| The Month in Review |
| A monthly feature recapping all Lefty Golfers Association events |
| September 2006 |
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SEPTEMBER 2, 2006 - CAUGHNAWAGA
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS
*FRED CUPHOLDERS
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
PAUL HORNSBY III
HALE ERWIN NORMAN
*PIETRO LEWINSKY
*FRED CUPHOLDERS
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
PAUL HORNSBY III
HALE ERWIN NORMAN
*PIETRO LEWINSKY
44-48--- 92
46-51--- 97
53-46--- 99
53-47--- 100
52-49--- 101
59-58--- 117
46-51--- 97
53-46--- 99
53-47--- 100
52-49--- 101
59-58--- 117
After being postponed for two weeks due to scheduling conflicts, the 2006 Lefty Masters, the seventh edition of this most
celebrated of tournaments, finally took place, the first time ever in the month of September. Although a vicious battle was
expected for the coveted Yellow Jacket, it was in effect decided on the front nine as defending champion Costa Doinbiznis and
Fred Cupholders separated themselves from the field, being the only two golfers to break 50 going out. Doinbiznis then
watched as Cupholders fired a disappointing 51 coming home, ceding the victory to Costa by five easy shots and in the
process earning 'The Biz'' his second consecutive Yellow Jacket, the first such accomplishment by a righthander. It was not as
if Doinbiznis played badly, his birdie on the par-43 8th would attest to that, but nobody would step up to the plate to give him a
run for his money. In the case of Cupholders it might have been his performance on the back nine, but consider the rest. Third
place Dr. Mario Blondin, the top lefty in the field, finished strongly with a second half 46 to break 100, but only by a single shot,
as his pukey front nine 53 prevented the doctor from earning his third career Yellow Jacket. Mario's back nine was the low of the
day in spite of a vomit spewing nine on the par-4 12th hole. Paul Hornsby III was next on the leaderboard, finishing in fourth
place, right on the 100 mark. Hornsby was also out of contention at the turn after a 53 before catching fire (by his very low
standards). Hornsby in fact appeared to have third place wrapped up until late in the round, when a key triple bogey allowed for
a three-shot swing in favour of Blondin. Surprisingly, Hale Erwin Norman entered the clubhouse well back in fifth place at 101.
Norman was the pre-event favourite to win, but also played badly going out (52). Hale had five pars for the round, didn't need
more than seven shots to complete any hole, and putted only 32 times, but somehow still failed to score in double-digits. It was
the first time in 2006 Norman finished lower than second place. Completing the field finishing sixth was Pietro Lewinsky, who
has been showing signs of improvement of late. His 117 was despite a 10 on the par-4 3rd and a couple of nines. Lewinsky's
day (and perhaps year) was made when he chipped in for par on the beer hole 17th, taking 3 beers in the process and getting
a nomination for 2006 LGA Dance of The Year, entertaining the sparse gallery with the twist as well as some freestyle dancing
after the ball dropped into the hole. Interestingly, Lewinsky's performance was his worst at the Lefty Masters since 2003, when
he fired a 130. Chris The 9-Iron Kid was a last minute cancellation once again, having now competed in the Lefty Masters only
once in its entire history. The major tourmanent returns to the Cog for an eighth edition in '07, when Costa Doinbiznis will try to
become the first player ever to win three straight jackets of the coveted yellow variety.
celebrated of tournaments, finally took place, the first time ever in the month of September. Although a vicious battle was
expected for the coveted Yellow Jacket, it was in effect decided on the front nine as defending champion Costa Doinbiznis and
Fred Cupholders separated themselves from the field, being the only two golfers to break 50 going out. Doinbiznis then
watched as Cupholders fired a disappointing 51 coming home, ceding the victory to Costa by five easy shots and in the
process earning 'The Biz'' his second consecutive Yellow Jacket, the first such accomplishment by a righthander. It was not as
if Doinbiznis played badly, his birdie on the par-43 8th would attest to that, but nobody would step up to the plate to give him a
run for his money. In the case of Cupholders it might have been his performance on the back nine, but consider the rest. Third
place Dr. Mario Blondin, the top lefty in the field, finished strongly with a second half 46 to break 100, but only by a single shot,
as his pukey front nine 53 prevented the doctor from earning his third career Yellow Jacket. Mario's back nine was the low of the
day in spite of a vomit spewing nine on the par-4 12th hole. Paul Hornsby III was next on the leaderboard, finishing in fourth
place, right on the 100 mark. Hornsby was also out of contention at the turn after a 53 before catching fire (by his very low
standards). Hornsby in fact appeared to have third place wrapped up until late in the round, when a key triple bogey allowed for
a three-shot swing in favour of Blondin. Surprisingly, Hale Erwin Norman entered the clubhouse well back in fifth place at 101.
Norman was the pre-event favourite to win, but also played badly going out (52). Hale had five pars for the round, didn't need
more than seven shots to complete any hole, and putted only 32 times, but somehow still failed to score in double-digits. It was
the first time in 2006 Norman finished lower than second place. Completing the field finishing sixth was Pietro Lewinsky, who
has been showing signs of improvement of late. His 117 was despite a 10 on the par-4 3rd and a couple of nines. Lewinsky's
day (and perhaps year) was made when he chipped in for par on the beer hole 17th, taking 3 beers in the process and getting
a nomination for 2006 LGA Dance of The Year, entertaining the sparse gallery with the twist as well as some freestyle dancing
after the ball dropped into the hole. Interestingly, Lewinsky's performance was his worst at the Lefty Masters since 2003, when
he fired a 130. Chris The 9-Iron Kid was a last minute cancellation once again, having now competed in the Lefty Masters only
once in its entire history. The major tourmanent returns to the Cog for an eighth edition in '07, when Costa Doinbiznis will try to
become the first player ever to win three straight jackets of the coveted yellow variety.
Photos not available
THE LEFTY MASTERS
SEPTEMBER 4, 2006 - CAUGHNAWAGA
*FRED CUPHOLDERS
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
PAUL HORNSBY III
DR. MARIO BLONDIN
PAUL HORNSBY III
50-55--- 105
54-57--- 111
58-54--- 112
54-57--- 111
58-54--- 112
The annual post-Lefty Masters downer this season turned out to also be the annual Workman's Compensation Trophy, the first
time in LGA history two named tournaments took place during the same weekend. Not surprisingly, given the slight drizzle
which was falling on the first tee, only the barely minimum field of three decided to appear. Fred Cupholders made up for his
runner-up finish at the Lefty Masters by scoring an easy six-shot victory over his lefty opposition, Dr. Mario Blondin and Paul
Hornsby III, in that odour..I mean order. With 105, you know Fred's victory could not have been pretty. In fact, Cupholders' par on
the par-3 10th would be the only par of the day...for the entire field!!! Fred carded a horrid 42 putts during this his high round of
the season. As for Blondin, for a second straight round he battled Hornsby late into the round, prevailing by one over 'Da Turd'
and avoiding the cellar in the process. Mario's 10 on the par-4 12th hole was as ugly as a golf hole can be played, while his
chip in for 6 on 11 was after he missed the green twice from within 10 yards. Hornsby, obviously, had problems of his own. His
10 on the par-3 4th stands out, as well as his two four-putts, a stat unheard of even in the LGA. To the defense of our
non-girlieman threesome, all of the pins were tucked into the extreme back corners of the greens, leaving the boys with many a
lenghty putt over the course of the event, and the course was a little bit wet, even though the rain stopped during the second
hole and never returned.
time in LGA history two named tournaments took place during the same weekend. Not surprisingly, given the slight drizzle
which was falling on the first tee, only the barely minimum field of three decided to appear. Fred Cupholders made up for his
runner-up finish at the Lefty Masters by scoring an easy six-shot victory over his lefty opposition, Dr. Mario Blondin and Paul
Hornsby III, in that odour..I mean order. With 105, you know Fred's victory could not have been pretty. In fact, Cupholders' par on
the par-3 10th would be the only par of the day...for the entire field!!! Fred carded a horrid 42 putts during this his high round of
the season. As for Blondin, for a second straight round he battled Hornsby late into the round, prevailing by one over 'Da Turd'
and avoiding the cellar in the process. Mario's 10 on the par-4 12th hole was as ugly as a golf hole can be played, while his
chip in for 6 on 11 was after he missed the green twice from within 10 yards. Hornsby, obviously, had problems of his own. His
10 on the par-3 4th stands out, as well as his two four-putts, a stat unheard of even in the LGA. To the defense of our
non-girlieman threesome, all of the pins were tucked into the extreme back corners of the greens, leaving the boys with many a
lenghty putt over the course of the event, and the course was a little bit wet, even though the rain stopped during the second
hole and never returned.
Photos not available
THE WORKMAN'S COMPENSATION TROPHY
SEPTEMBER 17, 2006 - TERREBONNE (TERREBONNE) (STARTED ON BACK NINE)
*FRED CUPHOLDERS
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS
CHRIS THE 9-IRON KID
PAUL HORNSBY III
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS
CHRIS THE 9-IRON KID
PAUL HORNSBY III
48-49--- 97
51-50--- 101
54-51--- 105
56-60--- 116
51-50--- 101
54-51--- 105
56-60--- 116
For the first time in several seasons, the LGA returned to Terrebonne, site of inaugural victories for most LGA righties. And the
tradition continued, in a manner of speaking, with righthander Fred Cupholders taking advantage of a blowup 10 by Costa
Doinbiznis on the par-5 18th (the 9th hole played on this day) and coasting to a four shot win. As is often the case in the LGA,
Cupholders' unspectacular play was more than good enough for the victory, as his opposition found all sorts of reasons not to
compete. For the aforementioned Doinbiznis, apart from the 10 already described, there was also a 9 on the par-4 15th,
complicating matters further. Costa's birdie on the par-5 7th (16th) would be too little, too late. For top lefty Chris The 9-Iron Kid,
it was a steady diet of bogeys and worse. In fact 9-Iron failed to score a par all day, although he didn't have a hole where he
would need more than 8 shots. I suppose that could be considered an accomplishment in this league. As for last place Paul
Hornsby III, well it was yet another case of the same old. After scoring 56 on the tougher back nine, Hornsby would head to
number one and promptly post a ten on his way to a 60 for the second half. At least he could claim a par. The win gives Fred
Cupholders seven and a half tournament wins for 2006, one and a half better than Hale Erwin Norman as the season heads
towards the finish. The remaining events should prove decisive in determining who will be crowned 2006 LGA Player of the
Year.
tradition continued, in a manner of speaking, with righthander Fred Cupholders taking advantage of a blowup 10 by Costa
Doinbiznis on the par-5 18th (the 9th hole played on this day) and coasting to a four shot win. As is often the case in the LGA,
Cupholders' unspectacular play was more than good enough for the victory, as his opposition found all sorts of reasons not to
compete. For the aforementioned Doinbiznis, apart from the 10 already described, there was also a 9 on the par-4 15th,
complicating matters further. Costa's birdie on the par-5 7th (16th) would be too little, too late. For top lefty Chris The 9-Iron Kid,
it was a steady diet of bogeys and worse. In fact 9-Iron failed to score a par all day, although he didn't have a hole where he
would need more than 8 shots. I suppose that could be considered an accomplishment in this league. As for last place Paul
Hornsby III, well it was yet another case of the same old. After scoring 56 on the tougher back nine, Hornsby would head to
number one and promptly post a ten on his way to a 60 for the second half. At least he could claim a par. The win gives Fred
Cupholders seven and a half tournament wins for 2006, one and a half better than Hale Erwin Norman as the season heads
towards the finish. The remaining events should prove decisive in determining who will be crowned 2006 LGA Player of the
Year.
Photos not available
SEPTEMBER 30, 2006 - BELLEVUE (BELLEVUE COURSE)
HALE ERWIN NORMAN - Germany
DR. MARIO BLONDIN - Ireland
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS - Cuba
*DON KRAFTDINNER - New Zealand
CHRIS THE 9-IRON KID - Greece
PAUL HORNSBY III - Ukraine
*PIETRO LEWINSKY - Italy
*CAT WOMAN - Andorra
*TOMMY ARMOURY - Luxembourg
DR. MARIO BLONDIN - Ireland
*COSTA DOINBIZNIS - Cuba
*DON KRAFTDINNER - New Zealand
CHRIS THE 9-IRON KID - Greece
PAUL HORNSBY III - Ukraine
*PIETRO LEWINSKY - Italy
*CAT WOMAN - Andorra
*TOMMY ARMOURY - Luxembourg
47-48--- 95 GOLD
47-53--- 100 SILVER
50-51--- 101 BRONZE
55-55--- 110
59-57--- 116
59-57--- 116
68-61--- 129
NO SCORE POSTED
NO SCORE POSTED
47-53--- 100 SILVER
50-51--- 101 BRONZE
55-55--- 110
59-57--- 116
59-57--- 116
68-61--- 129
NO SCORE POSTED
NO SCORE POSTED
The eleventh Lefty Olympics of Golf, the LGA's 'big event' of each season, was finally played, making its first visit to Bellevue,
with one of the smallest fields ever. Of the nine nations attending this traditional event, top of the crop was Germany, with Hale
Erwin Norman, its representative, walking off the 18th green with a five stroke victory over Dr. Mario Blondin, wearing the colours
of Ireland. Norman started strongly, scoring a birdie on the par-3 2nd hole, but it was not until the back nine, and particularly the
par-4 13th hole, where his par combined with the doctor's triple bogey enabled Hale to pull away, taking his sixth career gold
medal. As for Blondin, although his failure to break 100 was a bitter pill to swallow, he nevertheless squeaked out a silver
medal by one shot over top rightie and defending champion Costa J. Doinbiznis of Cuba. It is believed by most who witnessed
the event (and believe me, there weren't many), that 'The Biz' would probably have won the event were it not for a couple of
nines, one on the par-5 9th, and the other on the par-5 11th. The bronze medal was Costa's third career podium finish in the
history of the LGA Olympics. Finishing fourth, in his annual LGA appearance , was New Zealand's Donald Kraftdinner. Although
KD was generally displeased with his performance, it turned out to be one of his best ever, at least in the LGA. Donald made
news when he scored par on the par-3 17th, taking eight official beer hole beers. As we head down the leaderboard, six shots
later we find equally vomit-drenched performances by two veteran lefties, Chris The 9-Iron Kid, representing the embarrassed
nation of Greece, and Paul Hornsby III, from an equally ashamed Ukraine. Both of them kept swinging as the shots piled up,
totally 116 apiece. For 9-Iron, although he failed to score par for the day, it didn't seem too bad until the final three holes, each of
which would take 8 shots for him to complete. That fact is especially sad considering that 17 is a par-3 and 18 is a short par-4.
And as for Hornsby, well 'Da Turd' also needed 116 shots, despite his first birdie of the season on the par-5 16th. His round
was plagued by several double-hits and generally crappy play. Taking seventh place was Italy's Pietro Lewinsky who by the
fourth hole had already taken 34 shots. But at least he posted a score, which could not be said about the final two participants,
Cat Woman of Andorra, and Tommy Armoury, representing Luxembourg, the latter in his first ever LGA appearance. Both are
credited with losses in the LGA standings. Unable to appear was Fred Cupholders, who was out of town earning more money
to buy LGA championships with. Also slated, but failing to appear were Lou Brody, founding LGA member and 1996 bronze
medalist, and Hec Topp, of origins unknown. The weather for the event was cool but pleasant.
with one of the smallest fields ever. Of the nine nations attending this traditional event, top of the crop was Germany, with Hale
Erwin Norman, its representative, walking off the 18th green with a five stroke victory over Dr. Mario Blondin, wearing the colours
of Ireland. Norman started strongly, scoring a birdie on the par-3 2nd hole, but it was not until the back nine, and particularly the
par-4 13th hole, where his par combined with the doctor's triple bogey enabled Hale to pull away, taking his sixth career gold
medal. As for Blondin, although his failure to break 100 was a bitter pill to swallow, he nevertheless squeaked out a silver
medal by one shot over top rightie and defending champion Costa J. Doinbiznis of Cuba. It is believed by most who witnessed
the event (and believe me, there weren't many), that 'The Biz' would probably have won the event were it not for a couple of
nines, one on the par-5 9th, and the other on the par-5 11th. The bronze medal was Costa's third career podium finish in the
history of the LGA Olympics. Finishing fourth, in his annual LGA appearance , was New Zealand's Donald Kraftdinner. Although
KD was generally displeased with his performance, it turned out to be one of his best ever, at least in the LGA. Donald made
news when he scored par on the par-3 17th, taking eight official beer hole beers. As we head down the leaderboard, six shots
later we find equally vomit-drenched performances by two veteran lefties, Chris The 9-Iron Kid, representing the embarrassed
nation of Greece, and Paul Hornsby III, from an equally ashamed Ukraine. Both of them kept swinging as the shots piled up,
totally 116 apiece. For 9-Iron, although he failed to score par for the day, it didn't seem too bad until the final three holes, each of
which would take 8 shots for him to complete. That fact is especially sad considering that 17 is a par-3 and 18 is a short par-4.
And as for Hornsby, well 'Da Turd' also needed 116 shots, despite his first birdie of the season on the par-5 16th. His round
was plagued by several double-hits and generally crappy play. Taking seventh place was Italy's Pietro Lewinsky who by the
fourth hole had already taken 34 shots. But at least he posted a score, which could not be said about the final two participants,
Cat Woman of Andorra, and Tommy Armoury, representing Luxembourg, the latter in his first ever LGA appearance. Both are
credited with losses in the LGA standings. Unable to appear was Fred Cupholders, who was out of town earning more money
to buy LGA championships with. Also slated, but failing to appear were Lou Brody, founding LGA member and 1996 bronze
medalist, and Hec Topp, of origins unknown. The weather for the event was cool but pleasant.
Photos not available
THE ELEVENTH LEFTY OLYMPICS OF GOLF