SATURDAY SCRAMBLE @ PETE DYE
James Sailhamer/Jon Howell vs Mike Sailhamer/Dave Brookman
The captains square off in the first ever abbreviated D&B Match, as the Duffer duo has to hustle back to Fullerton after 14 holes for a 1pm memorial service. Whichever side gets out of the gates fast has a major advantage in this matchup that’s deep on tournament experience and could play the Pete Dye course blindfolded. Team Duffer has the slight golf handicap edge but Team Bluffer might be more relaxed with a rowdy afternoon at the pool awaiting them win, lose or draw.
DUFFERS -120
Joe Janicke/Bert Aponte vs Matt Ollivier/Luciano Cid
Captain Bluffer calls on the Ollivier/Cid pairing yet again, signaling his confidence that the veteran duo will earn another point in their storied partnership. Sharp bettors have Cid rated as a bogey golfer on his own but upgrade him to about a 12 handicap when paired with Ollivier. The Duffers respond with their own repeat pairing from Friday’s shamble by sending out a pair of Little League coaches whose chemistry makes up for their relative lack of tourney experience compared to their opponents. This is the kind of match that will feature far more birdies than bogeys and may very well turn into a putting contest.
PICKEM
Bryce Sailhamer/Seth LaTour vs Luke Sailhamer/Michael Sailhamer Jr
Young Bryce is looking to redeem himself after last year’s come from ahead defeat at the hands of his uncle in Saturday’s scramble. Has he learned to let his game do the talking when closing out a match or will teenage hubris get the best of him with older bro in the other cart? LaTour’s wisdom and composure will be just as important as his golf swing in this pairing but you don’t grow up in Duffer emeritus Jac LaTour’s house without learning a thing or two about how to guide a young man with wisdom and grace. On the other side, the cousins are teaming up again after a clutch scramble win last year. Nobody has a bad time playing with Michael, regardless of the score but beneath the charisma lies a golf game marked by a reliable cut off the tee and deft lag putting. Big brother Luke may not play nearly as much golf these days as his sibling understudy but motivation will not be in question in this sibling and cousin rivalry.
DUFFERS -135
Mark Miller/Christian Burke vs Phil Girod/Dallas Girod
Captain Duffer took some heat in the press for rolling out the Miller/Burke pairing despite a checkered history as partners. But the duo is said to have re-built their captain’s trust after being split up last year following their 6&5 Pinehurst drubbing on black Sunday of 2023. Both men are well into their second decade on the Team Duffer roster so maybe, just maybe, this is their year. In the Bluffers corner, the father/son Girod duo will need to lose the parent/teen energy and find some golf chemistry for 4 hours. How will Phil handle the age-old challenge of dialing in on his own game while also trying to show his son the ropes in the heat of battle? Bettors aren’t so sure that the Girod boys can solve this riddle in their debut match, but rest assured Coach Jenn expects them to come home with a win no matter what the betting markets say.
DUFFERS -180
Kyle Kalma/Steve Mariani vs Brandon Rosenthal/Lincoln Sailhamer
It’s a poorly kept secret in the Duffer team room that Mariani is his captain’s most challenging member when it comes to pairings. Hence, his limited circle of partners despite his long tenure on the roster. Nevertheless, in an effort to end their 3 year losing streak the Duffers are shaking things up with this first time pairing of veteran teammates. Kalma will need to find just the right mix of fun yet competitive spirit in order to get the most out of his mercurial partner. Lincoln Sailhamer makes his 3rd appearance, but pairs with Rosenthal for the first time. Their captain is confident that the Westwood brotherhood of once and future Bruins will yield much better results than DeShaun Foster’s squad had vs Utah in the season opener.
BLUFFERS -120
Cam Thuman/Jonathan Pearson vs Rick Burns/Nathan Decker
This matchup may come down to comfort and familiarity. Pearson and Thuman go way back to when the former was in diapers, while Burns and Decker’s paths have only crossed ever so briefly at D&B 2021. Pearson doesn’t play a lot of golf, but he’s got over a decade of service to his team and can draw on some clutch performances to help find his groove. Decker plays even less golf, but still found himself on the winning side of 2 matches in his last appearance. There will surely be a few holes where this feels like a singles match between Thuman and Burns. Bettors are split on whether they favor the college kid or the tenured educator.
PICKEM
Dave Little/John Little vs Zach Ouderkerken/Jason White
The aforementioned father/son conundrum comes into play again in this match. Young Little’s right handed power in the batters box predictably transfers to length off the tee, but how will coach/caddy/dad handle his own game if foul balls start to rear their head for his partner or short putts are missed? Ouderkerken is a noted golf hipster won’t vibe with the abundance of condos and track homes that line the Dye fairways but he’s got the ability to go low if he can lock in. White has been a D&B Wildcard since his debut in the late aughts, and will have to keep his ball out of said houses and in the short grass to make up for his distance disadvantage in the B player matchup.
PICKEM
Hobbs/Pieper vs Thuman/Duffy
Hobbs has been a mid-tier Duffer for 15 years, but now is his chance to step up and show his captain he belongs with the big boys. Pieper comes into this year’s event with more focused golf prep than ever before, and is looking to shock the world. Bettors agree that the Duffers are up against it in this matchup, but funny things can happen in scramble match play so Hobbs and Pieper aren’t going to roll over no matter what the odds say. Thuman and Duffy are the kind of veterans that their captain can trust to not get caught looking ahead to Sunday as big Saturday favorites. Neither guy has played a lot of golf leading up to the tournament, but that’s never stopped them from hanging points for their team in the past and the Bluffer side has no reason to expect anything different this year.
BLUFFERS -300