The Race for First Tightens.

Team 1 took on Team 4 as we ended the first cycle of matches this half of the season. Norm “My game is coming around”Pelletier  took on Steve “I am waiting for warmer weather” King. Pelletier and King fought tooth and nail thru 3 holes and then on the par 4 4th Pelletier’s steady par allowed him to jump out to a one up lead only to see King bounce right back on the par 5 5th. Pelletier took control again on 6 and he and King halved 7 and 8. With Pelletier dormied Pelletier closed out the match with a nice par finish. Pelletier wins going away 13-7. Pelletier 38 King 43.

Glenn Acciard took on sub Bob “I haven’t been around in a while” Sasso. Acciard and Sasso continued their classic battles as Acciard jumped ahead one up after one and Sasso came to play as he halved the match on the par 5 2nd hole with a par. They halved 3 and 4 and on the par 5 fifth Acciard won the hole outright. They halved 6 and Sasso stormed back to capture 7 and 8. Sasso couldn’t sustain the good fortune as a double bogey on 9 allowed Acciard to halve the match. They split 10-10. Acciard 48 Sasso 47.

Dennis Croteau teed off against Erkan Duzenli. Duzenli started off with a nice par but Croteau got inspiration as he teed off on his home tee box on the number 2 hole and captured the par 5 second with a bogey to halve the match. Croteau won the par three 3rd and both players halved 4 and 5 with Croteau winning the dogleg par 4 sixth as Duzenli’s triple bogey allowed Croteau to go 2 up with 3 to play. Duzenli returns the favor as he wins the par 3 seventh with a bogey and Croteau collapses with a quadruple 7. What the heck happened here? Croteau shakes off the quad and pars the uphill 8th to closeout Duzenli. Duzenli wins the ninth to salvage another 2 points.  Croteau wins 12-8. Croteau 46 Duzenli 49.

Skip Gray and Dominick D’Orio squared off tonight and this match was tight thru the first two holes. D’Orio breaks out and goes on a tear as he wins 3, 4 and 5 to take a commanding 3 up lead. Gray bounces right back to win the tricky dogleg 6th and he pars the par three 7th to close to within one. D’Orio closes Gray out on the uphill par 4 8th with a bogey and Gray bounces back to grab 2 more points on the 9th. D’Orio wins 12-8. Gray 52 D’Orio 50.

Bob Trottier played Brian Steeves again as Steeves was subbing for Jay McGillicuddy as McGill threw out his back and couldn’t play. Trottier and Steeves halved one and two but then Trottier jumped out to a one up lead with a par on three and Steeves halved the match with a nice par on the difficult par 4 4th and then Steeves was getting another stroke on 5 and Steeves captured 5 as Trottier found himself one down with his only blemish on his card. Looks like Steeves woke the sleeping bear as Trottier ends up parring his way in and clobbers Steeves 14-6. Trottier 37 Steeves 43.

Mike Berry and Jim Marnie went into battle this week with Berry having had a week off and can Berry get back in the swing of it? Well, it started off favorably for Berry as he and Marnie parred one and they halved the 2nd hole. Match still even but Marnie stumbles and triple bogeys the downhill par three 3rd hole. Berry pars and is looking good after a week off or did he play while he was away? Marnie gets a spark and wins the 4th hole and Berry takes a sidestep and falters with a triple bogey on the par 5 fifth which will prove detrimental as Marnie goes one up. Both players halve 6 and 7 and with two holes to play Marnie remains one up. Marnie finishes like a pro and pars 8 and 9 to pound Berry 14-6. Berry 48 Marnie 45.

George Duffield and Paul Comeau tee off against each other and Duffield jumps out with a one up lead only to have Comeau strike quickly to halve the match on 2. They both bogey the par three 3rd. and Duffield has to give Comeau a stroke on 4 and Comeau wins this hole to go one up. Duffield goes on a tear and goes one over par on 6, 7 and 8 to take a commanding 3 up lead and close out Comeau. Duffield and Comeau halve the ninth as Comeau salvages an all important point and Duffield cruises to 14-6 victory. Duffield 42 Comeau 46.

Alan Imlach and Rich Juknavorian went head to head this week and Imlach who has faltered as of late was hoping for a big comeback but Juke starts off on a roll as he plays the first 3 holes in two over par. Very respectable. On the tricky par 4 4th Imlach bounces back with an impressive birdie 3. I wonder if he putted it in from off the green? Great hole Alan.  Alan also stroking on 5 starts his comeback with a win to go one down with 4 to play. They halve the tricky par 4 6th with nice pars. The straight away par three proved to be one of those holes where you didn’t know who wanted to win as Imlach wins with a double bogey and Juke was no where to be found on this hole. What happened here is anyone’s guess. This match is all even and they halve the 8th and Juke slips by with a victory on the 9th hole to finish off a nice comeback victory 12-8 over Imlach. Imlach 53 Juknavorian 49. Imlach needs to be a little more consistent when starting out.

Bill Wilson took on the retired George “I love Myrtle Beach” Vigneault. Wilson jumped out quickly with a two up lead as Vigneault was trying to get acclimated to New Hampshire’s funky weather. Vigneault warms up after two and steals holes three and four. Wilson sneaks in a great birdie on the par 5 fifth and regains a one up lead. Both players bogey 6 and par 7 and as they go to 8 which normally is an advantage to Wilson, Wilson closes out the match with an unusual bogey 5. Vigneault salvages his round with a nice finishing par to grab and extra point. Wilson wins going away 13-7. Wilson 39 Vigneault 42.

Norm “The Shark” Comeau teed off against Jim “Can you play as quick as me” Waterman and Waterman started off as fast as usual as he sprinted out to a quick 2 up lead. Comeau didn’t wilt as he got to with in one with a nice par on 3. Both players went a 5 tear as they both played the next three holes with matching 5’s. On the par three 7th Comeau snuck in there with a great birdie and Waterman managed a respectable par. This match is all even with 2 to play. Waterman goes one over par on 8 and 9 and that was all the difference as Comeau bogey’s 8 and triple’s 9 to allow Waterman a big victory. 13-7. Comeau 45 Waterman 41. The difference were the last two holes. I wonder if walking the uphill 8th and 9th didn’t tire Comeau’s legs out. Waterman rides and it just may be the difference maker.

Rick Maloney vs Mike Landry and Maloney jumped out to a one up lead as he parred the first hole. Both players played even on 2 and 3 and then Maloney started to pull away as he won the 4th and 5th with bogeys and Landry was slipping away. Landry was able to hang in there on 6, 7 and 8 but Maloney finished Landry off with a bogey win on the uphill 9th. Maloney cruises to a 15-5 victory as he crushes Landry. Maloney 44 Landry 52.

Vinny Serafino and Tom Hale finished the evening with a great match as these two seesawed back and forth. Serafino jumped out to a two up lead after three holes and then Hale captured 4 and 5 to even this match. Serafino wins the dogleg 6th and Hale bounces back to par the par 3 7th to halve the match again. Serafino wins the uphill 8th with a bogey 5 and they halve the par 4 9th with bogeys but with Serafino’s disastrous 9 on the par 4 4th made it more difficult for him to gain traction and win the strokes portion of this match. These guys split 10-10. Serafino 55 Hale 53.