| The Month in Review |
| A monthly feature recapping all Lefty Golfers Association events |
| July 2004 |
JULY 1, 2004 - CAUGHNAWAGA
PAUL HORNSBY III
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS
HALE E. NORMAN
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS
HALE E. NORMAN
44-48--- 92
51-59--- 110
53-58--- 111
51-59--- 110
53-58--- 111
A minimally official field of three braved scattered thunderstorms, some of them close by and quite strong, for a shot at another
LGA victory at Caughnawaga. Paul Hornsby III put aside his crap-based season for the day, carding two birdies, one a near ace
on the par-3 8th, as well as four pars en route to a 92, matching a career low. As a credit to Hornsby, he shot the decent score in
spite of an air ball, four water penalties and a couple of eights on the back nine. Paul coatsed to victory, in the end taking it by 18
shots, also a personal best. It was "Da Turd"'s third victory of 2004. Top righthander and runner-up was Costa Doinbiznis. Using
the excuse of a pinched nerve, The Biz nevertheless hung on for second. His 13 on the par-5 18th was a primer in how not to
chip the ball, while his 10 on the par-4 13th was a lesson in what to avoid during course management. For now The Biz retains
his position in the final group at The Lefty Masters. The job of cccupying the cellar yet again fell to Hale Erwin Norman. Wishing
for rain from early on, Hale generally struggled, with his gaffes being too numerous to mention in this limited space, but his 8,
which included a visit to the parking lot on the par-3 6th, deserves honourable mention. Now that we're at approximately the
midway point of the season, the question has to once again arise, "Will the LGA ever improve?"
LGA victory at Caughnawaga. Paul Hornsby III put aside his crap-based season for the day, carding two birdies, one a near ace
on the par-3 8th, as well as four pars en route to a 92, matching a career low. As a credit to Hornsby, he shot the decent score in
spite of an air ball, four water penalties and a couple of eights on the back nine. Paul coatsed to victory, in the end taking it by 18
shots, also a personal best. It was "Da Turd"'s third victory of 2004. Top righthander and runner-up was Costa Doinbiznis. Using
the excuse of a pinched nerve, The Biz nevertheless hung on for second. His 13 on the par-5 18th was a primer in how not to
chip the ball, while his 10 on the par-4 13th was a lesson in what to avoid during course management. For now The Biz retains
his position in the final group at The Lefty Masters. The job of cccupying the cellar yet again fell to Hale Erwin Norman. Wishing
for rain from early on, Hale generally struggled, with his gaffes being too numerous to mention in this limited space, but his 8,
which included a visit to the parking lot on the par-3 6th, deserves honourable mention. Now that we're at approximately the
midway point of the season, the question has to once again arise, "Will the LGA ever improve?"
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Photos not available
JULY 4, 2004 - LAFLEUR
HALE E. NORMAN
PAUL HORNSBY III
*FRED CUPHOLDERS
PAUL HORNSBY III
*FRED CUPHOLDERS
43-48--- 91
53-46--- 99
51-48--- 99
53-46--- 99
51-48--- 99
Another tiny field of three endured high heat and humidity for yet another LGA event at Lafleur. With the number one rank in
scoring average on the line at the outset, Hale Erwin Norman, on the strength of a front nine 43 and his third birdie of the season
on the par-3 11th hole, outclassed his opposition coming in with a 91. His ugly triple-bogey on the beer hole 17th denied
Norman what would have been the LGA's first round in the 80's this season, but it was an important day for Norman just the
same, as he is now tied with the injured Dr. Mario Blondin in tournament wins, and it was also his first round on the good side of
100 since June 20th, a period spanning three events. Finishing in a second place tie and also breaking 100, however barely,
were Paul Hornsby III and Fred Cupholders. Hornsby trailed Cupholders by as many as four shots, but rallied for the tie by
finishing with a par then five straight bogeys. It was Hornsby's second straight double-digit round, adding a tiny element of
respectability to his year. Cupholders also made a come back of sorts, surviving a bad start (38 though 6 holes) to squeak out
the 99. Fred had also gone three rounds without staying under the magic century number. As has been repeated on this space
quite often of late, LGA rules state that in the event of a tie between a lefty and a righthander, the lefthander always gets top billing.
scoring average on the line at the outset, Hale Erwin Norman, on the strength of a front nine 43 and his third birdie of the season
on the par-3 11th hole, outclassed his opposition coming in with a 91. His ugly triple-bogey on the beer hole 17th denied
Norman what would have been the LGA's first round in the 80's this season, but it was an important day for Norman just the
same, as he is now tied with the injured Dr. Mario Blondin in tournament wins, and it was also his first round on the good side of
100 since June 20th, a period spanning three events. Finishing in a second place tie and also breaking 100, however barely,
were Paul Hornsby III and Fred Cupholders. Hornsby trailed Cupholders by as many as four shots, but rallied for the tie by
finishing with a par then five straight bogeys. It was Hornsby's second straight double-digit round, adding a tiny element of
respectability to his year. Cupholders also made a come back of sorts, surviving a bad start (38 though 6 holes) to squeak out
the 99. Fred had also gone three rounds without staying under the magic century number. As has been repeated on this space
quite often of late, LGA rules state that in the event of a tie between a lefty and a righthander, the lefthander always gets top billing.
Photos not available
JULY 10, 2004 - CAUGHNAWAGA
CHRIS 9-IRON KID
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS
PAUL HORNSBY III
HALE E. NORMAN
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS
PAUL HORNSBY III
HALE E. NORMAN
44-51--- 95
43-53--- 96
52-46--- 98
51-49--- 100
43-53--- 96
52-46--- 98
51-49--- 100
More hot and humid weather greeted our lefty heroes (and Costa Doinbiznis) as they staged another tight batle at Caughnawaga.
Chris The 9-Iron Kid carded a solid front nine 44, but still had to rally from six back through twelve to squeeze out a one shot
victory over Costa Doinbiznis for his second event win of the season. After a lengthy rain delay, 9-Iron's par on the beer hole 17th
put him in the lead to stay. The contest should not have been a close one at all if it were not for the aforementioned Costa
Doinbiznis. After going out in 43, scoring two birdies along the way (as well as a 10 on the par-5- 5th!), 'The Biz' started the back
nine with three consecutive pars. At that point it appeared that Costa would easily break 90, and perhaps even 80, discarding all
expectations. But when all was said and done Doinbiznis did not disappoint. He played the final six holes in 42 shots (heave!!) to
finish one back. Grabbing third spot was Paul Hornsby III. Hornsby trailed by 12 shots with 6 holes to play, but his back nine 46
would allow him to narrow the gap nicely (although not enough). It was 'Da Turd''s third consecutive game under 100, an
accomplishment for the veteran lefty loser. And speaking of lefty losers, rounding the out the field was Hale Erwin Norman, who
incredibly finished in last place in an official LGA event for the third time in his last five. Norman landed right on the century mark,
also spoiling a chance at a day where all players finished in double-digits. As a consolation, Norman finally won a beer hole on
17, although he had to share it with the champion.
Chris The 9-Iron Kid carded a solid front nine 44, but still had to rally from six back through twelve to squeeze out a one shot
victory over Costa Doinbiznis for his second event win of the season. After a lengthy rain delay, 9-Iron's par on the beer hole 17th
put him in the lead to stay. The contest should not have been a close one at all if it were not for the aforementioned Costa
Doinbiznis. After going out in 43, scoring two birdies along the way (as well as a 10 on the par-5- 5th!), 'The Biz' started the back
nine with three consecutive pars. At that point it appeared that Costa would easily break 90, and perhaps even 80, discarding all
expectations. But when all was said and done Doinbiznis did not disappoint. He played the final six holes in 42 shots (heave!!) to
finish one back. Grabbing third spot was Paul Hornsby III. Hornsby trailed by 12 shots with 6 holes to play, but his back nine 46
would allow him to narrow the gap nicely (although not enough). It was 'Da Turd''s third consecutive game under 100, an
accomplishment for the veteran lefty loser. And speaking of lefty losers, rounding the out the field was Hale Erwin Norman, who
incredibly finished in last place in an official LGA event for the third time in his last five. Norman landed right on the century mark,
also spoiling a chance at a day where all players finished in double-digits. As a consolation, Norman finally won a beer hole on
17, although he had to share it with the champion.
Photos not available
JULY 18, 2004 - CAUGHNAWAGA
CHRIS 9-IRON KID
PAUL HORNSBY III
HALE E. NORMAN
*FRED CUPHOLDERS
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS
*CAT WOMAN
PAUL HORNSBY III
HALE E. NORMAN
*FRED CUPHOLDERS
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS
*CAT WOMAN
45-48--- 93
46-49--- 95
43-52--- 95
46-50--- 96
54-51--- 105
56-53--- 109
85-75--- 160
46-49--- 95
43-52--- 95
46-50--- 96
54-51--- 105
56-53--- 109
85-75--- 160
The LGA crossed the Mercier Bridge yet again for another official event at Caughnawaga, this one featuring all ranking members
with the exception of Pietro Lewinsky. Once again, the result would not be known until the bitter end, as four contenders battled it
out for top honours. Emerging victorious for a second straight week was veteran lefty Chris The 9-Iron Kid. Trailing by two at the
turn, Chris watched as one by one his competition suffered bad holes on the back nine, handing him the lead by the time
fourteen holes had been completed. His beer hole victory on 17 assured him of his third victory in only seven appearances in
2004. Completing the one-two-three finish by lefties were Hale Erwin Norman and a resurgent Paul Hornsby III, both two shots
back of the winner. Norman, who birdied the par-5 first hole after reaching in two, added four pars to his scorecard by the time he
reached the eleventh tee, but could not keep up the quality of play required to catch The 9-Iron Kid. His 8 on the 14th hole was
particularly costly. Hornsby, meanwhile, scored a birdie of his own on the par-3 10th, draining a 30-foot downhill snake, but also
couldn't quite catch 'The Kid', in spite of completing his fourth consecutive sub-100 round. Top righthander was Fred
Cupholders. Fred scored an impressive three pars (for him) on the final six holes, but his 8 (brwahh!) on the previously
mentioned par-3 10th (where it took him four shots to get out of the bunker), pretty well soiled the pants that his day was
wearing. Returning to the LGA for the first time since the Lefty Classic was Dr. Mario Blondin, who frankly sucked. The former
two-time Yellow Jacket champion showed his rust (and at times his hangover). As soon as he finally settled down to play some
respectable golf, he four-putted the beer hole seventeenth, confirming his crappy day. Even further down the leaderboard,
finishing in sixth place, we found Costa Doinbiznis. Also suffering from a serious hangover, The Biz never could get the ball to go
where he wanted. By the turn he was well out of contention. Consecutive pars on 11 and 12 prevented him from ballooning to the
110 mark, and thanks to another appearance by the extra-terrestrial Cat Woman, easily avoided the cellar. "CW", as Cat Woman
is affectionatley being referred to on the LGA Tour, once again proved that golf is indeed an earthly discipline. To her credit, she
succeeded in breaking the 200 mark for a second straight time. With another win by Chris The 9-Iron Kid, speculation has grown
as to whether this may be the year he ends his drought of major victories with a win at The Lefty Masters. Of course, Chris can
only win if he decides to show up.
with the exception of Pietro Lewinsky. Once again, the result would not be known until the bitter end, as four contenders battled it
out for top honours. Emerging victorious for a second straight week was veteran lefty Chris The 9-Iron Kid. Trailing by two at the
turn, Chris watched as one by one his competition suffered bad holes on the back nine, handing him the lead by the time
fourteen holes had been completed. His beer hole victory on 17 assured him of his third victory in only seven appearances in
2004. Completing the one-two-three finish by lefties were Hale Erwin Norman and a resurgent Paul Hornsby III, both two shots
back of the winner. Norman, who birdied the par-5 first hole after reaching in two, added four pars to his scorecard by the time he
reached the eleventh tee, but could not keep up the quality of play required to catch The 9-Iron Kid. His 8 on the 14th hole was
particularly costly. Hornsby, meanwhile, scored a birdie of his own on the par-3 10th, draining a 30-foot downhill snake, but also
couldn't quite catch 'The Kid', in spite of completing his fourth consecutive sub-100 round. Top righthander was Fred
Cupholders. Fred scored an impressive three pars (for him) on the final six holes, but his 8 (brwahh!) on the previously
mentioned par-3 10th (where it took him four shots to get out of the bunker), pretty well soiled the pants that his day was
wearing. Returning to the LGA for the first time since the Lefty Classic was Dr. Mario Blondin, who frankly sucked. The former
two-time Yellow Jacket champion showed his rust (and at times his hangover). As soon as he finally settled down to play some
respectable golf, he four-putted the beer hole seventeenth, confirming his crappy day. Even further down the leaderboard,
finishing in sixth place, we found Costa Doinbiznis. Also suffering from a serious hangover, The Biz never could get the ball to go
where he wanted. By the turn he was well out of contention. Consecutive pars on 11 and 12 prevented him from ballooning to the
110 mark, and thanks to another appearance by the extra-terrestrial Cat Woman, easily avoided the cellar. "CW", as Cat Woman
is affectionatley being referred to on the LGA Tour, once again proved that golf is indeed an earthly discipline. To her credit, she
succeeded in breaking the 200 mark for a second straight time. With another win by Chris The 9-Iron Kid, speculation has grown
as to whether this may be the year he ends his drought of major victories with a win at The Lefty Masters. Of course, Chris can
only win if he decides to show up.
Photos not available
JULY 24, 2004 - CAUGHNAWAGA
PAUL HORNSBY III
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
HALE E. NORMAN
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
HALE E. NORMAN
45-45--- 90
56-53--- 109
51-58--- 109
56-53--- 109
51-58--- 109
After being strangers for a couple of months while course conditions improved, the LGA graced the fairways (and roughs, of
course) of Caughnawaga for the fourth time in the month of July. While the previous visits here mostly resulted in closely
contested tournaments, this one was a cake walk for Paul Hornsby III. On the strength of six pars and very solid ball striking (for
a change), Hornsby carded two 45's on his way to a career best 90. His 19 stroke margin of victory was also a personal best,
and the win represented his fourth of the season. It also extended his streak of consecutive games under 100 to five, another
career milestone, making it a pretty fine month for the long-time lefty loser. Finishing in a second place tie were two other
veteran lefties, Dr. Mario Blondin and Hale Erwin Norman. They both came in with barf-producing 109's, obviously in a state of
shock after witnessing Hornsby's performance in person. Although Norman only trailed by six through nine holes, his
aggressive play on the back nine would only add to his misery. Norman failed to score par during the entire round. In Blondin's
case, the play was cruddy from the get-go, as he had difficulty hitting the ball with any consistency at all. The fact that he needed
only 33 putts to complete the round confirms this. Despite the win and the improved play of late, Hornsby remains mired in sixth
spot overall for the season, as he would have to play even better golf to erase the embarassingly horrid performances he posted
during the first half of the season.
course) of Caughnawaga for the fourth time in the month of July. While the previous visits here mostly resulted in closely
contested tournaments, this one was a cake walk for Paul Hornsby III. On the strength of six pars and very solid ball striking (for
a change), Hornsby carded two 45's on his way to a career best 90. His 19 stroke margin of victory was also a personal best,
and the win represented his fourth of the season. It also extended his streak of consecutive games under 100 to five, another
career milestone, making it a pretty fine month for the long-time lefty loser. Finishing in a second place tie were two other
veteran lefties, Dr. Mario Blondin and Hale Erwin Norman. They both came in with barf-producing 109's, obviously in a state of
shock after witnessing Hornsby's performance in person. Although Norman only trailed by six through nine holes, his
aggressive play on the back nine would only add to his misery. Norman failed to score par during the entire round. In Blondin's
case, the play was cruddy from the get-go, as he had difficulty hitting the ball with any consistency at all. The fact that he needed
only 33 putts to complete the round confirms this. Despite the win and the improved play of late, Hornsby remains mired in sixth
spot overall for the season, as he would have to play even better golf to erase the embarassingly horrid performances he posted
during the first half of the season.
Photos not available
JULY 25, 2004 - CAUGHNAWAGA
PAUL HORNSBY III
HALE E. NORMAN
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
HALE E. NORMAN
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
44-50--- 94
49-46--- 95
48-50--- 98
49-46--- 95
48-50--- 98
The LGA completed its first doubleheader weekend since the month of April with another visit to the home course,
Caughnawaga. Going for the weekend sweep, Paul Hornsby III continued where he left off on Saturday with a 44 on the front to
take a four shot lead at the turn, but then reverted to his old-style, crappier style of play coming in. He never relinquished the
lead, however, hanging on for a one shot victory over Hale Erwin Norman and his fifth victory of the 2004 campaign. It was also
the sixth consecutive game during which Hornsby broke 100, which naturally raises the eternal question, "Can it be?".
Runner-up Norman continued his streak of alternating between games in triple-digits and double-digits, this one falling in the
latter category. Hale continues to hang on to number one spot in the LGA for the time being, but if the trend continues, he may be
overtaken by at least some of his talentless competition. Rounding out the field was Dr. Mario Blondin, who despite finishing in
last place was nevertheless relieved to also finish below the 100-mark, after going four events without doing so. Blondin also
carded his third birdie of the season on the par-5 5th hole, making him happy. So let's see, he finished last, and he was relieved
and happy. Only in the LGA can such a range of emotions be experienced. In addition to the anger felt by Hale Erwin Norman
after losing to Paul Hornsby III once again, and Hornsby's calm, serene demeanour of late, a mood ring would display the entire
rainbow of colours during a single LGA event.
Caughnawaga. Going for the weekend sweep, Paul Hornsby III continued where he left off on Saturday with a 44 on the front to
take a four shot lead at the turn, but then reverted to his old-style, crappier style of play coming in. He never relinquished the
lead, however, hanging on for a one shot victory over Hale Erwin Norman and his fifth victory of the 2004 campaign. It was also
the sixth consecutive game during which Hornsby broke 100, which naturally raises the eternal question, "Can it be?".
Runner-up Norman continued his streak of alternating between games in triple-digits and double-digits, this one falling in the
latter category. Hale continues to hang on to number one spot in the LGA for the time being, but if the trend continues, he may be
overtaken by at least some of his talentless competition. Rounding out the field was Dr. Mario Blondin, who despite finishing in
last place was nevertheless relieved to also finish below the 100-mark, after going four events without doing so. Blondin also
carded his third birdie of the season on the par-5 5th hole, making him happy. So let's see, he finished last, and he was relieved
and happy. Only in the LGA can such a range of emotions be experienced. In addition to the anger felt by Hale Erwin Norman
after losing to Paul Hornsby III once again, and Hornsby's calm, serene demeanour of late, a mood ring would display the entire
rainbow of colours during a single LGA event.
Photos not available