Pleasant Valley: The Second Best Team Money Could Buy
Scramble #2 in as many days on the same course. This time with me as Captain and Commander and I surrounded myself with a real ringer and two other guys with "a particular set of skills they have acquired over a long golf career."
It was a beautiful day, we all got to the course early to practice (but not too much practice) and there was a certain energy in the air. I'd like to call it confidence but it was probably the high tension wire that runs along the 18th hole. Either way, there was something special about the day.
Date: Saturday 5/10/2014
Location: Pleasant Valley Golfers Club, Chantilly, VA
Score: 60 (Scramble)
Excuses: Rained at the wrong time
Course Conditions: Very good. Greens rolled extremely well and true, fairways were in excellent shape, rough not as penal as usual. Pretty much the same as yesterday.
The Good: Great teamwork, great shots, we all picked each other up, Rachel picked up a closest to the pin award and should have gotten a long drive award but she drove it longer than the fairway.
The Bad: Second Place Finish
The Ugly: Not winning anything after finishing second, and finishing second to UVA!!
Introducing the team representing the Virginia Tech Alumni Association:
Harry (Captain and Commander, Iron Man)
Rachel (Star Ringer, Played College Golf, Long Baller)
Clint (Ringer, Ridiculously Long Baller)
Joe (Ringer, Flatstick)
Recurring Player Introductions:
Clint - Tall and Ridiculously Long off the tee. Reguarly and accidently crushes 9 irons 170 yards and pitching wedges 150 yards. Natural athlete and the easiest guy to get along with. Always a mainstay in a foursome. Needs a sports psychologist to get his head straight. Has all the tools but somehow overthinks everything. Never thought someone so laid back could be so uptight when swinging a golf club.
Rachel - Star Ringer - Played college golf at Princeton. Also a hell of an athlete. Throws a football longer than me (and I'm her QB) has a better pass percentage, great hands, and a killer instict. As for golf, drives the ball longer than I do and has very soft hands around the green. If she could putt she would probably be on tour. Another fun person to be around for 4 or more hours.
The only two differences from the previous scramble was that the men now had to play from the Blue Tees (playing at a more hefty 6,509 yards) and the grand prize was a trip to Pinehurst for the winning foursome (a lot more at stake). However, what did remain the same, women could play from the red tees. Now, when you have a woman that can drive the ball 250+ and you give her a 100 yard advantage on every hole, it doesn't seem fair. Those are the rules ladies and gentlemen, and a rule I exploited to the fullest. The tournament was hosted by the Capital Alumni Network to raise money for the scholarship program. There were teams representing Alumni Associations from all over the Washington DC metro area. And FIVE TEAMS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN!!! The principal sponsor of the event was Acura, so if you managed to get a hole in one on the 7th hole, you could win a brand new Acura MDX.
We started on the 11th hole, a long par 3 (180+ yards for the men, 140 for the ladies). Flatstick drew the short straw and pushed it right. Clint pulled the ball left into the trap. Iron Man (me) hit a beautiful shot that landed near the pin but just rolled off. Star Ringer didn't know her own strength and hit the ball 20 yards past the green. We get up and down for par. (0)
The 12th hole from the blue tees is a daunting 460 yards. Not only that, the first 230 yards is all uphill. The only relief is that if you manage to make it to the top of the hill, it is a downhill tee shot that saves you at least a couple of clubs. Flatstick and I push our drives to the right. Long Baller blasts an awesome drive to about 180 yards. Star Ringer, who had only 278 yards from her tee box, blasts a drive that settles 45 yards from the pin in the fairway. WINNER!!! After a feathery pitch from the Iron Man and a putt from the Flatstick, we get a solid birdie (-1)
The 13th hole is a 534 yard par five. In the previous day, the previous long baller blasted an excellent drive to set us up 225 from the pin. The Star Ringer put us 185 yards from the pin. Sadly none of us could get on and the shot we chose put us over the green. That's right, OVER. Thanks to a good flop from the Star Ringer and a putt from the Flatstick, we get another birdie. (-2)
14 is a relatively short par 3, evidently too short for the Iron Man and Long Baller as we pushed both of our shots way right and long of the pin. Fortunately the Star Ringer put us on the green 13 feet away and again, thanks to the flatstick, we get another birdie. (-3)
15 is a solid par 4 with a small water hazard just inside the 150 marker. From the blue tees it is around 250 yards to that marker. The Flatstick and the Iron man put two solid drives just behind the 150 marker, The long baller hit it long and into the right rough. The Star Ringer from her tee box blasts it over the water hazard and it settles 75 yards from the middle of the green. The aproach is way uphill and the Flatstick and the Iron Man misjudged how uphill and left the ball short of the pin but a long uphill putt. The Long Baller crushes one over the green (the usual), but the Star Ringer puts one 7 feet from the cup but above the hole. After four trecherous putts we decide to use a mulligan, and the putt sails in for our fourth consecutive birdie. (-4)
16 is a short and driveable par 4. I made an executive management decision to hit a 3 wood to the middle of the fairway at a good pitching distance and have everyone else go for the green. Sadly no one else made the green as it was well protected by bunkers and water on the right and another fearsome bunker and a false front on the left. But we had a safe play and we took advantage. The Star Ringer puts a good pitch just off the green but 8-10 feet from the pin, and the flatstick drains it. (-5)
17 is a split fairway par 4 with a long and wide sand trap right in the middle. The trick is to aim for the trap and let your shot go its natural shape. Unfortuately for me my natural shape decided to disappear as I was the only one to end up in the trap. Fortunately The Long Baller and the Star Ringer hit massive drives to leave us 75 yards from the pin. We hit two out of four great shots onto the green but left ourselves 15 feet from the cup on opposite sides. One putt was uphill but had a significant break, the other was slightly downhill but straighter. The Flatstick was adamant about the downhill and straight putt even though conventional golf wisdom suggests that an uphill putt is more desired. But I make the judgement call to respect the flatstick and sure enough I (also doubling as the tracer) drain the putt. (-6).
18 is a medium length par 4 but with water along the entire right side. The nightmare for all faders and slicers of the ball. However only the flatstick ended up in the water. My drive ended up a respectable 120 yards from the hole. The Long Baller ended up at 75, but the Star Ringer ended up at 38. WINNER! The Iron Man finally lived up to billing and put the ball 2 feet from the hole. The hole was birdied before I parked the cart behind the green. (-7).
1 is a relatively short par 4 but with a deciptively hard green. We end up in the rough around 60 yards from the pin and do a relatively decent job of getting the ball on the green but no putts inside 15 feet. After two putts we settle for a par after a run of 7 consecutive birdies.
2 is another relatively short par 4 but with a fierce dogleg left and a trap that you can challenge in order to make your approach shorter. After ending up in the fairway around 70 yards from the pin, we all do a very horrible job of getting on the green. In fact, no one got on the green, we were on the fringe 20 feet away. After everyone else putted, the Flatstick stepped up to the ball and with ice water in his veins, drains the putt without having to sacrifice another mulligan. (-8) back on the birdie train!!
3 is a hefty par five (551 yards) that requires a draw off the tee (if you're playing the blues) in order to set up an optimal second shot. Fourtuantely for us, the red tees did not require such a shot :). We got a good look at the second shot but not far enough to go get there in two. We stared down the 55 yard shot and got one within 10 feet and sinked the birdie putt. (-9).
4 is the longest par 3 on the course at a whopping 200 yards. I don't remember the prize for getting a hole in one on the hole but Acura could have offered 1 million dollars and felt relatively safe. Either way, none of us made the green in regulation (although I did the previous day from 10 fewer yards). But we make an excellent up and down and get a solid par. (-9).
Everything is going great up until this point. We are 9 under after 12 holes and still have two par 5's left. And then the rain started... We switch into the rain gear but not into rain mode. After a few minutes of waiting (we opened up a lead on the group behind us) for a little break, we decide to swing on.
5 is another long par 5. Reachable in two if you hit the right part of the fairway. Unfortuantely, none of us hit the fairway but we did get a good look at a good setup. I could have made a better executive decision not to go for the green but for the swale to the right of the greenside bunkers but I was thinking eagle instead of birdie. The iron man got one safe shot 95 yards from the green. Our longest approach shot of the day. Not one of us got closer than 20 feet to the pin when we finally got as close to a full swing with a wedge as we got all day. I thought about using a mulligan but the putt was just too long to waste on an uphill double breaker and we settle for par on a par 5. DAGGER! (-9).
6 is a medium sized par 4. Iron Man and the Long Baller hit really good drives to inside 150, the Star Ringer hits one to within 70. Sadly none of us get the ball to the right tier of the green, leaving a 15 foot uphill sliding putt. We settle for par. (-9)
7 is the proverbial money hole. A hole in one here would net you a brand new Acura MDX which they had on display right beside the hole.. It was nice. And it looked very nice and dry on the inside, unlike us. With the rain falling and the wind blowing, the Flatstick and the Long Baller both put their tee shots in the water. The Iron Man decided to take two more clubs instead of one more club and decided on a transformation to Hybrid Man, and crushed it over the green. The Star Ringer followed suit. The Iron Man put the ball 2 feet from the cup. Which he should have done on the previous hole. (-9)
8 is the hole where the fracas from yesterday started. Only this time, there were no other groups in sight and no waiting to tee off. Everyone hit a solid drive inside 150 yards. Only this was the hole where the longest drive for women was located. The drive was a mere 180 yards from the tee box. What the Star Ringer would also have to negotiate was the fact the fairway ended at 250 yards. But the Star Ringer decided to be a team player and get us as close to the hole as possible. She crushed the drive almost 100 yards past the prior mark but unfortuately ended up in the rough. The Iron Man got the best pitch but we were still 18-20 feet away from the hole. On the 3rd putt, before the Flatstick could pump cold water in his veins, the Star Ringer rolls a beautiful putt that died in the hole. Shades of the Easter Miracle at Penderbrook. (-10).
9 is a very short and driveable par 4. The goal was to get a safe shot into the fairway and have the bombers go for the green. Unfortuately the Iron Man decided to have his worst drive of the day, yanking the drive into the trees to the left. The flatstick did not fare well either. The captain then made the executive decison to go for it anyway. Both the Long Baller and the Star Ringer pushed their drives to the right but even with the green. After a couple of solid pitches from the Iron Man and the Flatstick, we settle on the Flatstick's pitch which was a little further away but straight and uphill, and drained a solid birdie. (-11).
Our final hole, Number 10, is probably the most reachable par 5, when there is no wind or the wind is at your back. Unfortunately for us, neither was the case as the wind was in our face. Sadly it was also the longest drive hole for the men. We did not get a drive on the fairway and sadly it was the worst drive of the day for the Star Ringer. We were situated at 250 yards from the green in the rough. It would take a miracle shot for us to get on the green and really challenge for eagle. Sadly none of us make the green, the best shot settling 25 feet from the green. We burn our last two mulligans trying to hole the chip / pitch to of no avail. We settle for a good tap-in birdie. (-12).
Final tally a phenomenal 12 under 60. Was it enough to win?
It was for about 10 minutes before, you guessed it, a lower score came in. What was this lower score? 56! Deja Vu all over again! Props to the winning team even though they represent the hated UVA Cavaliers... I have solace in the fact that they finished second to us in Football for the past 10 years. GO HOKIES! One of the Michigan teams also put in a 60. But our 60 held up in the tiebreaker as we birdied the more difficult holes. Sadly that did not matter because they used the post round flight system in order to award prizes. For those of you not familiar with that system, basically you award prizes to the first place team in each flight but you calculate the flights after the round. You divide the total number of teams (N) by three and whoever finishes 1st, N/3, and 2*N/3+1 get the prizes. In our case, first place, 8th place, and 17th place took home the prizes. So at the end I felt we did well, but also felt robbed because we had nothing to show for it, not even a silver medal... Whereas the Navy Federal Scramble handed out prizes for the top 3 finishers. As every scramble should... C'est La Vie.
Other than the four hole stretch where the sky opened up and effectively drowned our chances at victory. I look back and realize this was the best scramble team I had ever put together. We had everything, long ballers, great short game, good irons, and a fearless putter. And this was the best score I had ever achieved in a scramble and we played a very difficult course. I would play with this group anytime. I'm glad I put this team together and this will not be the last of Team VT. Even though only Joe and I went to VT. Props to Rachel for getting a prize for her closest to the pin and sacrificing for the team and not getting the longest drive (even though she flew it over the actual winner).
Again, great food, great company, great course, and this time, great golf. Just not great enough to take home the prize. Until then, BACK TO THE RANGE, THE PRACTICE GREEN, AND THE GYM!
Next Stop: Reston National
It was a beautiful day, we all got to the course early to practice (but not too much practice) and there was a certain energy in the air. I'd like to call it confidence but it was probably the high tension wire that runs along the 18th hole. Either way, there was something special about the day.
Date: Saturday 5/10/2014
Location: Pleasant Valley Golfers Club, Chantilly, VA
Score: 60 (Scramble)
Excuses: Rained at the wrong time
Course Conditions: Very good. Greens rolled extremely well and true, fairways were in excellent shape, rough not as penal as usual. Pretty much the same as yesterday.
The Good: Great teamwork, great shots, we all picked each other up, Rachel picked up a closest to the pin award and should have gotten a long drive award but she drove it longer than the fairway.
The Bad: Second Place Finish
The Ugly: Not winning anything after finishing second, and finishing second to UVA!!
Introducing the team representing the Virginia Tech Alumni Association:
Harry (Captain and Commander, Iron Man)
Rachel (Star Ringer, Played College Golf, Long Baller)
Clint (Ringer, Ridiculously Long Baller)
Joe (Ringer, Flatstick)
Recurring Player Introductions:
Clint - Tall and Ridiculously Long off the tee. Reguarly and accidently crushes 9 irons 170 yards and pitching wedges 150 yards. Natural athlete and the easiest guy to get along with. Always a mainstay in a foursome. Needs a sports psychologist to get his head straight. Has all the tools but somehow overthinks everything. Never thought someone so laid back could be so uptight when swinging a golf club.
Rachel - Star Ringer - Played college golf at Princeton. Also a hell of an athlete. Throws a football longer than me (and I'm her QB) has a better pass percentage, great hands, and a killer instict. As for golf, drives the ball longer than I do and has very soft hands around the green. If she could putt she would probably be on tour. Another fun person to be around for 4 or more hours.
The only two differences from the previous scramble was that the men now had to play from the Blue Tees (playing at a more hefty 6,509 yards) and the grand prize was a trip to Pinehurst for the winning foursome (a lot more at stake). However, what did remain the same, women could play from the red tees. Now, when you have a woman that can drive the ball 250+ and you give her a 100 yard advantage on every hole, it doesn't seem fair. Those are the rules ladies and gentlemen, and a rule I exploited to the fullest. The tournament was hosted by the Capital Alumni Network to raise money for the scholarship program. There were teams representing Alumni Associations from all over the Washington DC metro area. And FIVE TEAMS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN!!! The principal sponsor of the event was Acura, so if you managed to get a hole in one on the 7th hole, you could win a brand new Acura MDX.
We started on the 11th hole, a long par 3 (180+ yards for the men, 140 for the ladies). Flatstick drew the short straw and pushed it right. Clint pulled the ball left into the trap. Iron Man (me) hit a beautiful shot that landed near the pin but just rolled off. Star Ringer didn't know her own strength and hit the ball 20 yards past the green. We get up and down for par. (0)
The 12th hole from the blue tees is a daunting 460 yards. Not only that, the first 230 yards is all uphill. The only relief is that if you manage to make it to the top of the hill, it is a downhill tee shot that saves you at least a couple of clubs. Flatstick and I push our drives to the right. Long Baller blasts an awesome drive to about 180 yards. Star Ringer, who had only 278 yards from her tee box, blasts a drive that settles 45 yards from the pin in the fairway. WINNER!!! After a feathery pitch from the Iron Man and a putt from the Flatstick, we get a solid birdie (-1)
The 13th hole is a 534 yard par five. In the previous day, the previous long baller blasted an excellent drive to set us up 225 from the pin. The Star Ringer put us 185 yards from the pin. Sadly none of us could get on and the shot we chose put us over the green. That's right, OVER. Thanks to a good flop from the Star Ringer and a putt from the Flatstick, we get another birdie. (-2)
14 is a relatively short par 3, evidently too short for the Iron Man and Long Baller as we pushed both of our shots way right and long of the pin. Fortunately the Star Ringer put us on the green 13 feet away and again, thanks to the flatstick, we get another birdie. (-3)
15 is a solid par 4 with a small water hazard just inside the 150 marker. From the blue tees it is around 250 yards to that marker. The Flatstick and the Iron man put two solid drives just behind the 150 marker, The long baller hit it long and into the right rough. The Star Ringer from her tee box blasts it over the water hazard and it settles 75 yards from the middle of the green. The aproach is way uphill and the Flatstick and the Iron Man misjudged how uphill and left the ball short of the pin but a long uphill putt. The Long Baller crushes one over the green (the usual), but the Star Ringer puts one 7 feet from the cup but above the hole. After four trecherous putts we decide to use a mulligan, and the putt sails in for our fourth consecutive birdie. (-4)
16 is a short and driveable par 4. I made an executive management decision to hit a 3 wood to the middle of the fairway at a good pitching distance and have everyone else go for the green. Sadly no one else made the green as it was well protected by bunkers and water on the right and another fearsome bunker and a false front on the left. But we had a safe play and we took advantage. The Star Ringer puts a good pitch just off the green but 8-10 feet from the pin, and the flatstick drains it. (-5)
17 is a split fairway par 4 with a long and wide sand trap right in the middle. The trick is to aim for the trap and let your shot go its natural shape. Unfortuately for me my natural shape decided to disappear as I was the only one to end up in the trap. Fortunately The Long Baller and the Star Ringer hit massive drives to leave us 75 yards from the pin. We hit two out of four great shots onto the green but left ourselves 15 feet from the cup on opposite sides. One putt was uphill but had a significant break, the other was slightly downhill but straighter. The Flatstick was adamant about the downhill and straight putt even though conventional golf wisdom suggests that an uphill putt is more desired. But I make the judgement call to respect the flatstick and sure enough I (also doubling as the tracer) drain the putt. (-6).
18 is a medium length par 4 but with water along the entire right side. The nightmare for all faders and slicers of the ball. However only the flatstick ended up in the water. My drive ended up a respectable 120 yards from the hole. The Long Baller ended up at 75, but the Star Ringer ended up at 38. WINNER! The Iron Man finally lived up to billing and put the ball 2 feet from the hole. The hole was birdied before I parked the cart behind the green. (-7).
1 is a relatively short par 4 but with a deciptively hard green. We end up in the rough around 60 yards from the pin and do a relatively decent job of getting the ball on the green but no putts inside 15 feet. After two putts we settle for a par after a run of 7 consecutive birdies.
2 is another relatively short par 4 but with a fierce dogleg left and a trap that you can challenge in order to make your approach shorter. After ending up in the fairway around 70 yards from the pin, we all do a very horrible job of getting on the green. In fact, no one got on the green, we were on the fringe 20 feet away. After everyone else putted, the Flatstick stepped up to the ball and with ice water in his veins, drains the putt without having to sacrifice another mulligan. (-8) back on the birdie train!!
3 is a hefty par five (551 yards) that requires a draw off the tee (if you're playing the blues) in order to set up an optimal second shot. Fourtuantely for us, the red tees did not require such a shot :). We got a good look at the second shot but not far enough to go get there in two. We stared down the 55 yard shot and got one within 10 feet and sinked the birdie putt. (-9).
4 is the longest par 3 on the course at a whopping 200 yards. I don't remember the prize for getting a hole in one on the hole but Acura could have offered 1 million dollars and felt relatively safe. Either way, none of us made the green in regulation (although I did the previous day from 10 fewer yards). But we make an excellent up and down and get a solid par. (-9).
Everything is going great up until this point. We are 9 under after 12 holes and still have two par 5's left. And then the rain started... We switch into the rain gear but not into rain mode. After a few minutes of waiting (we opened up a lead on the group behind us) for a little break, we decide to swing on.
5 is another long par 5. Reachable in two if you hit the right part of the fairway. Unfortuantely, none of us hit the fairway but we did get a good look at a good setup. I could have made a better executive decision not to go for the green but for the swale to the right of the greenside bunkers but I was thinking eagle instead of birdie. The iron man got one safe shot 95 yards from the green. Our longest approach shot of the day. Not one of us got closer than 20 feet to the pin when we finally got as close to a full swing with a wedge as we got all day. I thought about using a mulligan but the putt was just too long to waste on an uphill double breaker and we settle for par on a par 5. DAGGER! (-9).
6 is a medium sized par 4. Iron Man and the Long Baller hit really good drives to inside 150, the Star Ringer hits one to within 70. Sadly none of us get the ball to the right tier of the green, leaving a 15 foot uphill sliding putt. We settle for par. (-9)
7 is the proverbial money hole. A hole in one here would net you a brand new Acura MDX which they had on display right beside the hole.. It was nice. And it looked very nice and dry on the inside, unlike us. With the rain falling and the wind blowing, the Flatstick and the Long Baller both put their tee shots in the water. The Iron Man decided to take two more clubs instead of one more club and decided on a transformation to Hybrid Man, and crushed it over the green. The Star Ringer followed suit. The Iron Man put the ball 2 feet from the cup. Which he should have done on the previous hole. (-9)
8 is the hole where the fracas from yesterday started. Only this time, there were no other groups in sight and no waiting to tee off. Everyone hit a solid drive inside 150 yards. Only this was the hole where the longest drive for women was located. The drive was a mere 180 yards from the tee box. What the Star Ringer would also have to negotiate was the fact the fairway ended at 250 yards. But the Star Ringer decided to be a team player and get us as close to the hole as possible. She crushed the drive almost 100 yards past the prior mark but unfortuately ended up in the rough. The Iron Man got the best pitch but we were still 18-20 feet away from the hole. On the 3rd putt, before the Flatstick could pump cold water in his veins, the Star Ringer rolls a beautiful putt that died in the hole. Shades of the Easter Miracle at Penderbrook. (-10).
9 is a very short and driveable par 4. The goal was to get a safe shot into the fairway and have the bombers go for the green. Unfortuately the Iron Man decided to have his worst drive of the day, yanking the drive into the trees to the left. The flatstick did not fare well either. The captain then made the executive decison to go for it anyway. Both the Long Baller and the Star Ringer pushed their drives to the right but even with the green. After a couple of solid pitches from the Iron Man and the Flatstick, we settle on the Flatstick's pitch which was a little further away but straight and uphill, and drained a solid birdie. (-11).
Our final hole, Number 10, is probably the most reachable par 5, when there is no wind or the wind is at your back. Unfortunately for us, neither was the case as the wind was in our face. Sadly it was also the longest drive hole for the men. We did not get a drive on the fairway and sadly it was the worst drive of the day for the Star Ringer. We were situated at 250 yards from the green in the rough. It would take a miracle shot for us to get on the green and really challenge for eagle. Sadly none of us make the green, the best shot settling 25 feet from the green. We burn our last two mulligans trying to hole the chip / pitch to of no avail. We settle for a good tap-in birdie. (-12).
Final tally a phenomenal 12 under 60. Was it enough to win?
It was for about 10 minutes before, you guessed it, a lower score came in. What was this lower score? 56! Deja Vu all over again! Props to the winning team even though they represent the hated UVA Cavaliers... I have solace in the fact that they finished second to us in Football for the past 10 years. GO HOKIES! One of the Michigan teams also put in a 60. But our 60 held up in the tiebreaker as we birdied the more difficult holes. Sadly that did not matter because they used the post round flight system in order to award prizes. For those of you not familiar with that system, basically you award prizes to the first place team in each flight but you calculate the flights after the round. You divide the total number of teams (N) by three and whoever finishes 1st, N/3, and 2*N/3+1 get the prizes. In our case, first place, 8th place, and 17th place took home the prizes. So at the end I felt we did well, but also felt robbed because we had nothing to show for it, not even a silver medal... Whereas the Navy Federal Scramble handed out prizes for the top 3 finishers. As every scramble should... C'est La Vie.
Other than the four hole stretch where the sky opened up and effectively drowned our chances at victory. I look back and realize this was the best scramble team I had ever put together. We had everything, long ballers, great short game, good irons, and a fearless putter. And this was the best score I had ever achieved in a scramble and we played a very difficult course. I would play with this group anytime. I'm glad I put this team together and this will not be the last of Team VT. Even though only Joe and I went to VT. Props to Rachel for getting a prize for her closest to the pin and sacrificing for the team and not getting the longest drive (even though she flew it over the actual winner).
Again, great food, great company, great course, and this time, great golf. Just not great enough to take home the prize. Until then, BACK TO THE RANGE, THE PRACTICE GREEN, AND THE GYM!
Next Stop: Reston National
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