Paulino's 'Golden Egg' - 3 under par at Talofofo Golf Resort

Practice, patience and persistence pave Paulino's path to a three under par round at Talofofo Golf Resort on Easter Sunday. 

Benny Paulino is an avid golfer and has been consistently scoring below 80 as he approached the holiday.

The winning streak started off with a net 79, seven weeks ago. On March 12, Paulino recorded his fifth and lowest under 80 score of a net 74.

He continued playing well and on March 26, at the Mangilao Golf Resort the streak improved when Paulino shot a one under par (71). Dr. W. Chris Perez and friends Dale Alverez and Tony Perez were with Paulino at Mangilao when he broke 80. From there, it only got better.

The following day, on Easter Sunday, while playing with his youngest son Micah, Paulino shot an astonishing three under par (69) at the Talofofo Golf Resort.

Paulino's regular golf group, K-13, characterized his recent success as a streak, something they privately relish but publicly lament as if merely a stroke of luck. However, none of them deny that Paulino is a skilled golfer. In jest one said, "If I played as often, I'd be hitting just as well." This is an example of nothing more than psychological warfare amongst friends to keep the pressure on Paulino.

When referring to the streak after five weeks Paulino said, "This [74] makes it five consecutive weeks in which I broke 80 (79, 76, 75, and 76)," and further stated, "I was one under after the front nine, and three over coming in from the back nine for a of 35 & 39 respectively. Unlike last week's [March 20] birdie binge, I had one birdie for this round."

Paulino's remarkable ability to recount his steps on the golf course and everyone else's is highly regarded. In fact, he's seldom mistaken.

Here's one account of his innate ability. "I started out with a birdie on number one, and went on to par the next nine (9) holes before I broke my consecutive streak of par or better when I bogeyed number 11. I parred the next hole [# 12] and then doubled bogey number 13. After that, I parred out the remaining five holes. All together, I had one birdie, 15 par's, one bogey, and two double bogeys."

Trying not to rub it in too much to the K-13, Paulino teased in his last commentary, "As you know, I am not the one who likes to boast. I prefer to let my actions do the talking." His performance to date is indeed difficult to ignore.

Knowing what your hands and arms are doing during a swing can bring dramatic improvements to your performance on the golf course. Jim Flick explains how hand position, grip pressure, body weight, and hand and wrist sensitivity can be used to cut down on poor shots and increase the power on good ones.

That is apparently what Paulino has discovered in part, purely by accident. Dr. Perez said regarding Saturday's outing at Mangilao, that Paulino slightly injured his knee when shooting a ball out of a steep down hill lie out of the bunker, on the front nine, twisting his right knee in the process. Paulino didn't recognize the injury until he bent down to mark his ball on the green and experienced an excruciating pain that forced him to compensate from that hole forward; transferring his weight from his right foot to his left foot when striking the ball.

A quick learner, and one who is in tune with each reaction to his moves on the golf course, Paulino noticed almost immediately the impact his adjustment had on his game. And he liked the results.

The pain subsided in the back nine, but Paulino continued stroking the ball with the same pressure, and tempo as he did in the front nine and the tactic paid off.

A golfer knows that it matters none at all if you scored well or didn't score so well - the only thing that matters is that you won one more hole than your opponent. And that is about as par a Paulino attitude as it gets about golf.

Much of Paulino's game is mental, and not necessarily just gamesmanship. His advantage is driving first and getting his ball right down the middle, straight and long in the fairway, and secondly getting as close on the shot to the green or better, getting onto the green before his opponent, and making the putt first. Forever analyzing his performance, his chipping has improved with a simple club change.

As you've now come to realize, what Benny Paulino does on the golf course is no accident. He's focused. He's consistent. He's a skilled player who loves the game of golf and doesn't leave anything to chance.

By his very nature, Paulino adds pressure on his opponent each time just by trying to top himself, and eventually it can wear an opponent down for trying to keep up. Members of the K-13 who play with him regularly say, "He's consistent and predictable." Or, "The mechanics of his game is what makes him successful." And still others say, "It's the momentum that he sets on the course that makes him a good golfer." And lastly, "He's a machine," said another.

This Easter weekend was the height of Paulino's golf experience, a memory that will live on forever - not only in his mind, but ours as well.

I first learned of Paulino's success when my daughter Maile said, "Uncle Ben called," after I returned from supper Sunday night. "He must have shot a two under par," I said as I grabbed the telephone to return Benny's call. When he came to the phone I said, "What? You shot a two under par? All I asked is that you par the course."

Paulino and I have been cart partners since the year 2000.

"R, I broke the streak. Its ended." he said. I shrieked in regret thinking that he meant he shot in the eighty's. As I listened, he began to explain that he shot several birdies and pars and ended the front nine with a 35. At that, I started to breathe and realize that I had fallen for the bait, and that Paulino was actually setting me up to tell me that he shot his best ever, a three under par 69 on Easter Sunday.

Benny and Micah Paulino, 2000

Paulino the Younger, who witnessed the Easter Sunday game, is not as impressed with his father's score and downplayed the Greater's success as relative, and the result of improving his lies. Otherwise suggesting that Paulino the Greater is not as skilled as marked on the scorecard. Of course, Paulino the Younger is simply disavowing his father right and privilege of honor, as a trained Junior Golf member would. He later revealed the truth in a telephone interview. For the details of the game, both at Mangilao and Talofofo please listen to recordings of Paulino, Perez and Micah.

Benny Paulino enjoyed an incredible golf weekend to remember! Shooting a four under par in two days on Guam's golf resorts. Imagine that.

His streak of shooting under 80 has indeed ended and he alone holds the distinction of being the only golfer in the K-13 group to score under 70 - three under par.

Congratulations Partner.