How do you win both closest to the pins and three putt?

All you need to do is ask Erkan Duzenli who this past Wednesday became the second player this season to capture both closest to the pin contests. Glenn Acciard did it on week two of the second half of this season but Glenn birdied and parred and Erkan I think needs a putting lesson as he three putted not just one but both par 3’s. He must have taken a lesson from Paul Comeau. Well, anyways congrats Erkan on winning both par three contests.

In the featured match this week we saw Bill Wilson take on Steve King. Wilson started off with a nice easy par as he found the center of the green and made his two putt. King was a little long and bobbled his way to a bogey. On two both players parred and on 3 Wilson made another easy par and his closest to the pin lasted all the way to the end when Erkan stole it away. King bogeyed and Wilson is two up.  They halved 4 and Wilson let out one of his patented drives which caught the wind and drifted into the right hand hazard. King bogeyed and Wilson doubled. King one down. On the stupid 6^th hole King and Wilson were sitting pretty good from where their tee shots landed and Wilson found the green and King came up short and Wilson made 4 and went to two up. On 7 the wind was a little in our face and King was left of the trap and Wilson short. Did I say short? Yes, Wilson made 4 as King made a great up and down. King one down. The 8^th hole playing into the wind allowed Wilson to bring out the big gun and as just like the week before Wilson’s tee shot landed on the green about 12-15 feet above the hole. King found the fairway and made a nice chip shot and made a great birdie putt. Wilson standing above the hole deliberated on how he wanted to play this tricky down hill slightly left to right putt. Wilson taking a lesson out of McGill’s playbook played the ball off the toe and the ball found the bottom of the cup dead center. A great Eagle to close out King and King limped in on 9 as a bogey and par by Wilson allowed Wilson to win 14-6. Wilson shoots an impressive one over par 37 and King shoots a nice 40.

Norm Pelletier and Bob Trottier teed it up and Trottier started off just like he did last week with a birdie on one. Pelletier bogeys and is now one down. On two Trottier makes another birdie and Pelletier pars and is now 2 down. The par three 3^rd yields a par by Trottier and Pelletier finds himself in a hole as he is now 3 down and 4 strokes behind. They halve 4 with pars and Pelletier pars the par 5 fifth and Trottier makes bogey. Pelletier now 2 down and on 6 Trottier pars and Pelletier bogeys. Trottier is now dormy. Pelletier wins the 7^th and they halve 8 and Trottier closes out with a nice par on 9 to finish even par. Pelletier finishes with 40 and Trottier wins big 14-6.  Trottier has fired an even par 36, followed up with a one under par 34 and then a two under par 34 and now back to a normal even par. What’s next for our president? Will he make it to the three under club this year?

Glenn Acciard took on Mike Berry and they halved one and Berry grabbed two with a par as Acciard bogeyed. A triple bogey by Berry on 3 allowed Acciard to halve the match.  On 4 Berry makes par and Acciard trips up and makes a double. With Acciard stroking on 5 and Berry collapsing with a triple, this allowed Acciard to square the match. Acciard pars 6 and Berry bogeys advantage Acciard. Berry storms back with a nice par on 7 as Acciard doubles. They both halve 8 and Berry squeaks out a par on 9 to capture a 12-8 victory over Acciard. Acciard 45 Berry 43. Moral to this match is doubles and triples don’t help.

Dennis Croteau and George Duffield matched up this week and Duffield pulled a Trottier and birdied the first hole to go one up. They halved two but Croteau was stroking and halved the match. They halved three with bogeys and Croteau was stroking on 4 and they halved that as well.  Duffield hiccupped on 5 and made double advantage Croteau. They halved 6 and 7 and Duffield bounced back with par on 8 to halve the match and Croteau doubled. On 9 Duffield got back on track and parred and grabbed this match 12-8. Croteau 47 Duffield 41.

Skip Gray teed it up against sub Ed Miele who was subbing for Alan Imlach. Gray makes par on one and goes one up. They halve two and on three Gray makes par as Miele triples. Turn around is fair play as Miele wins the 4^th as Gray triples that hole and Miele is one down. They halve 5 with triples but Gray is stroking and Gray wins that and Gray takes the sixth with a triple as Miele is wilting away. They halve 7 and Miele wins 8 with a great par and Gray closes it out as he captures the 9^th hole with a par.  Gray 12 Miele 8. Gray 50 Miele 52.

Rick Maloney and Erkan Duzenli paired up this week and Maloney jumped out real quick with a par on one and two to go two up. On three Maloney gets a break as Duzenli (cough cough) three putts to let Maloney gain a point. They halve 4 with bogeys and on 5 Maloney makes par and Duzenli triples. Maloney bogeys 6 and closes Duzenli out. Duzenli hangs in there and goes bogey, par, and par to make this match respectable. Maloney 12 Duzenli 8.  Maloney 43 Duzenli 46.

Norm Comeau and Eric La Francis matched up and this match was not even close as Comeau could not get out of the starting gate as he posted 8 over par on the first 4 holes but found himself only one down. La Francis wins the par 5 5^th as he was stroking. They halved 6, 7, and 8 and La Francis pars 9 and La Francis wins 14-6. Comeau shoots 47 and La Francis cards a 43. Comeau was nowhere to be seen after the match and that is a tell tale sign that he lost.

Vinny Serafino and Dominick D’ Orio teed it up and D’ Orio crushed Serafino this week 15-5. They halved one with double bogeys and D’ Orio swept the next three holes to go three up and they halved the par 5 fifth and Serafino grabbed the dogleg 6^th and they halved the 7^th and then D’ Orio poured it on as he won 8 and 9 by going one over par on those two holes and D’ Orio finishes with a 45 as Serafino stumbles in with a 49.

George Vigneault looked to make it two in a row against McGill as they paired up for the 2nd time this year. McGill jumped out to a one up lead as his length proved to be the difference on this hole.  On two Vigneault made a decent par as did McGill. On three Vigneault and McGill came up short but McGill’s chip shot and par putt allowed McGill to go two up. The fourth hole again proved to be McGill’s as his length again made for a much easier second shot and his chip shot from the right side of the green hit the pin and rested inches away from the cup. McGill is now 3 up and on 5 McGill was stroking and couldn’t take advantage as a sculled gap wedge from 100 yards out skipped across the green and landed in the rough behind the green, a poor chip shot allowed for a halve with Vigneault. Vigneault hung in there as a par on 6 cut into McGill’s lead and a par on 7 made this a much tighter match. The uphill par 4 8^th saw McGill’s length once again prove to be important as his drive landed just short of the green and a Trottier esk type of chip landed 8 inches from the cup and this closed Vigneault out and Vigneault hung in there with a par on 9. Vigneault 8 McGill 12. Both players carded 39’s.

 In the $1.00 match of the week Jim Waterman smoked Jim Marnie as Waterman jumped out to a one up lead as he parred one and they halved 2 with pars. Waterman parred 3, 4, and 5 but Marnie stroked on 5 and was able to cut into Waterman’s lead by going two down. On 6 Waterman extends his lead to 3 up and closes Marnie out on 7 with a bogey. Waterman continues to pour it on as he pars 8 and 9 and shoots an impressive 37 as Marnie falters and posts a disappointing 44. Waterman 16 Marnie 4.

Tom Hale and Paul Comeau took each other on and they halved one and Comeau ramped it up as he grabbed the second hole with a par and on 3 Comeau bogeyed and Hale posted an 8 and goes 2 down. They halved the difficult 4^th with bogeys and Comeau starts to make his surge as he pars 5 to go three up. On the tricky par 4 dogleg 6^th Comeau makes a rare birdie and is now 4 up. Comeau cruises in with pars on 8 and 9 and crushes Tom Hale 16-4. Hale 55 Comeau 40.

Mike Landry and Rich Juknavorian paired up and they halved one and then Landry getting two strokes in this match took full advantage as Landry went one up after two and they halved three and then Landry won 4 and 5 by stroking and then he captured 6 with a double bogey and is now 4 up and closed Juke out. Juke tries to right the ship by parring 7 and 8 and they halve 9 with bogeys and Landry and Juke both shoot 47 and Landry cruises to a 13-7 victory.