Fazioli Match-Play Match-ups

For a moment, we had ALL 16 league members attending the tournament next weekend. The scheduled match-ups were great and we didn't need to find any fill-in players. But then Reid informed me he wasn't attending, making it the second week in a row the overall standings leader was absent. And every pairing changed as a result.

Below are the official groupings, match-ups and predictions (number of match-play strokes in parenthesis). You can also view the stroke play and match-play scorecards here.

Group 1

#10 Geoff (10) vs. #11 Faz - Going out first as the pacesetter, Geoff is scheduled to make his second appearance of the season. He's getting a lot of strokes, but is it enough to foreclose Faz's season? Or can Patito finally transform his ugly duckling game into a beautiful swan? Geoff has never played Eaglebrooke, while Faz has played it three times in his life: twice from the golds (shooting 85, 87) and once from the longer white tees (also an 87). Look for Faz to end his day atop the leader board, while Geoff will lose his most recent commission check.

#11 Faz (3) vs. #16 Dan - The Fazioli Match-Play almost always has an "odd man out," and this season it's Dan. In his second event he will take on Faz for the 100 bonus DPT Points. Faz won't earn any points for a victory, but he can keep them out of Mr. Rogers' neighborhood. Dan's DPT record has been DOA since he decided to start playing the tips every tournament in Spring 2014. Prior to that, he had never placed lower than 4th. So I'm booting him up a set of tees, which will shorten the course 300 yards without taking away any strokes. I predict a top 5 finish for Dan even if he loses his match to Faz. Which he probably will, because in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Mr. Rogers still thinks he's good enough to break 80 from the back tees.

Group 2

#13 Gorecki Jr. (6) vs. #15 Gorecki Sr. - It's taken 38 years, but will Gorecki Jr. finally become the man of the house? No. He won't. Even with a victory it's embarrassing to get 6 strokes from your retired father. I predict Junior wins the match, but both Goreckis finish out of the points. Away from their Buffalo Creek comfort zone, Eaglebrooke will beat up on the Wisconsin boys and leave a nasty rash. Luckily for Mike... Nurse Dan is in the group ahead of him.

#12 Gary vs. #13 Dave (1) - Gary's ancestors left Europe to find religious freedom. Dave's ancestors refused to budge during the great potato famine. As fate would have it, those decisions would lead us to this match-up hundreds of years later. An old guy in the New World versus a young guy from the Old World. Both can bomb the ball off the tee. Both are prone to wild hooks that will find water and OB at Eaglebrooke. And both exhibit a terrible short game from time to time. This match is a true toss-up. I'm giving the edge to Gary since he's seen the course. And also, America.

Group 3

#8 Darren vs. #9 Tall Mike (6) - As a result of the recent uprising, The Baron has been overthrown and now lives in a cellar on the outskirts of town. Tall Mike has moved in next door, deciding to trade in his freedom for the isolation of married life. On paper, whoever makes the fewest mistakes should win this battle. But the victor will be the one who discovers the perfect combination of vices. Can Darren find the right mix of beers and smokes? Can Mike blend together a winning formula of whiskey, pain meds, dip and practice swings? Actually... Tall Mike wins in a blowout because The Baron lost all the sand in his bags. Six strokes is too many to overcome when both guys will shoot in the mid 90s. I expect Mike to also finish in the top three of stroke play.

#6 Chandler vs. #7 JW (12) - The Dub is getting one stroke for each expected beer he'll consume. But unlike a golden handcrafted brew slowly aged in beachwood chips... JW's game isn't very consistent. He has drastically improved each week, but he can't seem to avoid the blow-up holes. Last season, Chandler stomped JW with a perfect 10&8 while giving him 15 strokes at an easier course (Lexington Oaks). However, JW's morale has improved so the beatings will not continue. Chandler finishes higher on the stroke play leader board, while The Dub wins the match 2&1 despite a double bogey on the final hole.

Group 4

#4 Buchert vs. #5 Brendan (8) - Nobody is playing better golf right now than Buchert. All aspects of his game are sharp and he leads the league in gross scoring average (80.5). Brendan gets 8 strokes and can win if he plays bogey golf. The first hole is literally the only "easy" hole on the course, so Brendan should get an early lead. But it all comes crashing down on the 2nd hole, which requires an accurate tee shot before a forced carry over a swamp. Buchert should also have no problem going for three of the par 5s in two. Final prediction: Brendan gets beat badly. Nurse Dan fails to revive him. Gorecki Jr. builds Brendan a cat coffin. JW pours out one of his beers. Dave turns Brendan's grave into a potato garden. And Chandler runs out of terrible jokes for this write-up.

#2 Guest (1) vs. #3 Big John - Only one stroke in this match. The gift of gab versus an insatiable appetite. Playing in the final group means you're near the top of the standings and control your own destiny to win the Cup. Will Chris play himself on to the Champion's Dinner guest list? Or does John have big plans for a dinner in his honor? The greens at Eaglebrooke will be the fastest and most undulating we've seen all season. Don't put your money on a guy who historically has putting issues, even if he claims they're fixed. John wins and jumps ahead of Guest and Reid in the overall standings. He also blows out one of his knees during said metaphorical jump.