Bandon, OR. Way back in 1978, when most of today’s Greenspanners were learning to read chapter books, a saying took hold in pop culture: “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings.”
The saying was meant as a warning to leading teams about being overconfident. It’s since morphed into a rallying cry for trailing teams.
Seattle Team Captain Nick Jenkins made ample use of it over the weekend.
Mike Waldner tallied 4 1/2 points and rookie Matt Brendan added 3 1/2 as the once far behind Seattle Team kept the fat lady at bay and rallied for 19 1/2 — 16 1/2 win in Greenspan Cup XXIV. Chad Fester, Karl Stricker and Adam Waalkes each tallied 3 1/2 points for the World Team, which came to Bandon confident and with the Cup in hand.
“Friday didn’t go so well despite our cool shirts,” said Jenkins, his team donned in Miami Vice-inspired purple-and-pink-triangle polos from USA Palm. “But eight points is a long way from 18 1/2.”
The World Team jumped out to an early 4 1/2 — 1 1/2 lead on Friday in the debut of the Oceans 11 format. Stricker and Steve Cox clobbered Vince DeAndre and rookie Chris Moore -7 –+1 for the low score among the twelve morning groups. “Any format that lets me throw out my blowup holes I dig,” said Cox, whose bending tee shots benefitted greatly from the absence of trees off the tee at Bandon.
Team 206 did slightly better in the afternoon fourballs at Sheep Ranch, but lost the final three matches to find itself down 8-4 at day’s end. “Four is a lot to be down at the Ryder Cup,” opined Jenkins. “But with 24 points still out there, it’s a bit more doable at Greenspan.”
Seattle started their “doing” in Saturday morning medal play at Bandon Trails and Bandon Dunes, taking that stanza by a 4-2 count. Moore and Brendan shot 65 for low round of the morning to defeat Cox and Jon Demurjian, whose 67 would have won or tied four of the five other matches. “I play better when my shirt doesn’t distract me,” said Moore, who donated his Miami Vice shirt to Fester at week’s end. Fester will likely get no wear out of his three World Team shirts, which ranged from bad to hideous and which Captain Greg Cheever procured for $40 total. “At least I got one keeper out of this weekend,” complained Fester. “Too bad it was the other team’s.”
Seattle won the afternoon fourball tiebreaker by a 3 1/2 — 2 1/2 count to narrow the gap to one. It was an afternoon of blowouts: four of six matches didn’t make it to their respective 15th tees, and Cox and Adam Waalkes’ 9&7 win over Jan Somers and Peter Fessler was the biggest trouncing since John Harrison and Jack Laidlaw defeated Brad Nelson and Paul Sharkey 9&8 in 2009.
The bounce back was complete on Sunday. Seattle won 4 1/2 of the first five points available to take a commanding lead and when Joel Aro upset Leo Madden in the day’s second-to-last match, the fat lady was singing. Only she was singing for Seattle.
The biggest loser of the day, though, was the golf course. A money-saving site for singles in four previous Bandon trips, Bandon Crossings suddenly looked the price. “It’s better than (Seattle’s) Jackson I guess” said Aro, “but this course kinda sucks now. I don’t mind spending an extra $100 to play a decent course — and there are five great ones right down the street.”
Greenspan Cup XXV is tentatively scheduled for Sand Valley, Wisconsin, another Mike Keiser property with several great courses. Cheever and Jenkins are expected back as captains.
Results
Friday Oceans 11 (Pacific Dunes)
Rau/Stansell d. Maino/Sherry -3 to +5
Fessler/Harrison d. Casey/Waalkes -6 to +9
Cox/Stricker d. Deandre/Moore -7 to +1
Cheever/Gaston d. Aro/Jenkins +3 to +11
Anderson/Waldner h. Demurjian/Madden
Cheuk/Fester d. Brendan/Somers -2 to +7
Friday Fourball Match (Sheep Ranch)
Anderson/Jenkins d. Demurjian/Gaston 3&2
Aro/Brendan h. Cheever/Fester
Somers/Waldner d. Cheuk/Madden 2&1
Rau/Waalkes d. Harrison/Sherry 3&2
Casey/Stricker d. Deandre/Maino 2&1
Cox/Stansell d. Fessler/Moore 1 up
World leads 8-4
Saturday Fourball Medal (@Bandon Trails and Bandon Dunes)
Aro/Waldner d. Cheuk/Stansell 66-71
Madden/Stricker d. Anderson/Sherry 67-69
Deandre/Harrison d. Casey/Gaston 68-70
Maino/Somers d. Cheever/Rau 72-74
Brendan/Moore d. Cox/Demurjian 65-67
Fester/Waalkes d. Fessler/Jenkins 66-72
Saturday Fourball Tiebreaker (@Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails)
Brendan/Maino d. Cheever/Demurjian 2 up
Cox/Waalkes d. Fessler/Somers 9&7
Jenkins/Moore d. Fester/Rau 5&4
Sherry/Waldner d. Cheuk/Stricker 5&4
Anderson/Aro h. Casey/Madden
Gaston/Stansell d. Deandre/Harrison 5&4
World leads 12 1/2 — 11 1/2
Sunday Singles (Bandon Crossings)
Brendan d. Cheever 1 up
Fessler d. Stansell 7&5
Deandre h. Waalkes
Waldner d. Gaston 4&3
Anderson d. Demurjian 1 up
Rau d. Moore 2 up
Somers d. Cox 3&2
Fester d. Harrison 4&3
Casey d. Sherry 7&6
Jenkins d. Cheuk 5&4
Aro d. Madden 2&1
Maino h. Stricker
Seattle wins 19 1/2 — 16 1/2
Overall Records
Seattle Team
- Anderson 2-1-2
- Aro 2-1-2
- Brendan 3-1-1
- Deandre 1-3-1
- Fessler 2-3
- Harrison 2-3
- Jenkins 3-2
- Maino 2-2-1
- Moore 2-3
- Sherry 1-4
- Somers 3-2
- Waldner 4-0-1
World Team
- Casey 2-2-1
- Cheever 1-3-1
- Cheuk 1-4
- Cox 3-2
- Demurjian 0-4-1
- Fester 3-1-1
- Gaston 2-3
- Madden 1-2-2
- Rau 3-2
- Stansell 3-2
- Stricker 3-1-1
- Waalkes 3-1-1
Greenspan Cup 