That was the weather at a Rockford tournament in September, 2019 where I was one of the worst rated players in MA50 and almost won the event. https://notnormalworld.blogspot.com/2019/09/making-highly-improbable-happen-almost.html
The following Thanksgiving weekend in similar weather, I won an event by six shots. A couple years later on another similar day in October had one of my highest lifetime rated rounds even though I pulled my right groin getting out of bed that morning coming the closest I ever did to winning a ratings based division which was MA2 (one that usually features players better than me.)
Even before that October 2021 event, had expressed the desire for 45°, wind, and rain at a tournament getting surprised responses by people including the Illinois PDGA director last June.
For the next couple years after that, only had one round with that type of weather and ended up tied for 10th out of 31 in an open amateur division. (The rain stopped between rounds and my round two was bad.)
The TD for the event on Apr 7, 2024 was surprised that I was happy to hear that was the forecast for the event and shortly before the event started, the rain and wind kicked in. After the horn started, put down my umbrella, and launched a perfect drive leaving a makable C2 putt. Unfortunately, I foolishly got aggressive and whizzed it by 25 feet downhill past the basket and took a bogie. The next hole involved a badly failed approach shot leading to a bogie.
After that, I calmed down and managed to play decently but not great getting three more bogies due to failed approach shots but managed to get on the lead card with two good ones near the end and a 20 foot par save following hitting first tree on my final drive. Rating was 2 shots better than expected.
Due to timing, had a longer than normal wait for round two which was fine as the worst of the rain fell during it. Round two started on the most difficult course there with rain still falling. With one exception, the first six holes were played as good as I could expect including a first ever birdie on a specific hole after a 265 foot shot around trees to a blind target skipped to 5 feet away. At one point, I was leading the event.
The top rated player going in then made multiple great shots over a six hole stretch including some I don't have the physical ability or courage to make or attempt to retake the lead. Though I made mistakes, ended up matching the top player for round two losing the event by three shots and beating my personal best on that course by one shot which was played in melting slush two years previously after the area got three inches of snow the night before.
What surprised me was how other players on the south course struggled during the round including the other two 50+ players on my card. Others that played the same course for round two were:
FPO: 4 players/3 rated better than me/ I went 4-0
FA1: 4/1/4-0
MA40: 12/6/10-2
MA50: 7/3/5-1-1
MA55: 2/0/2-0
MA2: 35/31/28-2-5
Total: 64/44/53-5-6
Overall, I would have been expected to finish tied for 45th of the scores of the 65 who played but was tied for 6th. Rating for the round was tied for third lifetime best which was previously set on the cold, windy, rainy day in Oct 2021 and was 7 shots better than expected. Ironically one player on my card who appeared to struggle shot what I would have been expected to get.
So... What happened? To be fair, the weather finally got better as round 2 was ending and it is possible the first round played by pros which finished as the rain got bad made round 2 get rated more difficult than the initial one created after the round ended. My group started in the rain on the easier part of the course before the weather broke while others played the more challenging part in the rain.
I also have to admit trees were kind to me that especially on three drives that could have added 4-5 shots had things not gone well. However, as I notice stronger players with faster approaches slipping and falling while I did not have one issue all day with footing and with playing smart looking for par and not birdie (and in two cases off the tee bogey) 45°, wind, and rain appears to be my ideal tournament weather.
Of course I am posting this on a day 70° weather finally returned to Chicago and it will likely be months until this weather situation happens again.
