In the heat of the night

It doesn’t get much hotter than this too often, thank goodness. It was brutal out there last night and I commend all those that walked the course. I was beat and I rode so I can imagine how you all felt. HOT HOT HOT. My vehicle thermometer reached 100 just before I got to the course.

In the featured match this week we saw Steve King and Bil Wilson swelter it out and King was on his game as he rose to the challenge against Wilson. King smoothly put his 3 wood down the middle on 10 as usual and Wilson decided driver was the club of choice today and pushed it to the tree line and his ball hit a tree and fell straight down. Well, I figured it was in the rough and now you know why I wear glasses as it was in the crap in the trees and Wilson dropped. King made easy par and went one up. On 11 King’s tee ball looked great but was short right, Wilson’s also looked on the money and he was deep. Wilson’s par putt faltered and King jumps out to a quick 2 up lead and they are off to 12. On 12 guess where King was. Wilson hit the sweet spot and with the air being Hot and Humid his ball took off over just right of the trap on the left and found the rough on the other side of the cart path. Wilson makes a great approach and King stumbles and Wilson wins and is now one down. On 13 Wilson wastes no time and pulls out the driver and proceeds to make one of the prettiest drives you’ll ever see on this hole. The ball jumped off the face of the club and while still airborne past the 125 marker it was still rising and landed softly about 30 yards off the green +/-. King struggled as Wilson was too tough on this hole and the match was all square. On 14 Wilson led off with a miss-hit but it reminded you of a Tiger stinger as it darted around the corner and settled across the cart path. King over swung for once and caught the tall grass and after 4:44 seconds we found it thanks to Corrado Brancato spotting it and telling us it was 5′ from the rock. It was probably 6′ +/-. King chops it out of the tall grass and makes his way to a bogey. Wilson cuts thru the rough and the ball sails over the trees and lands gently on the green about 7′ past the hole Wilson goes one up. Well, this is where King turns it around and on 15 fires a dart at the stick and it’s a little long. Wilson is on but a ways a way and short. King lags up and makes 3. Wilson’s par putt comes up empty handed and King evens the match. On 16 Wilson lifts his head and just barely makes it over the ladies tee and his 3 wood from there is just over the trap to the left of the green his chip goes to the other end of the green and Wilson limps in with a bogey 5. King finds the fairway about 130 out and is a little deep on his approach but an easy 2 putt allows him to go one up. King leads off on 17 and finds the rough just in front of the traps and Wilson brings out the big gun and as the ball is sailing it doesn’t do the Wilson patented draw and stays straight and lands a few feet from the trap just in front of King. King’s approach is on the money and Wilson proceeds to dumps his ball in the trap. To add insult to injury his sandy slams into the front of the bunker and his ball rests at his feet in the trap. King makes a ho hum birdie and Wilson doubles. That was the end for Wilson as he may have lost by 5 strokes but his driver was cooking and we all will need to watch out Saturday. King wins 13-7, King shoots a very smooth and quiet 37 and Wilson fires a 42. The 2 doubles were the difference as he usually makes 10  and 17 look easy. (Boy I was long winded on this match).

Norm (my back is feeling better, but not 100%) Comeau took on sub Rich Appel and Comeau found himself one down after they both parred 10 and Appel made par on 11 and Comeau bogeyed. On 12 Comeau made an impressive birdie and Appel bogeyed. On 13 Comeau bogeyed and went two up. The heat is now boiling and on the tough par 4 14th Comeau was showing no ill effects and made a nice par to go 2 up. They both halved 15 with bogeys and on 16 Comeau makes another par and is now 3 up with 2 to play. Comeau makes par on 17 and Appel trips up with a triple and Comeau allows Appel to sneak in an extra two points as he doubles 18 and Comeau wins big 14-6. Comeau shoots an impressive 4 over 39 and Appel subbing for the first time this year wobbles in with a 45. Rich is a much better player than this.

Rick Maloney and Erkan Duzenli matched up again and they didn’t disappoint as these two have had classic matches in the past and will continue to do so in the future. This time Erkan got the better of Maloney as Erkan went up 3 after the first 4 holes as Maloney just couldn’t get things going.  His tee shot on 10 was proof of things to come as he dribbled it off the tee and made triple. A nice par on 11 by both was sweet. On 12 Duzenli started his romp by parring 12 and with both players faltering on 13 Duzenli was able to stave off the naysayers with a win with a triple bogey on 13. Both bogeyed 14 and parred 15 and on 16 Maloney made a great par and he found himself 2 down with 2 to play. Maloney didn’t give up and made bogey as Duzenli was nowhere to be found on this hole as he carded an atrocious 9. On 18 Duzenli wrapped up the match with a bogey 6 and Duzenli wins 12-8. Interestingly while on the tee box on 13 Duzenli’s tee shot reached the 10th green and he was handcuffed as he felt he had no shot to the 13th green. Duzenli decided to declare his ball lost and re-teed now shooting 3. If you were in Duzenli’s shoes how would you have played that hole? Would love to know. Remember, you get relief from the tenth green by dropping the ball to the nearest point of relief. Do you chip back to the 10th fairway? Do you play the ball forward in your stance and try and hit sand wedge over the trees? If you have ever been near this position let us know. Both players shot 47. Another great match.

My Cousin Vinny took on the Yankee fan Dominick D’ Orio and this was a see saw battle as Vinny Serafino parred 10 and D’Orio had a snow man and I am sure it melted quick on this day. D’ Orio fought back and won 11 but Serafino snared 12 away and made a great par on 13 to win and go 2 up. D’ Orio said no way and fought back and took the tricky dog leg left 14th with a triple and he slowly crept back into this match and a par on 15 by D’Orio and this match is all square. They halve 16 with doubles and on 17 D’Orio wins to go one up with one to play. Serafino came inches away from birdieing the par 5 18th and D’Orio wilt’s away with a 9 and Serafino wins 11-9. Serafino 52 D’Orio 58.

In the “Who will win the Dollar” match Jim Waterman took on Jim Marnie. Marnie took a little advice from his captain McGill to slow his swing down and use an iron on 13. Marnie took a quick one up lead with a par on 10 and both players double bogeyed the easy par three 11th. They both halved 13 with bogeys and Waterman was chomping at the bit when they approached the 13th tee to see how Marnie would fare trying to get past the bridge. Marnie this week hit over the bridge but it went over the trees and Marnie made par. The curse is over. They halved 14 with bogeys and Marnie went 3 up with 3 to play with a par on 15. Waterman bounced back and grabbed 16 and 17 with pars and on 18 Marnie gave Waterman his par putt and Marnie with a little ice left in veins overcame the summer heat and rolled his par putt in to grab a 12-8 win. Waterman 42 Marnie 41.

Mike Landry and Paul Comeau teed it up and these two walked, at least I know Paul did. Comeau jumped out quickly with a 3 up lead with a bogey on 10 and Landry was stuck with triple bogeys on 11 and a quadruple on the par 3 11 as Comeau pars 11. Comeau with another par on 12 is on his way to a nice round. They halve 13 with bogeys and on the tricky 14th they double but Landry gets a stroke and is now 2 down. They halve 15 and Comeau clinches the match play portion with a win on 16 and Landry grabs two more points with a win on 17. Still not giving up Landry makes a nice birdie and Comeau gives back 6 strokes as a 10 on 18 allows Landry a 10-10 split. Landry 49 Comeau 48. I wonder if the heat took the wind out of Comeau’s sails as he walked up 18. Man it was hot out.

First half MVP Tom Hale faced Rich Juknavorian this week and Juke jumped out with a one up lead as Hale makes a snowman on 10. Hale scoops 11 with a triple and Juke makes a nice par on 12 and begins to reel off three quick wins on 12, 13 and 14 to go 3 up. They halve 15 and Juke closes out match play with a halve on 16 and Hale hangs in there by grabbing 17 and 18 and salvaging 4 more points for his team.  This was the first week Hale was taken down in defeat nice run Tom. Juke wins 12-8. Hale 52 Juknavorian 46.

Norm Pelletier and Bob Trottier went off this week at even handicap and Pelletier took a one up lead with a par on 10. Trottier doubles and on 11 both par and on 12 they both bogey. Trottier gets it together and pars 13 and 14 to jump out to a one up lead. Both par 15 and 16 and Pelletier is shaking his head as he can’t shake Trottier as Pelletier is one down and even on strokes. On 17 Trottier knifes his drive down the middle of the fairway along the white line for straightest drive the course has laid out on this hole and his ball comes up short of the green. Within chipping range Pelletier knows this is not good as Trottier is known for chipping in when ever he is in range. Pelletier makes par and Trottier makes his 16th birdie of the season and ties his total from last year with 8 weeks to play. Trottier closes Pelletier out 2 and 1 and they par 18 and Trottier wins 13-7. Pelletier 38 Trottier 37.

Glenn Acciard vs Mike Berry and with Berry playing much better lately this looked like it would be very close. Berry started off true to form as a par on 10 made him one up. While waiving this group up we could see Acciard’s tee shot heading right for the stick and it settled in nicely about 10′ away +/- to capture closest to. Acciard drains the birdie putt to halve the match. Berry bounces right back with a par on 12 and goes 1 up. Acciard then marches on a tear as he wins 13, 14, 15 and 16 in 2 over par fashion. Berry is 7 over par and is still shaking his head as to what happened. They both par 17 and Acciard makes an easy par on 18 as Berry triples. Not sure what happened to Berry today but he falters big time and is crushed 15-5. Acciard 38 Berry 46. Ace is back.

Dennis Croteau and George Duffield matched up again and Duffield pars 10 to go one up. But, Croteau pars 11 and Duffield triples and the match is all even. They halve the 12th and Duffield wins back to back on 13 and 14 with bogeys. They both par 15 and 16 and Duffield remains two up with two to play. Disaster strikes Croteau as he falls flat on his face and quadruples 17 and bogeys 18 as Duffield smoothly goes par, par. Duffield trounces Croteau 15-5. Croteau 49 Duffield 40.

Skip Gray and Alan Imlach teed it up and Imlach jumped out to a quick 2 up lead as Gray couldn’t get out of the chute as a 10 on 10 finds him one down quickly. Imlach’s bogey on 11 allows him to go 2 up. Gray snaps out of it and wins 12 with a bogey. Imlach says take that and wins 13 with his own bogey and Gray counters that with a great par on his HOME hole. HHH> Imlach remains one up thru 14 and they halve 15 and 16 and Imlach closes Gray out on 17 with bogey. Gray still fights on to win 18 to salvage another 2 points for his team. Imlach 12-8. Imlach 51 Gray 53.

In the final match George Vigneault took on Jay McGillicuddy for the first time this year as each player was away during their previous match ups. Vigneault looked like he was going to run away with this match as McGill hooked his drive and it lucked out as it rested next to the cart path on the fairway side. McGill takes a drop and the ball buries in the rough and McGill swipes at it and it’s chunk-ed about 20 yards. Vigneault’s approach misses the green and McGill’s 3rd shot darts across the green and settles at the back of the green. McGill drains the 4o’ er for par and goes one up. On 11 Vigneault comes up short right and McGill is pin high but way left on the green. Vigneault makes a great birdie as he putts it in from off the green, McGill 3 putts and the match is all square. Vigneault and McGill’s tee shots on 12 end up in the trap on the left and Vigneault has a real difficult stance but makes a great recovery out of the trap and is just short of the green by a few yards +/-. McGill’s sandy is fat and a nice chip leaves him with a par putt but it slips past the hole. Vigneault has a difficult par putt and McGill tells him to make it and Vigneault obliges by draining the par putt. Vigneault one up. On 13 Vigneault takes his tee ball over the trees and the ball  rests in the rough on the left side and McGill’s hybrid leaves him about 125 out and he safely finds the fat of the green but left and a long ways away. Vigneault’s approach is short and he chips up and McGill tells him to make it and Vigneault obliges once again with a great par saving putt. McGill lags to with in a few feet and makes par and vows not wish Vigneault another putt the rest of the match.  After a long wait on 14 tee box both players find the fairway and Vigneault hits a gorgeous approach shot and McGill hits 8 iron in from 165 and finds the front left portion of the green. Both make par but McGill strokes and squares the match. Both players bogey 15 with McGill 3 putting. On 16 McGill draws a nice iron to about 115 out and a great wedge shot with his feet on the cart path puts him about 12′ +/- for birdie but a push putt leaves him with par and a one up lead. On 17 McGill’s hybrid is down the middle and about 125 out and McGill did the same thing he did against Trottier 2 weeks ago. Pushed it right by not swinging a full swing. Vigneault makes a great approach and is just below the hole. McGill is pin high and deep in the rough. Not a pleasant place to be. McGill chokes and two putts from 30 feet and Vigneault ties the match with a clutch par putt. Both players make decent drives and Vigneault is about 220 out +/- and McGill is in the rough just short of the cart path about 185 0ut. McGill and Vigneault both lift their heads on their approach shot and Vigneault ends up on the back of the green in 4 and McGill pulls a La Francis and his 3rd shot pulls into the bowl on the back left of the green. McGill lags up to within 5′ +/-. Vigneault misses his par and McGill needs to make a five footer to win the match and he CHOKES as the ball curves off the corner of the cup. Vigneault squeaks by 11-9. Vigneault 38 McGill 40.

See you all Saturday and let’s hope the rain stays away.