In Linden’s version of “So You Think You’re Tough?”(minus the headgear,boxing gloves,mouthpieces and as far as we could tell,protective cups) a young golfer emerged as the Toughman.

Thomas Johnson,18,the current Ft.Lewis Amateur Champion and a Linden member shot 78 on Saturday to win this year’s Toughday Competition.

Formerly known as “Dave’s Ball Buster”this format is identified by a course set-up that can only be described as “heinous”.In Boston they would call it “wicked hahhd”.In Mexico City(or Phoenix,for that matter)they would say it was muy malo.In downtown Puyallup the boys were calling it various other epithets,none of which are printable here.

The only one left standing from the relentless onslaught of torment was ,in fact ,Old Man Par.

Granted, Randy Isaac shot 38 on his outward leg(including a double bogey on 9) and others fared well at times.This was not the norm as witnessed by TK,who managed to take a 17 on the 9th hole(this demonstration included 13 shots with his putter) and a litany of 10s,8s and other hole scores in the teens. With the flags teetering on precipices ,greens as hard as the pool tables at Wayne’s(though not as bumpy as Wayne’s) and the crazy long tees ,Par was at a Premium.Only 6 players managed to turn in a score at par or better.Thanks to Thane and his crew for the preparation and to John Mcbride for restoring the pins to more comfortable lodgings at the finish of play.