Weekly Recaps
Post-round write-ups from the commissioner
Tonawanda, NY – For nearly two-weeks the media was asked not to report on week-four’s US Open results while authorities investigated an assault involving league participants. On Monday, all parties were exonerated and we’re now free to report to our PIH fans the whole story. Here’s how the events of November 16th went down.
Even before players gathered at the bar for a pre-game cocktail, the league was a buzz as earlier in the day when new-comer Sean Conschafter was assessed a 1-drink penalty for actions detrimental to the league. The League’s Personal Conduct Oversight Committee determined negative comments made by Conschafter on the newly created PIH Facebook page were in violation of its bylaws and swiftly came down on Conschafter. When asked about the penalty, Conschafter said it was “bullshit, I didn’t see any bylaws. But if buying a drink is the penalty, you can be sure I’ll speak freely in the future and suffer the consequences.” League participants are encouraging the free-speech in hopes of more free drinks.
Once gathered at the bar, it appeared as if it was just like any other week. Everyone was socializing and drinking their beverage of choice. In the conversation, players Tim Remy and Tim Roesch were discussing their performance and how a shot of Jim Beam had enhanced their performance in another highly-athletic sport, bowling. Figuring they had nothing to lose, they partook in a shot of “Jimmy” and made their way to the course. Roesch went on to score a league best 38 with a league tying 3 holes-in-one and his first tour championship of his career while Remy scored his season best, taking 4th place with a 39 and 1 hole-in-one.
“I’ve come close over my career a few times but was never in the right state of mind.” Roesch said after the match. “I owe it to the Cute Little Guy,” he said referring to Remy’s idea to do a shot. “he had a brilliant idea in suggesting we do a shot of Jim Beam. I think we’re going to be a force to come down the stretch.” It’s going to take a lot of help for either of them to compete for the League Championship as Roesch sits 16.5 points behind the leader in 6th place while Remy is 38.5 points behind in 11th.
This is when the night turned for Roesch. The jubilant Roesch was enjoying the moment of being presented the elusive green jacket. Once draped over his shoulders, Roesch raised his hands in victory causing the jacket to rip like the shirt of Bruce Banner ripping when transforming into the Hulk. This is when, in a jealous rage, fellow PIH league member Steve Steck reportedly struck Roesch in the side of the head with a chicken wing bone, causing Roesch’s head to bleed profusely as below photo shows. “Look what you did to THE jacket. Have you no respect for this league?” an enraged Steck muttered as he swung violently at Roesch and carried out by other members of the “6-pack” man-band.
Authorities were called to the scene but by the time they arrived, Steck was long gone and Roesch was not speaking. It was then that authorities asked the media not to report on the story until Steck could be questioned. It would be several days before Steck was brought in for questioning. The mug shots obtained by TMZ.com show a disheveled Steck with a delusional look on his face and a day or two of facial hair growth. Authorities put out a statement that in summary stated no one was willing to talk and with no evidence of any wrongdoings all charges were dropped. In the statement they also lifted the media ban, allowing this article to be written and published. And with that, on to the results of week-4 and the standings with 2-weeks to play…
Joe Neeson was looking for his first career jacket, and in most weeks a 38 was good enough to win it, but on this night he was 3 holes-in-one short of Roesch, finishing in 2nd place for the week and 8th overall. Like Neeson, Jeff Luke thought he might take home the jacket and become the first to do so twice in a career. But his 39 with 2 holes-in-one wasn’t going to do it this week and he finished in 3rd place, a hole-in-one ahead of Remy. While he didn’t take home the jacket this week, he did leave the night with a slim 3-point lead in the overall standings. Going into the week, Dean Trzewieczynski was the leader. But after shooting a 9th place 41 with no holes-in-one, Trzewieczynski traded places with Luke and now sits in 2nd place overall, just 3 points behind the leader. The two competitors look to continue their rivalry in week-5 when they once again will be putting in the lead grouping.
Continuing his surge in the standings is Tony Rotella, shooting a 40 with 2 holes-in-one and moving up 5 spots to 10th overall. Finishing just behind Rotella is the ever-dangerous Tom Barbops. Scoring a 40 with one hole-in-one, Barbopolous moved into a comfortable 5th place overall. Finishing the US Open in 7th place was the controversial Jeff Hewett, who played earlier in the day, turning in another solid performance of 40 with no holes-in-one. His steady play puts him in 3rd place overall and just 9.75 points out of 1st.
In 8th place this week was league trouble maker Conschafter who tied his personal best of 41 with one hole-in-one. In week-1, that score was good for a 2nd place tie, this week, it was good for 8th, showing how the league’s scores are continuously improving. And rounding out the top-10 finishers for the week is Kevin Kelly who recorded a 42 with 2 holes-in-one. Kelly sits in the middle of the pack overall in 12th place.
With just two-weeks left in the season it’s anyone’s guess who will take home the championship this year. Scores are at an all-time low and the completion doesn’t seem to let down. It will be interesting to see that affects of having a week off for Thanksgiving does to everyone’s scores…and tempers.
Go to the Weekly Results and Standings pages to see a complete rundown of where everyone sits heading into the week-5 Open.
Week-4 Fun Facts:
- Average Score: 42.50 (44.3375 for the season)
- 06 was the best avg in a week last year
- Holes-in-one: 18 (league record)
- Best front-9: 18 (Roesch; league record)
- Best back-9: 18 (Luke and Barbops)
- Steck and Flemming lead the league in holes-in-one with 5
- Pezzino is the only putter yet to record a hole-in-one
- Biggest improvement week-over-week: -8 (Geniti)
- Biggest decline week-over-week: +8 (Mark VeRost)
- The league has seen a different green jacket winner in each of the 10-weeks of play
- Only 4 sub-40 scores last year total; there were 4 this week alone and there's been 7 through the first 4 weeks
- Scott Wilson finished in 19th place this week with a 46 and 1 hole-in-one; the same week last year, that was good for 9th place last year
- From weeks 1 & 2 to weeks 3 & 4, Rotella has improved by 23 strokes
- Of those that have golfed each of the four weeks, Mason has declined the most by 7-strokes in that same timeframe
- Quote of the year “Little Mister Minetter” – Bartender Laura after the match