Kreyling Korner – Week #4 – June 4, 2020

THE LIPSMACKER MATCH OF THE WEEK

It looks like implementing the one match a week for the MOW is working out in my favor.  Duer defeats Goldie in Week 3 taking my overall MOW record to 2-0.  Pot Luck in week 4 adds a whole new level of complexity with the amount of stroke disparity. 

Week 4 MOW – Bill “Patient Zero” Nixon vs. Jeff “Captain Harry” Capannari – If you think about Pot Luck, you have to think the most intriguing matches are the ones with the largest stroke differential.  Two matches this week have a stroke differential of 13: Rayburn (17) vs. Goldenberg (4) and Capannari (15) vs. Nixon (5).  Both Syndrome and Goldie have had their spotlight in the MOW, so I’m breaking one of my rules and putting in a teammate.  Bill Nixon struts into week 4 with a team, Cupcake Exotics, in last place.  After an abysmal start in the Florid Scramble, Bill has fought valiantly in the first two weeks of match play starting 2-0 with 11.5 points.  A win in Pot Luck certainly inches Cupcake Exotics to top of the league standings…or at least out of the toilet bowl.  Captain Harry comes into week 4 in a much different situation.  His team, Dixon Plainview, just took over the first-place spot in week 3.  Cap looks to add another victory to his solid 2020 record of 1-1 and 11.5 points.

GLOSSY PREDICTION – This is the first ever meeting of Patient Zero and Captain Harry.  While I have knowledge of Bill’s current form, I have no idea how Jeff is playing.  Is he at the driving range a couple times a week and playing every weekend?  Does the switch to a more difficult course play to the advantage of Nixon?  Are 13 strokes just too much to overcome?  Do I pick with my heart or with my mind?

Of course, I go with my teammate!  I could care less if there is a MOW jinx (if you believe in that sort of stuff) or that Bill has to give 2 strokes on 4 of 9 holes.  In the words of the great coach John Calipari – “I like my team.” LET’S GO NIXON!!!!  Patient Zero wins 5.5-4.5.

THE KREYLING KORNER

Three weeks under our belts – let’s do a trend watch! 

Trending Up

Troy Bachmann

Let’s all give the Gobstopper a round of applause.  How about the hot start to his season?  Two wins in the first two weeks of match play at an average of 7 points a week.  If anyone wants to know why Dixon Plainview are in first place, look no further than our man Troy.  As a team, Dixon Plainview have a match play record of 4-3-1.  That’s right – Troy accounts for 50% of the teams wins and is easily early season MVP.  Keep up the good play Troy!  Side note, you know what’s crazy – match play really doesn’t have any impact on standings.  Currently the top two teams have a record of 4-3-1 (Dixon Plainview) and 1-6-1 (Quid Pro Crowe).  The last place team is 5-3 (Cupcake Exotics).  What’s that teach you kids?  Win the scrambles!  I’m not sure this is any big secret, but it’s interesting to keep an eye on nonetheless.

Kenton County Golf Course

Here me out for a second.  I know Syndrome wrote in a guest blog at the end of 2019 how bad Kenton County was, to the point he offered to look at switching league venues.  Additionally, I think everyone was a little concerned about how new management would be in 2020 (I know for a fact the commissioners were).  However, so far, I think everything seems to be working nicely.  To start, the course has been in better shape than I can ever remember.  I’ll fully grant you it’s been a very wet spring and that makes the course look much better.  I also think selling off Fox Run has freed up more money to pour into the Pioneer and the Willows.  Another notable change is a concentrated effort to reduce the number of bunkers on the course leaving the ones remaining in better shape.  I know we have not played out of these in 2020, but I do think this is a point worth noting. 

Some other non-golf related changes, the addition of music playing when you arrive to the course kind of gives it a party atmosphere which I enjoy.  I know the addition of the bar outside was also kind of done out of Covid-19 necessity, but I hope is a change that sticks around all year.  Finally, I’d like to point out that a member of the Kenton County staff really eased the fears of “what are we going to do after the rounds if we can’t hang out and drink beer?”  Week 1 on the back of the Willows felt a bit like a funeral without cold beverages.  We all kind of just stood there.  No talking, no heckling, just standing.  Then, out of nowhere, a man in mask showed up and told us all we had to do was walk around to the parking lot.  Boom!  The GCCGL was back in full effect!

Trending Down

The Prysmian IT Department

What in the hell is going on in the Prysmian IT department?  Nixon excluded, Ollie and the Portuguese Warrior have been awful this season.   Oliver is 0-2 with 5.5 points; George is 0-2 with 5 points.  Dudes, you haven’t been in the building since March.  Don’t you guys just have to make sure the networks stay running while everyone is working remotely?  I mean come on – turn on your computer, make sure it’s connected to the internet, done!  The next time you are on the phone with someone figuring out why they are seeing the blue spinny wheel of death, pick up a putter.  Seriously, there are only so many times you can say – “I’m not sure why you aren’t connecting to the VPN, why don’t you restart your computer.”  In this humble accountant’s opinion that’s a conversation you could have at the driving range…I’m sure they have wi-fi.  Start thinking outside the box you IT nerds.

Until next week – fairways and greens my friends.