When things turn south in an Open, it matters not how many good shots went beforehand.
So despite a blistering early start that propelled him to four over through eight holes and still at that mark through the 16th, all a gutted Steve Bowditch could think about was his bogey-bogey finish that marred an otherwise stellar opening 70.
In particular, a shoddy five on the easy 18th that came from a wedge he played “like a 15-year-old”.
“It’s not the finish I wanted. The 17th is what it is, it’s not a big deal, but I hit three fat wedges from nowhere and a couple cost me bogeys,” he said.
“That one on the last, wow.
“I just hit a bad shot that’s all. A stupid mistake. I had 50 yards of green and I hit in the only spot I can’t hit it,” he said of a wedge that landed shorter than intended and spun back into the infamous Valley of Sin from which he couldn’t salvage a four.
“I make a 15-year-old’s bogey, it’s just stupid.
“I think tomorrow’s weather forecast is why I’m not happy right now.
“Stepping off that last hole, you know the weather is coming and you’re going to need every shot you can tomorrow morning.
“The most annoying this is that the hard shots I hit well. It’s just the simple shots like that that drive you insane.
“At this level, you just can’t do it, they (the opponents) are way too good and you can’t give them anything.
“You have to make birdies from inside 100 yards not bogeys – and I did it twice today.”
Bowditch acknowledged his early-round salvo was “pretty good” especially when the whipped up on his seventh hole.
“It got pretty tough out there, it went from birdie golf to par golf real quick.
“I hit a lot of good shots (and) drove it pretty decent and got away with my one bad tee shot. All in all, the game’s all right.”