| The Month in Review |
| A monthly feature recapping all Lefty Golfers Association events |
| June 2008 |
JUNE 1, 2008 - CAUGHNAWAGA
HALE ERWIN NORMAN
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
PAUL HORNSBY III
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
PAUL HORNSBY III
48-43--- 91
46-50--- 96
49-51--- 100
46-50--- 96
49-51--- 100
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Photos not available
An all-lefty field of three trekked to a soggy Caughnawaga in a hopeful effort to win an 'official' LGA event, and with the absence
of Costa Doinbiznis, the importance of victory in the minds of at least two of the golfers, was paramount. Hale Erwin Norman
battled his opponents through most of the round, particularly Dr. Mario Blondin, then pulled away with par-par on the finishing
holes for a five shot victory, his second of the season. Norman actually trailed by two at the turn, but his 43 back nine could not
be even remotely matched by the rest of the field. Who knows? Norman may have even broken 90 had he not five-putted on the
par-5 5th! That's alot of fives! Speaking of fives, Dr. Mario Blondin finished in second place for a fifth consecutive appearance,
tempting LGA pundits to christen him 'The Bridesmaid', but one look at Blondin's chiseled, masculine, pre-elderly features put
that idea to rest. Mario putted only 28 times all day, setting an Association low for 2008 in that category. Finishing in last place,
although paradoxically also on the podium, was, Paul Hornsby III. Surprise! Actually Hornsby followed up his 93 with another
respectable game, at least by his extremely low standards, carding a 100. 'Da Turd' had his sights set on a second straight
double-digit round, but could not finish it off over the last couple of holes as the rain began to fall. "I sure hope my 93 the other
day wasn't just a fluke", Hornsby commented after the round. Sadly, after looking at his track record over the last few seasons,
it probably was.
of Costa Doinbiznis, the importance of victory in the minds of at least two of the golfers, was paramount. Hale Erwin Norman
battled his opponents through most of the round, particularly Dr. Mario Blondin, then pulled away with par-par on the finishing
holes for a five shot victory, his second of the season. Norman actually trailed by two at the turn, but his 43 back nine could not
be even remotely matched by the rest of the field. Who knows? Norman may have even broken 90 had he not five-putted on the
par-5 5th! That's alot of fives! Speaking of fives, Dr. Mario Blondin finished in second place for a fifth consecutive appearance,
tempting LGA pundits to christen him 'The Bridesmaid', but one look at Blondin's chiseled, masculine, pre-elderly features put
that idea to rest. Mario putted only 28 times all day, setting an Association low for 2008 in that category. Finishing in last place,
although paradoxically also on the podium, was, Paul Hornsby III. Surprise! Actually Hornsby followed up his 93 with another
respectable game, at least by his extremely low standards, carding a 100. 'Da Turd' had his sights set on a second straight
double-digit round, but could not finish it off over the last couple of holes as the rain began to fall. "I sure hope my 93 the other
day wasn't just a fluke", Hornsby commented after the round. Sadly, after looking at his track record over the last few seasons,
it probably was.
JUNE 7, 2008 - LAFLEUR
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
PAUL HORNSBY III
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
PAUL HORNSBY III
51-50--- 101
52-52--- 104
65-52--- 117
52-52--- 104
65-52--- 117
Photos not available
For the first time in nearly two seasons, the LGA brought its travelling road show to Lafleur, where a spectacle was indeed
staged, or perhaps more appropriately, a debacle was witnessed by those very few (mostly birds and insects) unfortunate
enough to have been in the vicinity. Costa "Mr. 76" Doinbiznis failed to repeat his sub-80 performance of the previous week,
and in fact, in an incredible display of diversification of talent, did not even manage to break 100, but his 101 was still good
enough for another victory, his sixth in a row, a three shot nailbiter over top lefty Dr. Mario Blondin. The Biz led by as many as
four with four to play, but Blondin scored an unlikely par on 15 coupled with Costa's eight to tie the game. Blondin was unable
to take advantage of that momentum turning hole, and would fall behind again through 16, this time for good, missing a
recently rare opportunity for a win over Doinbiznis. Finishing in third (and last) spot yet another time was Paul Hornsby III, who
once again headed into the event with high hopes after a couple of improved efforts. Hornsby's optimism was very short lived,
however, as he posted a front nine 65 (heave!!!), extremely bad even for 'Da Turd', before finally settling down with a 52 coming
in and a vomit spewing 117 total on the scorecard. Although the field was unanimous in declaring the course in sorry
condition, especially the fairways, not one of them came out directly and blamed the course conditions for their crappy
performances. Dr. Mario Blondin probably put it best, after being asked why the scores were so bad, when he explained matter
of factly, "This is the LGA".
staged, or perhaps more appropriately, a debacle was witnessed by those very few (mostly birds and insects) unfortunate
enough to have been in the vicinity. Costa "Mr. 76" Doinbiznis failed to repeat his sub-80 performance of the previous week,
and in fact, in an incredible display of diversification of talent, did not even manage to break 100, but his 101 was still good
enough for another victory, his sixth in a row, a three shot nailbiter over top lefty Dr. Mario Blondin. The Biz led by as many as
four with four to play, but Blondin scored an unlikely par on 15 coupled with Costa's eight to tie the game. Blondin was unable
to take advantage of that momentum turning hole, and would fall behind again through 16, this time for good, missing a
recently rare opportunity for a win over Doinbiznis. Finishing in third (and last) spot yet another time was Paul Hornsby III, who
once again headed into the event with high hopes after a couple of improved efforts. Hornsby's optimism was very short lived,
however, as he posted a front nine 65 (heave!!!), extremely bad even for 'Da Turd', before finally settling down with a 52 coming
in and a vomit spewing 117 total on the scorecard. Although the field was unanimous in declaring the course in sorry
condition, especially the fairways, not one of them came out directly and blamed the course conditions for their crappy
performances. Dr. Mario Blondin probably put it best, after being asked why the scores were so bad, when he explained matter
of factly, "This is the LGA".
JUNE 12, 2008 - LE RIVIERA
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS
HALE ERWIN NORMAN
CHRIS THE 9-IRON KID
PAUL HORNSBY III
HALE ERWIN NORMAN
CHRIS THE 9-IRON KID
PAUL HORNSBY III
55-47--- 102
52-51--- 103
49-59--- 108
54-54--- 108
52-51--- 103
49-59--- 108
54-54--- 108
Photos not available
The 2008 LGA Weekday Work Delinquency Series continued, this time choosing a beautiful Thursday morning for a visit to Le
Riviera. In a battle that was not decided until the final shot, Costa Doinbiznis emerged victorious for a seventh straight time,
this time by a single stroke over Hale Erwin Norman, and in the process took his 8th win of 2008. This time Costa was actually
in last place after nine holes were completed, but front runner Chris The 9-Iron Kid would fade badly (59) coming in, and
nobody could match Doinbiznis' sub-50 back nine, resulting in Costa's win. Sadly, although Le Riviera is unquestionably a
tougher test than Lafelur, Mr. 76 failed to break 100 for a second straight game, leading to speculation as to whether his
famous 76 from May 31st past was perhaps a fluke. As always time will tell. As for runner-up Hale Norman, victory was indeed
in his sights all day long. After tying Doinbiznis with a par on the beer hole 14th, he would immediately return the shot to Costa
on 15, and would match him stroke for stroke until they ran out of holes. Finishing in a tie for third with Paul Hornsby III, Chris
The 9-Iron Kid led the field by as many as 6 through 12 holes, until his ball decided that the weather was too hot and would go
for several swims on the finishing holes. Chris needed 45 shots to complete the final six holes, resulting in his fall from grace.
And speaking of falling from grace, Paul Hornsby III was also in the field, finishing in a last place tie after a pair of 54's.
Hornsby didn't play great golf, but got away lucky after hitting what appeared to be his first five balls out of bounds. Thankfully
for 'Da Turd', his second ball was found barely in play, but it allowed him to manage a nine on the par-5 first hole, instead of a
number so huge as to be potentially record breaking. Embarrassingly, it was the second consecutive LGA event during which
the winner did not need to shoot in double digits.
Riviera. In a battle that was not decided until the final shot, Costa Doinbiznis emerged victorious for a seventh straight time,
this time by a single stroke over Hale Erwin Norman, and in the process took his 8th win of 2008. This time Costa was actually
in last place after nine holes were completed, but front runner Chris The 9-Iron Kid would fade badly (59) coming in, and
nobody could match Doinbiznis' sub-50 back nine, resulting in Costa's win. Sadly, although Le Riviera is unquestionably a
tougher test than Lafelur, Mr. 76 failed to break 100 for a second straight game, leading to speculation as to whether his
famous 76 from May 31st past was perhaps a fluke. As always time will tell. As for runner-up Hale Norman, victory was indeed
in his sights all day long. After tying Doinbiznis with a par on the beer hole 14th, he would immediately return the shot to Costa
on 15, and would match him stroke for stroke until they ran out of holes. Finishing in a tie for third with Paul Hornsby III, Chris
The 9-Iron Kid led the field by as many as 6 through 12 holes, until his ball decided that the weather was too hot and would go
for several swims on the finishing holes. Chris needed 45 shots to complete the final six holes, resulting in his fall from grace.
And speaking of falling from grace, Paul Hornsby III was also in the field, finishing in a last place tie after a pair of 54's.
Hornsby didn't play great golf, but got away lucky after hitting what appeared to be his first five balls out of bounds. Thankfully
for 'Da Turd', his second ball was found barely in play, but it allowed him to manage a nine on the par-5 first hole, instead of a
number so huge as to be potentially record breaking. Embarrassingly, it was the second consecutive LGA event during which
the winner did not need to shoot in double digits.
JUNE 15, 2008 - CAUGHNAWAGA
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
HALE ERWIN NORMAN
PAUL HORNSBY III
*PIETRO LEWINSKY
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
HALE ERWIN NORMAN
PAUL HORNSBY III
*PIETRO LEWINSKY
44-41--- 85
45-47--- 92
48-53--- 101
58-48--- 106
47-65--- 112
45-47--- 92
48-53--- 101
58-48--- 106
47-65--- 112
Photos not available
A bizarre field of five, thanks to a second straight weekend no show by Fred Cupholders, returned to Caughnawaga for another
LGA sanctioned 'official' event. With Costa Doinbiznis in the lineup seeking his eighth straight victory, most of the competitors
were looking for a shakeup of the recent pecking order, only to leave disappointed. Costa Doinbiznis finally returned to double
digits after failing to do so over his last two, and fired a sizzling 41 coming in to post 85 and runaway with a seven shot win over
top lefty Dr. Mario Blondin. Costa scored a very good seven pars and added a finishing hole birdie to the tally. Runner up
Blondin actually stayed in contention until quite late, as he headed to the 14th tee only two back, but Doinbiznis' 1-under finish
over the last three holes annulled any possibility of a comeback for the doctor. Nine shots farther back, in third place, finished
Hale Erwin Norman. Hale failed to score par on the back nine, and thanks to his 8 on the par-5 18th, failed to break 100 as
well. Things got very interesting at the bottom rungs of the leaderboard on this lovely sunny day, as Pietro Lewinsky went out in
only 47 shots, his best ever career nine and first in the forties, and during which nine Pietro nailed his second lifetime birdie on
the par-3 8th, but Paul Hornsby III, who incidentally posted a terrible front nine 58, rallied back in the second half with a 48 to
take fourth place. Lewinsky sadly would fail to lower his lifetime best, as after consecutive nines on the par-4 12th and 13th
holes, he entered the clubhouse with 112 shots on his scorecard, two shy of his career low. Math wizards would not need a
calculator to realize the implication, a back nine 65 for Pietro. As for Hornsby, although he was pleased with his rally and fourth
place finish, felt he had to apologize to the field for his temper early in the round. As Hornsby himself best put it, "I was
fumigating mad!"
LGA sanctioned 'official' event. With Costa Doinbiznis in the lineup seeking his eighth straight victory, most of the competitors
were looking for a shakeup of the recent pecking order, only to leave disappointed. Costa Doinbiznis finally returned to double
digits after failing to do so over his last two, and fired a sizzling 41 coming in to post 85 and runaway with a seven shot win over
top lefty Dr. Mario Blondin. Costa scored a very good seven pars and added a finishing hole birdie to the tally. Runner up
Blondin actually stayed in contention until quite late, as he headed to the 14th tee only two back, but Doinbiznis' 1-under finish
over the last three holes annulled any possibility of a comeback for the doctor. Nine shots farther back, in third place, finished
Hale Erwin Norman. Hale failed to score par on the back nine, and thanks to his 8 on the par-5 18th, failed to break 100 as
well. Things got very interesting at the bottom rungs of the leaderboard on this lovely sunny day, as Pietro Lewinsky went out in
only 47 shots, his best ever career nine and first in the forties, and during which nine Pietro nailed his second lifetime birdie on
the par-3 8th, but Paul Hornsby III, who incidentally posted a terrible front nine 58, rallied back in the second half with a 48 to
take fourth place. Lewinsky sadly would fail to lower his lifetime best, as after consecutive nines on the par-4 12th and 13th
holes, he entered the clubhouse with 112 shots on his scorecard, two shy of his career low. Math wizards would not need a
calculator to realize the implication, a back nine 65 for Pietro. As for Hornsby, although he was pleased with his rally and fourth
place finish, felt he had to apologize to the field for his temper early in the round. As Hornsby himself best put it, "I was
fumigating mad!"
JUNE 24, 2008 - LE CARDINAL
THE 2008 LEFTY CLASSIC
THE 2008 LEFTY CLASSIC
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS
HALE ERWIN NORMAN -x
CHRIS THE 9-IRON KID
*FRED CUPHOLDERS -x
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
PAUL HORNSBY III -x
*PIETRO LEWINSKY
x-started on back nine
HALE ERWIN NORMAN -x
CHRIS THE 9-IRON KID
*FRED CUPHOLDERS -x
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
PAUL HORNSBY III -x
*PIETRO LEWINSKY
x-started on back nine
47-45--- 92
52-47--- 99
50-51--- 101
50-53--- 103
53-53--- 106
54-57--- 111
55-56--- 111
52-47--- 99
50-51--- 101
50-53--- 103
53-53--- 106
54-57--- 111
55-56--- 111
Photos not available
The LGA's first major, the Lefty Classic, also known as the LGA Classic, or simply the Classic, was held at Le Cardinal in
Laval. Everyone teed off at the same time during the crossover start, with a trio starting on the tenth hole. As expected, Costa
Doinbiznis once again proved that he is currently in another league, taking the first leg of the Lefty Slam with a 7-shot victory
over Hale Erwin Norman. Although the two were tied at the turn, The Biz caught fire again with 45 on the back nine compared
with Norman's 52 to account for the difference. Amazingly, it was Costa's 9th consecutive win and 10th in 2008, and he
continues to have only been defeated once this season, by Dr. Mario Blondin way back in April. Norman's hope for the Classic
trophy were shattered by his 10 on the par-5 4th hole, his 13th of the day. Third place honours went to Chris The 9-Iron Kid,
who shot 101, but more importantly, made birdie on the par-4 12th hole, his first since 2005! Chris added three pars to the mix.
Fred Cupholders finished in the middle of the pack in fourth place, mostly thanks to his 41 putts, oh, and let's not forget his lack
of talent. The fifth place spot was filled by Dr. Mario Blondin, who also putted badly, and had a generally lacklustre day with
matching 53's for a 106 and 37 putts of his own. Once again the heated battle was for last place, between the usual suspects,
Paul Hornsby III and his rightie counterpart, Pietro Lewinsky. Hornsby putted 38 times compared to Lewinsky's 30, and
Lewinsky scored two pars compared to Hornsby's none (none!), but Paul did post a birdie, and the matchup would end in a
draw at 111, which was another season low for Lewinsky. Pietro has managed to shoot a lower score than his previous at
every LGA event so far this season, a feat which LGA resident oddsmaker Pavlo "The Greek" Hornsbidakis describes as
"unsustainable". As always time will tell. The LGA now looks forward to the next leg of the Lefty Slam on August 23rd, where
Fred Cupholders will defend his coveted Yellow Jacket at the Lefty Masters. Obviously, Costa Doinbiznis has emerged as the
early favourite.
Laval. Everyone teed off at the same time during the crossover start, with a trio starting on the tenth hole. As expected, Costa
Doinbiznis once again proved that he is currently in another league, taking the first leg of the Lefty Slam with a 7-shot victory
over Hale Erwin Norman. Although the two were tied at the turn, The Biz caught fire again with 45 on the back nine compared
with Norman's 52 to account for the difference. Amazingly, it was Costa's 9th consecutive win and 10th in 2008, and he
continues to have only been defeated once this season, by Dr. Mario Blondin way back in April. Norman's hope for the Classic
trophy were shattered by his 10 on the par-5 4th hole, his 13th of the day. Third place honours went to Chris The 9-Iron Kid,
who shot 101, but more importantly, made birdie on the par-4 12th hole, his first since 2005! Chris added three pars to the mix.
Fred Cupholders finished in the middle of the pack in fourth place, mostly thanks to his 41 putts, oh, and let's not forget his lack
of talent. The fifth place spot was filled by Dr. Mario Blondin, who also putted badly, and had a generally lacklustre day with
matching 53's for a 106 and 37 putts of his own. Once again the heated battle was for last place, between the usual suspects,
Paul Hornsby III and his rightie counterpart, Pietro Lewinsky. Hornsby putted 38 times compared to Lewinsky's 30, and
Lewinsky scored two pars compared to Hornsby's none (none!), but Paul did post a birdie, and the matchup would end in a
draw at 111, which was another season low for Lewinsky. Pietro has managed to shoot a lower score than his previous at
every LGA event so far this season, a feat which LGA resident oddsmaker Pavlo "The Greek" Hornsbidakis describes as
"unsustainable". As always time will tell. The LGA now looks forward to the next leg of the Lefty Slam on August 23rd, where
Fred Cupholders will defend his coveted Yellow Jacket at the Lefty Masters. Obviously, Costa Doinbiznis has emerged as the
early favourite.
JUNE 29, 2008 - CAUGHNAWAGA
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
PAUL HORNSBY III
*FRED CUPHOLDERS
PAUL HORNSBY III
*FRED CUPHOLDERS
44-46--- 90
44-48--- 92
46-53--- 99
44-48--- 92
46-53--- 99
Photos not available
On another day forecast to be rainly but actually nice and sunny, a tiny field of three headed to The Cog. Dr. Mario Blondin and
Paul Hornsby III battled it out, with Hornsby surprisingly pulling ahead on the back nine after a stretch of 5-over par golf over 11
holes, to lead by three shots through 13, but then as could be predicted, 'Da Turd' plopped two balls into the lake on 14 and
walked away from there with a nine, bringing Blondin back into contention. Mario would score a very strong 90, his best of
2008, and in the process grab his second win of the year by a two shot margin. Blondin's consistent round featured only one
triple bogey on the par-4 15th. Back to Hornsby, although disappointed with the second place finish, his 92 was still his best
round since carding 90 on July 24th, 2004, a stretch of nearly four years. He also set a personal lifetime mark with seven pars
for the day, and had a real chance once again to break 90 on the final hole, but a triple bogey 8 demolished any chance of that.
It was also the first time this season Hornsby has defeated anyone other than Pietro Lewinsky, which is a rather disturbing
statistic if you take a moment to think about it. That unlucky victim was Fred Cupholders, who also broke 100, although barely.
Fred was in contention for much of the day, but could not keep up with the hot pace of his competitors as he faded over the
finishing holes. It was his nine in particular on the par-4 13th that dropped him out of the competition. When asked about the
victory and about the surprising challenge Hornsby put up today, Blondin was blunt. "I was waiting for him to make a mistake. I
was getting scared, but I knew he would choke." The doctor had the correct diagnosis.
Paul Hornsby III battled it out, with Hornsby surprisingly pulling ahead on the back nine after a stretch of 5-over par golf over 11
holes, to lead by three shots through 13, but then as could be predicted, 'Da Turd' plopped two balls into the lake on 14 and
walked away from there with a nine, bringing Blondin back into contention. Mario would score a very strong 90, his best of
2008, and in the process grab his second win of the year by a two shot margin. Blondin's consistent round featured only one
triple bogey on the par-4 15th. Back to Hornsby, although disappointed with the second place finish, his 92 was still his best
round since carding 90 on July 24th, 2004, a stretch of nearly four years. He also set a personal lifetime mark with seven pars
for the day, and had a real chance once again to break 90 on the final hole, but a triple bogey 8 demolished any chance of that.
It was also the first time this season Hornsby has defeated anyone other than Pietro Lewinsky, which is a rather disturbing
statistic if you take a moment to think about it. That unlucky victim was Fred Cupholders, who also broke 100, although barely.
Fred was in contention for much of the day, but could not keep up with the hot pace of his competitors as he faded over the
finishing holes. It was his nine in particular on the par-4 13th that dropped him out of the competition. When asked about the
victory and about the surprising challenge Hornsby put up today, Blondin was blunt. "I was waiting for him to make a mistake. I
was getting scared, but I knew he would choke." The doctor had the correct diagnosis.