2018 Matches
Saturday @ Gary Player
Solaas/Burke vs Price/Rosenthal
Day 1 starts with a bang as Duffer stalwarts Solaas & Burke put their 4-1 career Saturday record on the line against team Bluffer’s ace and one of their crustiest vets. Price got the best of Solaas in 2016 but whispers around tour are that the veteran Duffer southpaw was quick to peg that beat-down on his teammate whom he still refers to as “Steve Martini” to this day. Riding shotgun with Price is team Bluffer’s most experienced player in the field in Brandon Rosenthal, who didn’t find his groove in a leading role in last year’s Saturday match but looks to be much more comfortable in the supporting role. Solaas and Burke will need to overcome Price’s advantage off the tee and try to win this match with their chemistry and putters. If Rosenthal can contribute with 6 solid tee balls, then this Bluffer pair will be a tough out.
Line: Bluffers -1.5
Nakamura/Belon* vs Thuman/White
Handicappers are puzzled by this matchup of a first-time Duffer pairing facing a veteran Bluffer duo. How will Belon adjust to being traded 3 weeks before the tournament? Will he find chemistry with Nakamura and be able to tune out White’s legendary gamesmanship? Will Thuman’s yippy putting stroke rear its head at the wrong time and can he overcome the rust he will feel after missing last year’s event? The wiseguys like Nakamura’s recent form and downward trending index to be the difference in this one.
LINE: Duffers -1
Frazier/Morwood vs Kidd/Cid
Steve Frazier has once again been asked to temper his bubbling rage and calmly guide a rookie partner to a Saturday victory. First-timer Morwood is a wild card in this match as he boasts a driver and putter that are much more capable than his index would indicate. Experts agree that the scramble format might fit his erratic game when paired with a reliable veteran like Frazier. Their opponents will offer a stern test as Brandon Kidd makes his return to the Bluffer lineup for the first time since going 1-1 in 2014. The newly minted dad will be looking ride his baby draw off the tee and hope he can coax some putts to drop. He is joined by veteran Luciano Cid, who missed his first tournament since 2005 a year ago but can pretty much roll out of bed and hit his patented 230 yard drop-kick, down-the-dick drives on command.
LINE: Bluffers -.5
Miller/Moller vs Girod/Orr
Captain Bluffer has called on fishing buddies and former co-workers Phil Girod and Steve Orr to get him a Saturday point against perennial underperformer Mark Miller and rookie Dan Moller. Few players in the field hit it flush more often than Moller, but he will need his veteran partner to pick him up around the greens if this team is going to come away with a point. Miller’s struggles in this format have left experts scratching their heads, as his solid if not spectacular all around game should at least lead to occasional success. Meanwhile Girod and Orr will close their eyes and grip and rip it all day hoping to ham and egg their way to victory. Oddsmakers will let the betting public weigh in on this tough matchup.
LINE: Pickem
J. Sailhamer/Hobbs vs Ollivier/Brookman (R)
In the first of 3 mandatory rematches from last year, Duffer Captain James Sailhamer and veteran Brett Hobbs will try to finish the job this time against Matt Ollivier and David Brookman. Last year’s match was tight throughout, with neither team opening up more than a 1-up lead. Ollivier made sweet music with his infamous 3-metal off the tee and Brookman buried a series of clutch putts . Sailhamer and Hobbs have privately stewed all year about leaving half a point on the table and are resolved to grab a full point this time despite their respective wipey fade and rope hook off the tee.
LINE: Duffers -.5
Plahy/Foster vs M. Sailhamer/Cawdrey
After spending a bromantic few days of practice rounds near Jason “Big Tex” Plahy’s ranch in the Texas hill country earlier this month, this duo all but guaranteed their captain a point if he paired them up. Standing in their way will be the Bluffer captain and his veteran co-worker who have found success in year’s past, including a win at the Gary Player course in 2016. Sailhamer has taken Plahy down in the opening round in each of the last 2 years but Foster and his buttery swing promise to offer more help than Plahy received from previous partners. Cawdrey is widely known to be one of the biggest wild cards of the tournament depending on whether or not he can harness his power draw off the tee. Flip a coin on this one.
LINE: Pickem
Howell/Mariani vs Johansing/Jones
There was a time when you could pencil in the Howell/Mariani pairing for team Duffer as soon as the tourney dates were announced. However, after losing 3 of 4 matches from 2012-2015 this veteran duo has been shelved for the prior 2 tournaments. Their much anticipated reunion will see them do battle with a first time pairing of 2ndyear Bluffer Greg Johansing and veteran Steve Jones. Unlike their opponents, the Bluffer team won’t be burdened by a rocky history but they will have to quickly find a winning formula. Johansing is the best stick of the group, but sharp bettors are valuing experience and familiarity by a razor thin margin in this one.
LINE: Duffers -.5
Kalma/Pearson vs Young/Pierro (R)
In the 2nd of our mandatory rematches from 2017, the player to watch is Dan Pierro, who has seen his index plummet from 20something to 14.5 since last year’s match ended in a draw when Pearson’s birdie putt lipped out on the 18th hole. Pearson has been in good form of late himself, capturing a SOSA tour title at Los Serranos in his most recent start earlier this month. Pierro knows he will get a steady performance from Young, who has a knack for holing back-breaking putts in match play competition. Experts don’t know what to make of the current state of Kalma’s game, as the veteran Duffer has only posted a few mainly forgettable rounds in 2018. However, with Pearson at his side he seems to find his game and the undefeated duo owns a 3-0-1 tournament record. So far the money is lining up behind the hot hand of Pierro but this figures to be a tight one.
LINE: Bluffers -1
Olson/Tarka vs Cervera/Mann (R)
In our final rematch from 2017, the Duffer captain sends out the Olson/Tarka Day 1 pairing for the 3rd straight year. Olson has been a standout performer in his brief 2 year career, and his steady game has proven to be a good match for his lefty teammate who only dusts off the sticks a few times a year and is often sweating out his mandatory tee shots on the closing holes. Staring them down will be a pair of Bluffer vets that feel like they let one get away a year ago. Ed Cervera might boast the sweetest swing in the field, but he will gladly keep it under wraps by staying in the cart any time big Mike Mann pipes one down the fairway. Experts don’t know if Olson can repeat last year’s brilliance so the Bluffers are the favorites in the re-match.
LINE: Bluffers -1
Dunham*/Pieper vs Duffy/Coffey
Saturday’s final pairing features another former Bluffer trying to adjust to his new surroundings. Dunham will attempt to guide his "3rd cousin twice removed" around the links and hope he cares as much about his match as he does about his Fickie Rowler outfit that inevitably will feature clashing patterns and inappropriately revealing shorts. Meanwhile, Bluffer vet Jimmie Duffy teams with Coffey who was rumored to have retired from the circuit after missing the last 3 years. Can Duffy find his MVP form from 2016 and coax anything useful out of his rusty partner? Bettors are dubious.
LINE: Duffers -1
Total Saturday Lines: Duffers 4, Bluffers 4 with 2 pickems
*Traded to team Duffer to even out rosters
(R) - Rematch of halved match from 2017
Sunday @ Pete Dye
Solaas/Nakamura vs Ollivier/Cervera
Ollivier and Cervera may have been raised on hardscrabble muni’s in Bakersfield and Murrieta but they share plenty of chemistry and won’t be intimidated by the country club vets in the other cart. Solaas and Nakamura play younger than their ages would suggest, but the 2nd day of D&B is always a physically taxing challenge. Captain Duffer will be issuing an early bed-check on Saturday night to keep this tandem fresh. Bogeys will be scarce in this matchup of solid ball strikers so whoever can hole the most birdie puts should hang a point in this one.
LINE: DUFFERS -1
Olson/Hobbs vs Price/Young
Neither of these pairings has ever lost a match in D&B, so expect large galleries all day with this featured group. The Duffers are calling on Josh Olson to continue his stellar D&B record by slaying team Bluffer’s ace, who sports a 3.2 index and is a lock to make 4-5 solo birdies per round. Hobbs and Young are a couple of mid-teens handicappers with a knack for coming up big in the clutch so don’t be surprised if one of them is the difference in this one.
LINE: Bluffers -1.5
Frazier/Foster vs Johansing/Duffy
Frazier and Foster bring their SOSA bond to the fight against childhood buddies Johansing and Duffy in this match. Duffy is always a wildcard in this format but will surely be taxed from having carried his partner on Saturday. Foster and Duffy both performed admirably as rookies in 2017 and should be even more dangerous with a year under their belts. Frazier has the ball-striking edge in this group and the pressure will be on him to deliver a crucial Sunday point.
LINE: Duffers -1
Dunham/Morwood vs Pierro/Cawdrey
Captain Duffer is taking a chance on this pairing of 2 guys that have never met. The 2 have reportedly answered the challenge by arranging a pre-tournament practice round and could very well have a full-fledged bromance come tournament time. Standing in their way is a veteran Bluffer duo united by highly decorated fire-department careers and a plethora of D&B experience. This one should go down to the 18th hole and a single putt here or there will likely be the difference.
LINE: Bluffers -.5
Plahy/Moller vs M. Sailhamer/Thuman
Captain Bluffer seems to find a way to match up against Plahy every year, and this year he went for the double dip with Saturday and Sunday showdowns. Moller and Thuman both have a reputation for solid ball striking and balky putting, so this match promises to feature some nervy par putts for both sides with nary a gimme in sight. This feels like a tight match where a 2 up lead could prove to be insurmountable.
LINE: Pickem
J. Sailhamer/Kalma vs Kidd/Girod
Every few years, captain Duffer decides to ride or die with his boy Kalma, and yet the duo is 0-2 in their D&B career. This year they face a tall order squaring off versus Kidd and his battle-tested sidekick Girod. The Bluffer duo’s chemistry is unproven, while Kalma and Sailhamer can either spur each other to greatness or bicker like brothers, depending on how things go early. Kidd and Girod will have the edge tee to green in this one, but the Duffer team can keep things close with their crafty short games.
LINE: Bluffers -1
Howell/Belon vs Brookman/Rosenthal
This 1st-time foursome features 4 decorated Rolling Hills Elementary alums from the early 90s and promises to be a showdown, even if the occasional hole is won with a bogey. Howell and Belon have been adversaries in previous events, but will need to quickly bond in order to fend off the Brookman and Rosenthal pairing that always seems to outperform their skill level on paper. Belon and Brookman’s knack for finding a way to scratch out wins and Rosenthal and Howell’s lack of recent reps has bettors nearly split on this one but the slightest of edges goes to the Duffers.
LINE: Duffers -.5
Mariani/Pearson vs Mann/Orr
Captain Duffer goes with a first-time pairing of veterans in this Sunday match against the Mann/Orr team hangs their hat on a 1-0 career record. Mariani is a notoriously tough pairing for his captain, as there are only about 4-5 teammates that are a comfortable fit for his fragile psyche. Fellow Dodger devotee Jonathan Pearson is one of those fits in theory, but it remains to be seen how this twosome will perform under pressure. The Bluffer tandem promises to take a care-free attitude into the match and will be dangerous if they can navigate around some of the wild tee shots that are sure to jump up and bite them.
Line: Pickem
Miller/Burke vs White/Cid
Miller & Burke have been paired together 3 straight Sundays and have come up empty-handed each time. Experts are flummoxed as to why their stubborn captain would roll them back out there yet again but perhaps he knows something that tells him this is the year for this veteran pair to break through. Conversely, the White/Cid pairing is a new one for the Bluffers but both players bring plenty of experience to the table and Cid’s happy go lucky attitude might be a good fit with the unpredictable antics of J-White.
Line: Pickem
Pieper/Tarka vs Jones/Coffey
Our final Sunday match is a pseudo rematch from last year, when Steve Jones partnered with Jason "Wild Thing" Timmins to take down the Pieper/Tarka team on Sunday at the Pete Dye course. Mike Coffey will be a similarly difficult partner for Jones to tame, but if he can do so then he will only further solidify his spot as a valued veteran on the Bluffer roster. Pieper will need to be solid off the tee and keep the mood light to take some pressure off of his lefty sidekick. This Duffer duo can lean on some history of their own, as they teamed up for a Sunday point in 2016 and a half point in 2015.
Line: Pickem
Total Sunday lines: Duffers 3, Bluffers 3 with 4 pickems