Weekly Recaps

Tonawanda, NY - With the inaugural Putter-In-Hand season and all its controversies nearly 10 months behind, league officials weren’t sure what the survey results were going to be when it asked participants from last year if they wanted to return for a second season. With an overwhelming response of “yes”, 16 of 17 of the 2015 deplorables will be returning to the Paddock Golf Dome this Wednesday night for what will be an interesting 6-weeks of putt-putt once again. Additionally, the league has added 8 new putters to the roster, making it a total of 24 players that will have their putter in hand as they look to take home the green jacket. Looking back at the 2015 season, one can’t help but to draw some parallels to the election season that is ending. Scandals involving infidelity, participants groping women, players falling steadily from atop the leader board, claims of a media conspiracy, etc. and that’s just Tim Remy. We had scoring/voting fraud by Jeff Kelly and Dean Trzewieczynski; Ballet stuffing by Tim Roesch and Scott Wilson over the best beef in WNY; Stink bombs thrown by Whitey Ondak; Scintillating photos leaked to the media of Tom Barbops and a female escort; And reports that Steve Steck is still telling his wife that the league hasn’t ended just so he can go to the bar every week. But we at Putter-In-Hand would like to start the season on a positive note and “Make Putter-In-Hand Great Again”. In order of last year’s finish, here’s the list of 24 participants along with player by player analysis and the latest Vegas projections on where they may finish in taking home the Green Jacket.

1. Jeff Kelly: Since “JK” was crowned the 2015 league champion, he hasn’t stopped celebrating. He’s been seen with celebrities such as Johnnie Manziel and Kim Kardashian and holding several late night house parties where young men have claimed to have been roofied. Vegas has his him finishing 11^th.
2. Jeff Luke: As if being victimized by Jeff Kelly out of his own league’s championship wasn’t enough, “Luke” has fallen victim to several of JK’s doping incidents since the league ended 11 months ago. With a stern warning to JK, Luke has said he is returning with vengeance and if he doesn’t win on the links, he’ll “beat” JK at the bar. Knowing his penitent for losing, Vegas has Luke finishing a respectful 3^rd
3. Whitey Ondak: At 70-years young, Whitey finished a respectful 3^rd place in last year’s final standings. Focused solely on winning, he’s put in long hours at the gym and has vowed to improve. Unfortunately, Vegas believes 2015 was his apex of a season and has Whitey finishing in 14^th.
4. Tom Barbops: Starts solid, finishes soft…in every aspect of his life, “Barbops” is likely to see a green jacket at least once in the 6-weeks of play but many in Vegas knows how he performs and has him finishing in 4^th again in 2016.
5. Mark VeRost: Finishing just outside the money in 2015, Mark is looking to move up in the standings and into the top-4. He’s got the steady play to make that happen and has shown hints of being a contender, but unfortunately much like his idol Tiger Woods, his focus is not on putting. Vegas has Mark dropping 2 spots into 7^th but does consider him a dark-horse if his head is in it.
6. Jim Neville: Jim “The Anvil” Neville was solid every week and nearly missed on a few occasions from taking home the green jacket. Jim finished 2015 with a league best 6 hole-in-one’s. Having a year under their belt will do no one better than The Anvil as Vegas has him in 2^nd place and just a few strokes from the tour championship
7. Scott Wilson: Vegas had Mr. Wilson as the pre-season favorite in 2015 but he just didn’t have the focus on a week to week basis. Many prognosticators feel he could be a top-5 contender if he would focus more on his game on the course and less on his game at the bar. Vegas has him dropping 5 spots to 12^th but warns doubters that he could just as easily move up 5 spots to 2^nd or even 1^st. For now, we’ll keep him at 12^th and see what sort of focus he brings to the course.
8. Tim Remy: Several putters were willing to give him the title after his week-1 victory. Little did they know that Remy is not a closer. Taking 1^st in week-one, Remy didn’t see a top-3 finish the rest of the season and Vegas doesn’t think he will again in 2016. His penchant for the spotlight and fraternizing with any wife in the bar, Remy falls the furthest of any returning player and is projected to finish 20^th, ironically the age his Tinder profile claims him to be.
9. Kevin Kelly: Brother to Jeff Kelly, Kevin is often distracted by fellow putters and the media asking him to comment on his brothers actions. This continues to be a distraction and unfortunately is what stands between him and any chance at taking home the title. Kevin has the “stroke” of a champion and needs to overcome his family issues. If he can do that, he’s a sleeper to win it all; if he can’t, he’ll finish where Vegas has him finishing, 8^th.
10. Jay Flemming: Struggling to capture a hole-in-one, Flemming had to wait until the final week before hitting an ace. He showed tremendous composure throughout the season but his reason for being on the course every week is not to golf, it’s to drink at the after-party. His desire to finish the 18 holes so he can hit the 19^th takes him out of the running to winning it all and is predicted to finish 6^th.
11. Joe Neeson: Neeson had put up some respectable scores in weeks 3 & 4 but unfortunately the season is 6-weeks long. Expect the same ups and downs from Neeson but overall you should expect the downs. Look for Neeson to contend here and there but drop from 11^th in 2015 to 19^th in 2016.
12. Tim Roesch: Tim stunned the putting world in week-5 as he finished in 2^nd place and caused several players to move down the standings. Unfortunately, that was the only respectable finish he saw all season. Tim’s vowed to come back stronger in 2016 but some think the only thing he cares about is the rankings of Charlie The Butcher’s beef in Scott Wilson’s WNY Beef Rankings. Vegas has Tim finishing in 18^th but there is some good news for Timmy: The Gusto has his beef ranked 1^st in Western New York among restaurants on Wehrle Drive in Buffalo. Congrats Tim and Charlie.
13. Dean Trzewieczynski: A lot has changed for Dean over the past 11 months, but according to Vegas, the one thing that won’t change is his league finish. Vegas has Dean finishing in 13^th place again this year citing his engagement and wedding planning as being a distraction that he won’t be able to overcome.
14. Joe Mills: Speaking of distractions, Dr. Mills has signed up for the league once again but if his attendance is anything like his bowling league attendance, participants should thank him for his donation. Dr. Mills had little game in 2015 and Vegas is expecting much the same as they have him in 21^st place in 2016.
15. Steve Steck: Since finishing 2^nd from last in 2015, Steck has put in a lot time at the course and has had his “putter” in his hand often. With the 2016 season starting on the 26^th, he once again asks participants not to inform any of his living relatives that the league is only 6-weeks long. Vegas knows what Steck offers and has him finishing two places from the basement in 22^nd.
16. Harald Rehm: When speaking to Vegas about this year’s odds, they informed league officials that Harald didn’t make the board. Though he’s on the roster, he didn’t record a ranking, thereby putting him dead last in this year’s pre-season rankings. When asked about the prediction, Harald just laughed and refrained from commenting. Harald has a solid hold on the 24^th spot.

New. Scott Mason: After becoming a regular sub on the Ball Busters softball team, Scott gained many fans for his dedication and hard play. Unfortunately for Scott, that doesn’t always translate well on the course. In a recent tournament with fellow PIH putters, Scott failed to sink a single putt of meaning and his odds were the only thing to sink after his poor play. Vegas has the newcomer finishing 16^th at best.

New. Scott VeRost: Older to brother to fellow putter Mark and Grand Island native like Steck, Scott is predicted to be more like Steck and less like Mark, looking to get to the bar in as short amount of time as possible which likely means poor scores on a weekly basis. It wouldn’t surprise most to see his name atop of the leaderboard once this season, but putting together a consistent string of decent outings over a 6-week span is unlikely. Scott is targeted to finish 23^rd in his first season in the league.

New. Sean Conshafter: With little information in the scouting report and no record of him on Social Media, scouts and Vegas bookmakers had little to go off of. The lack of any findings suggests Sean is a focused individual and not easily distracted. Vegas has him finishing in 10^th but notes that no one should be surprised if he finishes in the money.

New. John Coyle: Like Conshafter, there was little information in the scouting report of John, but there was plenty of information on social media on Coyle showing he will fit in more at the bar than he will on the course. Prognosticators have Coyle finishing 15^th but some boards had him in the twenties with Steck and Scott VeRost. Not surprisingly, Harald was safe in the 24^th spot.

New. James Geniti: If his performance on the bowling alleys is any indication of the athlete Geniti is, fellow putters have nothing to worry about. Geniti is expected to finish in the late teens in 17^th with no chance of him finishing any better than 10^th in a given week. His disinterest in the 19^th hole makes him the most likely putter to finish better than their projections suggest.

New. Steve Pezzino: Like a few others new to the league, the scouting report on Steve was bleak. But recent media outlets had a female soccer player from Grand Island by the name of “Pezzino” as the WNY Athlete of the week. The news of this and a background check that turned up no felonies or alcohol-related incidents is what lead to Vegas naming Pezzino as the odds on favorite to take home the league championship in 2016. Given the lack of information on Pezzino though, many feel a rookie won’t take home the title. So expect Pezzino to finish anywhere from 1st to 23rd.

New. Bryan An: Many Vegas bookmakers had Mr. An as an early favorite to take the title but recent media outlets about An’s drinking has forced them to change their outlook. No, his drinking issue is not what you would think from someone in this group, rather it’s just the opposite. The Getzville Today reported last week that Mr. An is on the wagon for what was described as a “cult-like reason”. This news forced Vegas to move the line on An from 1^st to 9^th citing his lack of drinking leading to a lack of competitive drive necessary to win the championship. Don’t be shocked if you see Mr. An at the bar succumbing to the pressures of his neighbor and fellow putter, Flemming. If that is the case, the odds may move in his favor.

New. Tony Rotella: The last of the 24 putters to join the league, Tony has a competitive drive that is off the charts. He’s a semi-pro softball player and a pro when it comes to consuming alcohol. He has the make-up to be at the top and only his lack of experience on the course is what prevents him from being named the likely champion in the end. Vegas has Tony solidly in 5^th place but does have him finishing in the money in 3 different weeks.

Regardless of where the competitors finish, it’s going to be a fun-packed 6-weeks of putting, drinking, and good times for all. Best of luck to all the putters. PROJECTED FINISH:

1. Steve Pezzino
2. Jim Neville
3. Jeff Luke
4. Tom Barbops
5. Tony Rotella
6. Jay Flemming
7. Mark VeRost
8. Kevin Kelly
9. Bryan An
10. Sean Conshafter
11. Jeff Kelly
12. Scott Wilson
13. Dean Trzewieczynski
14. Whitey Ondak
15. John Coyle
16. Scott Mason
17. James Geniti
18. Tim Roesch
19. Joe Neeson
20. Tim Remy
21. Joe Mills
22. Steve Steck
23. Scott VeRost
24. Harald Rehm