth
“Campion’s going to have a tough time getting this to stop near the hole. He’s about eighty feet off the putting surface and has only about fifteen feet of green to work with.
“All things considered, he’s hit a pretty good shot. It’s ended up in the fringe outside of Anderson’s ball. He didn’t really have a chance going at the pin. I think they’ll both take their pars and be glad to walk off this hole none the worse for it.
“Campion’s putting out of the fringe and doesn’t quite have it on line. It’s stopping about three feet to the right. It shouldn’t be much of a problem from there.
“Anderson’s putt is just about dead straight. The only problem might be hitting it too strongly.
“Well, she hit it just about perfectly. She missed it about a ball’s width above the hole. I can’t think of a hole where she’s missed it on the low side. She is just fantastic around the greens. What a touch!
“She taps it in from about a foot away. Now it’s up to Campion to avoid losing a stroke. Dead center; we’re off to the ninth. Campion is maintaining a three stroke lead. He’s twelve under and Anderson is still nine under after eight holes.
”ƒ
Chapter 9 — Carolina Cherry, Par 4, 460 Yards
From the Announcers’ Booth
“Anderson has freely admitted that these next two holes are her least favorite on the course. She says that in spite of playing them at level par each day, nine and ten really test her short game, especially ten.
“The fairway is quite narrow off the tee and downhill to the landing area. The problem is the green. It slopes from the back to front before sloping down the hill even more. It’s an absolute must to get it to the hole. If you don’t, the ball can roll to the bottom of the slope, giving the golfer a devilish chip back up the hill.
“Most of the big hitters are hitting pitching wedges or sand wedges for their second shots. Anderson’s been hitting sixes and sevens most of the time.
“Campion’s obviously going with the driver.
“Whoops, he’s leaning a bit, as if it’s going right. Ray, what can you see down there?”
“Al, he doesn’t have a problem at all. It went over my head and got a great bounce. It’s probably about 340 yards down the fairway. He’ll have an easy wedge to the hole.”
“Anderson has the big lumber out, too. I think after what happened on the last hole, she might be letting out a little frustration.
“She has absolutely crushed it. This has to be her longest drive of the tournament. Where’s that going, Ray?”
“It’s running down the hill and stopping about thirty yards behind Campion’s ball. She’s hit it about 310, maybe 315 yards, giving her a very good shot at the green.
Five Years Earlier
The John Deere Classic, East Moline, Illinois, Greenside Interview
“Bobbie, this may not have been as good as last week, but still, you have to be happy with twentieth place.”
“I guess I should be happy, but at the same time, I’m very disappointed in my play today. I was in a good position to make a run at the leaders, but couldn’t get the ball up and down when it counted. I went backward, when everyone else was at or below par. A two over 74 is never going to bring about very good results on the last day.
“But, I’m not really that disappointed when I think about it, I finished ahead of forty other players, and that confirms what I have believed for quite a while. I can play good golf at this level.”
“So you will be playing next week?”
“You bet. Andy and I are heading out there tomorrow. We’ve never played at that altitude before. I’ve seen the course on TV, and the Montráªux Golf & Country Club looks like a beautiful place to play. I’m looking forward to it.”
“Does the fact that much of the competition is going to be in England at The Open have anything to do with it?”
“Honestly, I wish I was over there playing at Turnberry; however, I’m not qualified; at least, not yet.”
“I remember your interview a few years ago. So that is still one of your goals.”
“My goal is to play the best golf I possibly can, and more than ever, I think I can play over there and win. The problem is going to be to qualify. I am going to be so qualified that they won’t be able to deny me.”
“Bobbie, I wish you luck next week and in the future.”
“Thank you, Archie; it’s always nice to talk with you.”
The camera cut to Bobbie walking arm in arm with Andy towards the club house, then cut back to the announcer.
“Folks, that is one determined golfer, and you know what? I think she can do it. She has all the tools.”
The Present, In the Announcers’ Booth
“Al, Anderson’s going with the 7-iron. No, she’s backing off. She and her husband are talking it over.”
“Ray, what’s the problem?”
On the Fairway
“I think she’s between clubs. They’ve talked it over and she’s going with the six. I think that’s the right choice. She can hit an easy six and it might roll out a bit better than a hard seven.
“What a beautiful swing. This is going right at the pin. It’s going to come up a bit short, but she should be in excellent position for her par.”
Back In the Announcers’ Booth
“Campion’s hitting the wedge again. That and the driver, seem to be his favorite clubs.
“Here’s the shot. It’s going right at the flag, and he’s done it again. It took two bounces and it’s drawing back. Will it stop? It has, and he will be putting first. Anderson will be able to go to school on his putt.”
Back On the Course
“Bobbie, you got him. He’s playing stupid. He’s going to go to pieces, magic or not.”
“Don’t get your hopes up. There’re still a lot of things they could do to screw things up for us.”
“Just play your game.”
Back In the Announcers’ Booth
“Anderson’s had to move her marker. She’s right in Campion’s line.
“Here’s the putt. It looks good, and it comes up just short.
“Anderson’s replaced her mark, and put the ball down. She’s giving it a good run, and it’s come up just short, too.
“Well, it’s going down to the last nine. Anderson still has a reasonable chance at this. Campion seems to have a one dimensional game right now. Anderson has all the shots, and after the eleventh, the holes on the back nine are right up her alley.”
Heading to the Tenth Tee
“Andy, they did it again. That putt was going to drop, and they stopped it at the edge. It was good all the way.”
“Have some water. Things have backed up just a bit, and it will be a while before we can tee off.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m not tired at all. What’s going on up ahead?”
“Apparently, there was some sort of ruling and a problem with the interpretation of something to do with a manmade object or obstruction. The two groups in front of us are still waiting to tee off.”
“Good, I need to pee.”
Several of the portable toilets were reserved for the players, caddies, and officials. Bobbie made her way to the domino-like row of portable toilets. She noticed that Campion’s caddy was also making a bee-line to the portable facilities. He cut her off, and took the next available.
She finished, and as she stepped out noticed that the caddy was leaving a john, different from the one he entered. ‘They probably ran out of toilet paper, serves the bastard right.’
He cut her off again, and she couldn’t believe what he did next. He winked at her. Bobbie felt her anger rising.
“Andy, that bastard had the nerve to wink at me when we were coming back from the johns. He’s really sure of himself, isn’t he?”
“I wouldn’t worry about him at all. Let’s just tend to your game. Take this one hole at a time. Have a power bar. We still have a few minutes before teeing off.”
They are half way through one of the true tests of golf. And, in spite of magic being used against her, Bobbie has been able to hang on. Whoever is using magic knows it can’t be too obvious. The results of the magic can’t be out of the ordinary, or the whole magic world might be exposed. That wouldn’t help anyone.
By Portia Bennett
The tenth hole is Bobbie’s least favorite hole on the course. It is long, very long, and usually plays as the most difficult hole of the eighteen. It is going to require all of her skills to get past this hole and the three following known as the ‘Amen Corner’. Yes, if you haven’t figured it out before now, Bobbie is playing in The Masters, one of the four ‘Majors’ on the PGA tour. Getting to the Masters is not easy and Bobbie took the route most available to her. We are going to find out how she did it. We are also going to find out about acceptance and non-acceptance of her on the tour by others.
Some of you might remember The Wizard’s advice in Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver. “When you get to twelve, use the 9-iron, not the wedge.” Well, The Wizard didn’t have the right clubs in mind, after all he doesn’t play golf, but the intent of his advice is remembered. The announcer is fortunate that he wasn’t fired.
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy, Bobbie, and the rest and how they arrived where they are now, you should probably read them. Start with An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, and Cynthia and the High School Years — Parts 1 & 2.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations. I’m sure that could happen at any time.
Once again, Holly did an outstanding job of fixing my punctuation errors and occasional wanderings into gibberish. My thanks also go to Beachbud, Michell, and Djkauf for their subjective proofing and comments.
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 10 — Camellia, Par 4, 495 Yards
From the Announcers Booth
“We’ve had a bit of a delay because of a ruling up ahead. Ben Bauer hit his ball up against some temporary landscaping. There wasn’t any penalty involved, and the officials wanted him to take a drop at the point of closest relief. Bauer felt that he had a better shot from where he was, and maintained that the potted plants were moveable, manmade obstructions. He won the argument, but it took a while to get a crew out there to move the pots.
“It all worked out to the best, and Bauer made a nice shot to the green.
“The final twosome has had quite a delay, but there’s not much they can do about it. Anderson has been taking some practice swings, but she cannot hit any practice shots. That would be allowed only if play was stopped for the entire field.
“Campion is finally able to hit away, and he has opted to go with the 3-wood. I think this is the first time he’s shown good sense this round. He’s hooked it well past the upper flat and it’s rolling forever.
At the Tee
“Just swing easy. There’s no reason to try to kill it. Just deep breathily. We’re going to run this bastard down.”
“Dammit, don’t make me laugh. This is serious business.”
Up in the Announcers’ Booth
“Anderson’s husband said something to her that broke her up. They are such a perfect match. It doesn’t matter which one is playing. They give each other such great support.
“Here’s her shot. It’s hooking nicely, and she’s made the slope it’s rolling nicely, but it’s stopping on the down slope. She’s way behind Campion. It’s going to be a tough shot from there. Almost everyone has come up short.
“There’s so much trouble around that green. The ball rolls off the front with ease, but at least from off the front, there is a chance to get it up and down. If you hit it long, there are all sorts of problems, and there is always the chance of hitting it off the green. Statistically, this is the toughest hole on the course.
“Anderson’ hitting first, Ray, what’s she got?”
“She’s hitting a utility club. I’m not sure if the five or six. Her lie’s not very good, and I think her philosophy on this hole hasn’t changed a bit. She wants to keep it away from the bunker on the right. In there, and it’s tough to get it anywhere near the hole. We’ve seen several hit it off the green from there. I think she will just hit it hard and try to keep it below the hole, which shouldn’t be any problem, as the pin is way back at the far left. A bogey isn’t good, but it certainly isn’t disastrous.”
On the Course
“Don’t try anything funny.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I just thought of something.”
“What’s that?”
“If I beat him in eighteen, I may never have to play this hole again.”
“I think that’s an excellent idea.”
In the Announcers’ Booth
“Anderson’s ready, and she’s hit a marvelous shot from where she was. It hits just below the front edge. It came up to the edge, but it’s rolling back. Well, she finally got a break. It’s stopped about five feet down the slope. That could have rolled another thirty or forty feet back down the hill. She’s going to have an interesting third shot.
“Campion’s going with a 7-iron. Okay, he’s hit it dead center and is going to have a long put for his birdie try.
Five Years Before - RBC Canadian Open, Etobicoke, Ontario
“Al, I think she has every right in the world to cry. What a fantastic performance. Her husband’s hugging her, and he’s crying, too.
“No one would admit it was possible, but she hung in there and did it. She beat the best at their own game. Two strokes down with two holes to go, she birdied the last two holes to get in the playoff, then birdied the first playoff hole to become the first woman to win a tournament on the men’s tour.
“Some say Babe Zaharias could have done it. She beat Byron Nelson in a charity match. It’s a shame that she never had the chance; however, she made it possible seventy or eighty years later for a woman to challenge the men, and it has finally happened. What a day for golf!
“Anderson’s being mobbed by her family and friends. I think we’ll just let her enjoy the moment. We’ll have plenty of time to talk to her in a little while. Matt Sawatski and Gary Oberfeldt are congratulating her. They have been most gracious in defeat. They are both fine golfers, and have several victories between them. I don’t think they will have to suffer like Tracy Stallard did back in 1961.
“Let’s go down to Ray who has Matt Sawatski and Gary Oberfeldt with him. Take it away, Ray.”
“Thanks Al. Well Matt, Gary, what can you say?”
“I know I can speak for Gary and all of the other golfers in the field. It wasn’t just Gary and me who were defeated today. There were 57 other golfers who made the cut that were defeated, too.
“Let there be no doubt about it, Bobbie Anderson can play golf, and there’s absolutely no reason she can’t win again and again on this tour. No, she’s not as long as the big hitters, but she’s longer than many of the shorter hitters on the tour. Look at what Corey Pavin did years ago. He won some of the best tournaments out there, including a major. She’s longer than he was.”
“We put together some statistics that emphasize what you’re saying. She was 40th in driving distance, but third in greens in regulation. She was first in sand saves — three for three, and first in saves over all. She was second in putting. Drive for show — putt for dough.”
“Gary, any comments?”
“Yeah, why does she have to be so good looking? Seriously, she doesn’t make mistakes. What did she do, miss three fairways?”
“Actually, she was first in fairways hit. She missed six, but none of them by much.”
Gary wasn’t through talking. “I was in her threesome on day one and two, and let me tell you, she is all business. Andy was telling me about the first time he played golf with her. She beat him by five strokes from the men’s tees. He saw it then, and I could see it here. She is so focused when she’s playing. She’s a bit different off the course. We had dinner the other night with her and Andy and their friends, the Brewers. What a delightful bunch.
“Andy’s a darn good golfer, and he will make his mark soon enough. Right now, he’s doing everything possible to make sure she wins on this tour, and it worked. They have an agenda. We’ll see a lot more of both of them on the tour.
“Every golfer who enters a tournament always has a goal of winning. If you don’t, you don’t belong here. Matt and I have been fortunate to win several events, but believe me when I say it was no disgrace to finish second today. We were beaten by the better golfer.”
At the News Conference
“Bobbie, so how does it feel now that you’ve had a little while to contemplate what you’ve done?”
“I feel pretty darned good, if you must know. I think I played it exactly the way I wanted to. That is one tough golf course, let me tell you.
“There was some question about whether or not I should be allowed to play. I’m glad that the fine people who run this tournament backed my playing all the way. There are some sore heads out there, and unfortunately, some of them played in this tournament, who can’t stomach the fact that a woman is playing on the PGA tour. I’m not sure what their problem is. This could have been resolved more than seventy years ago if Babe Zaharias had been able to break through. I think that if Annika Sorenstam had tried sooner, she might have made it. She was technically a great golfer. I do have an advantage over her in that I am considerably stronger, but I think she would have done well. I think she made a smart decision, retiring when she did. I don’t intend to wait quite that long, though.
“You’re going to retire?”
“Oh my goodness, no, not for a long time, but Andy and I want a family. I know there are some great golfers out there who raised a family while playing golf. Nancy Lopez and Julie Inkster come to mind. We don’t want to do that. When we start having children, it is going to require more of my attention, and playing golf full time will have to cease. Andy will play for a while longer, at least we hope so, and I will carry his bag when I can. It’s just that our priorities will shift over time.
“Next question please.”
“Bobbie, I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been putting part of my allowance away so that we may have a Stilton and port party one of these days.”
“Why Mr. Brewster, how nice of you, it’s so good to see you on this side of the pond. So, do you think I can do it?”
“I don’t see why not. I will support you all the way.”
“That is so nice of you to say that, thank you.”
“Bobbie, would you let us in on what you and the esteemed golf writer from England are talking about?”
“Let’s just say that we have a little bet going. I don’t think I want to sound too presumptuous, but if I win the bet, there is going to be one hell of a party. I think we will just leave it at that.”
At the Tenth Green
“Do it just like you did before. It’s going to break about fifteen feet left. Get it up there and let the green do the work for you.”
Andy handed Bobbie the 7-iron. She didn’t question his selection. She took a couple of practice swings, visualizing the trajectory and path the ball would take. She caught the ball crisply, taking a little of the turf as her swing continued. The ball popped nicely into the air on a relatively low trajectory. It bounced several times, and then started to roll. The break of the green caught the ball, and started taking it to the left. It rolled and rolled, turning all the time toward the hole. It slowed and wobbled a bit toward the end of the roll out. It stopped ten inches from the hole.
Andy pulled the pin, and Bobbie gently stroked it into the heart. She had her par, and the tenth hole was over and done with. It didn’t matter what Campion did. He was thirty feet below the hole. He might make a birdie, but it didn’t matter.
He didn’t make the birdie. Campion was 12 under par. Bobbie was at nine under. There were eight holes to play.
”ƒ
Chapter 11 — White Dogwood, Par 4, 505 Yards
From the Announcers’ Booth
“Anderson’s going to have to get all of it if she hopes to par this hole. She’s done pretty well this week, but realistically, this is a par five for her and she’s managed to ‘birdie’ it each day. Her luck’s bound to run out some time.
“Campion has hit another prodigious drive. A high fade is really necessary here to get it around the corner and down the hill, and he has done just that. He shouldn’t have much of an iron left to the green.”
“This is one of the few holes that works against Anderson’s game. This course favors someone who can draw the ball. Lee Trevino never did play very well here because he always played a fade. There were a number of years when he refused to play. He was never at ease because of the atmosphere, and refused to use the clubhouse. Needless to say, Anderson has had similar problems. They had to move a locker into the women’s restroom for her. Some things die hard.
“Here’s Anderson’s drive, and I’m not sure she got all of it. She is going to have a very long shot to the green, if she can even get it there.”
On the Fairway
“I tried to hit it too hard and popped it up, obviously. Crap, what’s my distance — 225, 230?”
“I have 227 to the pin,” Andy responded.
“What do you think; 3-wood or the utility club?”
“I think you should go with the utility club. If you over-cook the 3-wood, you might pull it into the pond. Play it safe with the utility club. That way you can keep it out of the lake and the bunker behind the pin. If Mize could knock it in from down there, you can too.
“Just relax. He’s going to try to clobber something in there. Who knows what he might do?”
Four Years Before — Fort Worth, Texas
“Jesus, it’s hot out here. How do these Texans stand this? I mean it has to be close to 100. Give me another bottle of water. At least they’re keeping it cold.”
Andy passed a bottle of cold water to her. She was drinking between every shot, and sometimes more often than that.
“Andy, one of these days they are going to have to let the men wear shorts. These long trousers are hell, especially in this heat. At least the LPGA had the good sense to let us wear shorts and skirts. Where does it say in the rules of golf that one has to dress uncomfortably?”
They were standing in the shade of a mesquite tree on the eighteenth fairway. They could hear the screeching of the wheels of the trains in the nearby switching yard. They were almost as loud as the screeching grackles that were everywhere.
Colonial Country Club is one of the most respected courses on the tour. It is a par 70, which means there are only two par five holes during the tournament. Known as Hogan’s Alley, the course and tournament are steeped in tradition. This was the course where Annika Sorenstam made her appearance many years before. She had missed the cut by one stroke. She had nothing to be ashamed of.
Bobbie was fairing considerably better. She had been two strokes behind the leaders at the cut, and only one stroke off the pace at 54 holes. She was in the second to last group of the day. She had been playing consistently well all day, where the others had faltered. She was four under for the day, and two strokes ahead of her friend Matt Sawatski and a fellow she didn’t know that much about, at least on a personal level, Jim Campion.
Campion had come out of relative obscurity to start winning with fair regularity. He had already won twice this year, and had won five tournaments the previous year. He had made it known early on when he found out that Bobbie was playing in the tournament, that women had no place on the men’s tour. When reminded that she had finished tenth in the Masters ahead of him, and also had a win in the Canadian Open, he just shrugged it off, saying she was a freak, and should be tested for drugs as well as having her DNA tested.
The reporter reminded him that she had already had that done on the LPGA because of comments made then. Campion didn’t have a response.
“Okay, just hit it easy to the center of the green. They’re going to have to hit it in the hole to tie you. They won’t do it. Just stay away from the left side.”
The perspiration was running down both of Bobbie’s arms. Her shirt was soaked, making her athletic bra quite visible. She dried her arms and hands, and Andy gave her a new glove. He dried the grip of the 6-iron once again before handing her the club. This was it.
She might have hooked the ball a bit more than she liked, but she was compensating for the hazards on the left, and hit the ball a bit right. The ball ended up hitting in the front center of the green, and rolled almost to the top of the hill. The green dropped from there to a rather nasty pin position at the left rear. She had played for this pin placement in her practice rounds.
Two putts later, she signed her card and watched as the last two golfers hit their approaches. Neither was close to the hole. She had won on the men’s tour once again.
“Well, Bobbie, this is getting to be habit forming.”
“Archie, this is a habit I don’t ever want to break. I had to make up for that debacle in Dallas last week, too.”
“I certainly wouldn’t call that a debacle. You did make the cut, after all.”
“Let’s just say that I didn’t play up to my standards. Let’s not talk about last week. Andy and I fixed the problems, and things were a lot better this week. Obviously, I played much better.”
“Did you realize that the other frontrunners were having problems out there?”
“I let Andy watch the leader board. He keeps me focused on the objective at hand, and that is the next shot.”
“So you didn’t realize Sawatski and Campion were running into trouble.”
“I knew something was up, when there seemed to be more crowd noise coming from our crowd than behind us. Then I saw the scoreboard at twelve, you can’t miss it, and saw that we were even. I didn’t look again. Andy told me we were two ahead after the drive on eighteen.
“I’m sorry that Sawatski and Campion had problems. Matt’s a good friend, but I don’t know Campion at all. We’ve played together, but I don’t know him.”
“They’re getting ready for the presentation. Congratulations to you and Andy for an outstanding tournament.”
“Thank you Archie, I know Andy appreciates the comment. You’ll be interviewing him before long.”
Andy stood to the side as his beloved received the huge check for publicity purposes. It was for $1.5 million. Some was destined for charity, but much of it would be put away for the future. Then there was the presentation of the plaid jacket. Bobbie seemed startled when the Tournament Chairman helped her slip it on. A few noticed that she seemed to be fighting tears, something that they hadn’t seen earlier.
At the Press Conference
“Bobbie, several things were noticeable at the end of the tournament. One was that Matt Sawatski stayed around to congratulate you on your victory. The other was that Jim Campion did not.”
“Matt and Jill Sawatski are good friends. We will be having dinner together tonight. Matt has been tremendously supportive since I’ve been playing on the tour. I don’t know Jim Campion at all. We’ve played together a couple of times and probably haven’t exchanged six words in that time.”
“Do you think he has a problem with your playing on the tour?”
“You will have to ask him that.”
“A question from the lady in the back.”
“Thank you, Bobbie, I couldn’t help but notice you got a little emotional when they put the jacket on you. Would you tell us what was going through your mind.”
“There was a lot going through my mind. I was thinking of all the great golfers who have won here. Ben Hogan won five times, Nicklaus, Trevino, that mighty mite, Corey Pavin, all won at least twice. So many great golfers have won at this tournament. That says something about how important this tournament is when the best golfers in the world play here. I thought about the ‘Wall of Fame’, and the fact that I am going to be there with all those greats. I was thinking about Annika, and how close she came. If Babe Zaharias had learned to play golf when she was ten years old, who knows what she could have done. It’s such an honor to be associated this way with all those others.”
“There was something else, wasn’t there?”
“You noticed, but you’re a woman, and I would have expected it. For all of you fashion challenged out there, I will tell you what it is. This is a woman’s jacket. The buttons are on the left side. That means a tremendous amount to me and any other woman who will play on this tour. It means acceptance, and I want to thank everyone associated with this tournament for being so thoughtful. Sometimes the little things mean a lot.
The Present - In the Announcers’ Booth
“Anderson’s going to use the utility club again. I don’t think she can get it to the pin from where she is, but the main thing is to keep it out of the pond on the left.
“Here’s her shot, and she’s done just what we thought she would. She’s left it about twenty feet off the green; however, she has a clear shot at the pin.
“Ray, what’s Campion going with?”
On the Course
“He’s going with a 7-iron. I’m not sure that’s enough club, even for him. We shall see.
“Oh, oh, he came way over the top, and has pulled it to the left. It’s not going to hit anything but water. It’s taken eleven holes, but Campion is finally faltering. What a turn of events this is. There could be a two stroke swing in Anderson’s favor.
“Campion’s not a happy camper right now. He’s keeping in line with where the ball crossed the edge of the hazard and the pin, and is going back to drop where he can use a full club to the green.
“He’s hit a sand wedge, and left it far left of the hole. He almost hit it off the green, and has a putt of about sixty feet. They’ve been three putting all day from over there.
“Anderson has by no means an easy shot. She’ll have to aim along the right edge of the green towards the bunker. As it slows, the ball will break to the left. This is going to be a combination of speed and direction. If she doesn’t get it high enough, she could end up way below the hole. Too strong and she could be down there by Campion’s ball.
“I don’t think we’ll see any miracle like Larry Mize’s shot to beat Greg Norman. I think she will consider anything within three feet a miracle.
“She’s hit a little bump and run right up the edge. If this has the speed, it’s going to be just the miracle she needs. Oh, look at this, she read it perfectly. It’s stopped no more than two feet from the hole, and from that angle, it is straight up the hill to the hole.
“Campion and his caddy seem to be having a discussion about something. He’s ready to putt, and is giving it a ride, and it’s well past the hole. I don’t know what the discussion was about, but Campion is not happy with his caddy at all. It couldn’t be about that shot into the water. He just hit a bad shot. If he had been on line, he probably would have had his par.
“From where he is, he is going to have a slight break to the left. This is not an easy putt.
“He’s left it below the hole. He walks up and raps it in the hole. This is getting very interesting.
“Anderson is lining up her putt. And there it is. Anderson is tied for the lead at nine under par. Campion has triple bogeyed the eleventh.
”ƒ
Chapter 12 — Golden Bell, Par 3, 155 Yards
At the Tee
“Andy, I know I’ve told you about this before, but it keeps playing over and over in my mind, especially after what happened two years ago. His Wisdom said when I get to twelve, go with the 9-iron, don’t use the wedge. He never said where, but I know he meant here. That was when Gramma Naomi gave me my first set of real golf clubs.
“I keep thinking about it. No one in his right mind would hit a wedge at 12. The Wizard doesn’t know that much about golf. At least he didn’t fifteen years ago. I think he was assuming I would be hitting from the women’s tees, but what he didn’t realize was that they don’t have women’s tees here. I think the gist of what he was trying to say was that if I am between clubs on the twelfth, to go with the longer club. I didn’t do that two years ago, and it cost us the tournament. What do you think?”
“I think going long is the lesser of two evils, but if you’re in the trap and mishit, it’s real easy to go into the creek or into that bunker on the low side.”
“With that said, I’m thinking 7-iron, or 6-iron. What’s it playing today?”
“I have it at 163. The wind’s swirling a bit. The 6-iron will come in a bit lower. I think you can stop it.”
“Yeah, I like that. Let’s do it.”
In the Announcers’ Booth
“Anderson and her husband have been going over her club selection. The wind is definitely swirling around. That could be a club difference in a matter of seconds.
“She’s teeing it up a bit like she likes to. She’s playing a cut. This looks good. It hits just to the left of the pin and …. IT’S IN THE HOLE! SHE’S HIT IT IN THE FUCKING HOLE! OH MY GOD!
“Please excuse me. I know I’ll hear about this for a long time, but we have just seen the shot of the ages. Bobbie Anderson has just aced the most sacred par three in golf.
“We’ll be seeing replays of this shot forever. Look at this. It is so perfect. There was never a doubt. It hits, kicks to the right, two little bounces, and it rolls into the hole.
“I wonder what’s going on in Campion’s mind right now. Two holes ago, he had a three stroke lead. That evaporated on eleven. This has to have shaken him to the core.
“The spectators are going crazy. I know she has quite a following, But I think she just picked up a bunch more. Nothing will ever make up for the double bogey she suffered two years ago when her ball rolled back into Rae’s Creek. But I’m sure it took a bit of the sting out of it. She never makes excuses. She said she made a dumb choice of clubs. Well, that was not the case today.
“We have the golf historians scrambling. There have been several aces on 16.
“Okay, here it is. There have been twenty-three holes in one during this tournament, and most of them have been at the 16th, where there have been fourteen. There were two in the final round at sixteen many years ago, if I remember correctly. Up to today, there had been only three at number twelve, so this is the fourth one. This one may have the greatest implication, though. What a shot!
“Things have finally quieted down a bit. Ray, how are things down at the tee?”
“Al, needless to say, things are a bit emotional in Anderson’s camp at the moment. This tournament is far from over. I think right now, she is trying to settle her nerves. Her husband took her aside, and they had a quiet talk. He’s been a rock for her, as she has been for him over the last few years. They know there is still a lot of golf left.
“Campion’s decided to go with the eight. That’s probably the right club for him. He should just take it over the right side of the front bunker, and hope that it stays on the green.
“Well he’s done it again, and pulled it to the left. Al, what can you see from up there?”
“He’s hit it off the back edge and down into that little swale to the left of the two bunkers. That is not the place to be.
A Little More Than Five Years Before
“Zach, what do you mean they are not sending an invitation to me? I am qualified in about forty-seven different ways…
“Well, hell yes, I’m not a man. I’ve known that all my life.” ‘If you only knew,’ she thought.
“Dammit, I’ve won a qualifying tournament. I’m in the top twenty on the money list. I’m even ranked 26th in the world rankings. What more do they want?”
“Well it’s about time they put a women’s locker room in the place. Zach, this is fucking stupid, excuse my French, but I have qualified to play in their tournament, and by gosh I am going to do it.
“I want you to find the best civil rights lawyer around. We’re going to sue their sorry asses for so much money they’ll be sorry they ever heard of me. I qualified by their rules, and they are going to have to let me play, or there won’t be four major tournaments on the PGA Tour ever again.”
January 2024 — ABC Evening News
“And now for a story from the world of golf: last year, the world of golf was set on its heels when a young, beautiful, and consummately skilled lady golfer appeared on the PGA tour. She made the cut in her first tournament, qualifying her for the next tournament. The fact she finished fifth was a shock to many. That was nothing compared to what she did several weeks later when she won the Canadian Open, making her the first woman to win on the men’s tour.
“It seems that her skill and success has rocked the golf world to its very roots. She has qualified, on paper at least, to play in that sanctum sanctorum of men’s golf: The Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. The problem is that the tournament officials have not offered her an invitation to play.
“The powers to be at Augusta National insist that there was never the intent to let women play in the tournament established by the great Bobby Jones. Perhaps it is just coincidental that her name is Bobbie.
“Augusta National does not have women members. They do not have lady’s tees on the golf course, nor do they have a woman’s locker room. Even though they say they are open to having women as members, an invitation has never been offered to a woman.
“Bobbie Anderson has twenty-eight victories on the LPGA as a professional, and three LPGA victories as an amateur. She won the US Amateur twice, and was the NCAA women’s champion twice. She is the top ranked golfer on the LPGA, and is currently ranked 26th on the men’s tour. Someone did suggest that if they had known she was a woman, she wouldn’t have been ranked.
“Although this network carries many of the PGA and LPGA tournaments, it does not carry the Masters. One of our fellow networks does, and it is well known that they pay Augusta National many millions for the privilege. In fact, it is the money from television revenues that enables Augusta National to exist. Their members pay a little over a thousand dollars a month for the privilege of belonging, and the membership is very limited, and very exclusive. It includes some of the wealthiest people in the world, none of them women, by the way.
“Apparently, Ms. Anderson is very popular with many, but definitely not all, of the men on the tour. I think we do need to say that Ms. Anderson is married to a professional golfer, and that they caddy for each other on the tour. They never compete against each other. There is a petition being circulated by invitees to the Masters that states, if she is not allowed to play, they will withdraw. We are talking about thirty of the top players on the tour, including six of the top ten. Conspicuous by their absence are the signatures of several golfers who have refused to play in some of the earlier tournaments she played in.
“Ms. Anderson is bringing suit against Augusta National. She says all she wants to do is to play. A spokesman for the tournament says to let her play would be a travesty, that she would only be an embarrassment to herself, the club, and tournament.
“It will certainly be interesting to see how this plays out.”
Three Months Later — ABC Sunday Evening News
“One of the time honored rituals of spring, and the first full week of April is the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia. There was some question this year if there would ever be another Masters Golf Tournament. One of the best golfers in the world, male or female, was excluded from the tournament even though she had met the qualifying criteria several different ways. Under the pressure of a major lawsuit, the withdrawal from the tournament of several dozen of the top ranked players in the world, and the refusal of any network to televise the tournament, Augusta National relented, and allowed Bobbie Anderson to play.
“It was reported to us by an unnamed source that members of the club said that after her showing for the first two days, they would never have to worry about another woman wanting to play in the Masters.
“Boy, were they wrong. Not only did she make the cut, she shot a final round 69 to finish in tenth place at even par: a remarkable performance by a remarkable young golfer. And you know what? She has qualified to play next year — truly amazing.”
The Present — In the Announcers’ Booth
“Bobbie Anderson is walking across Hogan’s Bridge, and quite frankly, I don’t think I have ever heard cheering like we are hearing right now.
“She has reached the green, and stopped to fix her ball mark before reaching into the hole to extract her ball. I have a feeling that ball will find its way into the Golf Hall of Fame one of these days.
“Well, back to reality: Campion has a nasty little chip and run. He has to come up over the rise before it slides down to the hole. It will be difficult to get it close to the hole.
“Here’s the chip. He had a pretty good line, but it’s just so difficult to stop it close to the hole. If it had hit the pin, he might have had a chance, but this is a good eight feet past the hole.
“There’s something strange going on. Campion seems to be having some strong words with his caddie, again. I don’t know what the problem is. His caddy certainly can’t be blamed for anything that has transpired over the last few holes.
“Okay, he’s lining up the putt. That was never in the hole. It didn’t have the speed to keep the line. Campion backhands it into the hole for a bogey four. That is two, three stroke swings on consecutive holes. Campion is now at eight under par, and Anderson is at eleven under, and leads by three. What a turn of events. The ‘Amen Corner’ is living up to its reputation once again.
Six holes left: what can go right, what can go wrong? There are some nasty holes ahead, and other than her skill, Bobbie really has no advantage on any of them. Then there is this problem of magic. Magic had nothing to do with her hole-in-one. That was skill and some luck. Campion’s poor play caused his melt down on eleven. In the final holes there will be plenty of opportunities for Campion’s magical assistant to influence the score. Hang in there, Bobbie. It ain’t over until it’s over.
By Portia Bennett
What a tremendous turn of events, and Campion did it to himself. As Bobbie will say later on, holes in one are accidents. It was a great shot regardless of whether or not it went into the hole. Well, there is one more hole in the Amen Corner to go before we get to the last five holes. There is plenty of room for things to go right as well as wrong. The 13th is a short par 5, but disaster waits in the form of a creek crossing in front of the green. How will Bobbie handle this beautiful little hole now that she has the lead?
There is a startling revelation about The Wizard, and Don and Cindy.
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy, Bobbie, and the rest and how they arrived where they are now, you should probably read them. Start with An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, and Cynthia and the High School Years — Parts 1 & 2.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations. I’m sure that could happen at any time.
Once again, Holly did an outstanding job of fixing my punctuation errors and occasional wanderings into gibberish. My thanks also go to Beachbud, Michell, and Djkauf for their subjective proofing and comments.
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 13 — Azalea, Par 5, 510 Yards
On the Way to the 13th Tee
“Okay, let’s not get overconfident, but I think we have him. He might get a few strokes back, but you can possibly pick up one here. Let’s just play it safe all the way.
“Are you alright? That was sort of exciting.”
“I couldn’t be better,” Bobbie responded. “I think it will be a while before what happened back there sinks in.
“I expected to feel some magic when he was putting, but haven’t felt a thing.
‘Cindy, have you or anyone else felt anything?’
‘Not a thing: just keep going the way you are. We will take care of everything else.’
“Bobbie, I know you can reach this in two, but there is absolutely no reason right now to even think about it. With that creek down there, too many bad things can happen. This is a lay-up all the way. Let him self-destruct. He’s so shaken right now, I’m surprised he hasn’t wet his pants, and don’t you even think about doing that to him.
“Just think about how beautiful all those azaleas are, and the fact your ball is going to be far, far away from them in the fairway.”
“Speaking of balls, what did you do with the one from twelve?”
“I gave it to Cindy. She says it’s safe for the moment.
“Okay, they’ve hit their second shots. Just knock this down there where you can use your iron to set up the third shot.”
From the Announcers’ Booth
“It looks like Anderson isn’t even thinking about going for this green in two. She’s taken a 3-wood and hit it about 240, 250 yards down the middle.
“Well, there’s no question Campion’s going for it. He’s so mad right now that he might just snap that driver with his swing. Well this one is going right. Ray, what can you see?”
Fairway Announcer
“Al, he has a shot. It’s a lot like that shot Mickelson had fifteen, sixteen years ago when he won going away. The pine straw’s not too deep, and the ball is sitting up. If he can thread it through the tree trunks he should be able to reach it easily.
Three Years Before — The Players Championship, Sawgrass
Greenside Interview
“Well, Bobbie, the run had to come to an end sometime. What are your feelings?”
“I don’t have anything to be ashamed of. What’d I miss the cut by, two strokes?
“This is one tough course, and it’s meant to be tough. It tests my abilities to the limit. Still, I’ll be back next year, the season willing.
“Do you think it comes down to the two balls in the water at 17?”
“Not really, Archie. There were any number of places out there where I should have picked up a stroke or two. This course is much better suited to my husband’s game, though. He’ll be able to play here soon, and I will carry his bag for him when he does.”
“So, if you both qualify, you’re not going to play?”
“We just don’t see any benefit in competing against each other. He’s going to play on the tour a lot longer than I do. I might play another four or five years at most. He might play another twenty. He’s on the verge of doing well. I matured as a golfer a lot earlier than he did.
“We’ll see you next week. I’m caddying for Andy in San Antonio. I think he’ll do real well there.”
“Thanks for stopping by, Bobbie. I know your fans appreciate hearing from you.”
“Al, before I turn it back to you, I just want to say that when she decides to call it quits, both tours are going to sorely miss her, as will her fans. She has set some very specific goals, and when she reaches them, she has told me that their raising a family will take top priority. She is going to school and has nearly finished her masters in psychology. Her best friend is doing her residency in psychiatry, and they plan on starting a clinic. She did tell me she will never totally leave golf, though.
The Next Week — San Antonio
“Andy, I get to interview you for a change, instead of your bride. I know it’s not for a win, but you gave it a good try.”
“Archie, we had a very good tournament. A win would have been nice, but a tie for second is very gratifying. Bobbie and I have been working on my short game, and it paid off. It’s about time I started contributing to the coffers.”
“So what’s in store over the next few weeks and months?”
“Bobbie’s playing in both the Nelson and Colonial. She’s not doing the Memorial. She’s not comfortable with the course. I’m playing in Memphis. She’s qualified for the US Open, and we’re going to give it a try. However, we both feel that the length will make it very difficult for her to take advantage of her short game. We’ll pretty much be alternating tournaments after that. As you know, the folks at the British Open have refused to recognize her wins and standing in the PGA. We’ll work it out some day.”
The Present — On the 13th Fairway
“My goodness he hit that a long way.”
“Don’t worry about it, you’ve screwed up his mind so much that he’s snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. We are going to play this just the way we talked about. You know it, and I know it. He is not a good golfer. He is a cheat, and he will probably never win another tournament.
“That said, take this 7-iron, and hit down there on the left. You know the spot. Can you see it?”
“Yeah, right down there.”
She had her target in mind. It was just a matter of staying out of trouble, and the 7-iron couldn’t get her anywhere near trouble. Just advance the ball.
Campion’s shot looked a lot worse than it was. The announcers made a lot of it, but it was over-played on the air. His 6-iron was high and straight, but once again, pulled to the left. He had an eagle put, but it was from the back left of the green.
Bobbie’s knock-down wedge came up about ten feet short of the hole. Campion ran his putt three feet past on the low side. He would get his birdie. Bobbie and Andy took some time to make sure she had the right line. The putt was in the heart.
From the Announcers’ Booth
“Well, we’ve just seen two of several ways to make birdies on the par five, 13th. Muscle it up there and two putt, or play it safe, and have an excellent short game. It doesn’t really matter. They both resulted in fours on the score card. Campion is at nine under par and Anderson is at twelve under, in spite of an earlier double bogey.
On the Course
‘Guys, I really expected them to do something on the green. I didn’t sense anything. Did any of you?
‘Not a thing,’ Randi responded. ‘Don’t worry about it. You’re in control. Be cool.’
”ƒ
Chapter 14 — Chinese Fir, Par 4, 440 Yards
From the Announcers’ Booth
“There’s not a bunker one on this hole, but it’s all about the green that slopes strongly to the right once you get it above the false front. The pin is in the middle right, and if you can get the ball on the right level, it’s not too difficult. Most of the golfers go with the driver, because they want to get the ball as close to the green as possible. If you don’t get it on the upper level, the ball will roll well off the green. This is one nasty hole.
“It was the toughest hole on the course on day two, averaging almost four and one-half strokes. Today, it has been much easier, actually averaging less than four strokes.”
Back on the Course
“Give it a rip, Bobbie. Just keep it away from the right side. If you can keep it in the short grass, you shouldn’t have any major problem. The pin is on the far right, just like it is every year.”
Andy handed the driver to Bobbie, and stepped aside. Sometimes it was difficult to stay objective. He loved her so much. The infatuation that had captured him the first time they played golf together had quickly turned into love. It wasn’t a difficult thing to do. She was intelligent, honest, beautiful, athletic, and a witch. The funny thing was when she told him about her abilities, he had no trouble accepting it. Nor did he have any trouble accepting the fact that Cindy was a witch. The delightful talking cats were just one more thing.
Donna Brewer had been a bit of an enigma when she had moved in with his family. She was a beautiful, but traumatized young woman. She would have been easy to fall in love with but for the fact he was already in love with Bobbie. It had hurt when Donna had disappeared and no one in his family remembered her. But the hurt that happened to Cindy, who was Donna’s lover, had been devastating.
Then Bobbie told him what was going on, and the fact that Cindy couldn’t know until two universes were rejoined. He had trouble understanding the ramifications of magic at first, but over the years it became easier and easier. Now they were dealing with magic on the golf course, probably one of the few places where magic had no right or reason to be present, but it was there, none-the-less.
Andy knew Bobbie should be leading this golf tournament, and she should be leading it right now by at least four or five more strokes than she was leading it by at the moment. The earlier double bogey should never have happened. They had caused her to miss at least two putts that were in the heart. Magic had given Campion at least three strokes. They should have been so far in front right now that her victory was a sure thing. Instead, in spite of a three stroke lead at the moment, victory was anything but a sure thing.
He knew Bobbie would never use magic on the golf course, and he knew her opponent’s use of magic was frustrating her. He just hoped she could keep her cool.
The real shock in their relationship had been when she told him many years before about her origin. That had been the most startling revelation of all. Bobbie had been born a boy, but he knew she was a woman. There was no question she was a woman. They had been on a date when she had to make an emergency stop at the drug store to get tampons when her period started early.
At first, he thought it was a joke, something that Bobbie and Cindy had dreamed up to test him. By then, he knew they were both witches. It hadn’t taken much on their part to convince him of that fact. But the more he learned about them, their friends, The Wizard, and their talking cats, the easier it became to accept the fact that Bobbie had indeed been willingly transformed from a sport loving boy into the beautiful redhead he had fallen so deeply in love with, and had married almost ten years before.
They had a tournament to play, and there were still five holes to go. He had to do everything possible to keep Bobbie focused. The hell with Campion, he just had to keep Bobbie playing the golf he knew she was capable of playing.
He watched her swing and realized that his fears were being realized. Bobbie was getting tired. Any participant in this tournament would be getting tired at this point, and this is where it would be showing up.
Bobbie’s drive was long, but she had come off it a bit, and instead of the nice draw she usually hit, the ball was going down the right side of the fairway. There was trouble along the right side. The balls had a tendency to roll into the rough, making the second shot all the more difficult. Andy knew that his skill as a caddy for his wife was going to be tested.
From the Announcers’ Booth
“Anderson’s drive is out there but it doesn’t have the draw she usually likes to bring into play on this hole. Ray, how does it look from out there?”
From the Fairway
“Al, she’s in the first cut of rough, and her lie’s not very good. She might even have some tree trouble. It will be interesting to see if she can work the magic with her short game that she has up to now.
In the Announcers’ Booth
“Most of the golfers have told me they would love to play it safe on this hole; however, if you don’t get it far enough out there, you are likely to find trouble on the right. The ball will invariably roll to the right and into the rough.
“Anderson is paying the penalty of not having the length to hit it past the trouble.
“Here’s Campion with his drive. Let’s see if he can use his length to his advantage and get a stroke back. Being down three strokes with five holes to play is not insurmountable. He is going to have to call on all his skills to pull it off.
“He’s hit it a mile. I think he was venting a lot of pent up anger on that one. He’s made it very clear that he doesn’t think Anderson should be playing here, and to be three strokes down to her has to be eating on him.
From the Fairway
“Al, Campion’s drive is way past all the trouble, leaving him with nothing more than a little wedge to the upper level and the right hand pin placement.
“I’ve had a good look at Anderson’s ball, and she probably doesn’t have a shot at the pin. I think she will be lucky to get it to the green, and if she does, getting the ball to the upper tier is going to be problematic.”
The camera zoomed in on Bobbie and Andy as they discussed the next shot.
“Just hit it as far as you can. You might be able to get it on the green. We’ll worry about the next shot when we get there.”
“What do you think, a six or seven?”
“I’m thinking the seven. You are going to have to dig it out. The six may not get it up quickly enough.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right. Give me the seven.”
“As you just heard,” the fairway announcer continued, “Anderson’s going with the seven. I don’t think she can reach the upper green level and I think their main concern is getting it close enough to the pin to give them a shot at par.
“She’s giving it a whack, and she got a lot of it, but I don’t think it will stay if it even gets there.
From the Announcers’ Booth
“She’s very strong, and how she hit it as far as she did is beyond me. It rolled up on that false front green but, as you can see, it’s headed back down the hill to give her a nasty chip at the pin.
“Campion’s hitting a sand wedge, and look for this to be close. Nope, as he has done all day, he’s pulled it left, giving him about twenty-five feet of a tricky putt.
“Anderson’s been surveying this chip for a while. The main thing is to get it up the hill. Right now, I think she’ll be very happy with a bogey, and take whatever Campion throws at her.
“She has her ‘L’-wedge out, and from her practice swings, I’d say she’s going to try to hit a flop shot. She’s trying to take the whole front of the green out of play.
“She’s hit it perfectly. She’s going to be left of the hole, but she used the slope over there to slow the ball and keep it on the green. She didn’t have a lot of room around the pin, and that was probably the best shot.
“They tell me Campion has twenty-five feet, seven inches to the hole. He’s giving it a go, and just misses it below the hole. He walks up and taps it in. If looks could kill, Anderson’s probably would. It looks like he deliberately stepped in her line, a rather obvious breach of golf etiquette.
“Anderson’s lining up her putt. This has a chance, but stops just below the hole. That’s a bogey for Anderson, who at eleven under leads Campion by two strokes.
“Did they do anything to that putt?”
“No, at least I didn’t sense anything. I just didn’t hit it, never up, never in.
“What’s the deal with Campion and his Caddy? They’re going at it again.”
“I’m not sure. I’ve been staying as far away from them as possible. I don’t want them reading my mind.”
“You’re still protected. They’ll not get a thing from either of us. Give me another power bar and some water. This heat’s getting to be a bit much.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Four holes to go, then we can rest for a long time. At least, I can.”
”ƒ
Chapter 15 — Firethorn, Par 5, 530 Yards
From the Announcers’ Booth
“Historically, this is the easiest hole on the golf course, and today’s no exception. The stroke average up to now has been 4.25. So realistically, we can say the hole has been playing as a tough par 4.
“If Campion can keep his drive in the fairway, I don’t think there will be any question that he will go for it in two. He’s hit seven irons to the green each of the first three rounds and has an eagle, birdie, and par to show for it: his par coming when he hit it over the green yesterday.
“Quite the opposite, Anderson’s laid back and hit wedges to the green each day. So far, she’s two pars and a birdie for her effort. I certainly don’t see any reason for her to try to go for it.
“There have been quite a few changes to this hole since ‘The Squire’ knocked it into the hole for a double eagle, two back in 1935. The hole played only 485 yards then. They enlarged the pond and moved the tee to the left and back, but in spite of all the changes, it continues to be the easiest hole on the course.
“Campion’s going with the driver, and has just crushed it. Does he do it any other way? He might be hitting no more than an eight or nine iron to the green.
“Anderson’s going with a utility club, probably an equivalent to a 5-wood. She’s hit it as straight as an arrow, probably about 220 yards down the middle. She’ll lay it up, probably giving her a wedge to the green. She’ll hit twice before Campion even gets to his ball.”
Several Years Earlier
“Your Wisdom, thank you for coming to the lab. I wanted to talk to you about what we found out about your DNA, and see what you wanted to have happen with the information. It’s your DNA, and per our agreement with all magical people, we will not release any information if you don’t want us to.
“As you know, your people have been pretty lucky with the gene duplication efforts you’ve tried in the past. Bobbie and Charli are the best examples. Now that we’ve narrowed the location of the magic gene down even further, if there is an opportunity to do magic gene replacement, it will be a lot easier for your people to do it.”
“Myrna, I, no, all of us are eager to see what you’ve found out. This whole project of yours is going to be so important for the magic world. So tell me what you’ve found out. I could read your mind, but I probably wouldn’t understand all this scientific gobbledygook, so it might be better if you just explained it to me in lay terms.”
“I have a couple of questions for you,” Myrna responded. “If they get too personal, just tell me, and I’ll stop.”
“Alright.”
“According to everything you know, you are the last wizard in this universe.”
“That is correct.”
“You’ve never married or had a family, have you?”
“No, never, five hundred or so years ago, I was pretty close to some women, but nothing ever came of it, and as the years went by it didn’t seem to be important.”
“Did you know any other wizards? Were they unmarried like you?”
“There was my mentor, Adolphus Muench. I lived with him and his family for about a hundred years.”
“So he had children?”
“Oh yes, forty or fifty or so, over a period of five or six hundred years. He was rather proud of that; however, he was disappointed that none of them had the wizard ability. I think he kept hoping that one would. I think he was about fifteen hundred years old when he decided to leave his body and move on.”
“Well that clarifies that issue and supports what we found.
“We’ve put this in some pictures for you, and it might make some of this easier to understand. This first picture shows your ‘Y’ chromosome. It looks just like most ‘Y’ chromosomes, except for this little gene sequence down here. We hadn’t seen anything quite like it, and it got us wondering. We didn’t have that many samples of ‘Y’ chromosome to look at from the known carriers, only about 150; however our computer search didn’t show any sequence like this in any of them. We then ran the search through several thousand samples we had from non-magical donors. Nothing like that ever showed up in any of them.
“I thought there might be a chance that this might be part of the gene requirement for wizardry, but I needed more evidence. How was I going to determine if this was indeed the wizard gene? I was pretty sure that at least part of the wizard genetic makeup had to be sex linked. This is where things really got interesting.”
“Did you know you have Klinefelter’s Syndrome?”
“I’ve suspected it for some time, but never had any testing done. When I first heard about it, I felt it would explain many things: the way I look, the way I feel about certain things, the fact that I never fathered a child.
“So you confirmed that. I’m not really surprised. What else did you find?”
“On this ‘X’ chromosome, I found the same gene sequence that we couldn’t find on any of the other ‘X’ chromosomes, except for one family, and lo and behold, I found three. Care to venture a guess?”
“I don’t need to guess. It’s the Lewis’s. We’ve known that all along. That would be Marissa and Cindy. Who’s the other one?”
“Stan Junior, Marissa didn’t pass it on to the others, just the witch gene.
“That really got me thinking though, and it suddenly became very clear. The powers had made a huge effort, probably bigger than anything we can comprehend, to correct what you had told us was a mistake in that Donna should never have been born into this universe. Your people split this reality so that a correction could be made and Don would appear in the split reality. You went to what, 74 parallel earths to find the correct embryo and bring it into the parallel earth?”
“Yes, it was something like that. Actually, I think it was more like 90.”
“You did that so that Cindy and Don would meet. That was a hell of a job you did working all that out. Every once in a while, I miss Donna, but then I realize she’s right there with us in Don. I know you told us that Donna lives in other universes, and I guess that makes our losing her a bit easier.
“Anyway, I suddenly realized what you and those others behind the scenes were up to. It was all Don and Cindy. It was easy. I ran the sequence on Don, and there it was, the wizard gene, right where it belonged on the ‘X’ and ‘Y’ chromosomes. But, Don was not a wizard as far as we knew. There had to be something else. It was really too easy. I went back to your charts, and there it was. You’re carrying the witch gene, too.
“I haven’t found anything else, so far. Right now, it looks like it takes a pair of wizard genes, or alleles as we call them, plus the witch gene to create a wizard. No wonder you guys are so scarce.
“That brings up two more questions. First, how did you know about Don?”
“We knew there had been another wizard when I was being trained. He was very secretive and disappeared into the New World when the Spanish were making their early incursions into Central America. We were getting desperate because I couldn’t father children, and we had lost track of the other wizard lines. We developed a means of detecting the auras of the wizard genes, and started to search. We kept coming up with dead ends until we started going into the mountains of northern Mexico. We found a young woman who was pregnant, and she and the unborn child had the right genes. This was when the mistake happened. Our searchers got confused about which universe had the correct embryo.
“Cindy’s line is in this universe only. We can’t be watching everything and everywhere, and when she nearly drowned and her spirit had left her body, everything was nearly lost right then. Then Al Gontarski showed up. He had no idea what was in store for him, and he needed so much training, but he was ready when we moved him into Cindy’s body. That worked beyond all our expectations.” The Wizard started to choke up.
“I have lived a long, long time, but you, Cindy, Bobbie and the rest have brought me more joy and happiness than I have had in the previous five hundred years. I think you have brought me back to reality. I was becoming a bitter old man who deep down inside always wished he could have been a woman. I never understood that until the last few hundred years. I think I took out a lot of my frustration out on some of the visitors my shop has had over the years. Some of the transformations were pretty bizarre, you will have to admit. I might have overdone you and some others a bit.”
“Your Wisdom, I couldn’t be happier about what you did for me, and indirectly for my mother and sister. My sister still is amazed about her sudden bust development those many years ago, as is my mother. I’m glad you didn’t change reality so much that they weren’t aware they had changed. They’ve just put it up to some unexplained miracle.
“I’ve read a number of your unauthorized biographical tales that you were kind enough to confirm, and I know what Cindy and Bobbie have told me over the years. I think you have done some wonderful things, and there have been some very positive outcomes. Maybe what you did to Cindy’s kidnapper was harsh, but he would have been executed in at least four of the states where he committed those horrible crimes. Yes, he got exactly what he deserved.
“I think you may have told me more than you intended, but anything you have told me is confidential. Now I need to know one more thing. Your second ‘X’ chromosome is not carrying the wizard gene. I wonder what would have happened if it did?”
“I think that may be where sorcerers come from. Sorcerers never father children by the way,” The Wizard said after contemplating things a few seconds. “It would be interesting to find out. I wonder if the witch gene is needed for the sorcerer ability to show up. I’ll see if I can find some DNA for you to look at. We should have something in the archives. Come to think of it. I may have something from my mentor. I’ll take a look.”
“I don’t think I’m stepping out on a limb when I ask you this, and I think you have already confirmed it. Cindy and Don’s sons have a fifty percent chance of being be wizards don’t they?”
“Yes, we’re pretty sure that’s what’s going to happen.”
The Present — On the Course
“Just hit it down there past his ball. All we want out of this is a par. If he eagles it, we’re still tied, but the way he’s been playing, I wouldn’t bet on him at all. Just hit this 7-iron nice and easy.
In the Announcers’ Booth
“Anderson’s hit a seven iron down the slope, giving her a bit of a tricky downhill lie. She’s hit from about the same spot all three days.
“After a 350 yard drive, Campion has 180 yards to the green.
“Ray, what’s he hitting?”
“He’s hitting a 7-iron,” Ray whispered. “It should be plenty of club for him.
“Well, he’s pulled it again, and I can’t see from here where it’s ended up.
“Al, what do the cameras have?”
“It hit once on the green and has bounced down almost to the sixteenth tee. He’ll have plenty of green to hit to, but he’s got to go between some pine trees. This is going to take some work on his part.
“I have a feeling some of the pressure was taken off Anderson’s shoulders with that shot. If he had hit it close to the hole, he might have been able to tie the match with one putt. Now he’s going to be struggling to get it down in regulation.
“Ray, have you reached his ball yet?”
“Yeah, I have, and he’s not going to have any fun with this shot at all. There are all sorts of tree trunks between the ball and the pin. He’s going to have to chip it up on the green well away from the hole. If it he hits it too hard, he could put it into the lake. He’ll be lucky to save par.”
“Anderson has a wedge. She has a good line at the flag, and the way she’s been playing her short game today, and all week for that matter, I wouldn’t be surprised, if she gets it close.
“This is the type of shot that the high handicapper would hit into the lake. The tendency is to try to scoop the ball, and they will hit it fat almost every time; not Bobbie Anderson. She’s hit it perfectly. It’s just to the left of the flag. Oh, look at this. It took a couple of bounces and the spin is bringing it back past the hole. It has stopped below the hole, giving her about a 10 foot uphill put for a birdie. She is just amazing with her short game.
“Ray, what’s Campion doing?”
“He’s going to try to chip it up on the green with a 7-iron. He can’t carry it to the green on the fly. It could roll right into the lake. He’ll try to hit it into the fringe and hope that takes some of the speed off the ball.
“He’s hit an excellent shot, but he’s a good sixty feet from the hole. Right now he’s just hoping for a two putt. He’s still away, and is taking his time checking it out.
“He’s struck it firmly, and it’s going to stop about three feet above the hole. He’s going to have a little tester coming down the slope.
“Anderson’s putt measures at eight feet six inches. She and her husband have had a lot of time to study this one. She strokes it, and (the groans told it all) has left it about six inches short. It was right on line.
“Campion is hovering over his putt. He’s going to have to just barely tap it … and it just barely wobbles into the hole. And, they’re right where they were when they started play on this hole. Anderson is at eleven under par and Campion stays at nine under. Boy did he miss an opportunity on this hole. The easiest hole on the course, playing almost a stroke under par, and he comes away with a par, and a lucky par at that.
‘Cindy, I didn’t feel anything. Did you?’
‘Not a thing. Drink some water, and have another bite of that energy bar. We’re going down to get a view of the next green.
The beautiful sixteenth hole is next. There have been quite a few holes in one here. Could Bobbie possibly do it again? Then there is seventeen with the notorious ‘Eisenhower Tree’. Finally, there is the eighteenth, not the hardest finishing hole, but certainly not the easiest. Any of these holes could bring about a two stroke swing in either player’s favor.
By Portia Bennett
I guess the question now is can Bobbie hang on? She has a good lead with three hole to go, but as we have already seen, this course can jump up and bite you rather severely when you least expect it. A couple of birdies and a couple of bogies could have things even. Campion is going to let it all out, and Bobbie can’t play it too safe. Andy has seen it, too. Bobbie is getting tired, not that any of the golfers wouldn’t be getting tired at this point. Then there is the nineteenth hole where we might be able to straighten all this mess out.
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy, Bobbie, and the rest and how they arrived where they are now, you should probably read them. Start with An Incremental Journey, Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend, Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver, Cynthia and the Moment of Truth, and Cynthia and the High School Years — Parts 1 & 2.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations. I’m sure that could happen at any time.
Once again, Holly did an outstanding job of fixing my punctuation errors and occasional wanderings into gibberish. My thanks also go to Beachbud, Michell, and Djkauf for their subjective proofing and comments.
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 16 — Redbud, Par 3, 170 Yards
The sixteenth is a beautiful golf hole. At one time it played over a creek, but that was dammed to form the current lake in the 1940’s. The lake seldom comes into play except for the weekend golfer. Of course it does collect some errant shots that usually lead to double bogeys, but for most, it is just a pretty pond that has no affect on the score other than to act as a psychological hazard.
The whole point of the par three hole in golf is to hit the ball on the green and putt it in the hole in two or less shots. For the less than competent golfer, there are some bunkers and a deep rough around the edge. For the really incompetent, there is the lake. The biggest problem, other than the penalty, is that you lose a golf ball.
Some escaped the lake in rather unusual fashion. Vijay Singh, the 2000 winner, literally skipped a ball across the water and into the hole during a practice round in 2009. In 2010 there were two holes in one at the sixteenth during the final round. In 2005, Tiger Woods chipped in for a birdie and eventual victory. He hit a shot from the far left rough up the hill of the sloping green, watched as the ball slowed far above the hole, gently turned and rolled towards the hole only to apparently stop at the edge, before it dropped into the hole after hovering for several seconds. What would happen this day, many years later?
The Announcers’ Booth
“Campion is running out of holes if he is going to do anything. He’s going to need birdies. Seventeen has not proved to be a problem for Anderson, and eighteen will probably test her, but if she goes to eighteen with a two stroke lead, she can play for a bogey and still win. Campion is going to have to do something right now if he is going to have any chance at all.
“Ray, what is he going with?”
“He has taken out the 8-iron. He’s been going left all day, and he needs to guard against that at all costs. The golfer has several options. He, or she, can go directly at the pin, but that can bring the bunker at the left in play, and the deep rough beyond it. Many choose to go right and let the slope of the hill bring the ball back toward the pin. I think he will try to do that. If he does, he has a good chance of avoiding the lake. Back to you, Al.”
“Campion’s taking a lot of practice swings. He’s definitely guarding against going left.
“He’s hit a towering shot that is definitely going to be right of the flag. The question is did he hit it too far? It’s hit on the upper level, and I don’t think it’s going to come back down. Yep, it’s rolling right up against the fringe in front of the bunker. It will take a miracle to get down in two from there.”
Back at the Tee
“Andy, I’m thinking a smooth six.”
“I think that’s exactly right. There’s a little following wind. Just hit it right at where his ball is sitting, and the green will do all the rest.
She teed the ball up at the left side of the tee. Although, she could hit it high when necessary, Bobbie preferred to hit a lower trajectory. Her line was true, and the ball took a couple of bounces before it started rolling up and along the slope. Ever present, gravity and friction took over and the ball found the fall line.
The crowd, if not already on their feet, were now. The roar permeated the last three holes, and those not following the final group knew something was happening again. The ball picked up speed and started on what appeared to be an unerring trip to the hole. Would they see it again? Would Bobbie Anderson get two holes in one on the back nine?
That road to golf immortality was not to be. The ball missed the hole by a good six inches and stopped at the fringe about eight feet below the hole. The putt coming back would be dead straight. There were a few groans, but there were mostly cheers as the golfers and caddies made their way around the right side of the pond to the green.
From the Announcers’ Booth
“Al, it’s do-or-die for Campion. In a way, he caught a bit of a bad break when his ball didn’t make it to the fringe. If he could have left the pin in, it might stop the ball on the downhill putt, but I don’t think he can keep this on the green. We’ve seen a couple of these today, and they are really trucking by the time they get to the hole. Every one of them has ended up in the long stuff beyond the fringe.”
“I agree, if he can get this down in two, it’s nothing short of a miracle. He’s going to have to just get it to the edge, and then hope. If he doesn’t hit it hard enough to get there, he’s still faced with the slope, and the ball will not stop. He got lucky on the front nine when his ball stopped by the hole instead of going off the green. I still don’t understand how that ball stopped.”
“Ray, what’s going on down there? He is certainly taking a lot of time on this.”
“Al, the tournament’s probably on the line for Campion. He can’t afford to be three strokes down with only two holes left to play. It would take some good luck on his part and a colossal collapse on Anderson’s part for him to have a chance. The way Anderson is playing, and has played in the past, she’s not likely to give up a lead like that.
Three Years Before, Medinah Country Club, Medinah, Illinois
“Bobbie Anderson has been nice enough to spend a few minutes with us during the thunderstorm delay.
“Bobbie, now that you’ve played in the PGA, and made the cut, do you have any comments.”
“Yes, it’s a course like this that makes me wonder sometimes why I even try. That is one brutal son of a gun. It’s a course like this that really demonstrates the disadvantages women have on this tour. It really comes down to a strength issue. I’ll put my short game up against anyone out there, but these guys are hitting drives 320 yards and more. I’m averaging 280, 285. They are putting for eagles on the par fives and I’m lucky to be putting for birdies. That’s about a four stroke advantage on the par fives. Heck, there are four par fours out there that I have to play like par fives.”
“That may be, Bobbie, but you did make the cut, and half the field didn’t.”
“Yeah, I did, didn’t I?”
“May I ask why you are playing on the men’s tour? You could be cleaning up on the LPGA.”
“I like the challenge.”
“You like beating the men at their game?”
“No, that’s not it at all. It’s pushing myself to play at the limit of my abilities. If all I wanted to do was beat someone’s ass, I’d play on some pitch and putt course, or a six thousand yard municipal course. If I were six inches shorter and forty pounds lighter, I would still push myself to play as well as I could on the LPGA, and I think I would do well.
“I was very lucky to be the recipient of some excellent genes that have given me the physical abilities I have. I don’t intend to do this forever. I’ve told you this before. Andy and I intend to start a family in a few years, and golf will have to take a back seat to that. I am going to move on into other professional endeavors. This has been a lot of fun and regardless of my future successes, I will look back with a lot of pride at what Andy and I have accomplished.
“There will be other women on the tour, unless they keep lengthening the courses to keep them off. Yes, strength is involved to a certain extent, but the bottom line is this is a game of skill. I’m not advocating that women should be given carte blanche to play on the tour, but if they can qualify through any of the numerous routes available, then more power to them.
“I never once asked for any favors. The playing field is even. I haven’t played from the women’s tees since junior high school. Ask Andy.”
“That’s right, he did lose a bet to you. Have you ever collected?”
“Many times, Archie, many times.”
“Bobbie, thank you for taking the time to talk with us; it’s always a pleasure.”
“Archie, I will talk with you any time. Thank you.”
“Folks, she is one outspoken young lady. The thing is, she backs it up with her performance on the course. She barely made the cut in the PGA this year, but she made it. What more can you say? She is truly remarkable.”
The Present — On the 16th Green
Bobbie and Andy watched as Campion lined up his putt. She didn’t say it, but she expected magic to influence the direction and speed of the ball. He gave it a smooth stroke designed to carry it just barely past the precipice leading to the hole below. It was obvious from the beginning that he had hit it too hard. As the ball plunged toward the hole, it picked up speed. Even if it had hit the hole, it wouldn’t have gone in. It hit the fringe about ten feet to the left of Bobbie’s ball, gave a little hop, and disappeared in the long grass beyond.
Campion faced a nasty chip. The television broadcast showed a ball that was barely visible. Those around the green didn’t need any television picture to know that for Campion to get the ball even close to the hole would take a miraculous shot.
There would be no more miracles. His practice swings were like a farmer cutting grass with a scythe. Clumps of green grass hung onto the club after each practice swing. He had to eventually face reality, and settled in to hit the ball. It was a good, no excellent, shot. The ball popped into the air and came to rest about three feet below the hole. Campion would get his bogey.
For Bobbie, the pressure of having to make her putt was no longer a factor. She stroked her putt firmly, and it caught the upper edge of the hole, broke to the left and stopped about a foot away.
As they walked to the 17th tee, Bobbie was at eleven under par and Campion was at eight under. Bobbie had a three stroke lead with two holes to play.
“Andy, something’s happening.”
“Right, you’re going to win.”
“That remains to be seen. I guess I should say something’s not happening. There have been several opportunities for magic to influence his score and my score, but nothing has happened since the first nine. Something’s changed.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. We’ll just play your game and not do anything stupid.
“You’re up.”
”ƒ
Chapter 17 — Nandina, Par 4, 425 Yards
From the Announcers’ Booth
“Al, Anderson’s going with the driver, as she has the three previous days. It’s an uphill tee shot, and she needs to get it out there as far as possible to give her a shot at the green with a short iron. The golfers have to go long with the pin tucked behind the right hand bunker.
“There’s a picture perfect swing. We’ll have to see that on the slow-mo. Anderson seemed a bit tired a couple of holes ago, but the three stroke lead has revitalized her. She’s hit well past the Eisenhower tree that is only 210 yards from the tee.
“Ray, how does it look from out there?”
“She’s made the top of the hill, and should have a look at the green. The folks in the trailer tell me she’s hit it right at 285 yards. That gives her 160 to the center of the green. There’s no way she’s going to go for the pin, and any shot in the front bunker is a very difficult up and down. No one’s made a par out of there today.
“Campion has the driver in hand. He needs to get it close so he can use the wedge and stop it near the hole.
“Well, he’s absolutely crushed it. Ray, I think he just vented some more anger on that one. You can almost see the steam coming out of his collar.”
From the On-Course Announcer
“Al, that ball is way down there. He’ll have nothing more than a sand wedge. He has to be sixty or seventy yards past where Anderson’s ball is sitting. The advantage is definitely Campion’s on this hole.”
That February, Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades
“What’s Campion doing?”
“Don’t worry about him. He still has two holes to play. Right now, we need to worry about Bobbie Anderson, the most beautiful and sexy golfer on the tour.”
“I don’t know about that. That Tony Yarbrough is pretty good looking, and I hear he’s pretty good in the sack, too.”
From the Announcers’ Booth
“There has been a light rain for the entire tournament, for the entire week, for that matter, and it seems to have worked in Bobbie Anderson’s favor. The tees were moved up the first day as no one has been able to get any roll on their drives. What it did was bring Anderson’s short game into play and take away some of the advantage the long hitters might have over her.
“Anderson failed to make the cut last year, and she said then that the length of the course was probably more than she could handle; however, here she is leading the tournament by two strokes, and no one else seems to be able to make a charge. Really, the difference today has been her consistency, plus the eagle two she made on 10. She birdied number one, and everything else has been pars.
“Ray, what have they been talking about while they’re waiting for the group ahead to hit their second shots?”
“Mostly, Andy’s been trying to keep her loose. What the players behind them do is out of their hands. He’s just trying to get her to concentrate on the next two shots.
“By the way, the rain’s really starting to come down, and the rain gear’s coming out once again. I’ll send it back up to you while I try to find some shelter.
“Thanks, Ray.
“Anderson has the driver out once again. Obviously, she’s not near to being the longest driver out here, but she’s long enough. She’s second in driving accuracy, fourth in greens in regulation, first in putting, and first in saves. That’s what wins tournaments.
“We’ve commented on this many times; however, the drive on this hole is critical. If you go right, it can make getting to the green next to impossible. That row of eucalyptus trees is formidable. The drive has to be up the left side, but not too far left or the kikuyu grass will get you. As wet as it is, it will be next to impossible to reach the green from the rough.
“Well, she’s hit it up the left side, but she’s a long way from the green.
“Here’s Sawyer’s drive, and he’s a bit right of Anderson, maybe ten or fifteen yards beyond her. It is really getting wet, and both drives splashed when they hit. Lift, clean and place has been in effect the whole tournament, and this shot will show you why.” The camera zoomed in on Bobbie’s ball, and it was easy to see it was covered in grass clippings and other detritus.
“They’ve slogged their way up to their balls. Anderson’s marked and lifted hers, and has given it to her husband to clean. I’m sure most of the viewers are familiar with their relationship, but last week, she was doing the same thing for him at Torrey Pines. Andy did make the cut there, and he got a nice check.
“They’ve talked it over and Anderson’s going with a utility club. Being able to essentially tee up the ball is quite an advantage. Of course, everyone out there can do the same thing as long as they’re on the fairway.
“Oh, she’s hit a beautiful shot. It’s right at the pin. Look at this; it’s stopped no more than a foot from the hole. She has a sure birdie, and will extend her lead to three.
“Sawyer’s hit an excellent shot, too, but he’s come up a good fifteen feet short.”
At the Post Tournament News Conference
“Bobbie, this is quite a turnaround from last year, going from missing the cut to winning the tournament. What do you attribute to the difference?”
“First of all, I think I played a little smarter this year. This is a tough course, and if it had been dry out there with the tees in their normal location, I may not have made the cut this year. The weather evened the playing field, and I was able to play my game. I’m not the first short hitter to win here. Corey Pavin won twice, and our games are very similar. It would be tough, but if I was playing to the best of my abilities, I think I could do well under normal conditions.”
“Would you tell us about the eagle on ten? That had to be the turning point in the tournament for you.”
“It was certainly fun, I’ll tell you that. I think the most important thing about that shot was that if it hadn’t gone in the hole, I would have had an easy birdie putt. That ball wouldn’t have rolled another foot.
“The most important shot to me was the approach at eighteen. It has to be one of the best finishing holes in golf, and that shot sealed the victory, as it turned out.”
“Ms. Anderson, you and your husband seem to have an unusual relationship. It seems that you are keeping him from competing on the tour by having him caddy for you. Aren’t you hurting his career?”
“I’m sure Andy will want to follow up on this. We are husband and wife, and we found out many years ago that we each played better when the other caddied. I got the jump on him by winning on this tour when I did, but when Andy wins, and he will soon, I will probably stop playing on this tour, with one exception. When they finally decide to get off their royal behinds and let me play in The Open, I’ll play there once or twice. When Andy qualifies for The Open, I’ll probably not play on the tour.”
Andy jumped in without waiting for another question, “Bobbie and I have an unusual situation. There have been husband and wife, brother and sister teams in the past, but never one where both played on the same tour. I do remember a case at San Antonio where a pro’s caddy was brought in as an alternate. The caddy made the cut, and the pro didn’t.
“What Bobbie’s doing is unique. No other woman has been as successful as she has been in invading what has been in the past mostly forbidden territory. Why shouldn’t I support her? If she made a fool of herself, that would be one thing; however, unless I’ve miscounted, only Jim Campion, Matt Sawatski and Gary Oberfeldt have individually won more tournaments during the same period.”
“A question from the back, yes,” Bobbie responded.
“So I take it you’re getting off on this, beating men at their own game. Do you make your husband wear a dress at home to keep him in his place?”
“Excuse my French, but where in the hell did you come up with that one? I will answer your question now; however, I will never answer another of your questions again. Now I understand why you’ve had four divorces.” Laughter rocked the room for a minute. “You and some others are so hung up on this female vs. male thing. Obviously, that’s why you’re a reporter and not a participant. You can’t get it through your thick skull that it’s about the game and playing it well. Certainly men have an advantage in the strength sports, there’s nothing that can be done about the affects of testosterone; however, there are many skill sports that we are dead even in: pool, snooker, even bowling are examples where women can hold their own. Hell, women are even getting close in the marathons. I probably could have played baseball, at least at the minor league level. I had major league scouts looking at me in high school. I bet you didn’t know that.
“Now you insult me and my husband with your twisted innuendos. What we do in our bedroom is really none of your damn business, but I guarantee you my husband is ten times the man you are. He is so not hung up on this male vs. female thing that he has sacrificed his early career for me. Mark my word, there will come a time that he will be the interviewee and I will be the caddy sitting by his side. It will happen soon, and many more times after that; however, you will not be present at that interview. We will see to it.” There was a loud round of applause.
“I apologize for my outburst. I could probably blame it on PMS, but I’ve never had that problem. I thought we had settled this issue years ago. That was just a dumb and inappropriate question.”
The Present At The Seventeenth Hole Fairway
“Andy, I’m thinking a six or a five. I’d like to hit it between the bunkers, take two putts and go to eighteen.”
“That would be nice. Take the six. That should get you over the bunkers and give you a shot at two putts. The main thing is not to give it all back to him. Just be cool.”
Bobbie took the 6-iron, took two practice swings, picked her spot, and hit the ball. Everyone watching on TV knew she had done something wrong. “Crap! I hit it fat.” The ball took off slightly to the right of her chosen line, bounced a couple of times and rolled into the right hand bunker.
From the announcers’ Booth
“That is the last thing Anderson wanted to do. She is faced with a next to impossible shot. If she had flown it up to the head of the bunker, she might have been able to chunk it up close to the pin, but from where she is down on the flat of the bunker, she has to carry the length of the bunker. She’ll be lucky to keep it on that very hard surface. She’s almost certainly looking at a bogey.
“Here’s Campion with a sand wedge. He’s been yanking it left all day. Maybe he’ll get it close for once.
“He’s caught this very well and it’s right at the pin.
“What a great shot! He’s no more than five feet below the hole. This looks like a great opportunity for a two stroke swing.
“Ray, how does Anderson’s lie look?”
“She has an excellent lie, but she really has no shot at getting it close to the hole. She needs to be very careful, and I think she will be very happy with a bogey and going to the eighteenth tee with a one stroke lead.”
“Thanks, Ray: here she is with the sand wedge. She’s just going to have to keep her losses to a minimum.
“That’s an excellent shot. She’s going to have a long downhill putt for a par, but really, she just needs to get it close.”
On the Green
“All things considered, it certainly could have been worse. I’m thinking about six inches off the right edge. This is like putting on a sidewalk.”
“Just get it close. You can do it.”
Back in the Announcers’ Booth
“Anderson is lining up the putt. They’ve talked it over for a while. Al, what does it look like to you?”
“It’s pretty straight. It might break six or eight inches as it gets close to the hole. The green around the hole is really chewed up, and hard as a rock.”
“Here it comes. She hit that very well and it’s stopped about a foot past the hole. Those spike marks really kicked it around down there close to the hole. She taps it in for a bogey five.
“Campion’s lining up his putt. This should be dead straight. And, it is.
“Anderson’s at ten under, and going to the eighteenth tee, Campion is only one stroke behind, at nine under par.
”ƒ
Chapter 18 — Holly, Par 4, 465 Yards
“Bobbie, he’s not going to beat you, honestly or dishonestly. Just go for your par.”
“But if he ties me, we have to go back to ten, and I hate that hole.”
“Darling, just play your game. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“You hardly ever call me ‘darling’.”
“Bobbie, you are the most precious thing in the world to me. I love you so much it hurts. In fact, you can invoke the ‘El Paso Rules’ right now if it means anything to you. You are going to win. So we are not going to discuss this any further, okay?”
“If I win, do I get to be on top?”
“Certainly.”
“Then it’s a done deal.
“What do we do?”
“You take the driver, and hit it just off the right side of those bunkers. Then you hit it up there about two feet from the hole, and sink your birdie putt. He doesn’t stand a chance.”
In the Announcers’ Booth
“The only thing Anderson has to worry about is going too far right. She can probably reach the front bunker, but she will probably guard against it.
“Let’s see what Campion can do. He is one stroke off the lead, and really needs to birdie this hole to possibly force a playoff. He’s been driving well all day, but it’s been his second shots that have killed him. He has his driver out, although he doesn’t really need it. Over the years, many of the longer hitters have hit a fairway wood and still had a seven or eight to the green. I think his whole point has been to try to intimidate Anderson. I don’t think it’s worked. She has never strayed from her game plan since the beginning.
“Campion’s hit another monster drive. He’s well past the bunkers on the left, and will have just an eight or nine to the green.
“Anderson is going with her driver as well. She has had problems with going right only once today, other than the time she slipped. Most of the time, she’s hit her little draw, which works especially well on this course.
“It really is amazing, fifty-five driving holes and she has missed only two fairways. Make that fifty-six holes. Her drive’s just to the right of the first bunker on the left. She’s going to have a long shot to the green, but she’s been doing it the whole tournament.”
Earlier in the Year
“You’re sure? It’s a boy?”
“I’m very sure. Bobbie is never wrong. She also told me there is something very special about him. You could check if you want to.”
“No, that’s something that I would never do. Your personal privacy is something that I will never violate.”
The Wizard wrapped his arms around Cindy in a gentle hug. This had to be difficult for him. Cindy had broken the ‘rules’ many years before when she had hugged and kissed The Wizard in gratitude for what he and the others had done for her. She started a tradition among the families, and it had been common practice now among the daughters and mothers to greet His Wisdom affectionately whenever they met. He never resisted their affection.
Cindy realized as he hugged her that he was quietly sobbing. She gently hugged him in return, while letting his emotions get under control.
“I’m sorry; I haven’t done that since my dragon died 800 years ago. Until you and Wolf came along, I never really had a friend. I’m told that in another universe, I have a young lady as an apprentice, and apparently we are pretty close in a fatherly/daughterly way. We’re never allowed to cross over into universes where our duplicates exist, so I will have to take their word for it.”
“Your Wisdom, whether you want to admit it or not, you’re family, and always will be. I never knew my grandparents in this life or my other life, so I’ve always thought of you as a grandfather. I know everyone else feels the same way.”
“You and Bobbie, and your families for that matter, have changed my whole perspective on life. Randi, Marti and Charli have been such delights. The five of you and your mothers have been such a joy to me. You are the first family I’ve had in more than 900 years.
“Wolf and I have had each other, but nothing else. Wolf was getting fat and lazy, but Maddy and the rest have given him a purpose and energy that I haven’t seen in centuries. He is like a pup again. They were all wolves again the other day, and ran all over Elsmere Island chasing Musk Oxen.
“When is he due?”
“Late October: it’s a long ways off. Your Wisdom, we know what this means. Myrna has filled us in on all the genetics. You have no idea how happy Don and I are about this. Imagine, for the first time in five hundred years, there is going to be a new wizard, and if we can do anything about it, we are going to have several more. I know our daughters won’t be witches, but they will be carriers. That will be good. There are many more magic families out there now, and my granddaughters might be witches.
“I wish we could fix that. But we haven’t been able to do it. There’s some there, or not there that we’ve been missing. There won’t be the need to in a few generations. I wish we could do something for your daughters like we did for Bobbie and Charli.”
“I wish you could do it for Bobbie, too? Like you said, maybe one of these days.”
“Is she?”
“Yes, and she is on the same schedule I’m on.
“May I change the subject for a minute? How’s Randi doing at the shop?
“Very well: I’m having trouble getting used to her cleaning things up and reorganizing everything; however, she found a gross of bat wings that I lost 200 years ago. She’ll be ready for a branch shop by early next year.”
On the Eighteenth Fairway
“It’s exactly 180 yards to the pin over that front bunker. We have to figure he’s going to be close. You need a par, and we have to force him to birdie. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking right of the bunker on the left and short of the other one. The front or front edge of the green is fine. I can get it up and down from there nine times out of ten. I want the 6-utility. That’ll get it up and it should stop.”
“Exactly, do it.”
There was no lift and place like there had been in Los Angeles, but the ball was sitting up nicely and had avoided the sand-filled divots that peppered the area. She took two practice swings while envisioning the ball’s flight and landing area.
She hit it cleanly, and watched anxiously. She had wanted a little draw, but her feet had been slightly above the ball, and the ball flew straight. It cleared the right edge of the bunker and hit a few feet short of the green. It rolled up but turned right and trickled into the first cut beyond the fringe. It was not where she wanted it, but all-in-all, it was not a bad shot. Now it just remained to see what Campion was going to do.
In the announcers booth
“I’m sure that Anderson’s approach didn’t end up where she wanted it to, but she has a very reasonable chance at a par. Now it’s up to Campion.
“Ray, how does Campion’s lie look?”
“He shouldn’t have any problem with this at all. The ball is sitting up very nicely. He needs to just drop it over the bunker. Campion has a wedge. That should be plenty of club.
“He’s hit right at the flag. What’s it look like, Al?”
The crowd’s cheering diminished and there were some groans
“It went right over the top of the flag and has gone to the upper tier, and it is not going to come back down. He’s going to have maybe a 35 foot putt with a lot of left break. If he had been 10 feet shorter, he would probably have a very makeable putt for birdie. Sometimes Campion’s strength is his worst enemy. He’s like the 400 pound gorilla.
“Campion will be putting first, as he is away.”
The cameras showed Campion stalking his putt. He knew the tournament was on the line.
“It’s interesting, but something happened between Campion and his caddy on the back nine. There were some strong words between them on several of the holes. It wasn’t possible to determine what it was about, but Campion has not been seeking his caddy’s advice on any of the putts since the 10th hole.
“Jimmy Baldwin has been his caddy for more than five years. When they hooked up, Campion’s career took off. Well whatever the problem is, Campion has eschewed seeking Baldwin’s advice again.
“Here’s the putt, and Campion’s giving it a good ride. It’s breaking, and is going to miss the hole on the low side. It has stopped about three feet below the hole.
“Anderson is asking Campion to move his mark, as it is close to her line. She and her husband have been going over this shot for quite a while. They’re going to leave the flag in the hole.
“Ray, what’re they doing?”
“She’s going to hit a chip and run with the 7-iron. I think that’s the right shot. She just wants to get it close.”
“Thanks, Ray, the crowd is absolutely still. Here she goes. This looks good, very good. IT’S PERFECT! It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole! Bobbie Anderson wins the 2028 Masters! What a performance!
“She and her husband are motioning for the crowd to be quiet, as Campion still has his putt. It doesn’t matter whether or not he makes it, as he has a two shot cushion over third place. He sneaks it in on the low side and the defending champion finishes in second place.”
The camera caught Campion giving his caddy a strange look as the crowd around the eighteenth green broke into a loud, cheering roar that went on for some time.
“Archie Chambers has our champion and her husband for a few words.”
The camera switched to Bobbie and Andy, both of whom had a few tears streaking their faces.
“Bobbie, what can I say? That was truly a remarkable performance.”
“I think I will realize what happened eventually. That was tough out there, and we overcame a lot of adversity. I couldn’t have done it without Andy’s keeping me focused. It helped a lot that much of the crowd was with me. It meant a lot.” She started to cry again and for a moment, the tears poured out. Andy held her close. The cameras picked up his tears, too.
“Excuse me, I sort of lost it there for a moment.”
“You have nothing to be ashamed of. Ben Crenshaw and Tiger Woods cried. It’s certainly excusable for you to cry, too.
“Tell us about the ace on twelve. That certainly had to be a turning point.”
“The course giveth and the course taketh away. Twelve killed me two years ago. Had I parred it, I might have won. We’ll never know for sure. I hit a cut six in there today, and I couldn’t have hit it any better. Aces are really accidents, but that would have been a good shot whether or not it had gone in the hole. If it hadn’t, it would have come down to the pitch in here.”
“What happened on seven? We replayed it dozens of times, and it looked like you lost your balance in the middle of your swing.”
“I’m not sure. It felt like I was hit by a gust of wind. As far as the ball moving, there is no logical reason for it. Andy and I figured it had to be a beetle or something like that. We never found anything that could have moved it. Fortunately, it didn’t affect the outcome, but had it not happened, some of the suspense might have been removed.”
“Bobbie, they’re waiting for some presentations. Enjoy your dinner this evening. I’m sure we will meet later. Congratulations on a great victory.”
“Thank you Archie, it’s always nice to talk to you.”
Archie turned back to the camera, “They will be making the presentations in a few minutes. She needs to turn in her card first.
“Folks, this is really a historical day for golf. There was nothing freakish about her performance. She played with a specific plan in mind, just like the last four times she’s played here. She didn’t take unnecessary chances. She just played the game the way it was intended to be played. Had she been able to play the course the way it was constructed 90 years ago, I think the men would have been hard pressed to beat her. Of course she couldn’t have gotten through the front door.”
It was time for the presentations. The President of The Augusta National Golf Club introduced the distinguished guests who included members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, the PGA of Europe, United States Golf Association, PGA Tour, and PGA of America. The low amateur was presented with a trophy. Finally, it was time to present Bobbie with the coveted Green Jacket.
“It gives me great pleasure to introduce the 2028 Masters Champion, Bobbie Anderson.”
Jim Campion managed to mask the feelings he had been expressing verbally and visually for the week. He took the jacket from the staff, he was already wearing his from the previous year, and held it so Bobbie could get it on. Bobbie smiled as she tugged at the lapels. The buttons were on the right side, that is, the buttons were on the left side.
Her acceptance speech was short and polite; however, she made one very deliberate and pointed comment, “It is so nice to see the distinguished members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club here this afternoon. I trust there won’t be any question when I show up next year. I would love to be there this year, but other obligations will keep me from participating.”
”ƒ
Chapter 19 — The Nineteenth hole
Then there was the news conference. Before it started, Bobbie could be seen talking to some of the female correspondents. She took them to see her private locker room where they spent some time behind the closed doors.
The locker room situation was going to be a bit of a conundrum for the club. There was the Champions Locker room that was for the exclusive use of the past champions. There were sumptuous hardwood lockers for the winners. The lockers were usually shared, older champion with more recent champion. Bobbie’s victory was going to throw one more curve ball into that chauvinistic palace.
Some of the media were getting a bit impatient, as Bobbie was taking her time. Finally, she and the female members of the media showed up. By this time, Andy had changed out of the white coveralls that were the traditional garb of the caddies at Augusta National. He was wearing a nice sport coat and slacks.
“Uh, my husband needs a chair up here.”
“Ms. Anderson, caddies don’t participate in the media conference.”
“Excuse me, I just won this thing, and I say my husband and caddy sits up here next to me.”
There was some grumbling, but a chair was quickly found.
“Good, that takes care of that. This is as much my husband’s victory as it is mine.
“First of all, I would like to once again thank the Augusta National Country Club for the outstanding job they did in preparing this beautiful golf course. I don’t think I have ever seen it in better condition. I would like to thank them once again for accepting me as a player based on my merit, not on my sex. I know I’ve thrown a crimp into their style, but they have been gracious in their acceptance of me, and now they are going to have to put up with me forever. That’s by their rules, not mine.
“I guess we will open the floor to questions at this time. Yes sir.”
“Bobbie, what’s going to happen to the ball you hit on twelve?”
“My best friend has it right now, but I imagine it will go into the Trophy Room right here. That’s where it belongs. I’ve had twelve aces, but that certainly has to be the best, along with the first one, of course.”
“Bobbie, many of us were wondering about your comments earlier about not playing in the British Open this year. After all, they would be foolish to continue to deny you that privilege.”
“I would love to play this year; however; however, I do have an exemption for the next five years. It seems that my husband and I have rather deliberately gotten ourselves pregnant. I will be about five and one-half months along by then. I don’t think I would look very distinguished walking around with a rather prominent bump. I could probably do alright, but to break into that tournament and be visibly pregnant would probably be more than The Royal and Ancient could handle. I’ll wait until next year.”
“You have to be kidding. You’re pregnant?”
“You bet, the whole nine yards, morning sickness and everything.”
Needless to say, it took awhile to reduce the pandemonium.
“I think we are having a rather difficult time accepting this.”
“We thought you would. That’s why we took a little time looking around in my private locker room.
“Doris, would you pass that thing around?
“I took an EPT Test while we were in there, and the three ladies are witnesses. Note the two blue lines. I’m about as pregnant as one can get. By my calculations and my doctor’s, I am about ten weeks along. Her name will be Cynthia, by the way.
“I guess it’s time to make a few other announcements. I will play in a few tune-up tournaments next year to get ready for The Open, but that will be it. Depending on how things work out there, I will probably retire from both tours very soon. There are a couple of male-female tournaments that my husband and I will play in, but that will be it. I will still caddy for him as long as he wants me to. We’ll just have to see how that works out. My best friend and I are opening up a counseling clinic soon, and that, and raising a family will be taking most of my time.
“Just as an afterthought, I was pregnant at L.A., too.
The dinner in the Trophy Room that night was fabulous. The liquor flowed, but Bobbie avoided it. She could have imbibed and eliminated the alcohol with a simple spell, but she didn’t want anyone thinking she would jeopardize her baby. About halfway through dinner, she excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. As she turned the corner towards the restroom, she almost ran into a man dressed in white; in fact he was a caddy, in fact he was Jim Campion’s caddy.
“What the hell are you doing here? You’re not allowed in this building, and by the way, I don’t appreciate what you did out there. I don’t know who you are, but magic has no place on the golf course.”
“Shush, it’s me. Oh bother, I forgot you’re not as good as Cindy in seeing through my disguises.” The face suddenly shifted.
“Your Wisdom! What … ?”
“Stick around after dinner. There will be a meeting in the Trophy Room. It’s very important, and it’s all been arranged. You and Andy stay there. It will all become very apparent in a little while what’s going on. I think you will enjoy it.”
“Things are happening,” Bobbie whispered into Andy’s ear when she sat down. “There’s going to be a big meeting here after dinner.”
Most of the members of the club disappeared after dessert. The staff cleared the tables and took the remaining serving items away. There are no cooking facilities in the clubhouse. Everything was prepared in another building, as was cleaning the dishes and utensils.
Two of the club members and their wives remained. Bobbie hadn’t been able to mingle too much before dinner. They'd had to go back to the hotel and get dressed for dinner, and were rather rushed when they returned. It wasn’t something that Bobbie had really expected, but Cindy had somehow found a beautiful cocktail dress for her that was a bit more formal than the one she had worn to the dinner earlier in the week.
The two members and their wives approached as soon as the help had left. Bobbie almost collapsed in shock when the two wives removed their shields. They were witches!
“Dear Bobbie, you had no idea, did you? We are so proud of you, and what you have done. So many young witches use magic as a crutch, but you never succumbed once. You are a credit to the world of magic, not like some others we’ve come across lately.
“The room is protected now, so we can talk. His wisdom and the others will be here in a while. I understand that your family, Cindy’s family and Charli’s family will be joining us in a minute, too. We also have some special guests. Don’t be too shocked when you see them.”
The Lewis’s, Schmedlaps, and Brewers came in a few minutes later. For the men it was like entering Valhalla. There were not too many times that non-members could enter these hallowed grounds. The neat thing for them was that they would now be able to play there as Bobbie’s guests.
Pricilla and Dorothy, the two witches, did a little magical furniture arranging. There was a table with two chairs at one end of the room. A few feet to either side of that were two tables with single chairs. The rest of the tables and chairs were arranged to face the table with two chairs.
Pricilla took the floor. “I am Pricilla Davis, and I am President of the Greater Georgia Coven. His Wisdom and I will be presiding over the proceedings tonight. I think you are all aware that when it comes to serious matters involving both the non-magic and magic worlds, that the magic world will take precedence. We have had a serious breach of magic law this week, and we now know it reaches back for many years. We will hear the case tonight and pass judgement. As much as possible, the decisions we come to tonight will not be allowed to affect the non-magic world. I think it’s time we got started.
“Please bring in the defendants.”
The door opened and Jim Campion, still dressed in his golf clothes entered, followed by his caddy. Of course, it was actually The Wizard. Campion was obviously under some sort of magic control. His eyes darted around, but he seemed powerless to do anything.
The figure of the caddy suddenly shifted, and The Wizard they all knew and loved appeared.
“Sit right there at that table, Mr. Campion,” The Wizard said, while indicating the table with two chairs.
While Campion was sitting, the door opened again, and a blonde male entered. Following him was Archie Chambers, the greenside interviewer whom Bobbie and Andy had come to respect very much. There were several gasps from the group and an “Oh, my God!” from Bobbie.
“Sorry about being late, Your Wisdom. I had to come in a laundry truck. Wow, I haven’t been here in years.”
“Glad you could make it, Jack. You, too, Archie.
“Randi, do you have Mr. Baldwin?”
“Yes, Your Wisdom.”
“Please bring him up here.”
Randi came forward and placed a small green block on the floor. She stepped back and motioned at the block. The block suddenly started to expand, becoming a portable toilet. They could hear a commotion from within that included the sound of toilet paper being pulled off a roll. Finally, whatever was being accomplished inside was finished. The bolt slid back and the door opened. Jimmy Baldwin stepped out and looked around. There was a look of sheer terror spreading across his face.
“Don’t try anything Jimmy, or should I say, Margot. Just get rid of the disguise and sit next to your brother.” The Wizard indicated the chair next to Jim Campion. A tall, slender woman wearing slacks and blouse slowly moved to the empty chair.
Randi collapsed the port-a-john, and it disappeared.
“As you know, there is no reason to lie, because about ten people in here will know whether you are telling the truth or not.
“Mr. Campion,” The Wizard asked, “how many tournaments did you win on the PGA tour prior to your sister becoming your caddy?”
“Er, none.”
“And, of the twenty-five you’ve won since, how many did you win without your sister’s help?”
“Er, none.”
“So you stole twenty-five tournaments from deserving winners. Tournaments they will never have the pleasure of knowing they should have won.”
“Yes.”
“Were there any tournaments you played in since your sister became your caddy, that you didn’t use magic to increase your position in the final standings?”
“A few, I’m not really sure.”
“Miss Campion, on the front nine today, how many of your brother’s putts did you affect?”
“I believe it was three. I made two go into the hole, and I prevented one from going off the green.”
“And, how many of Bobbie Anderson’s putts did you prevent from going into the hole.”
“It was three.”
“Did you push her and make her miss the drive on hole number seven?”
“Yes sir.”
“Did you move the ball that was sitting on the pine straw on the same hole?”
“Yes sir.”
“By my count, you cost Bobbie Anderson at least five strokes on the front nine. You took from her the chance of one of the best finishing rounds in Masters history. Are you proud of what happened?”
“Yes sir, Bobbie Anderson is a witch. She used her powers to win all those tournaments. What’s wrong with me helping my brother? That woman has no right winning those tournaments.”
“So, you’re the one who sent the threatening letters?” The Wizard asked.
“Yes.”
The Wizard turned to Bobbie. “Mrs. Anderson, have you ever cheated at golf, or any other sport for that matter. The truth telling applies to you and anyone else in this room for that matter.”
“No, Your Wisdom, what would be the point? I wouldn’t be able to look at myself in the mirror. Golf is a game of honor. There’s no place for cheats.”
“She had to have cheated. No one is that good.”
“I beg to differ with you. The man sitting in the back of this room won over 80 tournaments on the regular PGA tour. He never cheated. He loves the game too much.”
Jim Campion looked at the figure sitting at the rear. “What sort of bull shit is this? He died years ago.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m alive and well, as is my wife, who happens to be a witch. You just wouldn’t recognize us out in the world today. My wife and I do different things now. Outside of our family and the world of magic, the world thinks we are dead, but we will be around for a long, long time. There are folks who need help, and we are doing that.
“As far as Bobbie Anderson is concerned, she wins because she works hard and is a dammed good golfer. I would have loved to have played with or against her.” He turned to Bobbie. “Maybe we can play a round or two some day. I think I would enjoy it.”
The Wizard looked at Jim and Margot Campion. “So, what are we going to do with you? What you have done, unfortunately, can’t be changed. History will record that you had those victories.
“This is harsh, but this is the way it will be. If there is anyone who wishes to come to your defense, they may at any time, but I think we are in accord with this.
“First of all, we have abuse of magic. Had what was being done been discovered, it could have caused irreparable harm throughout the magic world. Your and your brother’s selfish use of magic could have destroyed what the magic world has been trying to correct for a thousand years.
“There are several other witches playing in professional sports who have never succumbed to cheating. What you did could have destroyed professional sports if the word got out about witchcraft. No one would have been above suspicion.
“Margot Campion, your magic powers are removed as of now.”
“Noooo!”
“Since you seem to want to disguise yourself as a man, we will oblige you and make that permanent.
“James Campion, you will never compete in sports at the professional level again. Since you seem to despise Bobbie Anderson’s efforts to compete as a woman, it is only fair that you learn what it’s like to be a woman in a man’s world. Maybe some day you will consider it a blessing. I would, and I know the women in this room do.
“As far as the non-magic world is concerned, you and your sister will die next week on a charity mission to Indonesia. Of course, no one will really die, but as far as the world is concerned, you will no longer exist.
“Is everyone in accord so far?”
The famous golfer in the rear of the room responded. “I am really disturbed that his record will remain intact. Isn’t there anything we can do about it?”
“We could, but it would be extremely disruptive. We would have to go back more than five years and revise too much history. The affects of their cheating have just gone too deep and too far. I think we can make sure that he never gets into the Golf Hall of Fame, though.
“Margot Campion, you and your brother will get another chance; however, your skills will be in different areas than they are now. Your magic gene has been replaced with a generic gene that has no known purpose, one that most non-magical people have. One of your ‘X’ chromosomes is now being converted to a ‘Y’ chromosome.”
Margot’s shape began to morph into that of a young man. She was powerless to say anything, but the horror to her of what was happening was easy to read. He started to shrink, and within a few minutes had become an infant child only a few months old. He was wrapped in a blanket, and started to cry. Cindy picked him up and gently rocked him. The infant gradually quieted.
Jim Campion’s change was a bit more dramatic. He was changed quickly into a rather voluptuous young woman. There was no question in anyone’s mind that he knew exactly what was happening. His hands rose to his large breasts and measured their heft and softness. His hair became a wavy dark brown. He would be considered a horny young man’s wet dream by many. He had become a very attractive young woman. From that point her physical age quickly regressed. It went slowly enough that there was no question she knew what was happening. Soon she was an infant the same age as the other baby. She started to cry. Charli comforted her as Cindy comforted the other infant.
“We have several options on what to do at this point;” The Wizard explained, “however, I think for their benefit it would be best if we kept track of their upbringing.
“Bob and Hilda, do you feel up to raising two more children? After all, you will be grandparents in just a few months.
“There is always room in our home and hearts for more children. We would be glad to take them.”
“That is so good of you,” The Wizard said. “We will have all the paperwork for the adoption completed shortly.
“Does anyone have any questions before we relax and enjoy the rest of the evening?”
“I have all sorts of questions, and I’m beginning to wonder what has been going on over the years,” Bobbie said with a tone that indicated she was a bit disturbed.
“Have I been watched all this time by the magic world? I mean, what is Archie doing here? He’s not magic, but he obviously knows about me and the rest of us.”
“Bobbie, I apologize for not telling you I knew. Remember when you met my wife a few years ago? You had just won your twentieth major on the LPGA. She realized you were magic right away. She also told me that she knew you never used magic on the golf course. As far as I was concerned, my admiration of what you were doing went up many-fold. I would have told you some day, but we realized that if you knew non-magic people knew of your magic abilities, you might feel you were being spied on and under suspicion. That wouldn’t be fair to you.”
“Archie, you have been a friend to Andy and me for years. You have always been someone we could respect not only as an interviewer, but as a golfer.
“So, your wife is magic. It’s a shame that the Campions never understood what your wife did, or rather, didn’t do. With the raw talent Campion had, he might have been a good golfer on his own, with the right instruction.
“Seeing what happened here with the port-a-john, I guess you pulled off the switch between nine and ten when I was inside one.
“Randi, that was a good trick. So, as far as Margot was concerned, she thought she was still between nine and ten when she stepped out of the toilet. The look on her face when she realized what had happened was priceless.
“Now I understand what the arguments were about, Your Wisdom. You weren’t affecting his putts like Margot had done on the front nine.”
“Actually, I pushed his last putt into the hole on eighteen. There was no reason to make his demise any worse than it already was.
“I reviewed the probability charts, and there is no question you would have won had they not messed with your game. It would have been very close, though. When you knew what he was doing, you didn’t let it get you down. You probably played better on the back nine because of it.”
“So, everyone but me knew that the switch had been made.”
“That’s right,” Cindy said as she gently rocked the little bundle in her arms. “It was so nice not having to worry about Margot, and just watch you play golf. You were so determined to beat that bastard fairly.”
“It was tough for me,” Andy added. “I had to keep you calmed down and focused, but I couldn’t let you know that we had taken his magic away.”
The party went on for a while longer. Bobbie had chills as she, and probably the greatest golfer ever, talked about her victory and their past tournaments. His wife showed up a bit later, as did Archie Chambers’ wife. All in all, it was a great day.
Heard and seen on Sky Channel Sports: “The Royal and Ancient Golf Club is going to have to make some adjustments due to one of the most amazing victories ever witnessed in The Open this last weekend. The tournament, played at St. Andrews this year, was won in spectacular fashion by the young American golfer, Bobbie Anderson. From the birdie made on the first hole to the final birdie on the eighteenth hole this Sunday, she was never out of the lead, and finally finished five strokes ahead of the second place finisher, the American, Gary Oberfeldt.
“Ms. Anderson, who prefers to be called Bobbie or Mrs. Anderson, had to endure several assaults by hardcore antifeminists during the tournament, including one on the famous Road Hole by a man who attempted to dump a bucket of blood soaked tampons on her. That individual is currently in the local lockup, awaiting a hearing before the magistrate.
“Another fanatic attempted to steal the famous claret jug before it could be engraved with Ms. Anderson’s name. The engraver suffered some minor injuries, but managed to protect the jug and finish the engraving.
“At the media conference, Ms. Anderson announced her retirement from competitive golf, saying that she and a lifelong friend were going into the mental health profession. Ms. Anderson leaves a legacy that will probably never be matched. She is currently ranked number 6 in the world on the men’s tour, and number one on the LPGA rankings, a position she has held for eight years. Among her 62 victories on the LPGA, are victories in 30 major tournaments. She was victorious in 12 tournaments on the PGA, including two majors. She won the US Women’s Amateur twice and the British Amateur once.
“Ms. Anderson was accompanied at the media conference by her husband, who was her caddy. Strangely, he was also qualified to play in the Open due to his victory in The Masters earlier this year, but declined in order to caddy for his wife. Ms. Anderson was the defending champion at The Masters, but long ago had stated she would never compete against her husband in a tournament. She frequently caddies for him on the tour, and might do it in The Open next year at Turnberry.
“After the conference Ms. Anderson, her husband and friends, who included several participants from The Open, were seen going to a local hotel where they had secured a banquet room. Among the guests was the noted golf commentator, writer, and good friend of Ms. Anderson, Evelyn Brewster. Reports state there were huge amounts of Stilton and port consumed.
“Now for some other news related to The Open. This is just in. Officials are mystified by the disappearance of Harold Turnbull. Mr. Turnbull, the man tackled by security personnel, as he attempted to dump a bucket of bloody tampons on Bobbie Anderson at the famous Road Hole, had been released on bail, and was awaiting a hearing to be held later this week.
“Mr. Turnbull, a longtime member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, was known for his anti-feminist rantings, and vociferous challenge to the Royal and Ancient’s relenting to allow Bobbie Anderson to play in The Open.
“He was reported missing by his landlady, a Mrs. Iona McCormick, who went to Mr. Turnbull’s flat in response to a neighbour’s complaint about a crying baby. The baby, a little newborn girl, was found in a basket inside the entry door. There was a note, apparently from the mother, stating that she could not take care of her little girl.
“According to authorities, the baby is in excellent health, and has been placed in foster care. Mr. Turnbull’s whereabouts are unknown. He presumably fled during the night, as most of his personal belongings and Vauxhall were not to be found.”
Some Afterwords
I thought the story ended here; however, I was wrong. It seems there has been considerable concern over what might have happened to Margot and Jim Campion. Several readers felt that their punishment was far too severe. I'm not sure about that as they stole over $50,000,000. However, was losing their personalities, that is never established by the way, too severe a penalty. Another question is why was Jim Campion such an ass hole? Well, I did a little research in the archives, and came up with some additional information. It appears as if the story was ended too quickly; however, the ending is many years in the future, and that will be another tale.