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did not have the speed to traverse the space between the cup and pipe. However, the wind that shifted
from the north to the south was now blowing against the ball. Normally this would be a disadvantage,
but on this particular day it worked in Baird’s favor. The ball was rolling slow enough
to be pushed towards the cup as it reached the angular incline and rolled directly into
the cup. At the end of 14 holes, Baird was 14 under par, Freeman was 12 under par,
and Batten was 11 under par. As the players reached hole 16, interestingly, this was the
th
only other hole that had Baird overly concerned after making it past hole 3. The 16
hole is the longest hole on the course, requiring the putt to be hit with considerable
pace and pass through a 6-inch opening between an obstacle and the rail. Once past
the obstacle, it needs to miss the cup to the left, that is on an elevated plateau of 3
inches, kick to the right coming off the back rail, with enough speed to not be rejected
by the cup yet remain atop the plateau for an easier deuce. However, being cautious
was not on Baird’s mind. His experience to capitalize on an opportunistic round
Hole 16 th
enabled him to play the 16 hole with perfection. Word traveled fast among the
players that Baird was in an excellent position to shoot a perfect 18. As he played 17,
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players stopped their rounds to watch the putt. The 17 hole is one of those holes that
can be finicky. It is a straight hole with a side area and the cup is located on a plateaued area with a 3-
inch rise. To get to the side area, the ball is hit into a triangulated obstacle.
The inconsistent kick of the obstacle is always a concern, but the speed of the
ball must manage the rise to the plateau but also have the proper speed to
accommodate the hole. Daryl Freeman was in this exact position 6 years
earlier. He hit what he thought was a good put, but the ball came off the triangle a little soft and his
putt was a few inches shy of the cup. He finished with a 19. Baird played the hole with excellent
speed and accuracy. As Baird watched the ball disappear, his concentration was so strong that the
applause from his fellow competitors caught him by surprise and jolted him. The group now walked
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over to 18 to see if this would be the 3 18 in history or another close call.
Baird, having the honors, placed the ball on the tee mat and aligned his
Scotty Cameron putter to the mark. Allowing his mind to depart from his
Hole 18 pre-shot routine, he started thinking about the moment, the putt, the
achievement, and the remaining possibility. It was just enough time to
pump an excess amount of adrenaline into his body in a very short time…with no movement to release
the adrenaline, it was a perfect combination to ignite shaking. As he stood over the ball, his legs were
shaking, and his mind was not focused. However, his experience and awareness gave him the
composure to back away, re-establish his pre-shot routine – and prepare with determination. Although
there was a bit of nervousness included in the moment, Baird hit the ball with the necessary speed to
climb two angular inclines with enough speed to stop a few inches past the cup. 18. The crowd was
jubilant to watch history and witness one of the most difficult achievements in sports. To this day the
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observers can clearly describe what happened on the 18 hole, however, Baird only remembers seeing
the ball reach the base of the second incline and slowly climb the hill and work its way to the cup.
Baird, just like Warren Morris, extended his streak to 20 holes in-a-row upon missing the hole that was
the toughest for him, hole number 3. Baird scored a 29 his last round to shoot a total of 74, 4 shots
behind tournament winner, Daryl Freeman (1973 PPA National Putting Champion).