MARC NAPIER

GUMBO

The 2023 season got underway last weekend at Pasadena Golf Course with a variety of players on the field.  We had some savvy veterans, some up-and-coming stars, and a few bright-eyed and bushy-tail rookies. It was a well-mixed clash of players boiling in a savory pot of "golf gumbo."  Our 2023 season has been slow cooking for a few months.  The comparison between a pot of gumbo and HGL "golf gumbo" is all about the variety of ingredients and variety of players that creates the perfect blend of flavors and talents. 
First, we will start this gumbo by adding a few spices from the two rookies, Grant Veteto and Bill Chenel. Grant began strong but he finished tied for 7th with the B flight player of the year, Detriek Little. If it was not for his triple on 17 he would have finished in the tasty bowl of "money gumbo." The second rookie who was able to add some flavor to the gumbo was Bill Chenel.  Bill ended with a fourth-place finish. The upcoming stars that added to the award-winning, opening day cook-off were Steve Little, Ethan Bulthouse, and Sam Garcia. Steve got off to a slow start. This kept him out of the winner's circle but not taken from the money pot. As usual, he managed to add just enough of a kick of flavor to be able to lick his fingers from a little taste of the gumbo purse. Steve and Ethan were in a tie for 5th place. Ethan was striking it well with a good blend straight out of the gate but dropped a few shots on the back with a 41 finish. The third of the trio in the up-and-coming stars is Sam Garcia. Sam finished in third place with even par, three shots behind the leader. In fact, two of the three leaders shot from the senior's tees. The only thing I will say at this time, I will do a better job of precourse setup to make sure the entire field is protected. I will watch this trend closely and adjust accordingly. It was good to see Joe Hart back at the top of the leaderboard. His work ethic and lifting program over the off-season are paying off. His swing looks flawless. This gave him a second-place finish. He's ended with two shots behind the 2023 champion, Marc Niper.  Nipier's victory was solely hinged on his putter. He was 2 putters fewer than the rest of the field. Marc was the very first player to put a white jacket in his closet in 2012 and then again in 2013. Welcome back to the League.  Congratulations, Marc, on winning the season opener in Pasadena.                

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