It's hard to believe that the season is now officially half over. It's also hard to believe how year after year the Golf Gods always seem to prevail in setting up the schedule for crucial showdowns at critical points in the season. It would have been hard to predict that the Week Nine match between Red Numbers and Grinders would have been a battle between the first and second place teams for top spot in the First Half Team standings, but that is exactly how the Golf Gods had it set up. It would have been equally hard to predict that, due to a strange twist of fate, Shaffer would be forced to play the pivotal match with the Anti-Sub, Hans Solo. I'm not sure if you can give credit to the Golf Gods for that one, but why risk pissing them off? To whomever the credit (or blame) is due for the sub snafu, to Red Numbers go the spoils of victory.
Hosket called the League Office Headquarters at 9AM on Monday to inform the Commashioner that he would need a sub for that evening's event. The problem is The Commashioner left the office at 8:50AM to play in a charity golf outing and allowed all other employees at the League Headquarters to take the day off. While The Commashioner had his cell phone with him, he did not call into the League Headquarters to retrieve his messages. It was not until he arrived at the GC of D a mere ten minutes before the first tee time that he learned that Hosket needed a sub. Enter the always reliable and never-late-for-a-tee-time -- Hans Solo (aka The Ghost Sub). Shaffer welcomed Hans Solo into his cart . . . . . well actually, he made him walk . . . and proceeded to the first tee. There he began his uphill battle royale by pumping his first tee shot O.B. and took an 8. Things looked bleak for Red Numbers.
When the dust settled, Shaffer had scrapped his way to a 43/41 and Red Numbers had not only successfully held on to first place in the First Half Team standings, they had increased their lead over Grinders in the Season Team race. Grinders had no answer to the Shaffer/Solo pairing as Feller (54/45) lost 11.5 to 3.5 to Shaffer and Burkley (49/47) lost by an identical score to Solo. It was Burkley's first loss of what has been a remarkable season to date. Grinders settles for a second place payday in the First Half Team standings, while The Nappy Headed Bros hung on to third. Right behind these three teams are Smokin' Mirros, who missed a first half payday by 15.5 points, and Penn & Teller who missed by 16 points. While there is still a lot of golf to play, Red Numbers has a comfortable lead of 21.5 points over Grinders, which widens to a commanding margin of 38.5 points in front of The Nappy Headed ones, and 54 and 54.5 points ahead of Smokin' Mirrors and Penn & Teller respectively.
Although there is no first half payday in the Individual race, Burkley was able to leave the GC of D with the lead in the Season Individual Standings, although it is now a single point over second place Shaffer. Doug May continued his relatively quiet run with a 12 to 3 win over Jorge From UA to maintain his hold on third place. The Commash fired a low gross 37/33 for an 11 to 4 win over former pardsie Budzik to secure his grasp on fourth place. With the first round of individual matches in the books, these four golfers have started to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the pack.
And on to the second half of the season we go . . . .
