Free Golf In A Parallel Universe by Jimmy Bloodworth Page A

middle. “How did he do that?," I ask myself. Now it's my turn. I know I have to tee the ball up. I tee the ball up and stand back. “Ladies and Gentlemen, the 2014 Masters Champion from Orlando Florida, Jim Galloway." And the crowd gave a good cheer and applause. I do not know what to do. I am really scared. I just stand there not sure what to do. I look around and people are looking at me wondering why I am not addressing the ball. Then I realize, “OK, let's do this," I tell myself. I address the ball. I look and see people on the right side, the left side. I am thinking these people are crazy! If a player hits a screaming low duck hook or slice he could kill someone. I am so afraid I am going to take someone out on this tee shot. Everyone is looking forward to see this Masters Champion hit the Ball. I make a swing. I cold top the ball about 50 yards down the middle. “Uh Oh," I tell myself. Everyone is confused on what to do. The Gallery usually will clap after a shot, but they all seem to be holding their breath. The other players, caddies and officials, all seem to be embarrassed for me. They know that I must be feeling bad. And no one is sure what to say. I just stand there looking at my ball. Then Anthony Marucci, who has been around for a long time, and a happy-go-lucky type of guy and a little bit of a clown, slaps me on the back as he is walking down the tee box and says pretty loud in a joking fun way “Not bad for a Masters Champion, right down the middle," he said smiling. Everyone laughs. He broke up the tension which was really nice of him. He really bailed me out of a tough situation. Everyone thinks I just have the post Major Champion Jitters. I get to my second shot. I have a long ways to go. I pull out my 3 wood and make a whack at it. I hit a low slicing banana ball about 170 in the right rough, almost hitting someone in gallery.
    My swing did not feel like my swing. It was like I was just whacking at the ball, no idea what I am doing. I get to 3rd shot. I am still over 200 yard from the green. I hit a 4 wood and hit is left but in the fairway about 40 yards from the green. My Caddie Zack, tries to losing me up. “Hey chip it in, and it's easy par" he told me smiling. Ok my fourth shot 40 yard sand wedge. There is a sand trap between me and the green. If I can get up and down I will salvage a bogey. This 40 yard wedge shot has always been the strong part of my game. However I address the ball and I feel terrible. I have the feeling that this is the weak part of the game. That little emotion in the back of my head is freaking saying “this shot is my Nemesis, please don’t Shank it." I am so scared. I make a swing and I shank it! “Ok the wheels are coming off now," I tell myself. I am just on first hole one and things look bad. Now I am on the right side of the green. By some miracle I am able to get up and down for a double bogey.
    Zack tells me that it is Ok we got the first hold over. “We got 71 holes to go, don't worry about this’, he said in a reassuring tone. Hole two, and hole three, more of the same. I doubled number 2 and tripled number 3. My swing feels and looks nothing at all like a professional Golf Swing. My swing looks like that I am a weekend golfer. I am hitting the balls like a duffer. It is really bad. The TV commentators are going over this and they are disturbed on what they are seeing. They are saying that this has to be more than nerves. They are wondering if I have some injury that is hindering my swing. Or is some medical condition going on with me such as a stroke or something. Because my swing has nothing to do with a professional Golfer. They discuss with Jerry Churchill and ask what he thinks is going on. He just said there is no telling. “Maybe, Jim is having a panic Attack. I have never seen anything like this. Maybe he will settle down," he says.
    As we walked up hole number four tee box, my caddie Zack stops and pulls me to the side. He is angry. He grabbed