During Match Play the fog was thick and the green were slow and sandy.

This year’s match ups, while not perfect, were close enough.

In the main event we had the "Clash of the Titans" (the number one and number two golfers at Broken Joe Golf), Dave with a handicap of 14 and Jake with a handicap of 16. This gave Jake a stroke on the 4th and the 13th hole. After nine holes Jake was on top winning 5 holes to Dave’s 3. Dave isn’t our number one golfer by accident and he battles back to finish the back nine taking 4 holes to Jakes 2. This leaves them with a tie of 7 holes each so we move to the handicaps scores. Jake finishes with a 76 (+5) but Dave manages one better finishing with 75 (+4). A close match as expected, but Dave pulls out the win.

In our 2nd match up we had the "Battle of the Brothers". Chris, has a handicap of 18 and Joe has a handicap of 22. This gave Joe a stroke on the 4th, 6th, 12th and 13th hole. Chris has been playing some great golf this year and lowered his handicap from 21 to 18. He also shot a 90 using only 3 clubs. In a surprising start, Joe was up 4 holes to Chris’s 1 after the first nine holes. Chris battles back on the final nine holes, but Joe still beats him 5 holes to 4 and a final tally of 9 to 5. Not only does Joe win but he does so with a score of 86.

In our 3rd match up we have Joe T verses Bryan. Joe T is a new member of the A group while Bryan is still the number 2 man in the B group. Joe T has a handicap of 20 and Bryan has a handicap of 24, which gives Bryan a stroke on the 4th, 6th, 12th and 13th hole. After the battle of the front 9, Joe T is up 3 holes to 2. Bryan must have sensed that Joe T’s game was weak and he comes backs to win 3 holes to 2 on the final nine. Once again we have a tie (5 to 5). As we go to the handicap scores we find another tie with each shooting a score of 74. The two rookies call me right away telling me they had tied in both holes won, AND handicap scores and wanted to know what to do. I told them to relax and that I would handle it. I didn't have the heart to tell them that they would probably be tied for last place and either way their fates were now tied together for the weekly money list.

In our 4th match up we have Rock and Dan. Rock had started the year off strong and seemed just about ready to break into the 90s but in the last couple of weeks Rock has seen his scores climb. Dan on the other hand had a rough start but lately he has been shooting closer to his handicap score. Rock has a handicap of 29 and Dan has a handicap of 30, which gives Dan a stroke on just the 4th hole. After the front nine the scores are close with Dan winning 5 holes to Rock’s 4. On the back nine Dan grabs another 5 holes but Rock has no answers and can only manage to win a single hole. Dan wins 10 to 5.

Our 5th match up was a pairing of convienence. Rey had to play on Sunday and Eric, like Bud Lite, was up for anything. Rey has a handicap of 29 and Eric has a 31 handicap. Rey definitely has the golf attire down but his driver has been erratic all year.

Eric who has played golf before seemed to be ready to show us what he was made of but in the end it turned out to be just gas. Rey and Eric battle the first nine to a tie score of 3 holes each. The last nine holes was a totally different story with Eric putting Rey into submission and winning 5 holes to Rey’s 2. Eric wins 8 to 5.

Our final match of the day is Matt T verses Matty Sludge. Sludge had taken the last couple of weeks off so he should have been well rested. Matt T has been playing pretty good and has gone from a 36 handicap to his current 34 handicap. Matty Sludge has a 36 handicap but only because we can’t go any lower. Matt T crushes the Sludge Monster on the front nine winning 7 holes to Sludge’s 2. You would have thought this this would be the perfect opportunity for Sludge to just drink himself silly but I like to think that he fights back during the 2nd half of play. Sludge wins the battle on the back nine winning 4 holes to 3 but it is too little, too late. Matt T wins 10 to 5. For this effort Sludge gets his name back to "Matty Ice".

With Dan and Matt both winning 10 holes, we go to their handicap scores. Both Dan and Matt have scores of 74 and tie for first place. Congratulations on your decisive victories over your opponents.

In the end, only two of the favorites actually won (Dave and Matt T) but Jake did put together a great effort. In the match between Joe T and Bryan there are no winners, only two losers.

Scores and Handicap Scores:

Dan – 10 / 74

Matt T – 10 / 74

Joe – 9 / 64

Eric – 8 / 70

Dave – 7 / 75

Jake – 7 / 76

Matty Ice – 6 / 85

Rey – 5 / 72

Bryan – 5 / 74

Chris – 5 / 74

Joe T – 5 / 74

Rock – 5 / 88

Weekly Money

1st – Dan - $3.24

1st - Matt T - $3.24

3rd – Joe - $2.88

4th – Eric - $2.64

5th Dave - $2.40

6th – Jake - $2.04

7th – Matty Ice - $1.80

8th – Rey - $1.56

9th – Bryan - $1.08

9th – Chris - $1.08

9th – Joe T - $1.08

12th – Rock - $0.60

Leaderboard

1st – Joe - $22.22

2nd – Eric - $21.08

3rd – Chris - $20.85

4th – Bryan - $20.31

5th – Rock – $20.28

6th – Matt T - $20.04

7th – Dave – $19.98

8th – Joe T - $19.80

9th – Dan - $19.59

10th – Jake - $17.61

11th – Rey - $15.01

12th – Matty Ice - $11.63

New Handicaps for the Winter Classic Championship (10/7/17)

Dave – 14

Jake – 17

Chris – 19

Joe – 20 (Welcome back to the A Group AND to the 80s Club)

Joe T – 21 (Welcome back to the B Group)

Bryan – 24

Rey – 29

Rock – 29

Eric – 30

Dan – 31

Matt T – 34

Matty Ice – 36