The Oaks Golf Course Hole #10
Another beautiful day at the golf course Wednesday and we had all 24 guys present for the first time this year.
In a match that featured Erkan Duzenli and Jack Goulet neither player halved a hole. It was Duzenli that jumped out to a quick 3 up lead only to see it evaporate on the next three holes as Goulet battled back to halve the match on 15. Sixteen and Seventeen proved too much for Goulet as he double bogeyed them and Duzenli parred to close Goulet out on 17. Goulet didn’t quit as he parred 18 and took the final hole but it wasn’t enough. Duzenli had to give 6 shots and he won by 6 shots. Handicaps sometimes work.
Vigneault squared off against Berry for the first time this year in what was billed as a classic duel of two titans. Vigneault’s smooth swing and plenty of practice this past week led him to a perfect round of even par. Berry didn’t start off too well as he found himself on the 13th hole side of things while playing the opening hole 10th. Then a missed approach shot found Berry punching out of the woods, Berry doubled the opening hole to go one down.
On 12 Berry left himself a 4 footer below the hole for birdie while Vigneault was off the fringe past the hole on the right side staring down a birdie putt while getting a free drop from relief of a sprinkler head in his line. The second the ball left the putter head the ball tracked like it was on a rail to the bottom of the cup. Berry’s birdie putt was a no brain er. Vigneault’s only hiccup was on 14 where he missed the fairway and came up short on his approach and wound up with a bogey. Other than that he was perfect the rest of the way in. A great round and I got to witness it first hand. I play him Wednesday on the same side. YIKES!!!
Rusty Gill took on “I had an awful last week” Steve King for the first time and King played like the A player he truly is, battling back from an opening hole loss to win 13 to halve the match and then King loses 14 with a double bogey but charged back to win 15 and 16. Gill parred 17 but his bogey on 18 an easy birdie hole for the “Long Drive” champ doomed his chances to split with King. King wins 4 points for the first time this year. King started off slowly last year as well to only bounce back and play well.
Norm Comeau and Jay McGillicuddy squared off for their 21st season playing together on Wednesday afternoons. Comeau was playing a career round as he had on his Thursday good luck blue golf shirt and McGill was looking for a great match.
McGill drew first blood on 12 as his tee shot landed in the trap 150 yards out and McGill’s 7 iron out of the trap landed on the left side of the green about pin high but 40 feet away. His lag putt left him about 3 feet away for a tap in par. Comeau and McGill halved 13,14 and 15 as Comeau won 16 and 17.
Then the dreaded 18th hole came into play as McGill, Vigneault and Comeau’s tee shots were all short of the cart path. McGill and Vigneault found their balls but Comeau could not. Comeau decided to head back to the 18th tee box to re-tee. Well, this infuriated El Presidento fuming because they were on the tee waiting along with the group behind them. So now their were 9 guys on the 18th tee, not a pretty sight. Comeau’s drive was well struck but left him about 220 yards out. Vigneault turned to McGill and said “he can reach the green from there”. McGill agreed and said, but, “he is now flustered because he went back to the tee and will mess up this next shot”. Sure enough Comeau found himself swinging too hard and topped the ball and stumbled his way up he 18th fairway to score a snowman 8. In what was a great match but McGill said he hated the way it ended but Comeau will get his revenge in the near future.
Steve Maddox faced off against Mike Landry in what should have been a lot closer match than what was recorded. The match was all even through 14 but Landry’s par on 15 and 17 helped close out the match as Maddox who had been playing real well as of late could not put it together this week. A triple bogey on 18 for Maddox was not how Maddox wanted to finish the day. I feel bad for whoever faces Maddox next week as Maddox is sure to bounce back and play well.
12th hole at Campbells Scottish Highlands
Skip Gray ran into a buzz saw called Paul Comeau. Comeau having been away with Comeau and Vigneault last week down south playing plenty of golf saw his game excel. Comeau started off pretty shaky as he double bogeyed 10 only to bounce back and par 11, 12 and 13. A triple bogey on 14 was Comeau’s only blemish on what else was a fantastic round with a birdie finish Comeau carded a very respectable 39. Gray needs to get things going as his team needs him as we head to the last weeks of the first half of this season.
Jim Waterman teed off against Glenn Acciard and Waterman started off by winning the opening hole but found himself digging a deep hole as he lost the next 3 out of 5 holes. Waterman playing with team captain Trottier was scolded for not putting up a fight against Acciard. It must have worked as Waterman stormed back to win 16,17 and 18 to take the match 3-1. Good effort Jim. Look out for Acciard in the rematch. Acciard never forgets.
Jim Zaherious took on Tom Hale who at one point played in the A flight. What has happened to Hale’s golf game? Zaherious just smoked Hale to no end. No mercy for Hale at all this week. Zaherious fired an impressive 4 over 39 winning 5 holes to Hales none. I look to see Hale get back to the good ole days real soon.
Alan Imlach played Rich Juknavorian this week and these two found themselves in a slug fest as Juke jumped out to a one up lead then Imlach took 13, Juke 14 and 16 only to have Imlach storm back to win 17 and 18 to take 3 points. A nice birdie for Imlach on 18 really helped seal the deal. Always nice to birdie 18 to finish a round with good friends. It usually makes a nice statement.
Bill “where has my game gone” Wilson squared off against Mr. consistent, Norm Pelletier. In which usually would be a blood bath, this day was like no other as Wilson could not find his game as he stumbled his way around 12, 13 and 14 to find himself 3 down. You don’t go 3 down to Pelletier heading to 15 and expect to win. A miracle is what would be needed for anyone to beat Pelletier and I mean anyone. Wilson was able to salvage a par on 16 to go 2 down with two left but a par on 17 by both Wilson and Pelletier closed Wilson out of the match and a bogey on 18 didn’t help matters much at all either. Looks like Wilson will have to make a comeback in the second half as he did last year for any hopes to play in the championship round in August.
Rick Maloney took on Dennis Croteau and jumped out to a 2 up lead after two to only find himself losing the next two holes to find the match all square. Maloney played flawless golf on 14, 15 and 16 to close out Croteau and they halved 17 and 18 as Maloney proved too much for Croteau this week. Croteau’s handicap seems to have hindered him this day and look to Croteau to play much better as we close out the first half of the season in these coming 3 weeks.
MVP contender Bob Trottier took on his nemesis Jim Marnie in what is usually an exciting match to watch. With both players bogeying 10, Trottier reeled off three straight pars to go 2 up through 4 holes. With a double bogey on 14 Trottier was still able to win the hole because Marnie left the door wide open with an atrocious 9 on the tricky par 4 fourteenth. Marnie thinking a par was good on 15 was trumped by Trottier’s league leading birdie barrage on 15 to close Marnie out on holes. A double bogey on 16 by Trottier led to a victory for Marnie as he was finally able to capture a hole. Trottier and Marnie finished nicely with birdies on 18 and Trottier leads the league by a wide margin with 9 birdies to date.
No one has carded an eagle yet this season but with the warm season approaching this could change awful soon.
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