THE LIPSMACKER MATCH OF THE WEEK   

Happy British Open week!  Side note – don’t call it the British Open to a golf fan from Europe.  4-6 is about to be 6-6 after week #13.  Let’s do this. 

A/B Group – Bill “I’m not a Crook” Nixon vs. Pete “Goldie” Goldenberg – Let’s address the obvious elephant in the room!  It’ week 13 and Nixon still doesn’t have a nick name.  Come on GCCGL, we are better than this!  I absolutely love this match-up in week #13.  These two are having amazing seasons.  Both have 6 wins and both are in contention for the win percentage and points titles.  Obviously those are secondary awards, what these guys want is a championship.  For Mr. Nixon, this is going to be a much harder task given his team, Not so Perfect Attendance, is in last place (52.5 points out of first place).  On the other hand, Goldie’s stellar play has helped his team take the first place spot with a comfortable 15.5 point lead.  What does this mean for tonight?

GLOSSY PREDICTION – Besides individual awards, Bill has nothing to lose tonight.  I don’t know Bill all that well, but from what I do know, I get the feeling he isn’t big on individual accolades.  Meaning, he is going to play loose tonight.  Pete on the other hand – well one slip up from his team and they let I’d Tap That back into the picture.  I love the way Bill plays – calm, cool, collected – and with no added pressure tonight, I think he takes the W.  Nixon wins 5.5-4.5.

C/D Group – Jeff “Captain Hairy” Capannari vs. Serkan “The Assassin” Freeman – Yet another pressure cooker for the first place team.  The Assassin looks to continue the winning ways of Wrath of Serkan.  After a slow start to 2019, Serkan has turned it on as of late and has an overall record of 4-4.  Captain Hairy can put his team (Gout My Fairway) even further in the mix with a week 13 W.  Cap has put together an impressive year with 6 wins, the current overall points leader, and in contention for the win percentage total.  Does he continue the MVP type season in week 13?

GLOSSY PREDICTION – This is one of the weeks where I think the handicap differential is just too much overcome.  With Cap getting 6 strokes and the front side of the Pioneer, I just don’t think the Assassin has the fire power (pun intended) to take down a red hot Captain Harry.  Don’t get me wrong Serkan will take dead aim (that’s two!) but will come up just short.  Captain Hairy wins 6-4.

THE KREYLING KORNER

I was looking back through the archives of Kreyling Korner, and I was trying to remember the last time I did golf pet peeves.  By my records it was week 1 of 2018.  I’m sure Cupcake will tell me I’m wrong, but the point is it was a while ago.  Let’s throw a few more out there in week 13.

Pet Peeve #1 – You look around, or walk very slowly to your ball, before putting out…hoping someone will give you a putt

Something needs to be made abundantly clear – not all “gimmes” are created equal.  First and foremost, the general rule of thought here is a putt is good if it’s within the leather grip.  Do me a favor and stand over a hole tonight and see how close that actually is.  Second, putts become “gimmes” when a player demonstrates the ability to make a putt from a certain range.  For example, if Danny Roller has a three footer, I’m giving him the putt because he has demonstrated he can make that putt over the years in the GCCGL.  Pete Goldenberg on the other hand?  Oh he’s putting it.  He might not only miss, it might send his golf game into a downward spiral!  And finally, a gimme is also dictated by your handicap.  Yes, it’s unfortunate, but it is true.  If you are getting 15 strokes or whatever on 9 holes, don’t be looking for free putts like a 5 handicap.  We all have to shoot a net score…and your high handicap is getting you enough already!

Pet Peeve #2 – you act like you are the only one out there.

One of your playing partners hits a ball into tall grass or is having trouble finding his ball in the rough.  For the most part, everyone will walk over and help the poor soul that just lost a $5 ProV1.  However, we have all played with the person that is completely oblivious to the assistance and worries about their ball, their shot, and their game only.  I get it, we have all been guilty of this at times.  Maybe your tee shot is on the complete opposite side of the fairway and it just doesn’t make sense to walk over and look with the other three members of the group.  The point is, don’t be that guy and help a brother out when searching for golf balls.

Pet Peeve #3 – when marking a putt, you place the ball marker in FRONT of your ball and when you return the ball, you place the marker BEHIND your ball. 

Am I the only one who notices this?  Let me paint the picture – a playing partner in your group walks up to his ball on the green and places a coin in front of their ball to mark it.  Seems odd off the bat because most people place a coin behind their ball to mark it, but whatever.  Next think you notice, said individual walks up and places their ball in front of the coin.  Let’s assume the ball marker of choice is a quarter.  Well, this form of trickery just got them an inch closer to the hole.  Now I know what you are thinking, “Lip-Gloss, who cares about gaining an inch?”  Let’s not kid ourselves here, we’d all like an extra inch.  Wait…sorry…I got side tracked….putting.  Take that inch over 9 holes and you got 9 inches closer to the hole; over 18 holes you are 18 inches closer to the hole.  I don’t know about you guys, but I’d like to get a foot or two closer to the hole on my putts.  Some of you may be thinking, “I still don’t think this is a big deal.”  But I say to you ball marker violator – if it is not a big deal, why not remain consistent with your ball marking….front or back?

Until next week – fairways and greens my friends.