2010 Phi Alpha Cup Tournament Summary

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

Team 97 takes Cup home for Second Consecutive Year

Balsley Swings Both Ways

May 3, 2010
On the heels of the most lopsided victory in Phi Alpha Cup history (a 7-3 Team 97 win), Team 97 spent their offseason not preparing for a defense of their title in 2010, but instead, dealing with off the course issues – a practice that has become commonplace for the dynamic squad. Faced with the sudden and controversial departure of longtime team member Chandler Willett (read story), Team 97 was forced to turn to one-time Team 98 member, Todd Balsley, to fill their roster for the 2010 event. Balsley had filled in for Team 98’s Stirling Bomar during his 1-year suspension in 2009 (details) for his part in this.

The change to the 97 roster forced Team 97 to manipulate their long-standing team lineup and parings and was a threat to their team chemistry heading into the 2010 event. The permanent addition of Balsley to the Team 97 roster also brought with it accusations from Team 98 that Balsley was previously “planted” on Team 98 in 2009 as a “saboteur” and was in effect “swinging both ways” (Balsley went 0-4 while playing for Team 98 in the 2009 Cup; or 4-0 from the Team 97 perspective).

Team 97 Captain Andy Sands dismissed the accusations shortly before Opening Ceremonies.

“There were a lot of back room discussions going on with Balsley during the 2009 Cup that I won’t get into. Suffice it to say Todd was excited for the opportunity, and the top brass within the Team 97 camp felt it was a good fit. It’s obviously a coveted spot, and we had to deal with a lot of overtures from a host of worthy candidates, but in the end, you can’t handicap chemistry. Although with Balsley’s handicap coming in at a 34, some thought we should consider doing just that.”

With the Team 97 lineup in flux, and Team 98 welcoming back 2-seed Bomar from his suspension, golf pundits were unified in their assessment that Team 97 would not only be unable to dominate the event as they had in 2009, but should even be considered the underdog in 2010.

Once the two teams finally got on the course, the 2010 matches kicked off like every other Phi Alpha Cup in the Cup’s modern era – with Team 97 jumping out to a 2-0 lead. Balsley, in his first “official” match with Team 97, was paired together with Sands in their first match together as “teammates”. The duo was forced to rely heavily on their experience as Pee Wee Baseball teammates in North Carolina (1981-1983) to grind out a victory over 98’s Johnson and Winston Black. The match was close from the beginning, with the match all square heading into the 16th hole. After a calamity on the short 130-yard Par 3, including 4 balls in the water between Balsley and Black, an uncalled grounding of the club in the hazard and an overlooked drop area, Johnson and Black walked to the 17th 1 up and seemingly in control of the event’s critical first match.

However, in an incredible display of moxie, and perhaps inspired by the “saboteur” accusations hurled at him by Team 98, Balsley stepped up on the 17th hole to card his first par of the day and square the match. Sands then drained a 20-foot putt on the 18th to win the match and give Team 97 a 1-0 lead.

“It certainly feels good to get the win, especially in light of the controversy I’ve been dragged into,” said Balsley after the match. “And to win my 5th straight Phi Alpha match… I mean… er.. get my first win in the Phi Alpha Cup, yeah, it’s a good feeling.”

In the second Friday Cumulative match, 98’s newly re-instated Bomar and partner Jeff Eaton, widely and collectively known as the “Squabble Squad,” took on 97’s Andrew Parker and Steve Burr. Close throughout like the Cumulative match ahead of them, the two squads came to the 17th green all even – until the “Squabble Squad” hit their stride. Disputing over a drop area on the 16th, quarrelling partners Bomar and Eaton fell apart on 17, with a flustered Eaton five-putting to lose the hole for Team 98. Things got worse from there, with Eaton and Bomar not able to finish the 18th hole, giving the Parker and Burr the 2 up victory.

“I’ve never seen, heard of, or been able to dream up a scenario where a 5-putt could ever come into play in the game of golf,” said Bomar. “Sometimes I forget how nice it was to be suspended.”

The tides turned however during the Best Ball Matches, just as they typically have in Phi Alpha Cup play. After dropping both matches during Friday play, Team 98 scorched Team 97 in both Saturday morning matches, evening the Cup at 2-2. The drubbing of 97 made it three straight years that 97 has failed to win a Best Ball match. (Andy Sands and Andrew Parker halved their Best Ball Match with Dave Johnson and Stirling Bomar in 2008).

“The key to my game is to eliminate the 5 putts and the incoming phone calls,” (read “The Call That Lost The Cup”) said 98’s Jeff Eaton after his Best Ball win with teammate Winston Black. “It didn’t hurt to eliminate (Squabble Squad teammate) Bomar from my pairing either.”

All square heading into the Saturday Scramble, it was evident that full control of the 2010 Cup rested in the next 18 holes. And coming straight off a strong performance in the Saturday morning Best Ball matches, Team 98 raced out to a big afternoon lead, posting a score of 5 under at the turn while Team 97 could only muster a score of 2 under. But, in one of the greatest 9 hole stretches of golf in Phi Alpha Cup history, and due in no small part to the 6 cumulative shots of 5 Hour Energy Drink between Sands and Burr (investigation pending), Team 97 raced back to even the match at 6 under with a birdie on 17. Team 98 went on to par 18, leaving the door open ever so slightly for Team 97, who would have to birdie the 408-yard Par 4 18th to claim the Saturday Scramble’s 2 points.

Sands calmly stepped up to the tee on 18 and striped a 311-yard drive down the middle, serendipitously landing the ball 3 inches from the “97” yard marker.

With a generous amount of 5 Hour Energy now pulsing through his body, Sands stepped up again to the team’s approach shot and landed his ball 10 feet directly behind the hole, yanking it back to 5 feet for the birdie putt and win. Overcome with emotion (and 5 Hour Energy), Balsley and Sands both missed the short putt, putting the pressure on short game expert Steve Burr. Burr, having committed the read to memory, put his magic stroke on the ball, holed the putt, and gave Team 97 the critical victory – taking the wind out of Team 98’s sails in the process.

Sands and Burr were both too jittery to participate in the post match press conference, but 97’s Andrew Parker was able to put the team’s win in perspective. “We just need one more point tomorrow to win this. No team has ever lost the scramble and won the Cup, and my opponent tomorrow (Stirling Bomar) has never beaten me in Singles (read story). So basically, I just need to make sure my alarm clock goes off tomorrow to wrap this thing up.”

As expected, 97’s Sands, Burr and Balsley slept walked through their respective Singles matches, leaving destiny to take its course in the Parker-Bomar match to produce the first repeat Cup Champions since 2006* and the first ever back-to-back Championship for Team 97.

After some forgettable performances in past Cups that earned him such nicknames such as “Scuba Steve” and “Aquaman” (read story), the most satisfied of all Team 97 members after the victory might have been Steve Burr.

“It feels great to repeat,” said a still jumpy Burr to a pool of reporters at Closing Ceremonies. “I guess the other side forgot that Aquaman was a superhero.”
* under review