Weekly Recaps

Tonawanda, NY – Tom Barbops hadn't slept much since the final week of the 2016 season when he found himself .25 points from winning the PIH league. He had nightmares about missing putts and found himself awake in the middle of the night pondering what could have been. Unable to fall back asleep, he would wake his fiance for a quickie (she most often time obliged) and headed to the basement to putt 200 balls on his makeshift putting green. All this hard work has paid off early in 2017 as Barbops shot a week-1 record 37 with 2 holes in one and wearing the jacket for the first time since week-3 of the 2015 season. "It's been a long time coming." a jubilant Barbops commented as Lukasavich placed the green jacket over his shoulders. "It still fits!" he proudly proclaimed. He looks to be wearing the green jacket again this year and is the early favorite to win the PIH league after such a commanding start. Two strokes behind Barbops was, surprisingly, John Coyle who finished a personal best 2nd place with a 39 and one hole in one. Coyle has never finished better than 6th and had never broke 40 before week-1 this year. Some question the validity of his score as his best-friend and playing partner, Shawn Conschafter, finished in 3rd place after posting a 40 with 2 holes in one. The two gentlemen participants were commenting at the bar before the day started about how they were going to post good numbers this year. Conschafter did record the first hole in one of the season, but like everything else that happened in that foursome, it's being looked at. While the league is looking into surveillance video to ensure the score they recorded was legit, for now, the scores stand and these two "buddies" will be watched with an eagle eye when paired with rules Nazi Barbops in week-2. While the validity of their scores is questioned, their gambling ideas are solid and the PIH league will be introducing new rules and a new gambling system to the league in week-2. More to come on that in a separate post before week-2 tee-off. Just behind Conschafter was 2016 league champion and 2015 runner-up* Jeff Luke who posted a 40. Predicting that the 40 would be his worse score of the season, Luke looks to repeat in 2017 and is shooting for a top-5 finish each week. "If I shoot consistent, 39-40 range, I'll wear the green jacket and a matching ring to go with the one I got here" as he points to the large champions ring found on his right-hand middle finger. It will be a tough feat but who can doubt the champion. Just behind Luke was Jay Flemming and Dean Trzewieczynski who both shot a 41 and like Luke, wasn't able to ace a hole in week-1. Flemming and Trzewieczynski, who finished 4th and 5th respectfully in the final standings last year, figure to be top contenders every week and showed this year is like any other. Flemming did show up with quite the chip on his shoulder, still reeling from his 1st place tie in week-5 last year which prevented him from winning the money and the jacket. He demanded his entrance fees back if the rules were not changed. The rule in question is Rule-42 which states "if two or more participants tie after the tie breaker, the winnings are then carried over to the next week." The rules committee quickly gathered (Jeff Luke) and said not only will the rule stand, but his monies were not refundable. So Flemming remained in the league as he quickly realized it was ANOTHER night out and his 250 chicken wings were being dropped shortly. Trzewieczynski, celebrating his 75-days of marriage, shot and ran home to his newlywed wife without a wing being had after. Some say he was going out to dinner, others say he was doing his best impersonation of Jeff Kelly. Whatever the reason was, he's starting 2017 off with a solid performance. Pre-putter Tony Rotella shot a 42 with one hole in one. Rotella wont make his Thursday night debut until The Masters in week-3, had aced the 18th hole. His son vouched for his score and like the duo of Conschafter and Coyle, it's being disputed. Finishing in 8th place was Tim Roesch with a 44 and one hole in one. Roesch shot back to back 22's and doesn't expect to be a factor much of the rest of the season as he, like Trzewieczynski, is a newlywed and more likely to be focused on his baby making skills than his putt-putt skills (justifiably so). Finishing a hole in one behind Roesch  was Jim Neville who posted a 44. Neville finished the back-9 with a 20 but only after he shot a 24 on the front. Neville is looking to take home the green jacket as his only chance at doing so was in week-4 of 2015 when he finished 1st but his score was a "post-putt" which he then doesn't qualify for the green jacket. Behind Neville was Coyle and Conschafter's playing partner Joe Neeson, who must have drawn the short straw as he posted a 45 with one hold in one and vouched for his groupings score. "I swear, the scores are legit. I wouldn't put my reputation on the line for those ass-hats. I'm better than that." Neeson said. Makes sense. Shooting a 46 with one hole in one is the only Verost on the tour in 2017, Scott. No one is expecting Verost to be a factor on the course but with his flowing locks and cool demeanor, he does help the Grand Island contingent attract the ladies at The Grill, who would otherwise run from that crew. Maybe the most surprising and disappointing finish of week-1 was Jeff Hewett who shot a 47 with no holes in one. To put things in perspective, Hewett only shot one stroke better than his playing partners, bottom-feeder Harald Rehm and returning participant Brian Kimpel, who both shot a 48 with one hole in one each. Hewett, who tried again to play with an illegal ball, missed several tap-ins early and posted a disgusting 27 on the front. He rebounded on the back and posted a 20, but he will be looking back on this week like he did last year when he finished in 13th place in week-1. Right now he sits in 12th and needs to make up a lot of ground if he expects to win the league. Rehm was happy not to be in last while Kimpel, sporting Joe Mills' Van Halen jeans, is just happy to be back in the league. Most putters wouldn't go home happy after posting a 49 with one hole in one but Bryan An was. His goal for the year is to not break 50 and never finish last. With such lofty goals, An wont expect to be a factor on the course but does figure to be a factor at the bar once again as he has fallen off the wagon. Flemming is not happy that his DD is no longer. Playing in his pajamas and shooting a 49 was Little Mr. Remyr. Shooting a 49 in pajamas doesn't warrant much more being said so we'll stop there. And rounding things out this week was late-comer Scott Wilson. Wilson had putted the first 5 holes by himself before catching up with Luke, An, and Roesch. After shooting 2-under par through 5, Wilson fell apart upon joining the group and shot back to back 25's and the only putter to break 50. Nice job Wilson. And with that, week-1 is in the books. There will be some shifts in the standings as we have a few post-putters so check back later in the week to see how the standings have changed. Or, like most, show up next week and I'll let you know where you stand. Week-1 Fun Facts:

• Average Score: 44.118 (Best week-1 average ever)
• Holes-in-one: 13
• Best front-9: 20 (3 putters)
• Best back-9: 17 (Barbops)
• 5 of the 6 top finishers in 2016 finished in the top-5 in week-1