2015 Session One – Eighteen Hole Best Ball Matches

After soaking rains on Friday, the 8th annual Cupp Cup was greeted with sunny skies Saturday morning.  Team Wes needed to get off to a quick start.  They had fallen behind early in the last two Cupp Cups and subsequently lost.  Dennis Bird and Ron Weis were marched out first and put up a W to the tune of 2&1 over veteran John Domagal and rookie Badger Bob Warshal.  The good times for Team Wes were short lived, however, as the Tom W. Peters captained Team Lauren won the next three matches.  Matches 5 and 6 did go red with Team Wes leveling the score at three points apiece.  After quick sloppy joes and a prodding from Johnny P, the boys trotted out for the afternoon session to see which team would have the inside track going into the singles matches.

2015 Session One – Eighteen Hole Best Ball Matches

LAUREN 3 points        WES 3 points

Match #1 – J. Domagal & B. Warshal vs. D. Bird & R. Weis.  Bird & Weis, 2&1.

Match #2 – J. Morat & M. Seifert vs. J. Solon & R. Taylor.  Morat & Seifert, 2&1.

Match #3 – L. Natale & W. Cook vs. J. Haberer & C. Martin.  Natale & Cook, 2&1.

Match #4 – T.M. Peters & J.R. Purrington vs. Jeff Gifford & E. Maya.  Peters & Purrington, 4&3.

Match #5 – M. Smith & K. Caldwell vs. J. Vescio & B. Sislo.  Vescio & Sislo, 1 up.

Match #6 – J. Hughes & E. Evans vs. M. Lloyd & W. Cacciatori.  Lloyd & Cacciatori, 1 up.

2015 Session Two – Eighteen Hole Alternate Shot Matches

The Peters and Domagal pairing lived up to the hype once again and dismissed reeling Gifford and Weis 4&3 to start off the afternoon.  This was Giff’s seventh consecutive loss in the Cupp Cup.  Yowsers.  All the rest of the matches were hotly contested with the teams earning two wins each with just one match left on the course.  Match #7, also known as “The Forgotten Match” had been the lone group to go off of the back first.  As captains and spectators followed the other five matches, this rogue contest was still battling as the course was slipping into a chilly civil twilight.  On the 8th green, the match’s 17th hole, Wayne-O had a makeable putt to put the match away for Team Wes, 2&1.  His birdie effort wiggled by and the advantage remained one heading into the final hole.  Joe Vescio’s wayward drive into the shit left on 9 opened the door for Team Lauren and they snuck through.  The half point swing gave the momentum, and the lead, to Team Lauren heading into Sunday.  Interesting Cupp Cup Factoid: Ten of the twelve team matches in 2015 went at least 17 holes.

2015 Session Two – Eighteen Hole Alternate Shot Matches

LAUREN 3.5 points        WES 2.5 points

Match #7 – W. Cacciatori & J. Vecio vs. M. Seifert & M. Smith.  Halved. 

Match #8 – E. Maya & B. Sislo vs. J. Morat & B. Warshal.  Morat & Warshal, 2 up.

Match #9 – J. Gifford & R. Weis vs. T.M. Peters & J. Domagal.  Peters & Domagal, 4&3.

Match #10 – R. Taylor & J. Haberer vs. E. Evans & K. Caldwell.  Taylor & Haberer, 2&1.

Match #11 – J. Solon & C. Martin vs. JR Purrington & L. Natale.  Purrington & Natale, 1 up.

Match #12 – M. Lloyd & D. Bird vs. J. Hughes & W. Cook.  Lloyd & Bird, 1 up.

 

2015 Session Three – Eighteen Hole Singles Matches

Team Wes jumped off to a great start.  They lead all of the first five matches with three holes to play.  However, both JR Purrington and John Domagal from Team Lauren scratched their way back from two down late on the back nine to grab a half a point each.  Through seventeen matches, Team Wes’s assumed lead of 10.5 to 6.5 shrank to 9.5 to 7.5.  Those two comebacks foreshadowed the rest of the afternoon.  Team Lauren then steamrolled the last hour of action and won six of the last seven matches to win the Cupp Cup for the third year in a row, 13.5 to 10.5.

2015 Session Three – Eighteen Hole Singles Matches

What an Ass. Cap.!

LAUREN 7 points        WES 5 points

Match #13 – JR Purrington vs. R. Taylor.  Halved. 

Match #14 – L. Natale vs. J. Haberer.  Haberer, 3&2.

Match #15 – E. Evans vs. E. Maya.  Maya, 2 up.

Match #16 – J. Domagal vs. R. Weis. Halved. 

Match #17 – J. Morat vs. J Gifford. Gifford, 3&2.

Match #18 – B. Warshal vs. J. Vescio. Warshal, 7&6.

Match #19 – M. Seifert vs. W. Cacciatori.  Seifert, 4&3.

Match #20 – W. Cook vs. C. Martin.  Martin, 7&6.

Match #21 – J. Hughes vs. M. Lloyd.  Hughes, 3&2.

Match #22 – K. Caldwell vs. B. Sislo.  Caldwell, 5&4.

Match #23 – T.M. Peters vs. J. Solon.  T.M. Peters, 2&1.

Match #24 – M. Smith vs. D. Bird.  Smith, 2&1.

 

2015 Cupp Cup Individual Records

TEAM LAUREN – 13.5 points

Tom M. Peters  3-0-0, 3 points  (MVP)

JR Purrington  2-0-1, 2.5 points

Michael Seifert   2-0-1, 2.5 points

Larry Natale  2-1-0, 2 points

Bob Warshal  2-1-0, 2 points

Jeff Morat  2-1-0, 2 points

John Domagal  1-1-1, 1.5 points

Mike Smith   1-1-1, 1.5 points

Whitney Cook   1-2-0, 1 point

Joe Hughes   1-2-0, 1 point

Ken Caldwell  1-2-0, 1 point

Ed Evans  0-3-0, 0 points

TEAM WES – 10.5 points

Dennis Bird   2-1-0, 2 points

John Haberer   2-1-0, 2 points

Mark Lloyd   2-1-0, 2 points

Robert Taylor   1-1-1, 1.5 points

Wayne Cacciatori  1-1-1, 1.5 points

Joe Vescio  1-1-1, 1.5 points

Ron Weis   1-1-1, 1.5 points

Bruce Sislo   1-2-0, 1 point

Charles Martin   1-2-0, 1 point

Eric Maya   1-2-0, 1 point

Jeff Gifford   1-2-0, 1 point

Josh Solon   0-3-0, 0 points

 

2015 Cupp Cup Individual Letter Grades

TEAM LAUREN

Captain Tom W. Peters

• Grade A++
• Tom stepped up for the club when asked on short notice to captain Team Lauren.  Lauren made the perfect choice as Tom’s quiet confidence seemed to fit well with the squad.  Lauren was responsible for the Saturday pairings, but it was Tom’s lineup that stole the show on Sunday.  Tom’s exceptional order won six of the last seven matches.  Thanks for a nice weekend, Tom.

Tom M. Peters  (3-0-0, MVP)

• Grade: A+
• What else can be typed about Tom’s great run in the Cupp Cup?  Three wins in a row for Team Lauren, back to back MVPs, 8 matches won in a row and counting…  The question is, can Team Wes find an answer to Tom?

JR Purrington  (2-0-1)

• Grade: A-
• JR put up two and a half points this week but is still too quick to get down on himself for my liking.  If JR could just stay positive and not live and die with each shot he could be as good as anyone in this event.  Maybe his late charge on Tayls on Sunday has proven he should never give up out there.

Michael Seifert   (2-0-1)

• Grade: B+
• Mike has only been a Rome Country Club member for a month and he already has a Cupp Cup victory on his resume.  Nice start, Mike!  We all know Mike is a tremendous gentlemen and a scrapper on the golf course.  If he gets his long game in order next year watch out everyone… Mike will be a serious contender for club champion.  He just has a nose for winning.

Larry Natale  (2-1-0)

• Grade: B+
• After missing last year’s Cupp Cup, Larry wanted in this year’s badly.  He grabbed two points this year while appearing much more cool and collected on the course.  I believe that those two items are very much related.  Larry is a good dude and I fear he will be a thorn in Team Wes’s side for years to come.

Bob Warshal  (2-1-0)

• Grade: B+
• Badger Bob, another Rome Country Club and Cupp Cup rookie, warmed up as the weekend went on.  He and Domagal never got anything going in the Best Ball but he Morat secured a point in the afternoon.  Badger really got it going as he laid the wood to Vescio, 7&6, on Sunday.  Bob is a great player and competitor.  Nice rookie performance, Bob!

Jeff Morat  (2-1-0)

• Grade: B-
• Jeff’s Cupp Cup debut last year wasn’t so spectacular.  Still looking for his first match win going into 2015, Jeff got right to work and grabbed two points on Saturday in the team matches.  The monkey was quickly tossed off of Jeff’s back.  The blissful weekend came to a stop Sunday when wild swings and big numbers seemingly gift wrapped the match for Giff.  Jeff has the ability – he just needs to take better care of his golf ball.

John Domagal  (1-1-1)

• Grade: B+
• From what this captain saw, John stuck to his game and plugged along nicely.  John saw a steady diet of youth and length in Ron Weis all weekend but stayed within himself and played his game to a 1.5 point weekend.  John isn’t going to amaze you with his length out on the course, but his concentration and pleasant competitiveness will.  (Special Note: John’s letter grade was bolstered a half letter because he was diagnosed with cauliflower ear after riding with Eddie on Sunday.  I felt that playing through this disadvantage should be reflected in his grade).

Mike Smith   (1-1-1)

• Grade: B+
• Forget Saturday, Mike’s Cupp Cup was going to be defined by his Singles rematch with Dennis Bird in the final group on Sunday. With the Cupp Cup hanging in the balance, Mike won three of his last four holes to clinch the Cup for Team Lauren. My only request of Mike is to plumb-bob less from the fairway (yes, I actually did see this yetti-like phenomenon). It makes us speedgolfers queasy.

Whitney Cook   (1-2-0)

• Grade: B-
• The Cupp Cup is a tough format when you are the highest handicapper in a scratch tournament. That being said, Whit fights his ass off out there even when his chances look bleak on paper. He grabbed a quick point Saturday morning in the Best Ball and gave match favorites Mark Lloyd and Dennis Bird all they could handle in the afternoon. Although Sunday wasn’t Whit’s best performance, his weekend was a reasonable one.

Joe Hughes   (1-2-0)

• Grade: B-
• Joe is one of the most improved players at Rome CC over the past year.  He has worked hard and made himself a scratch golfer.  He did, however, let his mouth overload his ass with his pre-Cupp Cup side bet with Lloyd.  Lesson learned I’d say.  On the other hand, Joe takes his pairings in stride as he is often matched up tough in the team matches.  Joe’s Singles match win over Mark had to feel good and saved Joe’s weekend from a head scratching 0-3.

Ken Caldwell  (1-2-0)

• Grade: C-
• Ken is another RCC member who has improved tremendously over the past few seasons. All of his hard work didn’t exactly pay off this weekend.  A sluggish start and an 0-2 Saturday had Kenneth searching for answers coming into Sunday. A friendly pairing with struggling Bruce Sislo was just what the doctor ordered to cure Kenny of the “Goose Egg Blues.”

Ed Evans (0-3-0)

• Grade: D
• We all love Edible but an 0-3 goose egg is a tough weekend.  A balky putter on the front nine on Sunday gave his opponent, Eric Maya, a head start that Ed couldn’t recover from.  Ironically, Ed’s putter has historically been a tremendous asset so I’m sure this is just a blip on the golf radar.

 

TEAM WES

Captain Wes Cupp

• Grade: D
• Three consecutive losses to Team Lauren.  What else needs to be typed?  I do feel, however, that I have found some good, new team combinations (Tayls & Haberer, etc.) that worked well.  Our team play was much more productive than in the past two years.  However, losing six of the last seven singles matches has to leave one wondering did I get out captained by the slick Tom W. Peters?  It might be time to send that limo to Saratoga Springs next October.

Ass. Cap. Bob Pawlak

• Grade: A+
• Our current course record holder was on his game again this weekend.  What can I say?  He is the best ass. cap. around!  Mudslides were flowing, hilarious quips were flying, and a very enjoyable weekend was ensured by Bob’s presence.  Thanks for your support, Bobby!

Dennis Bird   (2-1-0)

• Grade: B+
• Dennis opened the Cupp Cup with a blazing 34 on Saturday and played nicely all week.  He had five wins in a row heading into his 2014 Cupp Cup singles rematch with Mike Smith on Sunday.  Dennis won 2&1 in ’14 but Mike returned the favor this year.  A couple of inauspicious bounces (Mike’s tee shot on #3 comes to mind) and untimely messes on #14 and #15 were just enough to tip this match to Mike’s favor.   As Dennis said, “payback is a bitch.”

John Haberer   (2-1-0)

• Grade: B+
• It had been a couple of long years since Habs was on the starting roster for Team Wes.  I was hoping John’s return this year would be the catalyst for a Team Wes win.  Sadly, the storybook ending didn’t quite materialize. That being said, Habs had a productive week, capturing two solid points.  He and Tayls won a big comeback point in the Alternate Shot and then a nice 3&2 victory of Larry Natale in Singles buttoned up a nice finish to Habs’ Cupp Cup weekend.

Mark Lloyd   (2-1-0)

• Grade: A-
• Mark wanted Joe and got a steady diet of him this weekend.  He took down the reigning club champion in both team matchups but fell short in singles, 3&2.  There is no shame in that, my friend.  Mark certainly did his part for Team Wes to win back the cup.  Maybe Wes will sick Mark the Giant Killer on TMP the next time around?

Robert Taylor   (1-1-1)

• Grade: B-
• The spirited comeback with Haberer in the Alternate Shot session was an absolutely HUGE point for Team Wes.  Without it, Sunday would have felt more like a reach than a real possibility.  However, letting JR weasel his way to a half point in singles had to leave Tayls feeling a bit unfulfilled.

Wayne Cacciatori  (1-1-1)

• Grade: B-
• My buddy Wayne-O had another 1-1-1 weekend in the Cupp Cup.  He fought his ass off out there with a painful back and I could really feel his effort.  He drew a tough matchup with Seifert on Sunday and gave Mike all he could handle.  Not a bad weekend for Wayne-O, but not a remarkable one either.

Joe Vescio  (1-1-1)

• Grade: C
• I must have been bad luck for Joe this time around.  I saw one hole from his Alternate Shot match and it wasn’t pretty.  I’m not sure I even got the chance to see him on Sunday because his match was over on the #12 green.  Although his record of 1-1-1 looks ok, I’d have to guess Joe would like a mulligan on the weekend.

Ron Weis   (1-1-1)

• Grade: B
• Ron was so close to breaking out in this Cupp Cup.  He has been playing some clutch tournament golf this season and I really thought he was going to kill it this weekend.  Instead, the pesky John Domagal hung around on Sunday afternoon and wiggled out a half point on Ronnie after being two down with four to play.  But, hey, there is no shame in tying a match with someone who has a handicap of four less than you, right?

Bruce Sislo   (1-2-0)

• Grade: C+
• Bruce’s first Cupp Cup was a reasonable effort.  No matter how much they are warned, rookies really have no idea what they are getting into with this event.  I think Brucey would agree that he didn’t bring his best golf this weekend, but I thought the way he fought out there was a pleasant surprise.  I hope Bruce signs up for qualifying in 2016 because I am confident he will use this experience to improve his point haul.

Charles Martin   (1-2-0)

• Grade: C+
• Chucky played reasonably well on Saturday, but losses in both the Best Ball and Alternate Shot left Chuck pointless heading into Sunday.  He did deliver a win against overmatched Whit Cook to salvage his weekend and his record.  Now that Mr. Martin has tasted the Cupp Cup, I look forward to seeing him produce a bit more on Saturday.  (Special Note: His original letter grade was a C but I bumped it up to a C+ due to his strong mac and cheese offering Friday night).

Eric Maya   (1-2-0)

• Grade: B-
• Eric is a great competitor and a wonderful asset for Team Wes.  How many amateur golfers can say they took down a pro in a singles match this weekend?  I have heard whispers of an Eric Cupp Cup retirement this week and I hope they are completely unfounded.  So what if the blues are a bit demanding for one weekend a year?  Buck up and battle like the competitor you are, Eric!  We love that about you!

Jeff Gifford   (1-2-0)

• Grade: C
• Let’s hope that now that the unenviable streak has come to an end with a Singles win over Morat, Giff can get his winning mojo back.  I felt his golf was better this time around, but being matched against Tom M. Peters in the first two matches didn’t help a bit.  We all know Giff has been blessed with twin girls this season and his golfing time will be precious in the coming years.  Let’s hope he can still get some passes from the wifey to come play with us!

Josh Solon   (0-3-0)

• Grade: D
• Josh certainly has the heart for the Cupp Cup, but his swing deserted him this weekend.  Nonetheless, he somehow willed his way to a one up advantage on Tom Peters through 13 holes on Sunday.  That is very impressive considering his swing was salvaged with band-aids and quick fixes on the range tee that morning.  Even though the match ended sourly for Josh and Team Wes, I LOVE where Josh is mentally and hope he puts the time in getting that swing rerouted.  Josh is a good off-season away from being a scratch golfer.