Get Well Soon LOTP

Note: This Article was written before LOTP had his heart attack and is currently in KB Hospital, hope he recovers soon.

Jerudong, Brunei - the Freak was in his focus mind of winning BOTB when he awoke at 5:00 a.m. that Saturday in December 2006 only to watch the LOTP to steal it from him.

What he saw that morning brought equal doses of awe and reality.

Freak had spent countless hours working on his game, driven by the dream of being No. 1 in DRM. On the green that morning was 48-year-old Lord of the Putt becoming the oldest (But Young Inside) DRM 2006 Champion.

"I thought it was unreal," Freak said.

And it didn't take long for him to recognize that his dream might be just that.

Freak will show up at RBA for the start of the 2007 season with his game as good as it has ever been. He found consistency to go with that polished swing, rose to a career-high No. 1 in the DRM 2006 Money list ranking and captured two DRM Monthly Medal Championship to finish a career-best No. 5 on the DRM BOTB TOUR.

The final few steps, though, seem like a marathon.

"All this time, I dreamt of being No. 1 in DRM," Freak said "How am I going to live up that dream? I've got to somehow figure out a way to play better than this guy over a pretty long period of time. I don't think I'm making up ground on him, but at least I'm creeping up to a level that's competitive."

Then he paused, and finished the sentence with a smile.

"On a good day."

That's not giving up. That's reality.

"It's unfortunate for us that we've probably got the best putter of all time that we have to be better than to be No. 1 in DRM," Gold Buaya said.

"But we're also fortunate to be playing in his generation. We're all better because of him. The tournaments are better, there's more people to play in front of."

Gold Buaya broke through in a major way last year, winning the EastWood Tour- 1st DRM Major Championship. He finished sixth on the money list despite only able to take the 8th spot in the DRM BOTB TOUR.

Long considered one of the greatest achiever in PGC division “D”, his goal was always to be the best, figuring the No. 1 DRM ranking would come along with that. And now?
"I still have aspirations to be No. 1," said GB, now at No. 8. "I think it's feasible. Is it feasible when he's having a run like he's having now? I don't know."

Wizard already has won in two DRM Sponsored Cup, Freak's two victories in the DRM Monthly Medal, Gold Tee also won twice last year and grabbed the tour's best nett golfer and Gold
Buaya’s credential on winning his 1st DRM Major in 2006.

All of them have solid credentials, weakened only by comparisons to Lord of the Putt.

"The hardest thing now is for DRM Golfers to realize this LOTP benchmark is out of most everyone's league," Freak said.

"I think it's a hard thing for us to find out when he face him. I certainly found out it was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be."

But he hasn't given up a dream nurtured since joining DRM.

"You can't give up on your hope of being No. 1 in DRM," Freak said.
"I want to be No. 1, and I believe I can be. But I've got to be realistic. If I play my best golf in the next five months, then I might be No. 1. If. Maybe. And it depends on what he (LOTP) does. But it's five months away for me."

Another pause, another smile.

"Maybe I'll catch him between swing changes or if he lost his putter," Freak said