Get ready for alot of new faces this year at The Potomac Cup when the Maryland and Virginia amateur golf teams arrive at Nemacolin Woodlands in late August. Veterans from both squads fell to earth with an Almighty crash, while new faces dominated at yesterday’s qualifier at Renditions golf club.
Not a single member of last year’s victorious Virginia team survived the heat at Renditions to return to the squad. Buddy Patch and Dan Derisio were medalists with a sparkling 69. They will be joined on Team Blue by Peter Badawy and Mark Vandergrift (70), Rob LaPointe and Dan Taylor (71) and Phil Goldberg and Mark Adams (73).
Virginia Captain Steve Czaban and partner Scott Abell failed to make the playing squad after a dismal 82. “We were going along fine for a while, then the wheels fell off on the last four holes” lamented Czaban after the round. He was so disgusted, he tossed his putter into a water hazard on the 18th fairway.
Czabe wrote:
This putter I “deposited” on Tuesday was also a “gimmick” putter. I won’t mention the name here, because I know the rep who gave it to me, and I once thought the thing was freakin’ magic. (Think about how the Bengals once looked at Akili Smith).
Well, the magic is gone. Perhaps it was my fault too, for giving this putter the START over many other experienced putters in my basement stable, with just ONE practice round before the Potomac Cup Qualifying tournament. (Like telling Jeff George before a playoff game: “I’m going with you today, Jeff. I’ve got a hunch.”)
To say that my putting was abysmal, is putting it mildly.
So once upon #18, I gently excused my partner for a moment as I walked up the fairway. I detoured to the pond, and gave it a gentle, underhanded javelin toss some 20 feet into the middle. No anger. No yelling. No show. It was, as the mafia would say, “just business.”
Sploosh.
I watched as the grip stood up through the surface like the mast of a proud ship for one last second before disappearing under the green murkiness.”
Czaban’s putting has always been an Achilles Heel. “Czabe’s a choking dog with a putter” joked Maryland captain Jeff Sheehan. “I absolutely wish he’d have made the playing squad with all the things he’s tried to do on putting greens.”
Jim Campbell, Adam McCaa and Doug Stump all also failed to qualify after leading Virginia to victory last year. This marks the first year campbell, McCaa and Czaban did not make the playing teams.
Maryland also saw some blood seep from last year’s solid squad. Only Ron Thomas survived the Renditions qualifier as he and partner Tommy Mensing fired a 71. They were joined on the winner’s circle for Team Red by Jason and Michael Occi (69), George Mackertich and Keith Wilson (71) and Chris Taylor and Chris Drescher.
The backbone of last year’s Maryland squad however will have to wait until next year. Terry Norell and Bill Mulliken missed the cut (77) as did Brad Hankey and Jason Masri (79).
Hankey is best known for his coining the nickname “The Freak” for multiple cup veteran Vance Welch who staggered everyone (including Hankey, his singles opponent) by firing a 7-under score for twelve holes over the same Nemacolin layout and tees used by the PGA TOUR for the now defunct 84 Lumber Classic. Welch, who used to live in Virginia was “redistricted” to Maryland and will wear the red and black for Captain Sheehan. “I’m thriiled to have him and I’m equally thrilled they don’t have him.”
Welch, a perennial candidate for the Joe Hardy Award, the distinction given to the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, was edged out for the honor by cup rookie Scott Inman, who sank the cup-clinching putt for the blue and white last year.
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