The Sand Trap (15 page)

Melanie went over to Rebecca and asked for
her driver and at that point Rebecca knew that her concerns were
baseless. This back nine was going to be fun. As Melanie walked to
the tee with her driver there was a murmur from the crowd of
followers that by now had grown quite large. Burt actually laughed
as he said to his caddy loud enough for the whole gallery to
hear.

“Looks like she wants to clean her golf ball
in the pond!”

Even the unobservant could see the resolve
in Melanie’s eyes as she teed up the ball, took a stance most
people there had never seen before. Arms straight out and club head
a foot or so behind the ball. The crowd watched as she hit a long
high gentle draw that landed ten yards in front of the green and
rolled to within ten feet of the cup.

New Hampshire gleefully applauded. Texas
just smiled and shook his head. Burt, again so loud that everyone
could hear, just said to his caddy. “Fuck. Lucky bitch.”

As they all walked down the fairway to their
balls, Melanie caught up to Burt and they walked alone to Burt’s
ball. “Burt,” Melanie whispered with a very pleasant smile on her
face. “Did you know that you have the smallest prick of any man I
have ever seen?” As Burt’s jaw dropped and as he tried to respond
she quickly moved aside and went back to chat with Rebecca.

“Watch this,” she announced to Rebecca.

Burt’s shot was a relatively easy 9-iron
from 130 yards. There was water on the left and Burt’s shot hit the
steep bank on the left side of the green and rolled into the pond.
He slammed his club into the ground, threw it back to Henry to pick
up and with a malicious glance back at Melanie tromped off to the
green.

The others hit their balls to the green.
From this point on the other golfers, the gallery, Rebecca and all
except Burt realized that this was now a game between Burt and
Melanie. None of them understood what was happening or why, but all
realized they were witnessing something unusual. Burt bogied and
Melanie sunk her putt for an eagle and three strokes were instantly
cut off her deficit.

The next hole was a 550-yard dog leg par
five that once again required a lay up drive since it took at least
260 yards in the air to get over the corner and a miss meant at
least a stroke to get out of the thick bush, or worse, a lost ball
meant stroke and distance. Since Melanie won she went first and
once again with her driver, her unusual swing and stance she hit
over the corner and was rewarded with a short 180-yard shot into
the green. Texas and New Hampshire applauded again and hit the
appropriate lay ups.

Burt, last to hit, just glowered and took
out his driver. Henry tried to stop him since he knew Burt could
rarely hit that far. “The bitch can do it. I can do it,” he
announced as he yanked the driver from Henry’s hands.

It was a good swing and one of the smoothest
and most powerful that Burt could do, but it was not enough, and
while Burt and his fans watched, really only his parents at this
time, the marshal down the fairway signaled that the ball was in
the trees. Burt slammed his club into the tee box grass and hit a
provisional shot short of the hazard as a layup. The whole group
went looking for Burt’s ball in the woods. While they all were
looking in the thick California mesquite Melanie slowly worked her
way up beside where Burt was looking.

“You know, Burt, your dick was so small I
didn’t even feel it in me.”

And before he could react to her, she
yelled, “I found it!” as she pointed out Burt’s ball under a bush.
“These balls of Burt's are so small – and so hard to find!”

Burt had to take a drop and a penalty. He
ended up three on the fairway, four on the green and two putted for
a six. Melanie had a tap in birdie.

From that point Melanie did not have to say
anything, just look at Burt and smile. Once when no one was looking
she threw him a kiss. Her golf was doing all the talking that was
necessary. She outdrove the other players on every hole, hit
approach irons and par three shots that were laser guided to the
hole. By the eighteenth hole she was nine under for the back nine
and on her way to a nine-hole course record. Her six over on the
front nine gave her a three under and no matter what happened on
eighteen she had a sure spot in the final sixteen.

Burt on the other hand approached the
eighteenth without a single par on the back nine shooting six
bogies and two doubles. He had tried to match Melanie’s shot making
and had been outperformed on every occasion. By now he was beside
himself. They all hit good drives on the final long straight away
par four and as usual Melanie’s drive was twenty yards or more past
the rest. As they walked to their balls Melanie walked up beside
Burt and whispered; “Your drives are as short as your cock.”

Burt exploded. He had the iron for his
second shot in his hand and he turned around and took a swing at
Melanie’s head. The crowds watching would later say it was a
miracle she was able to duck the swing and then fall down as she
backed away. He did not get his second swing away as Texas stepped
in between them and grabbing Burt’s club with his left hand and
planted a right hook on Burt that sent him to the turf – out
cold.

Texas stepped back and helped Melanie to her
feet.

“You OK?”

“Yeah fine thanks.”

“You ready to finish this thing?” He walked
over to Rebecca and picked up her clubs. “I’ll take over
these.”

He picked up her clubs and explained to an
astonished Rebecca. “That roundhouse will disqualify me from this
tournament. Besides, I think I broke my hand, so I might as well
get a little glory by being a part of this lady’s round.”

A crowd was gathering around Burt as he
shook his head and lurched to his feet. He started to make a lunge
towards Texas and Melanie, but Henry, Coach and a man who Rebecca
figured was Burt’s father held him back and dragged him off the
fairway.

“Come on everyone. Clear the fairway. This
lady has a round to finish,” Texas announced. He and New Hampshire
both sent their caddies away; Texas holding his broken hand and New
Hampshire recognizing that eight over would not make the cut, They
followed Melanie as she finished her round with a tap in par and a
huge applause from the now very large gallery.

Melanie went up to Texas and New Hampshire
and gave each of them a warm hug. “Thank you guys,” she offered
through tears. “You don’t know what your behaviour means to me. You
are both gentlemen and both great golfers. Best of luck in the
future.”

“It was a pleasure to watch,” Texas replied
with a smile. “Good luck in the rest of the tournament.”

New Hampshire was at a loss for words at the
hug and just mumbled something about how great she was.

Texas went on to become one of the finest
professional golfers to ever come out of Texas and New Hampshire
became a State Senator. Both would often tell the story of their
time with that girl from Canada with the unusual swing.

By this time Rebecca was back in control of
the situation. She grabbed the golf bag with a quick thanks to
Texas and New Hampshire and pulling Melanie by the hand tried to
get her to move quickly away from the eighteenth green and the
crowd that was starting to gather. The crowd now included NCGA
board members and officials, too many reporters and either some
security people or police, Rebecca was not sure which. But they had
uniforms and her instinct told her to get away as fast as
possible.

“Let’s get out of here,” she ordered Melanie
as they headed for the parking lot without even getting their
things from the clubhouse.

For once Rebecca drove while Melanie just
stared out of the window and said nothing. “So that was a real nice
job of laying low girl. That display will certainly ensure that we
can sneak up on the others over the next few days!”

Even the sarcasm did not get any reaction
from Melanie.

“Hello in there?” Rebecca shot as she took a
turn in the county road too fast and drifted over onto the
shoulder. “Don’t you have anything to say?”

Melanie slowly turned towards Rebecca and
when she glanced over she was shocked to see tears running down
Melanie’s cheeks. The look on Melanie’s face was anything other
than that of a winner. She stopped the car on the side of the road,
put the car in park and reached over to give Melanie a hug. She did
not know why, or what was wrong, but the Melanie she had just
looked at was not the confident young woman who had just set the
golf world on fire, but a very young girl with some set of emotions
that were in a jumbled mess. Melanie sobbed as they hugged.

“I’m sorry Rebecca.”

Rebecca gently pushed her away and looked
her. “Melanie. I can't imagine what you have to be sorry for. Not
your golf. Not for being you. Certainly not for Burt. You never
have to apologize to me for anything, You’ve never listened to my
advice anyhow so my feelings are hardly hurt.”

Melanie straightened up in her seat and
wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks was suddenly grown up
again and serious. “Whatever happens over the next few days
Rebecca, I am sorry. Not to anyone but you. You’ve been the best
friend a person could have and I’ll always love you.”

Melanie smiled and Rebecca thought she was
going to tear up but Melanie saved her. “Ok, Caddie.” Melanie’s
cheerful tone broke the emotion of the moment. “What do we have to
do to win this whole thing?”

Rebecca put the car back on the road. “Well,
first of all, let’s pick up some Chinese take out for dinner. You
do not want to be around anyone tonight. I want you to stay in our
suite. We can talk a little strategy and maybe watch some TV. But
no reporters, no anyone. Maybe we’ll get Coach to spend some time
with us.”

At the mention of Coach, Melanie looked over
at Rebecca and raised her eyebrows.

“Hey, he's not such a bad guy you know. He's
not that much older than us and he can help us now.”

“Yeah sure,” Melanie replied skeptically.
“Whatever you say.”

And they both laughed at the not so secret
fact that Rebecca and the coach had more than a player coach
relationship.

When they arrived at the resort there was
already a group of reporters waiting for Melanie. Rebecca pushed
them aside and with both of their arms loaded with take- out
containers they went up to their suite. Rebecca told the reporters
she would come back down to talk with them, but Melanie would have
nothing to say at this time. And she did come back down and she
knew from experience the questions that would be asked.

“Says here on the player listing she comes
from Bumstead. Is that a joke? Where the heck is that? I couldn’t
find it in a U.S. Almanac.”

“In Canada you bonehead. There is another
world beyond the U.S. borders you know. Saskatchewan to be
precise.”

“It says here that her home course is the
North Saskatchewan Golf and Country club, who's the head
professional.”

“Melanie’s father. Dougal McDougal Junior.
He’s also the course architect.”

“Where did she learn her unusual swing?”

“Hale, Andy and Moe.”

“Who are they? The three stooges?”

They all laughed, except the reporter from
Clapshorn who had heard the answers before. “Rebecca, I have two
questions. First, how is she feeling after the attack by Burt? It
might help her to know that after the incident I did a little
snooping and found out this wasn’t the first time he had done this
thing.”

“Thanks for that question John. And thanks
for your concern. Clearly being attacked on a golf course by a
club-wielding monster was an unsettling experience. But this is a
young girl who, while growing up in the Canadian wild, has faced
wolves, polar bears and wild Indians, so she can handle
herself.”

That quote received national play and even
sparked a comic sketch by one of the late night TV talk show
guys.

Reporters scribbled and John continued.
“Rebecca, today was interesting, but most will see that nine holes
as a freak event, especially after her front nine. Do you honestly
think she can win?

Rebecca wanted to pump her fist in victory
at his question. It was as if John was playing into her strategy.
“Well there are clearly a lot of outstanding young men in the final
sixteen. She is just happy to be included in that group and will
take each day on the golf course from here on as a bonus. I’ll just
quote what one of you wrote after it was announced she was going to
play on the men’s side. ‘How can any eighteen-year old girl from
duck’s ass Canada ever think she can compete with the top young men
golfers that the complete U.S. has to offer?’”

At that Rebecca put her hands up and stopped
the questions.

“That’s all for now guys. See you tomorrow,”
and she went back into the resort.

Coach was waiting inside the front door.
They gave each other a quick hug when they were sure no one was
looking. “How are you fairing through all of this?” She asked in a
genuinely caring voice.

“Well, I suspect that my career at Clapshorn
is coming to a close. I knew about Burt’s background and I took him
on anyhow just to have a winning team. It's good that Burt isn’t
pressing charges against the kid from Texas. Will Melanie press a
charge of assault against Burt do you think?”

“I doubt it,” Rebecca suggested. “She is
acting very strangely. I think that for some reason she thinks she
is to blame for something.”

“I saw her say something to Burt while they
were walking on the course. Do you know what she said?”

“All I ever heard her say was ‘nice shot’ or
something to that effect.”

“Well at any rate, the school is in deep
shit for admitting an academically unqualified athlete with a
history of violence. The NCGA is considering a probe into the
school’s admission procedures. I knew about him Rebecca, and
actually recruited the guy, so my ass is on the line for sure.”