Kreyling Korner – 05/11/17

THE LIPSMACKER MATCH OF THE WEEK  

Lost both MOWs last week – overall record falls to 1-3. To quote Big Sean – “Last week I took an L but tonight I bounce back.”  To all you Big Sean fans who are going to tell me I wrote the lyric wrong, I know it’s last night…not week.

A/B Group – Mitch “Prince Albert” Smith vs. Danny “Snoodles” Roller – Boys, I’m not going to lie, all the subs this year are kind of making the MOWs redundant. Both Mitch and Danny have been in a MOW and we are only in week 4.  Regardless, this should be a great battle as Mitch carries a 2017 perfect record against Snoodles, who stands at 1-1.  These two have only squared off once in their careers back in 2015 with Danny getting the upper hand.  The weather appears to be iffy, but I do not think it will play as much of a factor as last week.  This is a tough one, but I think Mitch takes his first L this week in a nail bitter.  GLOSSY PREDICTION: Roller wins 5.5-4.5

C/D Group – Joe “Cousin Joe” Cook vs. Dave “Needs a Nickname” Fusting – I bet most of you are thinking this seems like an odd pick for the C/D MOW. What I find amazing about this match-up is there is actual history here.  Dave Fusting has been a “sparse” sub in the golf league in recent history primarily since his job required a tremendous amount of travel.  I wouldn’t expect Dave to have historical match-ups with anyone in this league, and then I see that he and CJ have played twice (2010 and 2011).  Joe won both of those matches pretty handily gathering at least 7 points in each.  Now that Dave is playing more regularly does he come out victorious against Joe?  I have yet to see Dave swing a club this year, so I’m basing my prediction on history alone.   GLOSSY PREDICTION: Cook wins 6-4.

THE KREYLING KORNER

You guys ever wonder where certain terms in golf come from? No – that’s just the golf nerd in me?  Well you all have to live with it because we are going to do some golf history!  I got this idea from our fearless leader – the Portuguese Warrior, George Almeida.  Each week he gives us some GCCGL history.  I figured every now and then I would drop some knowledge on the actual game of golf itself.

Let’s start with the elusive birdie. Every average golfer in the world loves a birdie – it makes you feel like you can actually play the game of golf.  But have you ever wondered where the term “birdie” came from?  Well wonder no more my friends!  From scottishgolfhistory.org –

“Birdie”, meaning a score of one stroke under Par, comes from the early 20th century American slang term “bird”, meaning anything excellent. The September 1911 edition of Maclean Magazine described a golf shot as – ‘”bird” straight down the course, about two hundred and fifteen yards.’   

The Country Club in Atlantic City lay claim to the first use of the word ‘birdie’ itself, as mentioned on the USGA website. In 1962 the US greenkeepers’ magazine reported a conversation with A B Smith. He recounted that, in 1898/9, he and his brother, William P Smith, and their friend, George A Crump, who later built Pine Valley, were playing the par-four second hole at Atlantic City, when Ab Smith’s second shot went within inches of the hole. Smith said “That was a bird of shot” and claimed he should get double money if he won with one under par, which was agreed. He duly holed his putt to win with one under par and the three of them thereafter referred to such a score as a “birdie”. The Atlantic City Club date the event to 1903.

Until next week – fairways and greens my friends.