THW Golf Headlines

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Aint no mountain high enough …

by binkdog

Our bikers / hikers went up the mountain to find their golf game.  Did they find the golfing guru in a hut at 14,000 feet?  Did they do yoga until they could hit the ball straight? Did they increase their endurance so they wouldn’t fold on the back 9 ?  All these questions and more would be answered by the end of the weekend - this is your Team Housewares Golf update from Friday and Saturday, August 20-21! 

Friday Night (8/20)

  With hiking boots still on, our hikers joined the binkdog and virg for a round at the always tough Gary Player Country Club.  The trip to the mountain didn’t appear to help early as the binkdog raced out to a 36 on the front 9, 7 strokes in front of mac and ash 43, while virg struggled to keep it on the fairway and finished with a 53 on the front.  The back 9 became a battle of survival as bogeys were plenty and pars and birdies were few.  Binkdog ran away from the competition to finish with a 40 for a total of 76.  Mac and Ash battled for 2nd, with Ash securing 2nd place with a par 4 on the 17th while mac carded a triple.  Ash (91) took mac (92) by a shot, while virg’s struggles continued , as he broke the century mark with a 101.

  The group headed to Wentworth next and team play was the order of the day.  Team awesome, fresh off their last team victory, challenged team Birg/Imadog. The battle spent some time at All Square early, but team imago pulled out at the turn to a 2UP lead.  They continued their dominance on the back 9 and shut out team awesome at 15 with a 4UP victory.  Total domination by ImaDog, as the ‘Virg found the short grass again to split the the load with binkdog.  Not content to only get beat once a night, team awesome challenged imadog again, this time at Harbour Town.  The battle raged for 7 holes at All Square until ImaDog jumped out to a 1up lead at the turn.  The Pikes Peak endurance didn’t help our mountain men as team awesome folded up their tent on the back 9 and couldn’t get the match back to all square.  Team imadog finally closed the deal on 17 with a 2up victory.

Saturday night:  (8/21)

  Our mountain men still winless from their friday night beatdown,  laced up the hiking boots, grabbed a fresh smoothie and took to the course on Saturday night.  With most of the golfers out of action, the trio of mac, bink, and ash took on Bay HIll in our first matchup.  Mac and Ash raced out early, while binkdog found himself in bogey and double bogey town for the first few holes.  Over the next several holes, mac crashed and burned with consecutive tripe/quad bogeys.  Binkdog didn’t do much better and the bogey brothers found themselves down big to ash at the turn.  Ash turned in a blistering 35 with 2 birds and 2 bogeys on the front to lead binkdog (42) by 7 and mac (43) by 8.  you might be saying … “garçon, check please” … but that would be a mistake Binkdog started off the back 9 with a birdie/eagle combination while ash could only muster a bogey and 2 pars after 3 holes.  After playing the next 2 holes even, Ash’s ship ran aground on the part 4 15th, finding the dreaded snowman,  while bink picked up 3 with a bogey to tie the match.  The pair played square into 18, where bink found the fairway and got in safely with a bogey.  Ash found trouble and and finished with a double bogey. Bink’s 34 on the back gave him a 76 while ash finished at 78 after a disappointing 43 on the back 9.  Mac improved his came, found a birdie and a few pars to card a 40 on the back and a total score of 85.   
    Our trio took on the tough greens at Cog Hill next.  A hotly contested battle ensured with all 3 golfers at par or better after 3 holes.  Binkdog ran into some major trouble at #4 and carded a 5 over par 9 - ouch!! Mac an dash battled for the lead over the next couple of holes, but then at the part 3 6th they ran gave back a few strokes to the binkdog, who grabbed a par to get back in the chase.  Binkdog continued his hot shooting with a birdie birdie finish on the front 9 to take a one shot lead (38) over ash (39) with mac in close pursuit at 41.  Could the people’s champ be back ?  Did he find a golfing guru at the peak who straightened out his swing?  It appears he found something up there, as he came out firing on the back 9 going 3 under thru 15 to grab the lead!!  Ash started with birdie on 10, but found trouble over the next few holes and pedaling himself backward instead of forward by the time he hit the home stretch.  Binkdog was mostly steady, but no birdies put him behind the people’s champ after 15.  On the 16th, bink and ash got some renewed hope as the people’s champ turned chump with a dreaded triple bogey on 16 to squander the lead back to binkdog by 1, and ash close behind. On 17, mac and bink parred but Ash gave up his hopes for the gold with a double bogey.  On 18, the normally unflappable champion binkdog got himself in trouble and proceeded to panic as the people’s CHAMP roared home with a birdie to take the lead !!  Binkdog was unable to muster the par for the tie.  Mac blistered the back in 35 for a record low total of 76!!  Binkdog (39) finished at 77 and ash (41) with a respectable 80 brings up the caboose. 
    Could it be - has the people’s champ returned to his former glory?  We would find out soon enough at Torrey Pines.  The champ must have been spending too much time looking in the mirror or waving to his adoring fan (the ‘geek !!) as he stumbled out of the gate with bogey/triple/triple/bogey to put himself in a huge hole early.  By the time he reached the turn, he was at 46 (ouch!!)  Ash grabbed the lead by playing some sweet golf , with 2 birds and a bogey on the front to card a 35 and an 11 shot lead over the champ/chump.  Binkdog stayed closed to Ash but couldn’t get to the top of the leaderboard, posting a 38.  The people’s champ started a mini rally on the back, going -1 for the first 3, but too many visits to bogeytown on the stretch gave him a 40 on the back and a total of 86.  A decent recovery, but not good enough.  Ash and Binkdog continued their battle on the back 9, but a few untimely bogeys took binkdog out of the running.  Ash played impressive par golf with a bogey/birdie tossed in for good measure and after a 36 on the back, posted a person record of 71 - well done ASH !!!  Binkdog was consistent with a pair of 38’s to finish at 76 and a solid 2nd.

  It would appear that the mountain men found something up there, as they both set personal low scores while battling it out with binkdog on saturday night, but they were definitely outmatched by team imadog in team competition.  Will they continue their hot shooting?  Stayed tuned …

Sunday, August 08, 2010

The binkdog Senior Tour Invitational

by Mac

In honor of binkdog’s birthday, the THW gang decided to play in the 1st Annual binkdog Senior Tour Invitational. Four rounds of intense golf at Whistling Straits. Stay tuned, as these are your headlines for Saturday evening.

Ash, imatryin, MacTHW and ze5 kicked off the first round. It was Bogey City right out of the gate. ze5 with a Triple bogey on the 1st, Mac a Triple bogey on the 2nd and Mac bogeys again with a Double on the 3rd. Ash and imatryin put up some birdies and it was clear who the contenders for first would be. Ash and imatryin would be tied at 40 apiece at the turn, ze5 with a 45 and Mac firmly planted in the caboose with a 51. Ash delivers the only birdie on the back nine on the 11th and keeps pace to finish the round with an 80. Imatryin is close behind with an 84, ze5 an 86 and the caboose finally pulls into the station with a 95.

Virg needed to run an errand and stated he would be back to continue the tournament shortly. binkdog, the man whose Invitational we are playing, makes his arrival, just in time to take the place of Virg. This would be round 2 for Ash, Mac and ze5…and round 1 for binkdog.

The only one to appear to have put in any practice was the old guy himself, binkdog. With the exception of a bogey on the 4th, binkdog had a great front nine, even scoring two birdies. Ash would turn in a 40, while Mac and ze5 battled to see who got to ride in the caboose. binkdog, though, would come in at under par on the front nine, a 35. The back nine would show that ze5 intended to stay in the caboose, sending Mac to venture to the front. binkdog would put up another two birdies on the back nine, while Ash slowly fell apart and took Mac’s spot as third. The second round would be binkdog 71, Mac 83, Ash 85 and ze5 91.

At this point, ze5 said he needed to grab a beer and would be back shortly. Deja vu? To be fair, he didn’t say where this “beer” was. Mongolia, perhaps? Unfortunate result of the beer run was that ze5 never made it back to continue in the tournament, and therefore received a DNF.

Jared was able to fill in for ze5 and thus, this would be his first round, Ash and Mac’s third round and binkdog’s second…for those keeping score

As is always the case when Jared joins the links, birdies everywhere! Mac has three visions of Elway on the front nine. Ash and binkdog try to keep pace with Jared, but their 41 is not enough to beat Jared’s 34 on the front nine. Mac scores a 47. Back nine, even more birds…hawks, seagulls, pigeons, you name it, they were spotted. Mac spots Elway a few more times and is pretty much out of it. binkdog cranks it up to try and stay close, but his 38 is not enough to take down “The Legend” and his 33. End result…Jared 67, binkdog 79, Ash 81 and Mac, happily riding in his custom rebuilt caboose, trundles in with a 94.

This next round would be number four for Ash and Mac, third for binkdog and second for Jared. If Ah and Mac had any hopes of winning, this would be the time to make a move. Starting out with three bogeys wasn’t going to get it done. binkdog and Jared battle for first and binkdog leads by two strokes going into the turn. Either Jared was tiring or binkdog was getting a smoothie-boost as the two players stayed even on the back nine. A birdie by binkdog on the 18th would result in a tie for first, at 73, while Mac turns in a 92 and Ash, having commandeered the caboose, with a 95.

The same four players would continue to play in what would be binkdog’s final round and Jared’s third. Jared must be slowing down, as the only birdie on the front nine would be bagged by Ash on the 6th. binkdog would have a one stroke lead going into the turn. Unfortunately, he would give it away, and then some, due to an unfortunate Triple bogey on the “unlucky” 13th. Another bogey on the 16th and binkdog hands Jared the round victory. Jared 75, binkdog 79, Mac sneaks in with an 84 and Ash 85.

OK, last round. Virg still has not returned. Maybe his errand took him to the same place ze5 went. Whatever the case, Virg also posts a DNF.

Game on. binkdog once again tangles with the young punk, Jared. Locked in battle, both turn in a blistering 33 (three under par) at the turn. Finding the pace much too fast, Ash and Mac play at their own, much mellow-er, pace. Unfortunately, old age takes its toll, as binkdog is not able to keep pace with Jared, who has no bogeys and three birdies on the back nine. Jared takes the round with a 66. binkdog takes second with a 70 while Ash and Mac both turn in a 91.

Final Standings for the binkdog Senior Tour Invitational:

Jared - 281
binkdog - 302
Ash - 341
Mac - 364

Another great tournament. Thanks to everyone who took part. Your awesome prize will be on it’s way shortly, Jared. Hopefully everything is well with those that had to cut out early. Ash and Mac will not be playing next weekend, as they have a prior commitment to a large mountain on August 14th.

Thanks for reading and hope to see everyone on the links soon.

Saturday, August 07, 2010

Previous Weekend Headlines. Better Late Than Never

by Mac

OK, old headlines are here. These are for last, last weekend…the one I was too slow to write headlines for. Hence, these will be quick.

Ash, bink and Mac played a round at Celtic Manor. binkdog dominated with a score of 77, compared to Ash’s 85 and Mac’s 86. (See, I said these would be quick )

Ash, bink, Mac and ze5 got a game going at East Lake GC. Eight birdies were spotted on this course, and yeah, one was even carded by Mac. Scores were tight at the turn (between everyobe, except Mac). Things fell apart for everyone the back nine, except Ash, who stayed strong and delivered a 2 stroke victory over his competitors. Ash 77, bink 79, ze5 83 and Mac 86.

Next up, Peanut-Butter Hazeltine! Team zdog issued a team challenge to Team Awesome to be played at Hazeltine. Team Awesome managed to get 1UP on the 2nd and managed to cling on up to the turn. After the turn, Team Awesome managed to win another hole to go 2UP. It would be 3UP by the 13th, when Team zdog tries to mount a charge and wins back a hole on 14. The charge was short-lived, as Team Awesome goes 3UP again on the 17th. Awesome!

Ash takes a leave and Jared steps in to take his place at Oakmont CC. Jared lays waste to the field and delivers a record low score of 65, followed by bink and Mac, each with a very good score of 77 each and ze5 a 91.

ze5 takes off and the remaining three players play one final round at Turnberry. Even normal good scores are not enough to take on Jared, as he scores a 70 to binkdog’s 78 and Mac’s 79.

It was a very busy weekend, as our players also played in the THW Greenbrier Classic. Next weekend, our players will tackle the THW binkdog Senior Tour Invitational beingplayed at Whistling Straits. See you then!

Friday Night of Rest

by Mac

Hurray. Headlines that are on-time. How about that?

Our busy golfers took the night off to rest up for what is sure to be a busy Saturday night of golfing. It will also allow for me to get caught up on last week’s headlines, which have yet to be completely posted.

The THW GB Classic 2010

by Mac

Last weekend the THW Golf crew decided to play along with the pros at the Greenbrier Classic and tackle four rounds of The Greenbrier.

Ash, bink, MacTHW and ze5 joined the tournament.

Ash, bink and Mac played their first two rounds on Friday evening. bink staked his claim on the round by throwing down a birdie on the first hole. The scores on the first nine holes would remain very close,...surprisingly even Mac’s. The players would head into the back nine with 37(bink), 39(Mac) and 40(Ash). At the turn, Ash would go on a four hole par streak, while bink veered off into Bogey Town. Mac fared no better, finding a snowman on the 12th. Things look up on the 16th, as Mac sinks his putt for birdie. Ash looks to make a charge on the 17th with a birdie…unfortunately bink answers with a birdie of his own. Ash and bink both sink their par putts on 18, Mac settles for bogey. The round finishes bink 76, Ash 78 and Mac 80.

Round two got underway immediately. Mac goes on a four hole bogey streak which he almsot turned into a 9 hole bogey streak if it only weren’t for a par on the 5th and a pesky birdie on the 9th. Ash and bink would play a competitive game and turn in a 38(Ash) and 39(bink) on the front nine. Mac trails with a 44 at the turn. bink starts off the back nine with a birdie while Ash goes on a four par bender which abruptly stops at the 14th, where both Ash and Mac completely fall apart, posting a 9 and 10 respectively. bink easily strolls in for the win with an 8 stroke lead. Second round is bink 36, Ash 44 and Mac 47.

The THW Greenbrier Classic picks up on Saturday night, with Ash and Mac playing a round with ze5 to get in his first round. Ash throws down a 9 on the first hole, while Mac and ze5 bogey, just not as bad as Ash, both putting up 5 strokes. Ash scores a birdie on the 3rd, while Mac answers with more birds on the 5th and 9th. ze5 on the other hand, refuses to stop to ask for directions out of Bogey Town. Going into the turn, it’s Mac with a 37, Ash a 44 and ze5 45. Ash turns up the heat on the back nine, putting up only two bogeys and pars on the rest. ze5 finds a birdie on the 12, but takes a wrong turn on the 13th and finds himself right back in Bogey Town. Mac struggles to fight off the Bogey Bug himself, going on a five bogey streak. Ash turns in a 38 for the back nine, only two over par, but it’s not enough to defeat the People’s Champ…MacTHW, who eeks out a 1 stroke victory over Ash with an 81. Ash cards an 82 while ze5 rolls in with a few flat tires and a 92.

binkdog joins the trio on the links and plays in a game to get ze5 his second round of the THW Greenbrier Classic. binkdog comes out swinging. Ash, Mac and ze5 stay close. The players take turn being the leader but it’s binkdog 38, Mac and ze5 tied at 41 and Ash close behind with a 42 at the turn. It must have been a sharp turn, as ze5 careens off into Bogey Land and Mac finds himself in a snowstorm on the 11th. Ash and binkdog battle for the lead along the back nine. ze5 enters the fray with an EAGLE on the 17th to put himself back in the game. The scores are tight heading into the 18th. It could still be anyones game at this point. All players put up par. Thanks to ze5’s Eagle, he steals second place from Ash, putting up an 80 to binkdog’s round winning 79. Ash places third, three strokes behind the winner with an 82 and Mac gets an 84.

Next would be round three for all four players. Mac spots an Elway on the 1st, with Ash and bink getting par. Ash snags one of the four total birds on the front nine and moves into the lead on the 2nd. ze5 stays in the game with par on the next three holes. Mac falls apart with a snowman on the 4th while the rest of the players stay competitive up to the turn, where Ash holds on the the lead with one stroke. It’s 37(Ash), 38(binkdog), 39(ze5) and 47(Mac). All players stop off at a Bogey-Que on the 10th, especially Mac, with a triple. ze5 rallies with a birdie on the 12th, while binkdog’s wheels come off on 12,13 and 14. ze5 gains ground on everyone with two pars following his birdie. Ash fights back with a birdie on 16 and binkdog a bridie on 17. The scores are close going into the 18th (well, not so mouch for Mac, but everyone else, ...yes). No one could catch Ash as he turns in a 78, while binkdog and ze5 tie for second with 80. mac stumbles in with a 93, putting him at a serious disadvantage to win the THW Greenbrier Classic.

Round 4 would take place on Sunday. Ash, Mac and ze5 would square off for their fourth round first. Ash is a man on a mission…to win the GB Classic. Going birdie, par, birdie is a pretty good start. Mac and ze5 struggle to keep up while Ash continues applying the heat with a four par streak, interrupted by a bogey then back to par. ze5 loses a wheel on the 5th, putting up a 9, allowing Mac to gain some ground on second place. Ash races to the turn with an impressive, personal best front nine of 33 (1 under par). Mac follows with a 40 and ze5 a 42. Looking to make a charge early, both Mac and ze5 go birdie on the 10th. ze5 keeps the pressure on, with a par and then birdie creating some distance between him and Mac. ze5 gives two strokes back on the 13th, but Ash is still firing on all cylinders, going into a four par streak. The trio each get a birdie on the 17, but Ash still holds a sizeable lead going into the 18, where the battle would be for second. An authoritative birdie by ze5 ends the battle quickly as Mac struggles to get bogey. Ash scores a personal best score of 72. ze5 turns in an 83 and Mac an 84.

The last game to be played would be between binkdog and The People’s Champ. This last and final round would be for binkdog’s fourth round. binkdog stumbles hard and fast, with a double-bogey on the first hole followed by another bogey on the 2nd. Mac runs into trouble on the 5th and tries to shake it off with a birdie on the 9th. It’s binkdog 38 and Mac 41 at the turn. binkdog fumbles again with two straights pars on 10 and 11. Mac immediately returns the gains as he falls down on 12 and 13. An EAGLE on 17 and birdie on 18 seals the deal for binkdog with a 74 to Mac’s 82, giving binkdog the win for the round and the win of the THW Greenbrier Classic.

The final scores are:

binkdog - 305(+25)
Ash - 310(+30)
ze5 - 335(+55)
Mac - 348(+68)