Virginia Breathing Fire, Maryland Seeing Red

FARMINGTON, PA – Getting spanked on the patookus by a conga-line full of angry government stiffs and good ol’ boys must do wonders for your motivation in golf.  After blowing his first career Potomac Cup match by taking “The Medicus” swing club into competition as a fifteenth club and then -for penance – being spanked on the butt with a rubber chicken by every Virginian, Buddy Patch led a furious charge in the Saturday morning singles for Team Blue.  Patch and teammate Dave Taylor, (who played in the 2006 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine) rolled to 6&5 win over Maryland rookies Kieth Wilson and spearheaded a 5-1 margin in the alternate shot portion of the 7th annual matches between the border states.  Virginia leads 12-6 as the tournament reached its halfway point.

 

            Virginia Captain Steve Czaban is a master motivator:  in this case punishing a player for committing a dismal mistake and yet making a joke out of it to diffuse the situation quickly and not erode a fragile ego.  Patch recovered from both the gaffe in play and his hilarious mis-pronounciation (he slurred “Meniscus” in his media center interview), but nevertheless, do you think they’ll have that on the infomercial?  “The Meniscus!  We’ll cost you four shots or two holes each and every round!”

 

Even so, coupled with his mastery of pairings, Czaban’s skippering has Virginia on the verge of claiming their fourth straight Potomac Cup victory.  A second consecutive rout in the Saturday alternate shot format appears to provide both separation on the leaderboard and the eventual margin of victory.

 

            “This is the second year they have beaten us soundly in the alternate shot format.  Last year we lost this same session [Saturday morning foursomes] by a 5-1/2 to ½ margin” lamented Maryland’s Al Aldana.  “We have to mount a comeback this afternoon though and it’s never over till the last match.”  Aldana will have a chance to trigger the rally as he plays in the first best ball match of the afternoon with fiery Maryland teammate Ron Thomas.  

 

            “Yeah, for us, this is Alternate NOT” echoed Maryland’s John Rhodes.  “Get us off that merry-go-round and into the better ball.”  Rhodes will team with Michael Wah, another spirited Team Red thoroughbred.

 

Nevertheless, for the first time in years, Virginia’s line-up is as replete with characters as Maryland’s.  Normally in bed for curfew before the Maryland team heads to the bar, this year’s Team Blue have more spunk and fire than several previous Virginia Potomac Cup team combined.  Australian Rob Lapointe spent as much time zinging New Zealanders as he did spinning half wedges around the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort’s Mystic Rock course, Pete Dye-designed greens.  “They bugger sheep in New Zealand, we chase kangaroos” he joked during his post round interview yesterday.  “Chasing roos gives me strong calf muscles so I can drive through the ball.”  LaPointe and Mark Vandergrift defeated Chris Drscher and Maryland co-captain Pedro Carrasco 2&1.

 

Moreover, feisty Frank Romano – who plays every match as if it’s the match of his life – has won both his tilts, most notably sinking “The Spanish Armada” in the anchor doubles match Friday morning.  Patch has been aw-shucksing and laughing his way from Team Blue joke to Team Blue hero.

 

            Virginia Captain Steve Czaban credited the Team Blue dominance in the alternate shot format to careful planning.  “I think I liked what I call our ‘personality pairings.  What two guys can hang with each other and feed off each other and deal with each others’ mistakes?  I pair guys that can handle the adversity that is the hallmark of alternate shot golf.”

 

            Two pairings paying dividends are Ross McIntosh and Peter Badawy as the anchor and Dae Chung and Don Phattiyakul in the meat of the order.  “Badawy is an incredible find and I look forward to having him as a cornerstone for years to come.  He and Ross are not just two personalities that work together, they are two great players.”

 

            Chung and Phattiyakul are also two rookies making an impact.  They have won 2-1/2 out of three possible points, while also having the most effeminate golf club head covers in the northern hemisphere.  “I got beat by a guy with a “Hello Kitty” head cover [Phatiyakul] – freakin’ Hello Kitty!” lamented one Marylander.

 

            “Maybe we should spank you on the butt with a rubber chicken next” joked Maryland team prankster Ron Thomas.  Chung isn’t much better sporting a chipmunk on his driver, but you can’t argue with the results.  “Those two have serious mojo” remarked Czaban with a knowing grin and a confident nod.  “There is a reason they are playing together, they are the perfect example of personalities working together.”

 

            “Team this is our first tournament together as a team” explained Phattiyakul earnestly, “but we play in the Virginia State Amateur and U.S. Open qualifiers together all the time.  We see each other everywhere.”

 

“Yeah, anywhere Don wants to lose to me,” joked Chung, who will play with a different partner for the first time in the matches when he teams with another Virginia rookie, Henry Marche.

 

Even a pair of dweebs, dubbed “The Wonder Twins” by Captain Czaban have proven themselves a tough out on the course.  Do you remember “Superfriends?”  Zan and Jana and their stupid monkey Gleep were the comic relief, soft-option, heroes in training with lame superpowers (“shape of a bucket of ice???”  What the hell kind of super power is that??), yet their Potomac Cup counterparts – one of who chirps worse than that infernal purple cartoon monkey are playing .500 ball, one loss and one win.

 

  Virginia has clearly gelled.  While the Marylanders know each other and like each other, they still have yet to solve find the alchemical solution to getting gold nuggets out of his jocular “bunch of lead lugnuts” as Thomas described them.

 

It’s a team event, gentlemen.  Witness Exhibits A & B.

 

For the second year, Maryland Captain Sheehan – blond locks flowing in the wind, jaunty shades perched on his nose, but a grimace on his face betraying his frustration – teamed experimental pairings that could not compete with the deeper Virginia squad.  Nevertheless, he and the team breathed fire coming out of the locker room for the afternoon matches.  “6 and 0, 6 and 0” Team Red chanted as they headed to the tee.  “Just like we planned it, we’ve got em right where we want ’em.  Damn it!” said Sheehan.  Nevertheless, a fiery pep talk spurred a furious rally last year. 

 

Spirit is three-quarters of the remedy, but talent is the rest.  Virginia may have Maryland outmanned with a deeper, more diverse squad.  Nerd and government man, good ol’ boy and foreign ex-patriot, they still can each be State Champions and Open Qualifiers.

 

Maryland’s been talking the talk but Virginia’s been walking the walk so far, but all that can change in one good session.  Maryland leads with strength in the last doubles matches, but if VA can withstand the initial cannonade, the singles may be smooth sailing.