GAVIN DEAR REPORTS ON THE COLOMBIA HIGHS AND LOWS

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Gavin Dear had what you might call an up-and-down four rounds in the weather-hit Challenge Tour event in Colombia at the weekend.

He finished T58 with rounds of 75-68-77-69 for 289.

I E-mailed him, asking for an explanation for the contrasting highs and lows over the same course in a comparatively short space of time.

Gavin E-mailed back:

"First round I played OK. Just struggled at altitude controlling my distances. The greens were small and firm and I left myself some tough places to try and get up and down thus making a few bogeys.

"Second round I obviously played much better even though it was spread over two days because of bad weather. I gave myself a lot of chances and didn't take as many as I would have liked.

"In the third round, even though I shot 77, I felt I played well. I made two 7s, a quadruple and a double bogey. The quad I just got in a huge mess on the par 3 and ended up with a poor penalty drop. It was just one of those things. "For the double bogey I hit my three-wood second shot right of the green into a group of trees and it stayed up there. I was happier with how I took care of the par 5s in the third round but was tired at the end and made a couple of poor swings.

"I had been up at 4.20am, played 32 holes at altitude on a wet and hilly course. Very disappointing as I felt I could have been a lot better.

"Fourth round I actually played with one of my old US college team-mates, played really well the whole day and lipped out on the last two holes, one for par and the other for birdie.

"Sorry this is brief but just getting the bus to the airport."

Gavin Dear