THE SWING REPORT

Wilkins, a two on the par-3 eighth and the first win of the season. Take us through the shot.

Eight iron. I'd like to give you more, but that is genuinely the entire story. Eight iron, ball goes up, ball comes down, ball proceeds in the general direction of the hole and then, unbelievably, into it.

People keep asking what I was thinking standing over it. I was thinking about the seven I made on the fourth. I thought about that seven for the rest of the round. The birdie was, in a very real sense, an apology.

Net 34 is a statement in week one. Anything for the field?

No statement. I want to be extremely clear that I am not making a statement. Statements get you a handicap review.

I shot 42, the league gave me eight strokes, and I would like that arrangement to continue for approximately nine more Thursdays.

There is a ten on your card on the fourth hole. That is a quintuple bogey.

I am aware of the number. I was present for all ten of them. What I would push back on is the word "quintuple," which I feel editorializes.

Here is the situation: the fourth is a par 5, which means it is a long hole, which means there is simply more real estate available for things to go wrong. I used all of it. I saw parts of that hole the grounds crew hasn't visited since spring.

Was there a turning point?

Shot four. After shot four it stopped being golf and became more of a land survey. By shot eight I had made peace with it. By shot ten I was, frankly, relieved — ten is at least a round number. Nobody remembers a nine.