2020 Match Previews
FRIDAY BEST BALL
Nakamura/Foster/Moller/valencia
vs
Burns/Johansing/duffy/pierro
Duffers win if: Nakamura makes a couple of birdies, Foster is steady with plenty of par’s on pop holes, Moller can keep the train on the tracks with his short game and Valencia can jump right into competition without looking like a deer in the headlights.
Bluffers win if: Burns finds his 2019 tournament form, Johansing hits bombs, Duffy dusts off the clubs to find his usual clutch form and Pierro contributes a handful of par net birdies on the right holes.
LINE: DUFFERS -1
Frazier/Dunham/Miller/Pieper
vs
M. Sailhamer/Young/Cawdrey/jones
Duffers win if: Frazier manages his infamous temper, Dunham finds a rhythm after qualifying for first time since 2017, Miller turns back the clock to make a birdie or two and Pieper keeps everyone loose but stays focused enough to make a few pars for net birdie.
Bluffers win if: Captain Bluffer can harness the power draw off the tee and conquer the putting yips, Young shows up with his typical hot putter and plays golf rather than golf swing, Cawdrey makes a birdie net eagle and Jones doesn’t overdue it in his morning forearm workout.
LINE: BLUFFERS -1
J. SAILHAMER/kalma/hobbs/burke
vs
GIROD/MANN/WHITE/ORR
Duffers win if: Their captain avoids the dick-slap drives and recaptures the magic of his infamous 71 in 2018, Kalma can commit to his swing and roll in a couple long putts, Hobbs gets the balky back loosened up and dials in the 240 yard hybrid tee ball and Burke can shake off any blowup holes and answer with a few well timed net birdies.
Bluffers win if: Girod provides a steady foundation at the top of the order and helps the group avoid giving away too many holes, Mann plays out of his mind when the lights go on as usual, White finds a way to make a net eagle and a couple birdies and Orr shows up on a couple holes for net eagle or albatross as he’s been known to do.
LINE: BLUFFERS -1
Olson/Mcbee/howell/pearson
vs
Regan/thuman/brookman/rosenthal
Duffers win if: Olson plays to his potential and shoots something in mid 70s, McBee makes 3 birdies or more, Howell avoids work calls/emails and the inevitable blowup that follows and Pearson inspires the group by stringing together good shots a couple times per side to put up some red numbers.
Bluffers win if: Regan sets the tone and plays rock solid golf, Thuman tames the new driver and finds more fairways than backyards, Brookman finds some ball striking consistency to go with his legendary putter and Rosenthal plays the role of net birdie/eagle hunter and keeps the ball out of the bunkers.
LINE: PICKEM
SATURDAY SCRAMBLE
J. Sailhamer/C. Thuman vs R. Thuman/L. Sailhamer
This match makes tournament history with the double barreled father/son rivalry. Young Luke comes into his 2nd career appearance with some confidence when he has driver or putter in hand. The key will be how he handles the shots in between. His buddy Cam was one of the last players into this year’s field, and he will need to find his sea legs quickly and trust his steady hands around the greens. Both young bucks will be guided by crusty veterans who will be determined not to lose to their own offspring.
LINE: DUFFERS -1
Nakamura/Pieper vs M. Sailhamer/Orr
Team Duffer has assigned Alan Nakamura as this year’s sherpa for veteran Matt Pieper. The unflappable Nakamura won’t be fazed by his partner’s inconsistent play. The Duffer team will need a sound strategy to select 6 tee shots from Pieper, but as one of the oldest and most experienced players in the field, Nakamura should be up to the task. Meanwhile, Captain Bluffer pairs with Steve Orr for the first time in tournament history. Similar to their opponents, tee shot strategy will be a key factor for this duo. Orr has been known to pull several surprising shots out of his ass every round, and this Bluffer team will be a tough out if their captain can play steady golf to match Nakamura hole for hole.
LINE: BLUFFERS -1
OLSON/HOBBS vs BURNS/PIERRO
The Olson/Hobbs pairing is a team Duffer staple, and for good reason. Olson’s recent form is promising, coming off a SOSA tour victory in his last start. His partner is one of the true wildcards of the tournament, equally capable of hitting bombs or cold-topping it to the forward tees. Their opponents will look to capture BDR’s magic from his rookie campaign last year. If Burns can avoid a sophomore slump, he will be formidable as always. Pierro is the oldest competitor in this year’s field, and will have to hold up under the extreme heat to contribute to his full potential like he has in so many previous showings.
LINE: DUFFERS -1
JANICKE/MULLEN vs C. McBEE/DUFFY
Team Duffer looks to a pair of rookies to slay the team McDuff dragon that impressed in their 2019 debut. Janicke can hit the ball as pure as anyone in the field, but his propensity to find the hosel is lurking on any given swing. Mullen comes in on form is very comfortable playing desert golf. The Duffers are counting on instant chemistry to help this rookie duo play like veterans from the get go. Young McBee is clearly the ringer of the event on paper, but facing grown ass men instead of scrawny teenage boys will present a mental challenge. Duffy, who is currently battling raging fires in Nortern CA, will come into this year’s event without much recent golf on his resume but that has never stopped the Bluffer veteran from punching above his weight. Nobody expects anything different this year.
LINE BLUFFERS -2
KALMA/HOWELL vs Cervera/MANN
This match features as much D&B experience as just about any foursome on the board. Kalma and Howell are dangerous if they ham and egg it, but if both players go sideways things can get away from them quickly. Both veterans have the ability to get hot with the putter, which will likely be the key to success for their side. Cervera and Mann are a go-to pairing for the Bluffers, as the steady hand of Cervera offsets the highs and lows of Mann. On paper, this is a dead even match, but bettors know about Mann’s excellent career record which makes his side the slight favorite.
LINE: BLUFFERS -.5
S. McBee/Pearson vs young/jones
This match features 4 veterans that are paired together for the first time. McBee is the class of this group on paper, and his game sets up well for match play where the occasional blow up hole isn’t as costly. Pearson just needs to contribute off the tee and cozy up enough putts to allow McBee to try to make some birdies behind him, and this Duffer squad should be solid. Dan Young has a well-earned reputation for making clutch putts in match play, and he’s reportedly been grinding hard on his swing mechanics with his coach in recent weeks. It remains to be seen if he can trust his swing changes under pressure or if the timing was ill-advised. The biggest question for Jones has to be consistency, as he hasn’t spent much time on the course since his last appearance in June of 2018.
LINE: DUFFERS -1.5
Frazier/Burke vs Regan/White
After pairing with Jac LaTour for the past several years, Frazier will now team up with Christian Burke, whose last appearance came in 2018. It shouldn’t take long for this pair of veterans to find a rhythm on the course, although there is some concern about how the newly minted 50 year old will handle the high temps. Burke is cool under pressure, but will need to ratchet up the intensity to match that of his partner. Sean Regan makes his 2nd appearance, and pairs with Bluffer veteran Jason White for the first time. Their best chance to steal a point for the Bluffers is to get hot on the greens, which both players are capable of.
LINE: DUFFERS -1.5
DUNHAM/MILLER vs CAWDREY/brookman
The Duffers are asking Dunham and Miller to pair for the first time against a proven Bluffer pairing in Cawdrey and Brookman. Dunham makes his first appearance since 2017, while Miller looks to continue his strong play from recent years. This pair’s best strategy is to find fairways and greens and par their opponents to death with steady play. Captain Bluffer feels his pairing here is stronger than the sum of their parts, as both players have a knack for sinking big putts at the right time to demoralize their opponents. If they can find consistency off the tee they will be a tough out.
LINE: PICKEM
ROJAS/Moller VS OLLIVIER/ROSENTHAL
The Duffer captain is counting on their SOSA chemistry to translate to success in scramble match play for the Rojas/Moller team. Rojas has been sidelined by a bad back in recent years, but is feeling young and spry and recently dug his clubs out of storage just in time to make his tourney debut. Meanwhile, Moller has had the hot hand all year on the SOSA tour and consistently plays to his handicap or better. Their opponents are a pairing that goes back to the early days of D&B. Ollivier earned a controversial point (against Moller) last year when a medical exemption allowed him to play from the silver tees and he was allegedly bombing drives despite his surgically repaired ankle. Rosenthal is about as dangerous as high handicappers come, as his occasional blow up hole should be nullified by Ollivier’s steady play. The veteran will have no problem giving his partner 6 solid tee shots, and he is usually good for a couple of clutch putts per round. As long as he can stay out of bunkers, Rosenthal could be the X factor in this match.
LINE: PICKEM
Foster/Valencia vs Girod/Johansing
You may recall Valencia’s name in headlines last year for being a last minute scratch, which led to BDR becoming a Bluffer at the 11th hour. This year, karma was in Valencia’s favor as he answered the call when Joey Schutlz’s wife grounded him from air travel from Denver, leaving an open roster spot on the Duffer’s side. Foster and Valencia should make pars in bunches, but will need to find enough birdies to counter the firepower of their opponents. Girod and Johansing will have the distance advantage off the tee, but will need to avoid giving away holes with their short game. One thing to watch is what strategy Girod will take around the greens, as a balky wedge game can be his downfall. Johansing will need to know when to encourage the Texas wedge from his partner, and be ready to hit some chip shots under pressure himself.
LINE: BLUFFERS -1