Now that you've got a little extra ching-ching make sure you take the wife out to some place nicer than The Sizzler, and get a "friend" to play the FPGP!
Sunday, December 31, 2006
JG Has Some Skills...
Congrats on winning the skills challenge JG... I noticed that you did all the hard work and left that little wedge shot to Marino.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
FPGP Open 2007
I am proposing the first ever FPGP Open.
When: April 26-29
Where: Dallas, Texas
Why: Play Golf, Watch Golf and meet the other FPGPers.
Anyone interested? Any suggestions on a better date and location. Florida works for me too.
When: April 26-29
Where: Dallas, Texas
Why: Play Golf, Watch Golf and meet the other FPGPers.
Anyone interested? Any suggestions on a better date and location. Florida works for me too.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Monday, December 04, 2006
2007 Rules
Welcome to the FPGP X!!!
Below are the rules for the 2007 version of the FPGP. Veterans, please note there are some changes, as we “discussed” earlier this summer. As always, the rules are posted in a Q&A format.
Do you have an incredibly cool blog that allows FPGPers to view updates, rankings, etc. as well as chide each other on a regular basis?
Yes. All pool information is posted to our blog at http://fpgp.blogspot.com/. This is done to ensure that email InBoxes are not filled with rants and raves about our picks. If you are interested in the chatter, you can go find it; if not, you can ignore it. I suggest everyone gets a blogger ID so they can post comments and blog posts, as this was a great source of fun in 2006.
How much is the entrance fee?
The same amount as always, $100 US dollars (no inflation in the FPGP!). It's a small price to pay for a year of fun and aggravation. Further, veterans of the FPGP will receive a $10 discount for each new player they get to enter the pool. The goal is to have as many entries as possible. First year players are not eligible for the discount, but if they come back in 2008, they can cash in on new player discounts at that time.
What’s the timeframe?
The FPGP officially starts with the Mercedes Championship beginning on January 4th, 2007 and ends on November 4th, 2007, or the day of the final round of the Walt Disney World Resort Classic. Even though the Fed Ex Cup is completed earlier in the Fall, there are several official PGA Tour events from September thru the Disney, and all of those will be counted in the standings.
What’s the format?
How are points earned in the FPGP X?
There are two types of picks which we call “regular” and “short.”
REGULAR PICKS
For “regular” picks, you earn points based on:
1) Positive (i.e. improvement) changes in the PGA Money List rankings from 2006 to 2007.
2) Actual money earned on the PGA Tour in 2007
Assume you select our FPGP blog buddy Jason Gore, who finished the 2006 season ranked 118th on the money list. Now assume that Jason Gore finishes the 2007 season ranked 50th on the money list. Such movement would earn you 68 points. However, if Jason Gore fell to 150th on the money list you would LOSE 32 points for that pick.
With regard to the “earnings points” you gain 1 point for every $100,000 that your "regular" players earn on PGA tour in 2006. Again, if you selected Jason Gore and he earned $1,243,332 next year, you would gain 12 points under his earnings. Please note that points are rounded up. For example, a player earning $551,000 will earn you 6 points, while a player earning $549,000 will get you 5 points.
So, let’s put it all together… assume you pick Jason Gore at 118th , and he finishes the 2007 with $954,323 and at 62nd on the money list. You’d gain 10 “earning” points and 56 “ranking” points, for a total of 66 points.
As a reminder, you can pick anyone from the list at the bottom of these rules… Q-school graduates are fine, AS LONG AS THEY ARE ON THIS LIST. That is, you can pick a guy who did not keep their card but re-earned it at Q-school, but you cannot pick players that did not make the list last year. The obvious reason for this is that such players have no “starting” position in the rankings.
SHORT PICKS
The so-called “short” pick name derives itself from the stock market. The idea here is that you are able to pick player(s) who you think had a better than average year in 2006, and you anticipate they will fall in the rankings (i.e., get worse) in 2007.
For “short” picks, points are based on:
1) Negative changes in the PGA Money List rankings from 2006 to 2007.
2) Actual money earned on the PGA Tour in 2007, only in this case you LOSE points as that player earns money.
Again, to illustrate, assume that as a short pick you take Chris DiMarco, ranked at 53rd on last year’s money list. Further assume that he falls to 100th on the 2007 money list. That fall would GAIN you 47 points. Conversely, if he finished the 2007 season ranked 20th on the money list, you would LOSE 33 points. Needless to say, you root for your short pick(s) to have bad years.
Also, for every $100,000 your “short” pick(s) earn, you LOSE one point. So, let’s say you picked DiMarco as a “short” and he earned $1,000,000 and finished 61st on the money list. You would lose 10 “earning” points for the million in earnings, and gain 8 “ranking” points, for a net of -2 points for that selection.
To see more examples of how points work, click here to see an update spreadsheet from the 2006 season.
What is the David Gossett Rule?
If a player fails to make a single cut, their earnings are set to $0, and their “ranking” is set to the last player on tour plus one. For example, one of last year’s picks, Paul Casey, did not earn any official money on tour. Because there were 263 players (David Berganio was #263) who earned some money on tour, Paul Casey’s “ranking” was set to 264. Note that the only dollars that count in this pool are official PGA Tour dollars. Paul Casey made plenty of money, and he did so in some events sponsored by the PGA Tour, but because his primary membership was on the European Tour, he did not have any official money in this country.
CONSTRAINTS ON REGULAR AND SHORT PICKS
1. You may take as many as two short picks, but you have to have at least one. So, your line up is either 8 regular and 1 short pick, or 7 regular and 2 short picks.
2. The short pick(s) must meet the following conditions:
3. Only 4 of your picks can be players in the Top 30 on the money list.
TRADES
One trade is allowed and it'll cost you a grand total of $20!! If you make a trade, the points that your new player earns will be counted from that point forward, and the points from your original player will be eliminated whether they are positive or negative. Trade details:
How do I ante up?
Checks must be post-marked by Wednesday, January 3, 2007 or you can't play. Send checks to:
Steve Tuholski (stevetuholski@hotmail.com; just email me for my address and I will send it back. I have no desire to have it hanging out there on the internet).
The preferred method of payment is paypal, which can be sent to my hotmail address above. It is quick, easy, and saves me a trip to the bank.
What’s the payoff?
If 15 or more FPGPers are entered, we will award a “duffer prize” of $100 to the last place finisher. The intent here is to keep everyone interested in the pool throughout the year, even if your picks suck.
For the people who make good picks, the awards are as follows:
1st Place = 70% of prize pool (all entry fees and trade dollars, minus the $100 duffer award if applicable)
2nd Place = 20%
3rd Place = 10%
How do I enter?
Send me your picks via e-mail (stevetuholski@hotmail.com). Please send them in the following format to make my life a little easier:
PLAYER NAME 2006 MONEY RANKING REGULAR OR SHORT
Good luck everyone… let the games begin!
Below are the rules for the 2007 version of the FPGP. Veterans, please note there are some changes, as we “discussed” earlier this summer. As always, the rules are posted in a Q&A format.
Do you have an incredibly cool blog that allows FPGPers to view updates, rankings, etc. as well as chide each other on a regular basis?
Yes. All pool information is posted to our blog at http://fpgp.blogspot.com/. This is done to ensure that email InBoxes are not filled with rants and raves about our picks. If you are interested in the chatter, you can go find it; if not, you can ignore it. I suggest everyone gets a blogger ID so they can post comments and blog posts, as this was a great source of fun in 2006.
How much is the entrance fee?
The same amount as always, $100 US dollars (no inflation in the FPGP!). It's a small price to pay for a year of fun and aggravation. Further, veterans of the FPGP will receive a $10 discount for each new player they get to enter the pool. The goal is to have as many entries as possible. First year players are not eligible for the discount, but if they come back in 2008, they can cash in on new player discounts at that time.
What’s the timeframe?
The FPGP officially starts with the Mercedes Championship beginning on January 4th, 2007 and ends on November 4th, 2007, or the day of the final round of the Walt Disney World Resort Classic. Even though the Fed Ex Cup is completed earlier in the Fall, there are several official PGA Tour events from September thru the Disney, and all of those will be counted in the standings.
What’s the format?
- Each FPGP participant selects 9 PGA Tour players from the men's 2006 Money List (you can click the link provided or see the money list at the bottom of this document). To be as clear as possible: you may not choose a player who is not on this list. So, no picking Michelle Wie. No picking guys who made it through Q-school, but who did not have official earnings on the PGA Tour in 2006.
- Once again, TIGER WOODS is off the board. If there is a player that EVERYONE picks, I will drop him from the picks and allow everyone a re-pick so we can get some variability like we did in 2006 with Ernie Els.
How are points earned in the FPGP X?
There are two types of picks which we call “regular” and “short.”
REGULAR PICKS
For “regular” picks, you earn points based on:
1) Positive (i.e. improvement) changes in the PGA Money List rankings from 2006 to 2007.
2) Actual money earned on the PGA Tour in 2007
Assume you select our FPGP blog buddy Jason Gore, who finished the 2006 season ranked 118th on the money list. Now assume that Jason Gore finishes the 2007 season ranked 50th on the money list. Such movement would earn you 68 points. However, if Jason Gore fell to 150th on the money list you would LOSE 32 points for that pick.
With regard to the “earnings points” you gain 1 point for every $100,000 that your "regular" players earn on PGA tour in 2006. Again, if you selected Jason Gore and he earned $1,243,332 next year, you would gain 12 points under his earnings. Please note that points are rounded up. For example, a player earning $551,000 will earn you 6 points, while a player earning $549,000 will get you 5 points.
So, let’s put it all together… assume you pick Jason Gore at 118th , and he finishes the 2007 with $954,323 and at 62nd on the money list. You’d gain 10 “earning” points and 56 “ranking” points, for a total of 66 points.
As a reminder, you can pick anyone from the list at the bottom of these rules… Q-school graduates are fine, AS LONG AS THEY ARE ON THIS LIST. That is, you can pick a guy who did not keep their card but re-earned it at Q-school, but you cannot pick players that did not make the list last year. The obvious reason for this is that such players have no “starting” position in the rankings.
SHORT PICKS
The so-called “short” pick name derives itself from the stock market. The idea here is that you are able to pick player(s) who you think had a better than average year in 2006, and you anticipate they will fall in the rankings (i.e., get worse) in 2007.
For “short” picks, points are based on:
1) Negative changes in the PGA Money List rankings from 2006 to 2007.
2) Actual money earned on the PGA Tour in 2007, only in this case you LOSE points as that player earns money.
Again, to illustrate, assume that as a short pick you take Chris DiMarco, ranked at 53rd on last year’s money list. Further assume that he falls to 100th on the 2007 money list. That fall would GAIN you 47 points. Conversely, if he finished the 2007 season ranked 20th on the money list, you would LOSE 33 points. Needless to say, you root for your short pick(s) to have bad years.
Also, for every $100,000 your “short” pick(s) earn, you LOSE one point. So, let’s say you picked DiMarco as a “short” and he earned $1,000,000 and finished 61st on the money list. You would lose 10 “earning” points for the million in earnings, and gain 8 “ranking” points, for a net of -2 points for that selection.
To see more examples of how points work, click here to see an update spreadsheet from the 2006 season.
What is the David Gossett Rule?
If a player fails to make a single cut, their earnings are set to $0, and their “ranking” is set to the last player on tour plus one. For example, one of last year’s picks, Paul Casey, did not earn any official money on tour. Because there were 263 players (David Berganio was #263) who earned some money on tour, Paul Casey’s “ranking” was set to 264. Note that the only dollars that count in this pool are official PGA Tour dollars. Paul Casey made plenty of money, and he did so in some events sponsored by the PGA Tour, but because his primary membership was on the European Tour, he did not have any official money in this country.
CONSTRAINTS ON REGULAR AND SHORT PICKS
1. You may take as many as two short picks, but you have to have at least one. So, your line up is either 8 regular and 1 short pick, or 7 regular and 2 short picks.
2. The short pick(s) must meet the following conditions:
- They had to finish in the top 125 on the 2006 PGA Tour Money List. That is, they must have FULL STATUS ON THE PGA TOUR. NO NATIONWIDE PLAYERS CAN BE USED AS A SHORT PICK.
- They may not be over the age of 50, or turning 50 this year. That is, you can’t pull a 2006 Loren Roberts, and have your short pick playing on the Senior Tour all season, thus earning virtually no PGA Tour Money despite having full status on the PGA Tour. Simply put, you can’t short Fred Funk, although if you want him as a regular pick, knock yourself out.
3. Only 4 of your picks can be players in the Top 30 on the money list.
TRADES
One trade is allowed and it'll cost you a grand total of $20!! If you make a trade, the points that your new player earns will be counted from that point forward, and the points from your original player will be eliminated whether they are positive or negative. Trade details:
- The trade must be for one of your “regular” picks!!! That is, you cannot trade your short pick(s).
- Trade Window. Also known as the Greg Owen Rule, trades will only be allowed between March 5th and May 28th. Trades are registered when I receive notification of the trade via email, and are officially consummated when I receive funds for the trade. If funds are not received within a week of notification, the trade will be null and voided, and the FPGPer will not be allowed another trade. There will be NO discussion on this.
- The person you trade for must be ranked lower than the guy you traded. For example, if you want to trade Ben Crane and, he was ranked 58th at the end of the 2006 season, the trade must be for someone was ranked 59th or lower (worse) at the end of the 2006 season.
How do I ante up?
Checks must be post-marked by Wednesday, January 3, 2007 or you can't play. Send checks to:
Steve Tuholski (stevetuholski@hotmail.com; just email me for my address and I will send it back. I have no desire to have it hanging out there on the internet).
The preferred method of payment is paypal, which can be sent to my hotmail address above. It is quick, easy, and saves me a trip to the bank.
What’s the payoff?
If 15 or more FPGPers are entered, we will award a “duffer prize” of $100 to the last place finisher. The intent here is to keep everyone interested in the pool throughout the year, even if your picks suck.
For the people who make good picks, the awards are as follows:
1st Place = 70% of prize pool (all entry fees and trade dollars, minus the $100 duffer award if applicable)
2nd Place = 20%
3rd Place = 10%
How do I enter?
Send me your picks via e-mail (stevetuholski@hotmail.com). Please send them in the following format to make my life a little easier:
PLAYER NAME 2006 MONEY RANKING REGULAR OR SHORT
Good luck everyone… let the games begin!
Monday, November 20, 2006
No Wie
Michelle Wie appetite for playing in men's tournament shows no sign of abating and she will kick off 2007 by competing in the PGA tour's Sony Open on her home island of Oahu.Sony, one of the 17-year-old's key sponsors, granted Wie an exemption to play in the early-season event for the fourth straight year. FULL STORY
Friday, November 10, 2006
Tommy "2 Gloves" - Q School round 2
"2 Gloves" will be playing his 2nd round of Q-School in Florida. Round 2 starts Nov. 16th. Get the scores and see who else is at this location HERE.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Question
Does anyone know if that Nextel... er, FedEx Cup money is going to count towards official money next year? JG?
Monday, November 06, 2006
Your Winners
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From left to right: Da Boca Bandit, Steve V., . and Johnny VThanks to Stevie V. for providing this recent photo of our 2006 FPGP winners... he wanted me to point out the irony that the photographer was Da Rodent.
FINAL UPDATE
And the winners are.......
407 .... Da Bandit
379 .... Stevie V.
342 .... Johnny V.
-------------------------------
And the also-rans...
301 .... Shades/Jeff
263 .... Robbo
262 .... Vic/Talonflier
250 .... Tiger Philp
245 .... Steve / New Tex
180 .... Stan the Man
-------------------------------
Deserving his own category....
-169 .... Fraser
Congratulations to the three winners... and as for the rest of us... well, we just suck ass. Here is the final tally for dollars to be awarded.
We had 10 players, at $100 per player for $1,000. Plus, 9 made $20 trades, for an additional $180 in the kitty. So, our grand total is $1,180, to be awarded as follows.
Da Bandit, $826
Stevie V., $236
Johnny V., $118
Winners, if you want me to hold back $100 for next year's pool (which I'd appreciate as it will mean three fewer people to chase for next year) let me know. Also, if anyone wants to see the spreadsheet and the formulas that were used to derive the final scores, let me know and I will email it to you. I'll leave this request up for about a week, and then I am sending checks...
I am going to be out of town for about a week, this wednesday until next wednesday... then, the following week, I am getting hitched and will be gone for a while on honeymoon. I'll be back and fully blog-ready the week of December 3rd. I want to initiate some incentives for bringing more people into the pool, and I will post those either before I take off for the wedding stuff, or immediately thereafter. It seems to me that this pool/blog will be even more fun if we get more people involved, and also, as the "founders" of such pool, we should get a little discount / incentive for bringing in more players... I am thinking that we keep the entry at $100, and also offer a $10 discount for every player that is brought in... so, if I bring in 3 new guys, they all pay $100, and I pay $70. If this makes sense, let me know... if not, we can scrap the idea.
And no one gets credit for bringing in JG or MG for next year, although they can get in for $80, since Jeff and Stevie V. each owe them $10 from the "Wie/Trahan" bets. Also, since they've been loyal bloggers, I'll extend the discount program to them as well...
Thanks for a great season everyone... I hope the blog was as enjoyable for everyone else as it has been for me.
Da Bandit, singing to a packed crowd after learning of his FPGP 2006 victory.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Someone is making a try at Q-School.
Look who's trying to get their tour card, and I'm not talking about my boy, Tommy "2 Gloves" Gainey: HERE
Monday, October 23, 2006
Monday, October 16, 2006
UPDATE 10/16/06
Here's your update for this week... I looked at the spreadsheet last week, and we should be good to go... as you boys know "the only score that counts is the final score" so let's not all get our panties in a wad if there is a discrepency of a point or two right now... no one wins money for leading in October. At the end of the year, I will send the final spreadsheet out to everyone (well, maybe not Fraser... what the hell is the point) and you can look at all the numbers for yourself to make sure your points add up correctly.
Jeff has stuck his head back into money position... the remaining weeks should have good battles for 1st, 3rd and... well, 5th. Shit.
Oh, and I'd like to personally congratulate Bob Tway... what an accomplishment. How many guys have you ever seen go out and shoot 63... SIXTY FUCKING THREE on the first day of a tourney, and then over the next 3 days play so poorly that he LOST GROUND ON THE MONEY LIST. Way to go you brillo headed mother %##@$%!
403 .... Da Bandit
378 .... Stevie V.
291 .... Jeff/Shades
287 .... Johnny V.
268 .... Robbo
243 .... Steve T./New Tex
239 .... Tiger Philp
234 .... Vic/Talonflier
174 .... Stan the Man
-141 .... Fraser
Jeff has stuck his head back into money position... the remaining weeks should have good battles for 1st, 3rd and... well, 5th. Shit.
Oh, and I'd like to personally congratulate Bob Tway... what an accomplishment. How many guys have you ever seen go out and shoot 63... SIXTY FUCKING THREE on the first day of a tourney, and then over the next 3 days play so poorly that he LOST GROUND ON THE MONEY LIST. Way to go you brillo headed mother %##@$%!
403 .... Da Bandit
378 .... Stevie V.
291 .... Jeff/Shades
287 .... Johnny V.
268 .... Robbo
243 .... Steve T./New Tex
239 .... Tiger Philp
234 .... Vic/Talonflier
174 .... Stan the Man
-141 .... Fraser
Friday, October 13, 2006
Sorry...
Fell asleep at the wheel this week and forgot to post links to the scoreboards... they are up now.
And I will not do or say anything to jinx said scoreboard... which is looking very good for someone...
And I will not do or say anything to jinx said scoreboard... which is looking very good for someone...
Thursday, October 05, 2006
FPGP Audit
Another possible mistake was noted in this week's FPGP Scoreboard. Looks like you frigging vultures at the top are finally paying attention to my math. Well, at least you can't accuse me of trying to benefit myself...
Don't expect an update next week... I am going to spend a couple hours making sure the spreadsheet is adding things correctly... I am also going to double check the "starting positions" that are listed on the spreadsheet, although I am 99.5% sure they are correct.
Don't expect an update next week... I am going to spend a couple hours making sure the spreadsheet is adding things correctly... I am also going to double check the "starting positions" that are listed on the spreadsheet, although I am 99.5% sure they are correct.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Scoreboard / Season Coming To A Close
FPGPers... An error on the tally was pointed out to me by Da Bandit... he and Shades should both have another 10 points for Allenby, as I misentered some data into the spreadsheet.
This year is drawing to a close, and we have some tight races... Jeff and I have done our best to make sure we haven't made any errors, but these things do happen... it would probably be a good idea for everyone to double check their picks/scores, just to make sure we don't have any goofs that could affect the outcome. Shades... it will be important that you get the updated stuff up as soon as possible each week, so folks can check us for errors.
Well, Fraser probably doesn't have to worry. Unless I forgot to carry a few zeros, that dude is dead.
---
This has been a good year... the blog seems to be a success, and we even have our own PGA Tour player among us... Let's do our best to recruit some new blood for next year... if we could get 15-20 total people in the pool, the prize money is going to be SA-WEET, and the chatter should be even more interesting.
Having been exposed to the business and marketing world for the last few years, I am thinking about taking a new approach with "recruits." I want to think of this like business development... what would you guys think of this... for every new player you can pull into the pool, you get a $10 discount on next year's FPGP entry fee? So, if Shades pulls in 5 new guys, it only costs him $50 to play his own team. The $50 lost in the prize pool is more than compensated by the $500 his 5 guys bring in. Effectively, if you get 2 new guys, your trade becomes "free."
Also... no one gets to claim JG or MG for the $10 discount, although it was my creation of "ButterTits" that got them here. MG... you gonna make some picks next year? What's a hundo to a woman living the good life with a professional golfer? :-) Who better to break down the gender barrier of the FPGP than you? JG... if it doesn't cross some ethical/moral barrier, we'd love to have your picks also... We know you have an extra hundo sitting around after taking it off Michelson at the PGA... :-)... if not, send me an email and tell ME who I should pick! I need the help from the inside!!!
This year is drawing to a close, and we have some tight races... Jeff and I have done our best to make sure we haven't made any errors, but these things do happen... it would probably be a good idea for everyone to double check their picks/scores, just to make sure we don't have any goofs that could affect the outcome. Shades... it will be important that you get the updated stuff up as soon as possible each week, so folks can check us for errors.
Well, Fraser probably doesn't have to worry. Unless I forgot to carry a few zeros, that dude is dead.
---
This has been a good year... the blog seems to be a success, and we even have our own PGA Tour player among us... Let's do our best to recruit some new blood for next year... if we could get 15-20 total people in the pool, the prize money is going to be SA-WEET, and the chatter should be even more interesting.
Having been exposed to the business and marketing world for the last few years, I am thinking about taking a new approach with "recruits." I want to think of this like business development... what would you guys think of this... for every new player you can pull into the pool, you get a $10 discount on next year's FPGP entry fee? So, if Shades pulls in 5 new guys, it only costs him $50 to play his own team. The $50 lost in the prize pool is more than compensated by the $500 his 5 guys bring in. Effectively, if you get 2 new guys, your trade becomes "free."
Also... no one gets to claim JG or MG for the $10 discount, although it was my creation of "ButterTits" that got them here. MG... you gonna make some picks next year? What's a hundo to a woman living the good life with a professional golfer? :-) Who better to break down the gender barrier of the FPGP than you? JG... if it doesn't cross some ethical/moral barrier, we'd love to have your picks also... We know you have an extra hundo sitting around after taking it off Michelson at the PGA... :-)... if not, send me an email and tell ME who I should pick! I need the help from the inside!!!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Standings!!!
The performance of Fraser is quite remarkable. Let's take up a collection for the poor f -- -er and buy him some darts and a board next year! Put me down for 10 bucks; let's get him a decent setOr, we could reward the last place finisher next year (an idea of New Texan). Let's face it, getting -136 points is nothing short of miraculous. This kind of talent is rare and deserving of some recognition!!! Who the hell is Fraser anyway? He must be a hell of a guy just to keep playing in this thing ---
Monday, October 02, 2006
UPDATED 10/2/06
Well, DJ has put me back into contention!!! (for 5th place).
Jeff's cup of coffee in the money position was truly short lived... although he is nipping at Johnny V.'s heels still... lot of golf left boys...
For a while yesterday, I thought Robbo was going to be the one making the move... Rocco and Riley were sniffing at the top of the leaderboard early... but then they realized the natural order of things and returned to the middle of the pack.
Jeff's cup of coffee in the money position was truly short lived... although he is nipping at Johnny V.'s heels still... lot of golf left boys...
For a while yesterday, I thought Robbo was going to be the one making the move... Rocco and Riley were sniffing at the top of the leaderboard early... but then they realized the natural order of things and returned to the middle of the pack.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MIRACLES????
Trashcan wins!
Trashcan wins!
Trashcan wins!
The two greatests upsets in sports history now rank...
Number 1: DJ Trahan goes wire to wire to win a PGA Tour event, putting New Tex almost back into the mix in the FPGP (yeah, this fucking tourney pays a paltry 540k to the winner... damnit).
Number 2:
USA Hockey triumphs over Russia, making the sport of hockey relevant in the US for about 15 minutes.
Now, if I could just get a little production of Rich "Don't Call Me Jim" Beem... man, my picks suck.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Trashcan En Fuego! Part Deux
DJ shoots a nifty -7 today...Come on you Clempson Puke!!!! Get it done this week and get me back in this frigging pool!!!
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Rocco and Adrian Mediate?
The scene from the Mediate's house, shortly before Rocco left for the Southern Farm Bureau tourney...
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Golf Just Lost A Legend
Byron Nelson passed away today in his home...http://www.pgatour.com/story/9687154
"I don't know very much," Nelson said in a 1997 interview with The Associated Press. "I know a little bit about golf. I know how to make a stew. And I know how to be a decent man."
You can't live in Dallas and play golf and not hear about Byron's goodwill... a real loss today.
Monday, September 25, 2006
From Brushback.com...
Horrible Golfer Receives Sponsor’s Exemption Because She’s Michelle Wie
FARMINGTON, PA--A horrible golfer, who was completely unqualified to play in a men’s PGA tour event, received a sponsor’s exemption anyway just because she’s Michelle Wie. Wie finished in last place at the 84 Lumber Classic after shooting a second-round 81. “Wow, she is really a bad golfer,” said Joseph Hardy, owner of 84 Lumber, the event’s sponsor. “She could not get out of her own way. Still I have no regrets about giving her the exemption. Just because she’s a girl and this is the men’s tour, and she’s horrible and most of these guys are good, doesn’t mean she’s not qualified to play. Anybody is qualified to play if they bring attention to the tournament. I would have invited Saddam Hussein if he was available. Not to compare Michelle with Saddam Hussein of course. He probably has a better chip shot at this point.”
FARMINGTON, PA--A horrible golfer, who was completely unqualified to play in a men’s PGA tour event, received a sponsor’s exemption anyway just because she’s Michelle Wie. Wie finished in last place at the 84 Lumber Classic after shooting a second-round 81. “Wow, she is really a bad golfer,” said Joseph Hardy, owner of 84 Lumber, the event’s sponsor. “She could not get out of her own way. Still I have no regrets about giving her the exemption. Just because she’s a girl and this is the men’s tour, and she’s horrible and most of these guys are good, doesn’t mean she’s not qualified to play. Anybody is qualified to play if they bring attention to the tournament. I would have invited Saddam Hussein if he was available. Not to compare Michelle with Saddam Hussein of course. He probably has a better chip shot at this point.”
UPDATE 9/25/06
Only one little move, but it is historically significant... Jeff slides into 3rd place by a slim margin, putting him in position for his first ever FPGP cash.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Rocco Makes A Cut!!!
Despite unbelievable odds against, Rocco makes a cut... here was the scene on the 18th green, shortly after putting out...
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Texas Open
The Valero Texas Open is LOADED with FPGPers... this is probably a throw-away tourney to a lot of casual golf fans, considering that the world will be watching Ireland and the Ryder Cup... but just look at the field. It is full of FPGP bottom dwellars... this could be an interesting week.
Monday, September 18, 2006
UPDATE 9/18/06
Well, the rich got even richer this week... by way of Chaz Howell's finish at the Wooden Bird Open, Da Bandit has increased his lead over the Vodos...
406 ... Da Bandit
356 ... Stevie V.
298 ... Johnny V.
291 ... Jeff/Shades
264 ... Tiger Philp
236 ... Robbo
221 ... Vic/Talonflier
208 ... Steve T./New Tex
186 ... Stan the Man
-125 ... Fraser
By the way, not sure if Jeff will get a chance to post the specifics on the side bar, but this is interesting... currently, Robbo's trade of Singh for Mediate has COST him 71 points. Singh is +38 on the year, and Mediate is -33 since the trade. Add those 71 to his current total and he would still be in 3rd place. This is worth watching...
406 ... Da Bandit
356 ... Stevie V.
298 ... Johnny V.
291 ... Jeff/Shades
264 ... Tiger Philp
236 ... Robbo
221 ... Vic/Talonflier
208 ... Steve T./New Tex
186 ... Stan the Man
-125 ... Fraser
By the way, not sure if Jeff will get a chance to post the specifics on the side bar, but this is interesting... currently, Robbo's trade of Singh for Mediate has COST him 71 points. Singh is +38 on the year, and Mediate is -33 since the trade. Add those 71 to his current total and he would still be in 3rd place. This is worth watching...
Friday, September 15, 2006
Dude, You Holdin?
In every picture I see him, Hunter Mahan looks like he is baked. Look at this one, on PGATour.com... they couldn't find one that didn't look like he was jonesin' for some some nachos?I need to do much better homework for next year. I've rested on my early laurels in this pool, but after not cashing in 3 years, this shit has to stop. What the fuck was I thinking with the Mahan/Trahan combo? That their fucking names kinda rhymed and it would look like genius if they actually did anything? I am an idiot.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Greg Kraft(y) near the top of the leaderboard
Greg Kraft is near the lead and as such I felt we needed some dope white guys rapping and dancing to a Krafty Beat.
MICHEEL TAMES THE TIGER!
Stevie V. must be thrilled that his ace did this. Damn shame that he gets bupkes for it in the FPGP. Go cry me a river, Voodoo. Further proof that we either need Mulder & Scully to investigate or get a DNA sample from a discarded water bottle to see if this guy's an alien.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Good Luck JG
Good luck with the title defense this week... go get ya another one of those goofy bird trophies!
Monday, September 11, 2006
UPDATE 9/11/06
Here is the non-fancy update for today... Bart Bryant's 2nd place finish yesterday effectively took Robbo out of the money for good. We currently have 2 good battles... for first and third... Shades has moved as close to a money position as he's ever been in this pool... too bad Justin Rose couldn't finish the deal for him yesterday. As for me, I am already doing my homework for next year's picks.
371 ... Da Bandit
354 ... Stevie V.
305 ... Johnny V.
271 ... Jeff/Shades
261 ... Tiger Philp
236 ... Robbo
213 ... Vic/Talonflier
202 ... Steve T./New Tex
185 ... Stan the Man
-119 ... Fraser
371 ... Da Bandit
354 ... Stevie V.
305 ... Johnny V.
271 ... Jeff/Shades
261 ... Tiger Philp
236 ... Robbo
213 ... Vic/Talonflier
202 ... Steve T./New Tex
185 ... Stan the Man
-119 ... Fraser
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Tiger Crushes "Make-A-Wish" Kid At Putt-Putt
FRAMINGHAM, MA--Robbie Blanchard, a 10-year-old suffering from leukemia, had but one wish in his short life: to meet his hero, Tiger Woods, and play some miniature golf with him.
Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, that dream came true on Monday when the two met at a Putt Putt course in Framingham, Mass, where Woods crushed the bumbling youngster by 20 strokes.
Throughout the 18 hole round, Woods was his usual intense and focused self, meticulously measuring each shot and pumping his fist after each ace.
“Get in there, get in there, get in there…Yes!” shouted Woods, as he marched down the green to retrieve another hole in one. “That’s five in a row. Watch out for this one, Robbie. It breaks to the left but it gets a little bumpy along the way. And whatever you do, avoid hitting it through the windmill. That thing leads you right into the stream. Anyway, let me know how you do. I’m going on to the next hole.”
In the end, Woods aced every hole but one, while Blanchard struggled to find a rhythm, finishing an embarrassing 23 over par. Blanchard, however, wasn’t interested in the final score. He was only interested in spending some time with his idol.
“I’m not too sad that I didn’t play well,” said Blanchard. “I just wanted to meet Tiger and spend some time with him. I wish he could’ve paid a little more attention to me, though. He really seemed focused on getting the best possible score and making sure I couldn’t come from behind. You know, when he gets a lead, forget it. You have no chance.”
Woods started off with 7 straight aces but missed on the 8th hole after being distracted by someone taking a picture with a camera phone. That someone was Robbie’s mom, Stacy, who got an earful from Woods for screwing up his shot.
“Aww come on,” Woods said as he watched his putt lip around the hole and miss. “Put that thing away. Goddamn it. Goddamn it! Nobody understands the protocol anymore. Are you done? Are you through taking pictures? Good, because if you do that again, I am out of here. Try explaining that to little what’s-his-face.”
For the rest of the course, Woods put on a clinic and by the 18th hole a large crowd had gathered and was cheering his every putt. When he sunk his last hole-in-one, a relieved Woods waved to the crowd and then spoke to a reporter about his record setting day.
“You know this is a tough course,” he said. “It’s got a lot of weird angles and breaks and tons of little obstructions. I just tried to get in the zone and play a good round of golf. My opponent played well, too, but I just found that rhythm and was able to put some distance between us early on. Where is that kid anyway? Oh, he’s still on hole 6. Heh. One of those days, I guess. I’ve been there. Keep plugging away, Bobbie. Don’t get discouraged!”
Two hours later, Blanchard finished the course. Woods was long gone, but Robbie did get to share a smile and an ice cream cone with a representative of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, who said Robbie did a “great job” even though he finished with a 59.
“Robbie was wonderful and it was a really great day all around,” said Ty Weathers, director of Make-A-Wish. “He got to play some mini-golf and he also got to experience what it’s like to be thoroughly and mercilessly dismantled by the greatest golfer in history. He shouldn’t be embarrassed about the fact that he laid down and died like a dog. Tiger just has that effect on his opponents.”
Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, that dream came true on Monday when the two met at a Putt Putt course in Framingham, Mass, where Woods crushed the bumbling youngster by 20 strokes.
Throughout the 18 hole round, Woods was his usual intense and focused self, meticulously measuring each shot and pumping his fist after each ace.
“Get in there, get in there, get in there…Yes!” shouted Woods, as he marched down the green to retrieve another hole in one. “That’s five in a row. Watch out for this one, Robbie. It breaks to the left but it gets a little bumpy along the way. And whatever you do, avoid hitting it through the windmill. That thing leads you right into the stream. Anyway, let me know how you do. I’m going on to the next hole.”
In the end, Woods aced every hole but one, while Blanchard struggled to find a rhythm, finishing an embarrassing 23 over par. Blanchard, however, wasn’t interested in the final score. He was only interested in spending some time with his idol.
“I’m not too sad that I didn’t play well,” said Blanchard. “I just wanted to meet Tiger and spend some time with him. I wish he could’ve paid a little more attention to me, though. He really seemed focused on getting the best possible score and making sure I couldn’t come from behind. You know, when he gets a lead, forget it. You have no chance.”
Woods started off with 7 straight aces but missed on the 8th hole after being distracted by someone taking a picture with a camera phone. That someone was Robbie’s mom, Stacy, who got an earful from Woods for screwing up his shot.
“Aww come on,” Woods said as he watched his putt lip around the hole and miss. “Put that thing away. Goddamn it. Goddamn it! Nobody understands the protocol anymore. Are you done? Are you through taking pictures? Good, because if you do that again, I am out of here. Try explaining that to little what’s-his-face.”
For the rest of the course, Woods put on a clinic and by the 18th hole a large crowd had gathered and was cheering his every putt. When he sunk his last hole-in-one, a relieved Woods waved to the crowd and then spoke to a reporter about his record setting day.
“You know this is a tough course,” he said. “It’s got a lot of weird angles and breaks and tons of little obstructions. I just tried to get in the zone and play a good round of golf. My opponent played well, too, but I just found that rhythm and was able to put some distance between us early on. Where is that kid anyway? Oh, he’s still on hole 6. Heh. One of those days, I guess. I’ve been there. Keep plugging away, Bobbie. Don’t get discouraged!”
Two hours later, Blanchard finished the course. Woods was long gone, but Robbie did get to share a smile and an ice cream cone with a representative of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, who said Robbie did a “great job” even though he finished with a 59.
“Robbie was wonderful and it was a really great day all around,” said Ty Weathers, director of Make-A-Wish. “He got to play some mini-golf and he also got to experience what it’s like to be thoroughly and mercilessly dismantled by the greatest golfer in history. He shouldn’t be embarrassed about the fact that he laid down and died like a dog. Tiger just has that effect on his opponents.”
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Wie Wants To Play On Ryder Cup Team
Seriously... just read it for yourself here.
My favorite quote:
"Hopefully, I will be able to play the Ryder Cup one day, that would be awesome and I think it is totally possible."
Totally? Like wow... that is a totally cool idea. Here's another one: WIN A FUCKING TOURNAMENT AGAINST WOMEN.
I am so sick of this kid. Let's face it, if she looked like the other bull-dykes on the LPGA Tour, no one would even care about her.
Ryder Cup... man, my blood is boiling. So, she thinks it is possible that she is going to be, over the course of a two year stretch of time, one of the top 12 players in the United States? Really? This is "totally possible?"
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No updates this week... we'll get er done next week for sure.
My favorite quote:
"Hopefully, I will be able to play the Ryder Cup one day, that would be awesome and I think it is totally possible."
Totally? Like wow... that is a totally cool idea. Here's another one: WIN A FUCKING TOURNAMENT AGAINST WOMEN.
I am so sick of this kid. Let's face it, if she looked like the other bull-dykes on the LPGA Tour, no one would even care about her.
Ryder Cup... man, my blood is boiling. So, she thinks it is possible that she is going to be, over the course of a two year stretch of time, one of the top 12 players in the United States? Really? This is "totally possible?"
------
No updates this week... we'll get er done next week for sure.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Vegas Blog
OK FPGPers, this will be the place for our live updates from Vegas... I can post them in the comment section using my blackberry.
The weather situation ended up changing some plans... Jeff is enroute to Vegas now, escaping before Ernesto reached him. Gotta love Jeff. Tropical storm approaching his coastal residence, and he takes off a day early to go to Vegas... leaving wife and children behind. As he said "we have flood insurance." Attaboy Jeff. I can't wait to go to Vegas for your second bachelor party.
The weather situation ended up changing some plans... Jeff is enroute to Vegas now, escaping before Ernesto reached him. Gotta love Jeff. Tropical storm approaching his coastal residence, and he takes off a day early to go to Vegas... leaving wife and children behind. As he said "we have flood insurance." Attaboy Jeff. I can't wait to go to Vegas for your second bachelor party.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Vegas State Of Mind...
Enough of all this golf and mojo talk... I can almost taste Vegas... we are 72 hours out from our Friday tee time.
I've been swamped at work, and the home life has been stressful... for those out of the know, my mom moved down to Texas in May after my dad died, and she's lived with us since then. That is enough to make any house more stressed. Toss in planning a wedding for November, and we are on high stress alert. I was just chatting with Jeff (IM) about it and commented that the three things that cure stress the best are
1. Tap-in birdies.
2. Rolled up aces.
3. Lapdances.
Which made me think... which of those three will happen more this weekend? Let's think for a minute...
Me, Jeff, Excal and Tev... 36 holes. That is 144 holes of golf. How many of those holes will result in tap-in birdies?
A few of us will play poker... I know I am logging at least 18 hours at the tables over the weekend. You get about 30 hands an hour... so, 540 hands just for me. How many times will one of us see rolled up aces?
Six dudes away from family, wives, girlfriends, etc. How many lapdances can or will be purchased under the "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" rule?
This is really a toughie. Given the level of ability on the golf course, two tap in birdies are a possibility.
From a strictly statistical standpoint, I'd expect to see rolled up aces once this weekend, but with others playing, we could get to two.
Lapdances. Hmmmm... the over/under on that one is probably also two. It is my bachelor party, so I am sure my arm will get twisted into one. Once the liquor starts flowing, I can see at least one more for someone else.
This will be an interesting thing to keep track of...
I've been swamped at work, and the home life has been stressful... for those out of the know, my mom moved down to Texas in May after my dad died, and she's lived with us since then. That is enough to make any house more stressed. Toss in planning a wedding for November, and we are on high stress alert. I was just chatting with Jeff (IM) about it and commented that the three things that cure stress the best are
1. Tap-in birdies.
2. Rolled up aces.
3. Lapdances.
Which made me think... which of those three will happen more this weekend? Let's think for a minute...
Me, Jeff, Excal and Tev... 36 holes. That is 144 holes of golf. How many of those holes will result in tap-in birdies?
A few of us will play poker... I know I am logging at least 18 hours at the tables over the weekend. You get about 30 hands an hour... so, 540 hands just for me. How many times will one of us see rolled up aces?
Six dudes away from family, wives, girlfriends, etc. How many lapdances can or will be purchased under the "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" rule?
This is really a toughie. Given the level of ability on the golf course, two tap in birdies are a possibility.
From a strictly statistical standpoint, I'd expect to see rolled up aces once this weekend, but with others playing, we could get to two.
Lapdances. Hmmmm... the over/under on that one is probably also two. It is my bachelor party, so I am sure my arm will get twisted into one. Once the liquor starts flowing, I can see at least one more for someone else.
This will be an interesting thing to keep track of...
Monday, August 28, 2006
MOJO In Bean Town
JG, my appologies if I came off as rude or insulting in my comments last Thursday. They were not meant to be. I'm used to trashing talking more with golfers like some in the FPGP, but not PGA Tour pros. I think I crossed a line and for that I appologize. I hope the MOJO returns for you in Bean Town this weekend.
No Update
Sorry dudes, been busy at work trying to squeeze 5 days into 4... We'll get you updates next week after the Boston event.
Stay tuned for Live Vegas Blogging, beginning Friday!
Stay tuned for Live Vegas Blogging, beginning Friday!
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Somebody get that Bandit
Not since the famous movie where a truck full of Coors light needed to get to Georgia while a sherrif tried to stop it was a Bandit so rooted for. But the FPGP Bandit is no 'Bandit' aka Bo Darville, as played by Burt Reynolds. This Bandit received no love and now appears to be on his way to barely staying in the money. Stevie V, with a good JG showing, could run away with the 2006 FPGP. Stevie V's Micheel pick was a fantastic stroke of...well luck. His good luck and the emergence of the #123 ranked golfer on the PGA Tour Money List are working in Stevie V's favor. The movie Bandit had Carrie aka 'Frog',as played by Sally Fields, helping him to the finish line, but the FPGP Bandit has to have Charles Howell III help him to the finish line, and that just can't be as good.
Forty Plus Inches
Golf World Magazine this week had a small article on golf wear. Listed as one of the best dressed with an over 40" belt was our boy, JG. The author liked the fact that he wore appropriate sized clothing, thus not trying to get into clothes that would obviously appear not to fit him. For a guy listed as #123 on the Money list, you get the more interesting comments from the TV personalities and print media.
JG, how long is your tour card good for? Are you year by year or did you get some sort of exemption from your win on the PGA Tour last year?
Final question, how big is Tiger compared to you? You must be the intimidating one on the tee given your size and length off the tee.
A Proposition Bet...
Well, now that I know that Excal/Tiger/Former Commish has a little money in his pocket, I thought I'd profer a bet I've thought about for a while. I was just going to bring this one up when we were in the desert, but let's let the group hear this one out. As background for the group... we are all getting in on Friday a.m., and playing that afternoon. Saturday, there will be no golf, at least for me and Excal... then, we play again on Sunday afternoon. Here's my proposition for SUNDAY'S round.:
I believe that our hero cannot break 100 if he follows the following rules:
1. He is not allowed to have more than 14 clubs in his bag during the round. Any "extras" must be left in the car.
2. He plays the ball "down"... that is, he can't improve any lie in the fairway, rough, bunkers, etc.
3. He does not tee up the ball ahead of the markers.
4. He does not pick up a putt unless it is expressly conceded by me, and only me.
5. Balls that are struck out of bounds are played as such, not as lateral hazards.
6. He rides in my cart.
I would add that if any of the above conditions are broken, we'd have to assess the appropriate 2-stroke penalties or whatever else is appropriate (i.e, stroke AND distance where appropriate). Further, I'd suggest that Excal has to play from a set of tees that plays between 6400-6700 yards. Since none of us know the course, I am not sure what those tees will be. If they are the "tips" so be it. If they are the ladies' tees... that's OK too.
I was originally thinking that we could bet a fixed amount... now I am thinking it would be more interesting if we did something like this... for every stroke under 100 that Excal shoots, I owe him $10... for every stroke over 100 he shoots, he owes me $7. So I am basically giving him 3:2 on his money to simply break 100 playing by the rules. Surely, that is not a challenge he'd shrink from, is it?
I believe that our hero cannot break 100 if he follows the following rules:
1. He is not allowed to have more than 14 clubs in his bag during the round. Any "extras" must be left in the car.
2. He plays the ball "down"... that is, he can't improve any lie in the fairway, rough, bunkers, etc.
3. He does not tee up the ball ahead of the markers.
4. He does not pick up a putt unless it is expressly conceded by me, and only me.
5. Balls that are struck out of bounds are played as such, not as lateral hazards.
6. He rides in my cart.
I would add that if any of the above conditions are broken, we'd have to assess the appropriate 2-stroke penalties or whatever else is appropriate (i.e, stroke AND distance where appropriate). Further, I'd suggest that Excal has to play from a set of tees that plays between 6400-6700 yards. Since none of us know the course, I am not sure what those tees will be. If they are the "tips" so be it. If they are the ladies' tees... that's OK too.
I was originally thinking that we could bet a fixed amount... now I am thinking it would be more interesting if we did something like this... for every stroke under 100 that Excal shoots, I owe him $10... for every stroke over 100 he shoots, he owes me $7. So I am basically giving him 3:2 on his money to simply break 100 playing by the rules. Surely, that is not a challenge he'd shrink from, is it?
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
This Week's Leaderboards
I have the link for the Reno leaderboard, but can't figure out the Bridgestone one quite yet... I'll get it up tomorrow. Same for "JG's Scorecard."
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Pinstripes and All Else Are Just Gripes
Being that I grew up 2 blocks from Yankee stadium and played NY Police League ball in the Bronx (before we ran for our proverbial lives to Yonkers and then down to Northern VA), I must say that you Sox fans are hilarious. You'd think baseball began in 2004. One championship season per century does not constitute a rivalry...it's the equivalent of being French and worshipping the one French war hero and thinking you have a rivalry with Germany. The Yankees are the greatest sports franchise in the history of the world (don't even give me the America's Cup bullshit) bar none. They do it with class and respect for the game and an incredibly large cable deal.
JG vs TW
Per MG, part of Nike Golf will be paired together this Thursday at the Bridgestone. Why is Tiger playing in the Bridgestone event? Well, for those who don't know, Nike doesn't make it's own golf balls. Bridgestone makes them for them. So next time you are going to spend $50 on a dozen of the Nike One balls, save yourself a few bucks and buy the top end Bridgestone ball. It likely has the same makeup as the Nike One. Plus, if you are not a professional and are reading this, there is likely little benefit of playing the Nike One or the top end Bridgestone ball.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Bandit's Lead Short-Lived!!!
Once again, we have a new leader! What a season.
Shaun Micheel's performance at the PGA this week has pushed Stevie "defending champ" V. to the top of the leaderboard.
Shaun Micheel's performance at the PGA this week has pushed Stevie "defending champ" V. to the top of the leaderboard.
Excalibur Wins Side Bet!!!
Congrats former commish... I had you on the ropes, but then my two boys went backwards and Adam Scott went low. Oh well. That is a hundo for the year. Looks like you are buying me in to next year's FPGP.
Friday, August 18, 2006
On Jinxing...
It struck me that perhaps MG was a bit over cautious with her "don't jinx JG" comment yesterday. Yes, he was off to a good round. Yes, you don't really say things like "no hitter" when a pitcher has one going. However, JG seems to get the opposite effect from the blog. In the early months, he struggled as we commented viciously on such struggles, and his waistline. However, when the dialogue opened up and the MOJO started to flow, JG seemed well, unjinxable. As such, I think the FPGP MOJO clearly overpowers any normal jinx we may have. As such, congratulations JG for making the cut in a major... I am sure you wished your standing was better, but a nice pair of 65s ought to take care of that. Just go get 'er done!
And yes, it has been a long week, it is Friday, I am on sleep deprivation, and I am counting the seconds until I go home. It was either this or my "Go Go Ogi" post that I was going to write, but feared the powerful jinx.
And yes, it has been a long week, it is Friday, I am on sleep deprivation, and I am counting the seconds until I go home. It was either this or my "Go Go Ogi" post that I was going to write, but feared the powerful jinx.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Eight Is Enough!
I was just about to write a sure-to-jinx post about my #4 pick, Brett Wetterich being -4 through 11 holes, and on cruise control... gonna take me to the promised land in the bet versus the former commish.Then I hit the refresh button on the leaderboard and his name disappeared.
He went from -4 to E in one hole. A snowman. Quad. Double par. Fuck!!! Could this be the beginning signs of a shift for the former commish? Might this be the little ray of hope he needs in this side bet? Time will tell... 4 of his 5 boys tee off this afternoon. I can't see Carl "Don't Call Me Norm" Petterson breaking 75, but I have been wrong before.
Oh, and there is no "JG's Scorecard" link for this tourney. For some reason, PGATour.com uses a different service to do live scoreboards during the majors, and it is a pain to work with... if you want to keep tabs on our in-house pro, just go to the leaderboard link and find him the old fashioned way.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
UPDATE: Bandit Gets Legg Up On The Field
I had a few minutes this a.m., and decided to post an update... DA BANDIT has taken over the lead! Ian Leggett's finish at the International was enough to push the multiple FPGP winner into first place. While Da Bandit has the Legg Up, Robbo's "feets are failing him now." Had Robbo simply stood pat on his trade, he'd be in 2nd place right now...
Here's the non-fancy:
336 ... Da Bandit
315 ... Johnny V.
295 ... Stevie V.
288 ... Robbo/Buzz
269 ... Tiger Philp
226 ... Stevie T./New Tex
208 ... Jumpin Jeff/Shades
177 ... Vic/Talonflier
172 ... Stan the Man
- 72 ... Fraser
Here's the non-fancy:
336 ... Da Bandit
315 ... Johnny V.
295 ... Stevie V.
288 ... Robbo/Buzz
269 ... Tiger Philp
226 ... Stevie T./New Tex
208 ... Jumpin Jeff/Shades
177 ... Vic/Talonflier
172 ... Stan the Man
- 72 ... Fraser
PGA Championship Bet: Do You Feel Lucky?
OK Tiger, this is your last chance for glory, as they say. Not sure if you are even going to participate after that PATHETIC email you sent me. We'll let the humiliation continue in public.Normal bet... $50 for best team, $50 for winner. No Tiger. I pick first. I take Mickelson. You can make the next pick in the comments section, and I'll do the same. And I don't want to hear any more whining about you having to feed your family, and no you cannot just buy me a beer in Vegas to settle up. At this rate, I almost hope you cash in the FPGP this year so you can afford to pay off your side bet debt.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Houston We Have A Problem
I have to go to Houston tonite/tomorrow... won't be back in the "doing an update loop" until Tuesday, so there may not be one until after the PGA Championship.
Practical Jokes Part Deux
Ladies I'm back! Sorry I have been off the net as of late...or perhaps this was a much appreciated respite from my blathering. I have been off doing work stuff. I also apologize for missing the Vegas buffoonery; Golf junkets don't fit well into the family schedule right now, something (ahem) new fathers will soon come to realize. Let me regale one of my better golf practical jokes and see if one of you Vegas Vagabonds can pull a topper in between 6 foot gimmes and hostess ass grabs. Working in the bag room while growing up (I may actually complete the process in another year or two) there are certain members who you come to hate viscerally. You know the ones, they cleave to their 100lb Burton suede staff bags, loaded with a small Filipino family, soaked with enough old skin oil to power you through an LA heat wave. Well, this 13 year old, 160lb attendent had hoisted this bag for the last time up to the second rack (said owner refused to go lower rack because he felt his clubs got "clanked" in the traffic flow) and I set the plan in motion. I was going to get this clown to quit the game someway, somehow. Now, this human hockey puck claimed to have been a tour pro back when the earth was cooling, but couldn't break an egg with sledgehammer let alone 80. He purchased a brand new set of butterknives in the form of these Tony Pena blades that even that famous Canadian (oxymoron here) swing genius, Moe whatshisfuck, couldn't hit. Friday afternoon, after Mr X gloats how he has two primo tee times this weekend and to make sure his new tools are well sanitized, I set out to change the loft a two full clubs stronger on my handy loft/lie machine for every iron in his bag. He comes in after his Saturday round about as excited and shakey as that Taco Bell dog...high as a kite 'cause he was pounding the ball over the green all day..."this clubs are the heat," he exclaims! Yes I did, that evening I bent them all back the other way to a full two clubs weak. The next AM we followed Mr X around secretly ('cept the howls and guffaws of laughter) as he would smooth a swing and hold his TV pose as the ball fell hopelessly twenty to thirty yards short of the green. By the end of his round, he went straight from 18 green to his trunk lid, abandoning his cart and clubs 30 meters from the cart return area...as I yelled, "Sir, you need to pull the cart all the way in, your coming up short!" We altered his clubs for the next two weekends and even delofted his putter a little for emphasis (this will really make your ball hop). Victory was mine, as that side of cow and now somewhat warped set of clubs grew dusty and quiet way back on that second rack for the rest of my tenure.
Friday, August 11, 2006
As LL Cool J said, "Don't call it a comeback."
This is either the start of a very nice comeback to make the cut or failed attept at erasing a terrible round on Thursday.
(remember this tourney is using the Stableford System. The higher the score the better)
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Watch Out For Trashcan This Week!!
That's right... finally a format where positive (+) scores are a good thing!!! I feel that this is his week... I have seen him put up plenty of "+" scores this season, and it was clearly in training for this event. Go gettem T-can!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Openning Lines on Vegas Golf
Well, Shades, Tiger and I (and Shade's bro-in-law, Tev, who will join us in the FPGP next year) have our tee times set for the Vegas trip. We play a late afternoon round at Beer Creek (or something like that) on Friday, and we have a 1:00 tee time at Las Vegas National on Sunday. Here are some openning line thoughts:
1. No way Tiger Philp breaks 100 on Sunday. Can't happen. After 48 hours of Vegas, booze, lights, booze, boobs, booze, and no sleep, he'll be lucky to tee the ball in the ground without falling over. Toss in the 110 degree heat, and this is a round that is destined for triple digits. I think the right over/under is 110.
2. Over/under for Shades' round on Friday: 96. The dude is flying from SC to WASHINGTON DC, to get to Vegas. He's in the air long enough to fly to London. No chance that he is stepping off the plane and putting up a good number. Can't happen.
3. Over/under for number of balls I hit OB during the weekend. Probably 10. No practice, no play... I can't imagine driving it well on new courses with no sleep. I'd also stick the over/under for my rounds at 90. Last time I pegged it was in May w/ Shades, and I doubt I'll play before Vegas... maybe some range time though. 5 rounds of golf in 2.5 years is not a lot to hang a hat on.
4. Tiger showing up for the Sunday round is about 2:1. He will bitch about the cost, and bitch about being tired.
5. Odds that any one of Tiger's drives that is in the fairway is longer than a drive of mine that is in the fairway: 20:1 Odds that he outdrives Shades: 10:1
6. Over/under on number of clubs in Tiger's bags: 17
7. Over/under on number of putts Tiger tries to give himself in two rounds: 8
8. Over/under on number of holes Tiger will lose due to violating rules on not holing out: 8
9. Odds of me retaining the coveted "Yankee-Gamecock Golf Classic Champion" Cup (aka "da Cup") in a 36 hole match with shades: even. I'd say I am a 6:5 favorite, but I can't pull the "hey will you be my best man?" trick on the turn like I did in May. That was worth at least one hole, as shades was 2 up on 10 tee, and jacked it dead left after I asked him...
10. Over/under on number of times Tiger utters "no justice" during the weekend: 7. For the uninitiated, this the battle cry used when Tiger hits something like a 4-wood from 140 yards only to see it come up short in a lake.
11. Over/under on number of times I yell at myself after a bad shot and call myself "Stephen!" 14. I may not play much, but my temper is still in fine tune.
12. Odds that Shades will play me straight up: 2:1. Come on dude, i don't play anymore! I can't give you strokes! Let's play it even on Friday, and adjust on Sunday? Deal?
13. Over/under on number of "live blog comments" that will be posted to the FPGP blog during the weekend golf rounds: 12. What can I say, I love me my blackberry.
1. No way Tiger Philp breaks 100 on Sunday. Can't happen. After 48 hours of Vegas, booze, lights, booze, boobs, booze, and no sleep, he'll be lucky to tee the ball in the ground without falling over. Toss in the 110 degree heat, and this is a round that is destined for triple digits. I think the right over/under is 110.
2. Over/under for Shades' round on Friday: 96. The dude is flying from SC to WASHINGTON DC, to get to Vegas. He's in the air long enough to fly to London. No chance that he is stepping off the plane and putting up a good number. Can't happen.
3. Over/under for number of balls I hit OB during the weekend. Probably 10. No practice, no play... I can't imagine driving it well on new courses with no sleep. I'd also stick the over/under for my rounds at 90. Last time I pegged it was in May w/ Shades, and I doubt I'll play before Vegas... maybe some range time though. 5 rounds of golf in 2.5 years is not a lot to hang a hat on.
4. Tiger showing up for the Sunday round is about 2:1. He will bitch about the cost, and bitch about being tired.
5. Odds that any one of Tiger's drives that is in the fairway is longer than a drive of mine that is in the fairway: 20:1 Odds that he outdrives Shades: 10:1
6. Over/under on number of clubs in Tiger's bags: 17
7. Over/under on number of putts Tiger tries to give himself in two rounds: 8
8. Over/under on number of holes Tiger will lose due to violating rules on not holing out: 8
9. Odds of me retaining the coveted "Yankee-Gamecock Golf Classic Champion" Cup (aka "da Cup") in a 36 hole match with shades: even. I'd say I am a 6:5 favorite, but I can't pull the "hey will you be my best man?" trick on the turn like I did in May. That was worth at least one hole, as shades was 2 up on 10 tee, and jacked it dead left after I asked him...
10. Over/under on number of times Tiger utters "no justice" during the weekend: 7. For the uninitiated, this the battle cry used when Tiger hits something like a 4-wood from 140 yards only to see it come up short in a lake.
11. Over/under on number of times I yell at myself after a bad shot and call myself "Stephen!" 14. I may not play much, but my temper is still in fine tune.
12. Odds that Shades will play me straight up: 2:1. Come on dude, i don't play anymore! I can't give you strokes! Let's play it even on Friday, and adjust on Sunday? Deal?
13. Over/under on number of "live blog comments" that will be posted to the FPGP blog during the weekend golf rounds: 12. What can I say, I love me my blackberry.
Monday, August 07, 2006
JG - How are the greens at Medinah?
Some of you know JG is in Chicago getting in a few practice rounds. We at FPGP Headquarters hope that it will play huge dividends when the time comes.
What no update?
Yeah that's right. No update this week. Did you think you moved up in the standings? Maybe you did, and then again, maybe you didn't. So what is one to do until an update is made? Plant a tree, teach a child how to read, learn a foreign language, help out at a local nursing home, or leave a comment and bitch about how your bragging rights for the week have been destroyed. Thank you for your understanding and have a pleasant day.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Aussie Aussie Aussie - Oy Oy Oy
What is it about the facial hair of Aussies?
What is it about the Aussies success on the PGA tour this year?
What is it about the Aussies success on the PGA tour this year?
Robert Allenby
2005 WSOP Champion Joseph Hachem
-Every time this guy won a hand at the final table, the Aussie rally cry went out: Aussie Aussie Aussie - Oy Oy Oy!
Shhhhhhhhh, i'm starting to hear that chant now. There's an Aussie hunting a Tiger on Sunday.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Don't Look Now...
But Tway's Twoops are crossing the cut line border, and marching up the leader board... March on boys!!
That's so Weir(d).
Vinnie Barbarino could not have said it better after Mike Weir goes low in Round 1 of the Annual Tiger Woods/VJ Singh Showcase Tournament, aka the Buick Championship. Weir did, what Sergio could only dream of doing - MAKE PUTTS. Weir was 1st in putting for the round, in which he went on to finish with a 63.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Vic... Get Yer Ass To Vegas!!
Shades and I are starting a "Get Vic To Vegas" campaign... Come on Vic... a weekend of gambling, golfing, gambling on golf, and the occasional adult beverage... what more could you want? Besides, if Tiger Philp craps out on us, we'll need a fourth... even if da former commish shows up, we'll just play it as a fivesome... me and you versus those three in some kind of fucked up format.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Is PP having Ty Tryon issues?
With the re-introduction of Ty-erd(of)Try(on)-ing, and then reading PP blog, it got me wondering. How many chefs should be in the kitchen at one time. MG mentioned that Ty had "an absolute entourage following him around, coaches, trainers, psych, and agents." So then what would TEAM PEREZ be? We have heard from his PR/Marketing guy, now on the PP blog there is word from his physical trainer. I image he must have a swing coach, an agent, a wife or friend that handles some travel stuff and 1 or 2 other guys that are "there" for whatever reason.Do all these people have PP's best interest in mind? I have no evidence they don't, but I did post a comment regarding PP's Physical Therapist, "why has he been so injured this year?" PP has been hurt almost all year and his physial therapist has been with him since 2004. Maybe now is just not the time to be advertising this guy on the PP Blog.
He could be an interesting 2007 pick though.
Monday, July 31, 2006
UPDATE 7/31/06... "V" Is For Victory?
Jeff is stuck in NC until the end of the day, so we may not get the full fancy update until tomorrow. In the meantime, here are the stats... ROBBO HAS FALLEN OUT OF CASH POSITION. The Vodo's are currently in Gold and Silver position, w/ Da Bandit creeping into 3rd. What a race!
316 .... Stevie V.
309 .... Johnny V.
301 .... Da Bandit
299 .... Robbo/Buzz
237 .... Stevie T./New Texan
220 .... Jumpin Jeff/Shades
216 .... Tiger Philp
183 .... Stan the Man
181 .... Vic/Talonflier
-53 .... Fraser
316 .... Stevie V.
309 .... Johnny V.
301 .... Da Bandit
299 .... Robbo/Buzz
237 .... Stevie T./New Texan
220 .... Jumpin Jeff/Shades
216 .... Tiger Philp
183 .... Stan the Man
181 .... Vic/Talonflier
-53 .... Fraser
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Crane-ium
I see that Talonflier suffered a setback yesterday with his pick of Ben Crane, who apparently forgot to take his Ritalin, or who is as mentally sharp as a bag of wet mice. From the tournement web site:
Defending champion Ben Crane was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. He parred the par-5 sixth hole, but signed for a 3. Crane, who played 36 holes Friday, had rounds of 67 and 72 to finish at 1 under.
Okay, so he would have missed the cut anyway, but it's still a helluva story especially since he's THE DEFENDING CHAMP!!!
Defending champion Ben Crane was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. He parred the par-5 sixth hole, but signed for a 3. Crane, who played 36 holes Friday, had rounds of 67 and 72 to finish at 1 under.
Okay, so he would have missed the cut anyway, but it's still a helluva story especially since he's THE DEFENDING CHAMP!!!
Friday, July 28, 2006
DJ is off to a HOT START boys... this could be the week!Thursday, July 27, 2006
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Ty Tryon
I have no idea why I thought of this little bag of bogeys, but his name ran across my consciousness just now... so I Googled him. And I have to say, I wish I didn't. Look at this friggin' picture! Is he a golfer or a porn star? This is going to cause me nightmares...Not shockingly, the tytryon.com web page is a dead link. However, there is a site that follows him, which can be found HERE.
Rule Changes For 2007
Although our previous adminstration tended to rule with an Iron Fist, I prefer getting a little feedback from the group. That being said, I plan to re-write some of our rules for next year to make this pool a bit more exciting, interactive and fair. That being said, here are some ideas that I have for next year... let me know what you think, and I will take your thoughts under advisement.
THE DUFFER AWARD
Presented to the FPGPer who finishes dead last in the pool. Although the infamy of the award should be enough, the "winner" of this award will be refunded their $100 entry. Note: this award will only be given if we have 15 or more FPGPers this year. I think it would be nice to give someone like Fraser something to root for, but I don't want to take out 10% of the prize pool to do it.
THE GREG OWEN CANON
Named in honor of Jeff's trade pick, this rule will put a new front-end on the trade timeline. Jeff was able to take advantage this year by doing some early research and seeing a potentially decent player get off to a shaky start, and he pulled the trigger on a trade very quickly. It seems to me that you could do this with almost anyone, yet it represents no skill whatsoever. For example, let's say Jim Furyk finishes at #2 on the money list, but misses a cut and finishes barely in the money in his first two events. He could be something like 100th on the money list and eligible for a trade. Trading for him would represent no real "skill" in picking players; rather it is just an opportunistic trade. I'd like to implement something like a "trade time" which begins in March and ends at the end of May... that way the money list has stabilized somewhat, and the Greg Owen moves are less likely to happen. Another way to think about it is to not allow a trade unless the to-be-traded-for person has played in a minimum number of events.
THE LOREN ROBERTS CANON
This rule limits who can be picked as a "short pick" to those players who are only eligible for the PGA Tour. This year, Roberts was a clever pick if you realized that he'd be spending most of his time on the Senior Tour. Again, this doesn't represent any "I think this guy over achieved last year, so I want to short him this year" skill... The Bart Bryant and Olin Browne picks from this year clearly demonstrate that. Rather, the Loren Roberts pick represents some due diligence on the picker's part, but that due diligence is in regard to "I don't think they will play many events." This also means you'd need to make your short pick(s) from the list of players who finished in the top 130 on the money list or otherwise have full playing privaleges on the PGA Tour. I can imagine another "clever" pick whereby the FPGER looks picks some dude in the 131-145 range who also doesnt get his card back at Q-school, and as such, is relegated to the Nationwide Tour.
TRADES/SHORTS/NUMBER OF PICKS
I've noodled the idea that we should have more than 1 trade a year, but I am not sure it is a great idea after all. It seems that the 1 trade is a way to make up for a mistake, but allowing two would be too much. For example, with the exception of Fraser, there is probably not anyone in this year's pool who couldn't leap into the money by making just one more trade. Thus, I think the "one trade policy" is a good one.
Something else I've noodled is increasing the number of picks from 7 to 8 for the sake of diversity in picks, and also allowing 1 or 2 short picks. That is, you have to have at least one short, but if you want to short 2 guys, that is OK. As always, you can't trade out your short picks.
Let me know what you think...
THE DUFFER AWARD
Presented to the FPGPer who finishes dead last in the pool. Although the infamy of the award should be enough, the "winner" of this award will be refunded their $100 entry. Note: this award will only be given if we have 15 or more FPGPers this year. I think it would be nice to give someone like Fraser something to root for, but I don't want to take out 10% of the prize pool to do it.
THE GREG OWEN CANON
Named in honor of Jeff's trade pick, this rule will put a new front-end on the trade timeline. Jeff was able to take advantage this year by doing some early research and seeing a potentially decent player get off to a shaky start, and he pulled the trigger on a trade very quickly. It seems to me that you could do this with almost anyone, yet it represents no skill whatsoever. For example, let's say Jim Furyk finishes at #2 on the money list, but misses a cut and finishes barely in the money in his first two events. He could be something like 100th on the money list and eligible for a trade. Trading for him would represent no real "skill" in picking players; rather it is just an opportunistic trade. I'd like to implement something like a "trade time" which begins in March and ends at the end of May... that way the money list has stabilized somewhat, and the Greg Owen moves are less likely to happen. Another way to think about it is to not allow a trade unless the to-be-traded-for person has played in a minimum number of events.
THE LOREN ROBERTS CANON
This rule limits who can be picked as a "short pick" to those players who are only eligible for the PGA Tour. This year, Roberts was a clever pick if you realized that he'd be spending most of his time on the Senior Tour. Again, this doesn't represent any "I think this guy over achieved last year, so I want to short him this year" skill... The Bart Bryant and Olin Browne picks from this year clearly demonstrate that. Rather, the Loren Roberts pick represents some due diligence on the picker's part, but that due diligence is in regard to "I don't think they will play many events." This also means you'd need to make your short pick(s) from the list of players who finished in the top 130 on the money list or otherwise have full playing privaleges on the PGA Tour. I can imagine another "clever" pick whereby the FPGER looks picks some dude in the 131-145 range who also doesnt get his card back at Q-school, and as such, is relegated to the Nationwide Tour.
TRADES/SHORTS/NUMBER OF PICKS
I've noodled the idea that we should have more than 1 trade a year, but I am not sure it is a great idea after all. It seems that the 1 trade is a way to make up for a mistake, but allowing two would be too much. For example, with the exception of Fraser, there is probably not anyone in this year's pool who couldn't leap into the money by making just one more trade. Thus, I think the "one trade policy" is a good one.
Something else I've noodled is increasing the number of picks from 7 to 8 for the sake of diversity in picks, and also allowing 1 or 2 short picks. That is, you have to have at least one short, but if you want to short 2 guys, that is OK. As always, you can't trade out your short picks.
Let me know what you think...
Monday, July 24, 2006
UPDATE 7/24/06
WE HAVE A NEW LEADER...
This is a really tight race! 7 points separate 1st from 3rd, and less than 100 separate first from 2nd to last (Fraser is so far out, we don't even look at his scores). Some of this week's backwards movement from Robbo (and a few others) resulted from Scott Hoch's standings... another 15 or so players made it onto the money list, driving the "1+ the last guy on the list" score all the way up to 261. Jeff made the most progress with a little forward momentum from Sergio.
As for Robbo/Buzz/Da Rodent... looks like this is his fate...
This is a really tight race! 7 points separate 1st from 3rd, and less than 100 separate first from 2nd to last (Fraser is so far out, we don't even look at his scores). Some of this week's backwards movement from Robbo (and a few others) resulted from Scott Hoch's standings... another 15 or so players made it onto the money list, driving the "1+ the last guy on the list" score all the way up to 261. Jeff made the most progress with a little forward momentum from Sergio.
As for Robbo/Buzz/Da Rodent... looks like this is his fate...
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Sergio Garcia's Final Round Putting...
Good move not taking the bet on Sergio finishing in the top 5... I know the round is still in progress, but given the way he is putting, I don't think he has much hope.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Insert British Open Side Bet Trash Talk Here
Harrington +3? Wow. Thought he was the one good pick you made. Shocked also by Clarke at -3. I am still confident the Karma Bus will run you over.
Daniel "Don't Call Me Deepak" Chopra
What is up with this dude? I checked in on the B.C. Open scores, and again, he is on the top of the board. If PGA Tour events were 18 or 36 holes, he may have won $5 million already this year... he seems to get out to the front more consistently than anyone.As a side note, I also just realized that this tourney is being "Presented By Turning Stone Resort." Let me tell you a little bit about Turning Stone...
1. If you had a map of "nowhere" you could find it by looking smack in the middle of said map.
2. The casino itself is OK... the poker room is absolutely wonderful. I usually joke that bad poker players have to count using their fingers and toes. Well, it is even worse when they have webbed feet, like in upstate New York... relying on a Base-9 or Base-8 system to calculate "outs" in poker is not a profitable way to play. My one night playing a small $5-10 Limit Hold-em game, I cleaned the table for over $700 in 4 hours... and I was shitfaced. One one hand, I "flopped" FOUR ACES, and kept getting raised and re-raised to the max by TWO guys who were trying to bluff me. Now that is fun stuff.
3. If you want to go to Turning Stone and enjoy an adult beverage, bring your own. Yup, it is an alcohol free environment. When Petra and I sat down at a Blackjack table upon arrival, I ordered the customary Jack and Coke. Waitress said "I can get that... hold the Jack." It was later explained to us that the Indian Tribe that runs the place made a deal with the state government... if they didn't serve alcohol, they could let 18 and over gamble... and the one thing that that area of upstate New York has is 18 and over kids, because of the number of colleges. You can, however, bring in your own. This explains how I was "shitfaced" in a dry casino... Petra and I went to a local liquor store, loaded up, went back to our suite, drank like it was an Olympic event, then went down over (separate buildings... stupid) casino.
4. The "Lodge Resort" or whatever it is called is one of the nicest places I've ever stayed. It has the feeling of an upscale ski resort... something you might find in Aspen or Reno... it is strangely out of place in this shit hole.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
JG, who is your pick to win the British Open?
I personally like Tim Clark. Guy is money overseas and his recent showing at the Western Open and Masters makes me think this guy can play in Big tournaments.
SIDE BET ISSUE: TREVOR IMMELMAN
Tiger, I just heard on the radio that Trevor pulled out of the British Open because of the birth of his daughter... the question is this... are you going to do the right thing and give me a pick to replace him, or are you going to be a bastard?
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Sergio? Is that you?
We had a visitor to the blog from Vigo, Spain - Galicia Region on Tuesday. Sergio is that you? If so, why aren't you practicing your putting? If it is you, you should post a comment here and get some of that ol'fashioned FPGP MOJO. Post here and in your next tourney finish in the top 10. Don't believe it? Ask fellow PGA professionals that finished in the top 10 at the Cialis Western Open.
FPGP MOJO, it's not just for breakfast anymore!
FPGP MOJO, it's not just for breakfast anymore!
Two Leaderboards
I have the links for both the British and B.C. Open leaderboards set up on the side bar. I am reasonably certain that PGA Tour guys are able to allocate their winnings in the British to their PGA Tour totals, so this is an important one. Same for the B.C. Open, which has many of our bottom tier players (e.g., Trashcan) in the field.
Stevie T. and Tiger Philp: British Open Side Bet
Ok former commish, this is the thread we can use to make our picks... we'll just do it in the comments. You mentioned you had a full day today, so I expect to see your first pick this evening... I'll log in from time to time, and maybe we can get it all done today.
1. You get the first pick, by virtue of the thumping you got in the Master's bet. Five picks total.
2. $50 for team with most earnings at the British Open.
3. $50 if the winner is picked.
This is a tradition between me and Tiger, so if you'd like to join... too bad. It would take too long to enlist others into our little fun. However, I do encourage you guys to engage in any side bets that you want and feel free to use the blog to arrange them.
----------
OK, here are the teams:
TIGER PHILP:
Mickelson
Clarke
Harrington
Donald
Montgomerie
STEVIE T:
Singh
Goosen
Immelman
Ogilvy
Appleby
Check out the comments to see the "evolution" of the picks.
1. You get the first pick, by virtue of the thumping you got in the Master's bet. Five picks total.
2. $50 for team with most earnings at the British Open.
3. $50 if the winner is picked.
This is a tradition between me and Tiger, so if you'd like to join... too bad. It would take too long to enlist others into our little fun. However, I do encourage you guys to engage in any side bets that you want and feel free to use the blog to arrange them.
----------
OK, here are the teams:
TIGER PHILP:
Mickelson
Clarke
Harrington
Donald
Montgomerie
STEVIE T:
Singh
Goosen
Immelman
Ogilvy
Appleby
Check out the comments to see the "evolution" of the picks.
British Open weather forcast?
Tim Herron sauntered around the putting green in front of the Royal Liverpool clubhouse, soaking up a glorious day and marveling at what he had seen out on the course. 'They were sunbathing over there,' he said, motioning off into the distance with his club.
Sunbathing? At the British Open?
Indeed.
During Tuesday's practice round at this historic course along the Irish Sea, the temperature was climbing into the 80s beneath a brilliant blue sky, with nary a cloud to be had.
There were no fearsome gusts whipping in off the water, just a refreshing breeze. Instead of bundling up in sweaters and jackets, most fans milled around the links wearing shorts and T-shirts.
If conditions stay anything close to this through the weekend, Tiger Woods' record 19-under score while winning at St. Andrews six years ago could be in jeopardy. FULL STORY
Monday, July 17, 2006
Tell It Like It Is
Like a pesky (albeit determined) insect, da Bandit is now swarming around the leaders of the FPGP. But, his team (many lacking in masculine qualities) has likely peaked, save for Ian Leggett, who may go down as the poorest pick in FPGP history (right up there with Philp’s choice of Gabriel Hjertstedt). Incidentally, Philp traded for Leggett this year showing that he hasn’t lost his touch!
The FPGP board has lacked the typical Bandit bravado, which has served him well in the business world and while stationed at the end of numerous bars. Why the absence? Well, he was last sighted in New Orleans at a bar called Monkey Hill --- I know since he left a gin-soaked message on my answering machine.
As far as da Rodent, his team is toast. If you believe in the saying “coffee is for closers,” Robbo is decaf at best. Yes, his squad is headed for another 2nd half swoon ---- poor coaching pure and simple.
As for me, my team is just beginning to percolate, lead by the phoenix known as JG! I just have to make better side bets and all should turn out okay.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Senden Da Bandit Up The Money List
John Senden's victory today puts Da Bandit in a position he knows well in the FPGP. Yes, the career leading money leader of our pool is once again in "cash position," replacing Johnny V. in 3rd place... this move shakes up the top 3 for the first time in months. Moreover, only 13 points now separate first from 3rd... had Da Bandit not dumped Alex Cejka, he'd be alone in first by about 40 points.
When I calculated the points, I thought I made a typo, but the totals are correct. Tex/Shades are tied, as are Stan and Vic.
Also, Jeff/Shades put up a "side bet summary" on the sidebar for us... it is just a little summary I've made to keep track of the side action that is generating. The way to read it is DOWN columns.
When I calculated the points, I thought I made a typo, but the totals are correct. Tex/Shades are tied, as are Stan and Vic.
Also, Jeff/Shades put up a "side bet summary" on the sidebar for us... it is just a little summary I've made to keep track of the side action that is generating. The way to read it is DOWN columns.
Eagle Sightings
JG puts up 3 back nine eagles on Sunday. EXCELLENT work JG!!!!!!! Your 2nd shot on 17 took a very nice hop and roll. Tough (expensive) break on 18, but hey, another great tournament for you and don't let 18 get you down. 3 EAGLES for god sake.
Standings Shakeup
Could be a TON of movement after this week's tourney. John Senden, currently leading (and running away a bit) can be found on Da Bandit's team, and only his. Trashcan is currently T11, and if he can avoid a meltdown, should give me a bunch of points. Same for Jumpin Jeff who is riding the Justin "Every Rose Has A Thorn, and Mine Is My Putting." JG, held by a few people is also crawling up the board.
It's also possible that Da Bandit may have one of those "bitter sweet" days, as Alex Cejka is climbing into the top 3... Da Bandit had Cejka but dumped him for Chris Smith right at the deadline. It looks like had Da Bandit stood pat on the trade deadline, he'd vault into or very near the lead today (assuming the leaderboard holds).
It's also possible that Da Bandit may have one of those "bitter sweet" days, as Alex Cejka is climbing into the top 3... Da Bandit had Cejka but dumped him for Chris Smith right at the deadline. It looks like had Da Bandit stood pat on the trade deadline, he'd vault into or very near the lead today (assuming the leaderboard holds).
Saturday, July 15, 2006
GORE GIRLS
Sorry MG but apparently your man now has a cult following that has manifested itself in the formation of an all-girl, Detroit-based band. Motivated by the stellar play of Jason Gore last year, the girls sought to combine the musical genres of Motown and Garage Rock to create a sound in the mold of Gore's golf game.. gritty, homegrown, and at times out of bounds. Amy, Marlene, and Mayuko merge the long driving back beat with the flitty lyrics of a lob shot round after round with few bogeys. Their hits include, Oscar Brown, EZGoes It, Meet Me in the Lumber Yard Danny, and Immovable Obstruction Leads to Combustion. Their sensory shocking on stage perfomance is coming to a venue near you with their latest releases, Elbow Blues, Just Say No to the Ho-Ho, Back on Track, and Fantasy Losers.
Friday, July 14, 2006
WD for Wie
WD for Wie (with an apparent medical condition)!!! Had to be given an IV, put on a stretcher, and was zipped away in an ambulance.
Is this blog on the cusp of things or what with the recent WD discussion! At any rate, are my 2 competitors going to take money as a result of a poor little girl's illness??? Yeah, I know the bet was a done deal before this but ..... okay I'll send the stinkin' money.
Is this blog on the cusp of things or what with the recent WD discussion! At any rate, are my 2 competitors going to take money as a result of a poor little girl's illness??? Yeah, I know the bet was a done deal before this but ..... okay I'll send the stinkin' money.
WITHDRAWAL
This week it is Jonathan Kaye and Steve Lowery. Jonathan Kaye had withdrawn from the Bay Hill Classic, back in Feb., with a bad hip. Not sure what it was this week, but likely he realized just making par wasn't going to be good enough with the projected cut at -2.
Steve Lowery withdrew from the John Deere Classic midway through his 1st round. As another blog put it, "You've got to give Michelle Wie credit. With six bogeys on her scorecard for round one, the Big Wiesy is still in the game. Even Steve Lowery knew when to quit." Lowery was +2 thru 12.
Then there is Mike Sposa who threw up a 78 and was DQ'd.
I'd love to report why these guys WD'd or were DQ'd, but apparently sports writers would rather focus on the female player who "took a spot away from another player" than report on the guy(s) who didn't show, didn't finish, or showed and did something stupid to get DQ'd. It's tough enough for professional players without their tour cards to get into these tournaments and compete, but there should be some sort of penalty on players for DQ's. If your hurt, that's fine, but I can't see many of these players play one week, DQ the next and then are fine the following week. JG, you had a WD this year. What are your thoughts on this. As for the FPGP, I think we need to have a penalty that hits an FPGPer when one of our picks WD's. Say -10 points per WD.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
2008 Golf World Interview With JG
Johnny Miller sat down to interview the world's #1 golfer last week, and here's what he had to say...
Johnny Miller: JG, the success you've had over the past couple years has been unprecedented... #1 on the PGA Tour Money List in 2007; Winner of 9 tournaments including the U.S. Open, Masters and PGA; currently the #2 golfer in the world. What do you owe this success to?
JG: Yeah Johnny, it's been a helluva ride. It really all started back in July 06 when I started commenting on the FPGP.
Miller: FPGP?
JG: Yeah, it is a bunch of anonymous chuckleheads who wager on pro golf. Turns out some of them took me and were frustrated at my performance. They turned to immature name-calling, but it was all in good fun.
Miller: What did they call you?
JG: That's really not important... what is important is that after chatting with these guys a bit, I started to feel what is called the "FPGP MOJO." Suddenly, I felt like I could win every tourney I entered. The hole started looking like a basketball hoop...
Miller: That is pretty amazing.
JG: Yeah, it is. Anyway, my success seems to come from this "FPGP MOJO." I have no other way to describe my change in fortunes, so to speak.
Miller: Can any of these guys play?
JG: That seems to be the irony; they all talk the talk, but if you put the best four on a scramble team, they'd barely break 80.
Miller: Interesting... so a bunch of clowns inspired you to rise to the top of the golf world.
JG: It sure seems that way.
Johnny Miller: JG, the success you've had over the past couple years has been unprecedented... #1 on the PGA Tour Money List in 2007; Winner of 9 tournaments including the U.S. Open, Masters and PGA; currently the #2 golfer in the world. What do you owe this success to?
JG: Yeah Johnny, it's been a helluva ride. It really all started back in July 06 when I started commenting on the FPGP.
Miller: FPGP?
JG: Yeah, it is a bunch of anonymous chuckleheads who wager on pro golf. Turns out some of them took me and were frustrated at my performance. They turned to immature name-calling, but it was all in good fun.
Miller: What did they call you?
JG: That's really not important... what is important is that after chatting with these guys a bit, I started to feel what is called the "FPGP MOJO." Suddenly, I felt like I could win every tourney I entered. The hole started looking like a basketball hoop...
Miller: That is pretty amazing.
JG: Yeah, it is. Anyway, my success seems to come from this "FPGP MOJO." I have no other way to describe my change in fortunes, so to speak.
Miller: Can any of these guys play?
JG: That seems to be the irony; they all talk the talk, but if you put the best four on a scramble team, they'd barely break 80.
Miller: Interesting... so a bunch of clowns inspired you to rise to the top of the golf world.
JG: It sure seems that way.
Counting Some Chickens
Well, I think MG and I are in pretty good shape in our "Trashcan versus Wie" wager against Shades and Stevie V. Poor little Michelle... word of the bet must have made it to her, and she (again) succumbed to the pressure. A 77 on a not so hard course... currently only "beating" Bob May... Meanwhile, our favorite Clemson Tiger gritted out a nifty 69... way to go Trashcan... if you can just finish on the money list where you started, I am going to get paid this year.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
JG the "Prince of Pinehurst"?
JG, I had forgotten about that nickname until I stumbled on this while looking for a "Trashcan" Trahan story.
JG, aka "Prince of Pinehurst" and aka "John Daly without the issues". I love that second one.
JG, aka "Prince of Pinehurst" and aka "John Daly without the issues". I love that second one.
FPGP DREAM PAIRING
12:38 CT, starting on the 10th tee... JG is playing with David Duval (and Kirk "yawn" Triplett). JG and Duval are the two most talked about players in the FPGP this year, and thus far those with Duval (+117) have fared better than those with JG (-25), but JG seem to be riding the FPGP Mojo Train.
I hesitate to make a wager on this... because I have no faith in Duval, and I have gained a lot of respect for JG... so, I'll toss it out as a purely academic question. What kind of odds can I get with a Duval v. JG wager? Clearly, JG would be the favorite... so I wouldn't take this even money, without strokes. So, either proper odds or proper strokes... where do you guys see this falling?
I also see that David "I fucked Steve T. over royally last year" Gossett is in the field. Grrrrrr. Anyone who has an FPGP Rule named after them ("The Gossett Corollary") should really just turn in his Tour Card, and start peddling Titleists at the local Country Club.
With regard to the Wie/Trashcan bets, I think you Wie people are in big trouble. Looks like the PGA Tour was hoping to boost USA's ratings, as they have her going out in the second to last group on Friday, on the #1 tee... so she will conveniently be making the turn right around the beginning of the broadcast. I know two things:
1. Afternoon tourney rounds are tougher than morning rounds... more spike marks, dryer/hotter conditions, tends to be more windy.
2. Wie shrinks under pressure.
My guess is that Wie is going to shoot some number like 71-75. If Trashcan can't handle that, well, MG and I deserve to lose $20.
Vic/Talon, I take it you got no action on your Perez offer?
I hesitate to make a wager on this... because I have no faith in Duval, and I have gained a lot of respect for JG... so, I'll toss it out as a purely academic question. What kind of odds can I get with a Duval v. JG wager? Clearly, JG would be the favorite... so I wouldn't take this even money, without strokes. So, either proper odds or proper strokes... where do you guys see this falling?
I also see that David "I fucked Steve T. over royally last year" Gossett is in the field. Grrrrrr. Anyone who has an FPGP Rule named after them ("The Gossett Corollary") should really just turn in his Tour Card, and start peddling Titleists at the local Country Club.
With regard to the Wie/Trashcan bets, I think you Wie people are in big trouble. Looks like the PGA Tour was hoping to boost USA's ratings, as they have her going out in the second to last group on Friday, on the #1 tee... so she will conveniently be making the turn right around the beginning of the broadcast. I know two things:
1. Afternoon tourney rounds are tougher than morning rounds... more spike marks, dryer/hotter conditions, tends to be more windy.
2. Wie shrinks under pressure.
My guess is that Wie is going to shoot some number like 71-75. If Trashcan can't handle that, well, MG and I deserve to lose $20.
Vic/Talon, I take it you got no action on your Perez offer?
It's On!
In this corner, hailing from the great state of Georgia... former Clemson University All-American... D.... J.... Trashcan!
And in this corner... hailing from Hawaii... arguably the most over-rated figure in sports (unless you are talking about her figure... "hubba hubba" says the dirty old man). Michelle "I want to play with the boys even though I can't beat the girls" Wieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
And in this corner... hailing from Hawaii... arguably the most over-rated figure in sports (unless you are talking about her figure... "hubba hubba" says the dirty old man). Michelle "I want to play with the boys even though I can't beat the girls" Wieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
The wager... $10 for lowest 36 hole score. Currently, the bet is between Stevie T. and Stevie V., but I will be happy to take that action from anyone.
We really should have an "FPGP Penalty" rule here, where anyone who has a player that is beaten by Michelle Wie is penalized an additional 10 points or something. Personally, I have grown very tired of this fucking side-show. This "woman" has never beaten anyone in any significant event, other than the Women's Publinks, which she won at 13. What has she done since then? Sure, she is talented... but she has shown a remarkable lack of heart... Given the way she putts (particularly late) I bet Jeff's boyfriend Sergio would love to have her on the regular tour so he could move up an ordinal position in the rankings. Meanwhile, there is a male player who is deserving of a spot who will be the first alternate not to make the field. What an injustice.
I would love to hear JG's perspective on this, but clearly he should not comment on the blog on this controversial issue.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Greg Owen lives!
Well it's not the PGA Tour, so the $$ won't count, but it's good to know he is still alive.Justice will be served, Greg Owen believes, when he makes his return to the Open Championship next week.
The 34-year-old Englishman will make his first appearance in Europe in the last 12 months when he tees off in the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond on Thursday. But since he was kept out of the Open Championship in hugely controversial fashion last summer and missed out on the first two majors of this season as well, Owen's mind is already turning to Royal Liverpool. FULL STORY RE: The Greatest FPGP Trade In History
Vegas Golf
September 1-4 will be a three-day golf outing in Las Vegas for me and some guys going to my bachelor party... if anyone is interested in coming out and playing with some FPGPers (me, Jeff, Tiger Philp), let me know so we can adjust our tee-times.
Monday, July 10, 2006
The Sun Devil Skyrocket
I'll put $20 out that Pat Perez (if he's playing) will explode for at least one round over 76 in Moline. This boy is as lively as a "green zone" market on Friday ni...hell about any time. I dub him TNP, it's TNP, it's dy-no-mite (insert funky music). A round with TNP is like watching WWE pay-per-view (no I have not) 'cept they hit the balls with clubs not chairs and knees. Who among you will write this knot of xmas tree lights a wartime dosage script for Xanax or Ativan? Any takers on TNP holding it together for 72 holes?
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