WardF
#TeamDOTCOM Member
Just finished this--worth the watch! Great job Mike.
Recap Thread - 2014 Morgan Cup
Just finished this--worth the watch! Great job Mike.
DevRickus
The Dirty Jerz
Congrats on the world record recap video. Haha I watched the first 15 minutes. Will watch the rest tonight. It was awesome meeting with you and spending some quality time with you. You are just a good guy and I am so proud of the amount of effort you put in and to see the results when you needed them.
Ms. Golfer
New member
Sorry so late posting!!!! Such an amazing group of people and I can't thank everyone enough for being so welcoming to my family at this event!!!
mikedean441
6X HOF
RYan,
Man talk about the mother of all recaps. You are such a good dude and Im so happy you got to experience this. And yeah Im kinda tall, but definitely dont think of us as Rockstars. We are just like everyone else and love this game and this site.
Kuddos to you for putting yourself out there and chatting it up man, it was great chatting it up with you and hope to see you again real soon.
Man talk about the mother of all recaps. You are such a good dude and Im so happy you got to experience this. And yeah Im kinda tall, but definitely dont think of us as Rockstars. We are just like everyone else and love this game and this site.
Kuddos to you for putting yourself out there and chatting it up man, it was great chatting it up with you and hope to see you again real soon.
I'm honored to call you my friend as well. Your genorosity to me and everyone else on THP is the stuff of legends. I will go more into in my recap, but I was proud of how you played the entire weekend and proud to have your on Team Hackers.
Tadashi70
Well-known member
When you think THP you think, JB and Morgan. When I think about them, I think about selfless people that walk a fine line between business and personal for all of us. They could be all business but they decided long ago that being in touch with their members is just as important as running a solid company. I respect this boundary and appreciate that I have a solid friendship with both of them. I love both of them and really can't thank them enough for the massive undertaking they took for 112 golfers over the course of 4 years.
All the good times and all the BS times were taken in stride and with grace. The hammer came down when it needed to but this was few and far between. The ideas JB has and the restraint Morgan shows is a great mix that has produced some amazing experiences for so many. This past weekend was no different. In the face of sick baby, GG chose us and the event. I don't know if I could have been that strong. I don't know if I would have made that sacrifice for a bunch guys playing golf. But she some how reasoned it out and stuck it out. Forever grateful and respect them even more.
This event has come so far and touched so many. I am glad it's over and it ended the way it did. I need my friends to find some peace and we helped create that peace. I know JB's mind is turning and another great event will be launch but I hope they sit back a savor their creation and soak in the fact that they changed lives. Not sure this was the goal when JB thought of the MC but it happened and it is great to see. I love you guys and thank you for being you.
#endofera
#franchicerewritten
All the good times and all the BS times were taken in stride and with grace. The hammer came down when it needed to but this was few and far between. The ideas JB has and the restraint Morgan shows is a great mix that has produced some amazing experiences for so many. This past weekend was no different. In the face of sick baby, GG chose us and the event. I don't know if I could have been that strong. I don't know if I would have made that sacrifice for a bunch guys playing golf. But she some how reasoned it out and stuck it out. Forever grateful and respect them even more.
This event has come so far and touched so many. I am glad it's over and it ended the way it did. I need my friends to find some peace and we helped create that peace. I know JB's mind is turning and another great event will be launch but I hope they sit back a savor their creation and soak in the fact that they changed lives. Not sure this was the goal when JB thought of the MC but it happened and it is great to see. I love you guys and thank you for being you.
#endofera
#franchicerewritten
It was a blast to hang out with you all weekend too my friend. I knew our personalities would mesh pretty well and they did. You have fun in life and that is nice to see. It was a pleasure!
Sorry so late posting!!!! Such an amazing group of people and I can't thank everyone enough for being so welcoming to my family at this event!!!
Thanks for posting those Stacy...I love that picture. It was our pleasure and privilege to meet you and Tristan. Thank you for sharing your vacation and that great husband of yours with us.
dcbrad
locked and reloaded
That's a great video Neb! You played great Sunday, I think it was a little less about me struggling and a little more about you playing some amazing golf. On the back 9, I was being a bit more aggressive on some shots then I normally would, and it sort of back fired a bit. When you are four down, you have to change it up a bit. You did your job brother, you nickled and dimed me all day with GIR and FWs. I wasn't upset with the way I played, you just played great! You deserved the win!
Recap - Part 4
Recap - Part 4
Part 1: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3192488&viewfull=1#post3192488
Part 2: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3193836&viewfull=1#post3193836
Part 3: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3195093&viewfull=1#post3195093
Arrival/Thursday:
Most all of Team Hackers arrived at True Blue on Wednesday. I myself drove the seven hours over starting that morning, and I got on property about 4 PM, and after dumping off stuff in the villa, headed over to True Blue to watch some of our groups play in on 18. This was the first time I had been on that balcony, and just sat there for a while by myself reflecting on where this journey had brought me.
Eventually guys started coming in, and we eventually had 15 guys or so, every one of them I felt like I had known forever even though I had met most minutes earlier. Henri had suggested dinner at a place called the PIT (Pawley’s Island Tavern) and his description was that it had a True Blood feel. Had he led with the description of the Psycho Burger folks might have been more convinced, but most of us joined with the building contingency taking over La Playa.
The accounts of La Playa are well known at this point, but the remarkable thing to me is that for an unofficial gathering, we ended up having north of 30 participants and over 40 people when you consider reps, volunteers, and family members. No, the food wasn’t awesome, and the bill settlement was a cluster, but having this gathering really set us off as one group of THPers, not five teams or 40 individuals.
Thursday, each of the teams had their own plans for their day, with the only required activity being someone picking up the squads apparel from JB and Morgan late that afternoon. I did not want to play 36 holes considering what was still to come over the weekend, so Team Hackers played a practice round at Caledonia that morning, and the guys who wanted to could play a second 18 at True Blue later. We decided to ride with the same partners that we would be playing with Saturday, and just to play our own balls instead of the formats so that we could feel our way around a course that many of us hadn’t seen before.
Nate/John and Trevor/Johnny headed off first, and Jeremiah/Adam and Steve/me headed off behind off of the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] tee. This was my first visit to Caledonia, and by the time I putted in for my lackluster 96, I would have already put it in the top 5 courses I have ever played. Holes I will remember for a long time, but the one story I will share which I think Steve already mentioned will stand out even more. Steve was struggling out there a bit with the gravity of an event you’ve worked so hard for finally present, combined with having never played with THPers before. Adam came over to me first, then went to Steve and asked him if they could go to the range that afternoon to work on some things (which in turn meant Adam wouldn’t get to play his other 18 that day). It was almost like one of those great parental moments where you see one kid pick the other one up, give them a hug, and help them with their needs.
We finished up at Caledonia, and ate some lunch there…overwhelming the service, but I’m not sure if finer food had ever crossed these lips (granted I was starving). I headed back to the villa to chill while some others headed to play more. When they got done, we decided to head out on our own for dinner, and thanks to the combined forces of Urbanspoon and Yelp, headed to Pawley’s Island Raw Bar. What a great place, from Trevor connecting with a crazy bartender, to getting to have some team conversation and some outstanding seafood grub.
One of the parts I will always remember about this week is sharing a villa with Trevor, Johnny, John, and Nate…ever grateful that they offered me the nice King bedroom as my command center. I had not stayed with team members at the first MC, and my wife and I agreed that I should immerse myself in the team and event this year. Sitting around the living room of the villa, phones in one hand, beverage usually in the other, just chatting like we did this every year, until finally someone would finally break and head for bed…just a moment that I cherish from this weekend.
Staff Sponsor Day:
Waking up Friday morning was very much like Christmas morning. I’m not sure anyone quite made it to their alarm clocks. Getting up, putting on the first set of scripting, knowing some of what you were going to find under the trees (of the range), but having no real idea what was about to play out. The nerves, not yet of competition, but of the terrific unknowns, ran completely rampant.
Getting to the True Blue clubhouse, the personal Christmas turned into a family with 40 children. I know I am continually abusing this analogy, but the excited tension, nervous milling around, half-hearted eating, swearing that seconds were ticking backwards, waiting for a volunteer to come and let us know it was time, was as close as a grown man can experience to being a kid again on Christmas morning. Even as a veteran, I had no idea what to expect, and that was half the fun.
For one of many times, we took over the clubhouse that morning, THPers all over the place (particularly since we couldn’t be on the back balcony this time). The three things I will remember from these few minutes are: seeing the participants nervous excitement, having Freddie climb up a very unstable looking ladder to get some incredible pictures, and Mike G standing up on a chair to say it was time to release the hounds. The doors flew open, and there might as well have been bulls chasing guys down the streets of Pamplona. I tried to take some deep breaths and slow the gait just a touch and savor that moment.
Getting to the range, the first thing you see are 40 (!!) staff bags lined up by sponsor team. Getting down to the Callaway end of the bags (which I will touch on more here shortly), Hashtag Chad is delivering even more presents that were not hidden in the bags. He offered us hats or visors (black and white of whichever the preference was) and, as a cool surprise, a really nice pair of Apex sunglasses with Transitions lenses. The great part is that he is just as happy and excited as the rest of us are.
Diverging for a second, the Callaway staff bags are SO INCREDIBLY SPECIAL!! As everyone who saw the pictures now knows, Callaway gave us all the same bag that they provided to their tour pros for the Open Championship. What people may not know is that, other than the say 15-20 tour pro bags, 2 that they gave away for contests, and the 8 we received, there are no more of these bags in existence. Talk about high end treatment, and something that I did not expect. This bag has little details everywhere, from the Union Jack zipper pulls, to the embroidered Liverbird, to the Latin phrase around the base, to the Odyssey logo on the bottom of the base, to the embroidered names and #THPMC on the panel. While I am discussing the bag, I must also make mention of the two surprises (on top of two dozen SR2 balls, and two great Callaway gloves) that were hidden in the Staff Bag. We received the July 2014 coin, featuring the Liverbird, and to just top off the proverbial cake, Chad had given us the matching Open Championship logoed Driver and FW headcovers. Blown away!!
That leads me to one other comment that while mentioned by some gets overlooked given the contents of the bag. It has happened to me three times in my THP life, but receiving a staff bag with YOUR name embroidered on that front panel is a magical moment. Receiving one in an event like this, where you are playing for yourself, your teammates, and your sponsor, trumps about all else. My bag from 2011 has lived in my office for nearly three years, and gets frequent comments. My bag from 2014 will be joining (and overshadowing it) here shortly. These are two trophies that I am so proud to possess and are worth far beyond the equipment they once held.
Ok, so back to the regularly scheduled recap…the next thing we all did was line up behind our bags for photos. First the 40 total participants, then the 8 member sponsor teams, finally the 8 man THP teams. While I know guys were itching to disperse and open up their new toys, these are pictures that will make me smile every time I see them for many years to come.
For the most part we dispersed to the range next and loosely grouped with our sponsor team members. I remember standing next to that bag of incredible equipment that I finally possessed and just being awestruck. I pulled the driver just far enough out of the bag to see that yes, the special Fujikura Speeder 661 shaft that had been a fitting revelation was in fact present in that Big Bertha head. I mostly milled around, just uttering “Wow” periodically and making very little sense in whatever side conversations I was having, almost being afraid to take the clubs out and ruin their perfection by introducing them to my game.
What finally snapped me out of it was Chad pulling us together and saying he had one initial request “Everyone take all the stickers off your clubs. I hate those.” After complying with that request (I hate them too, but Callaway has put really good ones on that come off easy), I finally breeched the bag contents and hit a couple of clubs. Even with the first, tight swings, the pattern would be grab a club, hit three maybe four balls, put club back in bag, exclaim “Wow!!”, rinse, repeat.
Chad eventually got us together for some more photos, first on the range, then on the green, but other than that, he just wanted us to have fun, enjoy our new toys, and was available for any questions or conversations we wanted. Similar scenes were playing out amongst the other four sponsored teams across the range.
This continued until around 11 AM when the crowd began to disperse for lunch and cooler atmospheres before we were to tee off with our sponsor groups for nine holes on True Blue starting at 1 PM. As others have mentioned, Mother Nature had some different plans for our afternoon, but I very much enjoyed the 6-8 shots and 1+ hole I shared with Jordan (Smithfaced), and I really think that playing 10 on True Blue helped me immensely the next day when that was my first hole of Morgan Cup competition.
There are a couple more things I would like to say about Staff Sponsor Day. First, while the videos in past Media Days had been something unexpectedly fun to do, they added a different feeling of obligation than what Staff Sponsor Day became. We were all 100% willing to do whatever the sponsors asked us for, particularly when you consider all they had done for us. With more impromptu flow, and the excitement everyone was experiencing, and milling around sharing that excitement, this day felt to me like the old outing Demo Days.
Next, as was the theme throughout the weekend, the volunteers did such an incredible job helping us all on this day. Taking pictures, updating the forum (Kevin was a beast in the Live Update thread), getting folks whatever they needed. Cannot thank these six guys enough for everything they did for us and for this event.
Finally, it was really cool to see the different approaches taken by each of the sponsors. Cobra/Puma micing guys up, Kenn from TaylorMade learning about the event and saving the day for his staffers, Srixon throwing a range party, and Bridgestone bringing out all the tech toys (the Ipad Robot stole the show). I think sometimes the best structure is the lack of a structure. It really allowed the goals and creativity of each company to be on display.
Friday Dinner:
For the captains, the dinner Friday evening had one other duty we needed to perform…submitting our singles order for the draw. As I mentioned in a previous post, I had gone around and around with my guys on a strategy for our order, but at the end of the day, it might as well have been a blind draw. Luckily once everyone arrived at dinner, the draw was conducted first, and it really proved how captains had taken different approaches.
It was obviously shortly thereafter that the news of Kyle’s father-in-law passing and his resulting trip home was announced to the group. Kyle – You have handled the past week like the champion you are. Nothing could have shown us you character more than your actions and your words during your family’s time of sorrow. We missed you out there last weekend, but you did 100% the right thing in an incredibly tough moment. Our thoughts were with y’all all weekend and throughout this week.
Jake coming in that door in the tough scenario was just incredible. I have known Jake for a long time and have shared many events with him. I know that things have been tough, but I hope he knows (and am sure he does) how much this THP family loves and respects him.
Recap - Part 4
Part 1: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3192488&viewfull=1#post3192488
Part 2: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3193836&viewfull=1#post3193836
Part 3: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3195093&viewfull=1#post3195093
Arrival/Thursday:
Most all of Team Hackers arrived at True Blue on Wednesday. I myself drove the seven hours over starting that morning, and I got on property about 4 PM, and after dumping off stuff in the villa, headed over to True Blue to watch some of our groups play in on 18. This was the first time I had been on that balcony, and just sat there for a while by myself reflecting on where this journey had brought me.
Eventually guys started coming in, and we eventually had 15 guys or so, every one of them I felt like I had known forever even though I had met most minutes earlier. Henri had suggested dinner at a place called the PIT (Pawley’s Island Tavern) and his description was that it had a True Blood feel. Had he led with the description of the Psycho Burger folks might have been more convinced, but most of us joined with the building contingency taking over La Playa.
The accounts of La Playa are well known at this point, but the remarkable thing to me is that for an unofficial gathering, we ended up having north of 30 participants and over 40 people when you consider reps, volunteers, and family members. No, the food wasn’t awesome, and the bill settlement was a cluster, but having this gathering really set us off as one group of THPers, not five teams or 40 individuals.
Thursday, each of the teams had their own plans for their day, with the only required activity being someone picking up the squads apparel from JB and Morgan late that afternoon. I did not want to play 36 holes considering what was still to come over the weekend, so Team Hackers played a practice round at Caledonia that morning, and the guys who wanted to could play a second 18 at True Blue later. We decided to ride with the same partners that we would be playing with Saturday, and just to play our own balls instead of the formats so that we could feel our way around a course that many of us hadn’t seen before.
Nate/John and Trevor/Johnny headed off first, and Jeremiah/Adam and Steve/me headed off behind off of the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] tee. This was my first visit to Caledonia, and by the time I putted in for my lackluster 96, I would have already put it in the top 5 courses I have ever played. Holes I will remember for a long time, but the one story I will share which I think Steve already mentioned will stand out even more. Steve was struggling out there a bit with the gravity of an event you’ve worked so hard for finally present, combined with having never played with THPers before. Adam came over to me first, then went to Steve and asked him if they could go to the range that afternoon to work on some things (which in turn meant Adam wouldn’t get to play his other 18 that day). It was almost like one of those great parental moments where you see one kid pick the other one up, give them a hug, and help them with their needs.
We finished up at Caledonia, and ate some lunch there…overwhelming the service, but I’m not sure if finer food had ever crossed these lips (granted I was starving). I headed back to the villa to chill while some others headed to play more. When they got done, we decided to head out on our own for dinner, and thanks to the combined forces of Urbanspoon and Yelp, headed to Pawley’s Island Raw Bar. What a great place, from Trevor connecting with a crazy bartender, to getting to have some team conversation and some outstanding seafood grub.
One of the parts I will always remember about this week is sharing a villa with Trevor, Johnny, John, and Nate…ever grateful that they offered me the nice King bedroom as my command center. I had not stayed with team members at the first MC, and my wife and I agreed that I should immerse myself in the team and event this year. Sitting around the living room of the villa, phones in one hand, beverage usually in the other, just chatting like we did this every year, until finally someone would finally break and head for bed…just a moment that I cherish from this weekend.
Staff Sponsor Day:
Waking up Friday morning was very much like Christmas morning. I’m not sure anyone quite made it to their alarm clocks. Getting up, putting on the first set of scripting, knowing some of what you were going to find under the trees (of the range), but having no real idea what was about to play out. The nerves, not yet of competition, but of the terrific unknowns, ran completely rampant.
Getting to the True Blue clubhouse, the personal Christmas turned into a family with 40 children. I know I am continually abusing this analogy, but the excited tension, nervous milling around, half-hearted eating, swearing that seconds were ticking backwards, waiting for a volunteer to come and let us know it was time, was as close as a grown man can experience to being a kid again on Christmas morning. Even as a veteran, I had no idea what to expect, and that was half the fun.
For one of many times, we took over the clubhouse that morning, THPers all over the place (particularly since we couldn’t be on the back balcony this time). The three things I will remember from these few minutes are: seeing the participants nervous excitement, having Freddie climb up a very unstable looking ladder to get some incredible pictures, and Mike G standing up on a chair to say it was time to release the hounds. The doors flew open, and there might as well have been bulls chasing guys down the streets of Pamplona. I tried to take some deep breaths and slow the gait just a touch and savor that moment.
Getting to the range, the first thing you see are 40 (!!) staff bags lined up by sponsor team. Getting down to the Callaway end of the bags (which I will touch on more here shortly), Hashtag Chad is delivering even more presents that were not hidden in the bags. He offered us hats or visors (black and white of whichever the preference was) and, as a cool surprise, a really nice pair of Apex sunglasses with Transitions lenses. The great part is that he is just as happy and excited as the rest of us are.
Diverging for a second, the Callaway staff bags are SO INCREDIBLY SPECIAL!! As everyone who saw the pictures now knows, Callaway gave us all the same bag that they provided to their tour pros for the Open Championship. What people may not know is that, other than the say 15-20 tour pro bags, 2 that they gave away for contests, and the 8 we received, there are no more of these bags in existence. Talk about high end treatment, and something that I did not expect. This bag has little details everywhere, from the Union Jack zipper pulls, to the embroidered Liverbird, to the Latin phrase around the base, to the Odyssey logo on the bottom of the base, to the embroidered names and #THPMC on the panel. While I am discussing the bag, I must also make mention of the two surprises (on top of two dozen SR2 balls, and two great Callaway gloves) that were hidden in the Staff Bag. We received the July 2014 coin, featuring the Liverbird, and to just top off the proverbial cake, Chad had given us the matching Open Championship logoed Driver and FW headcovers. Blown away!!
That leads me to one other comment that while mentioned by some gets overlooked given the contents of the bag. It has happened to me three times in my THP life, but receiving a staff bag with YOUR name embroidered on that front panel is a magical moment. Receiving one in an event like this, where you are playing for yourself, your teammates, and your sponsor, trumps about all else. My bag from 2011 has lived in my office for nearly three years, and gets frequent comments. My bag from 2014 will be joining (and overshadowing it) here shortly. These are two trophies that I am so proud to possess and are worth far beyond the equipment they once held.
Ok, so back to the regularly scheduled recap…the next thing we all did was line up behind our bags for photos. First the 40 total participants, then the 8 member sponsor teams, finally the 8 man THP teams. While I know guys were itching to disperse and open up their new toys, these are pictures that will make me smile every time I see them for many years to come.
For the most part we dispersed to the range next and loosely grouped with our sponsor team members. I remember standing next to that bag of incredible equipment that I finally possessed and just being awestruck. I pulled the driver just far enough out of the bag to see that yes, the special Fujikura Speeder 661 shaft that had been a fitting revelation was in fact present in that Big Bertha head. I mostly milled around, just uttering “Wow” periodically and making very little sense in whatever side conversations I was having, almost being afraid to take the clubs out and ruin their perfection by introducing them to my game.
What finally snapped me out of it was Chad pulling us together and saying he had one initial request “Everyone take all the stickers off your clubs. I hate those.” After complying with that request (I hate them too, but Callaway has put really good ones on that come off easy), I finally breeched the bag contents and hit a couple of clubs. Even with the first, tight swings, the pattern would be grab a club, hit three maybe four balls, put club back in bag, exclaim “Wow!!”, rinse, repeat.
Chad eventually got us together for some more photos, first on the range, then on the green, but other than that, he just wanted us to have fun, enjoy our new toys, and was available for any questions or conversations we wanted. Similar scenes were playing out amongst the other four sponsored teams across the range.
This continued until around 11 AM when the crowd began to disperse for lunch and cooler atmospheres before we were to tee off with our sponsor groups for nine holes on True Blue starting at 1 PM. As others have mentioned, Mother Nature had some different plans for our afternoon, but I very much enjoyed the 6-8 shots and 1+ hole I shared with Jordan (Smithfaced), and I really think that playing 10 on True Blue helped me immensely the next day when that was my first hole of Morgan Cup competition.
There are a couple more things I would like to say about Staff Sponsor Day. First, while the videos in past Media Days had been something unexpectedly fun to do, they added a different feeling of obligation than what Staff Sponsor Day became. We were all 100% willing to do whatever the sponsors asked us for, particularly when you consider all they had done for us. With more impromptu flow, and the excitement everyone was experiencing, and milling around sharing that excitement, this day felt to me like the old outing Demo Days.
Next, as was the theme throughout the weekend, the volunteers did such an incredible job helping us all on this day. Taking pictures, updating the forum (Kevin was a beast in the Live Update thread), getting folks whatever they needed. Cannot thank these six guys enough for everything they did for us and for this event.
Finally, it was really cool to see the different approaches taken by each of the sponsors. Cobra/Puma micing guys up, Kenn from TaylorMade learning about the event and saving the day for his staffers, Srixon throwing a range party, and Bridgestone bringing out all the tech toys (the Ipad Robot stole the show). I think sometimes the best structure is the lack of a structure. It really allowed the goals and creativity of each company to be on display.
Friday Dinner:
For the captains, the dinner Friday evening had one other duty we needed to perform…submitting our singles order for the draw. As I mentioned in a previous post, I had gone around and around with my guys on a strategy for our order, but at the end of the day, it might as well have been a blind draw. Luckily once everyone arrived at dinner, the draw was conducted first, and it really proved how captains had taken different approaches.
It was obviously shortly thereafter that the news of Kyle’s father-in-law passing and his resulting trip home was announced to the group. Kyle – You have handled the past week like the champion you are. Nothing could have shown us you character more than your actions and your words during your family’s time of sorrow. We missed you out there last weekend, but you did 100% the right thing in an incredibly tough moment. Our thoughts were with y’all all weekend and throughout this week.
Jake coming in that door in the tough scenario was just incredible. I have known Jake for a long time and have shared many events with him. I know that things have been tough, but I hope he knows (and am sure he does) how much this THP family loves and respects him.
- Thread starter
- Admin
- #611
Gawd damn you Freddie. Just when I thought I was over this stuff, it happens again. Thank you for the kind words, and know that we love each and every one of you. It wasnt the choice I made for her, but she is strong and did it on her own and in the end it was the right choice.
You are also right about the restraint, because some of the stuff I come up with is pretty out there... :bulgy-eyes:
Recap - Part 5
Recap - Part 5
Part 1: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3192488&viewfull=1#post3192488
Part 2: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3193836&viewfull=1#post3193836
Part 3: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3195093&viewfull=1#post3195093
Part 4: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3197746&viewfull=1#post3197746
Matches:
Adwillingham/Paladin vs Parshooter/Coers
I had really enjoyed getting to know Andy and Andrew through this process. I knew both guys would present quite the challenge for me and Steve, but I honestly was not prepared for drama that this match would produce.
For the first nine holes (10-18 on True Blue for us), we were playing a Shamble format. This is one I have some experience with as my work league plays something similar with some regularity. We were the second foursome off of the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] tee, so we had around 12 guys on that box cheering us on.
This entire match was about runs. We won 10, they won 11, we won 12. We were 2 down after 17, we won 18, and made the turn 1 down. As we hit the front nine, we switched to the Pinehurst format. Steve and I strung three good shots together to pull AS after 1. The last ten holes of this match had outright winners, a personal streak that would ultimately reach around 30 holes for me without a push.
Andy and Andrew reeled off three good holes on 2, 3, and 4 to take advantage of some poor shots on our part and ultimately go 3 up. Steve and I started ham and egging it better and won 5, 6, and 7 to pull back to AS. I burnt the edge on a putt to tie the hole on 8, so we went to 9, our last, 1 down. Steve blistered a drive, and I put it in the front bunker in 2 from 211 out. Our par was good enough to take the hole and half the point.
Personally, I felt like my play this 18, particularly off the tee was my best all weekend, and we needed every bit of it to claw out this half. This ½ point was also really significant to me as I had gone 0-3 in my first Morgan Cup, so I was finally on the scoreboard. Poor Steve came in for a handshake after he made the 3-4 footer on 9, and got a bear hug he didn’t understand at the time.
Overall, it was a terrific match against two great opponents (and even greater guys). I cannot wait to see the coverage (thanks to Chris for following the last few holes). We all hit some good shots, we all hit some loose shots, and it was a crazy match with lots of swings.
After this match ended, two of my favorite moments of this weekend occurred. First, as Steve and I pull up to the cart area, several of our teammates were down there and they mobbed us when we pulled up. They had been following the live update thread like everyone else, and had seen the results come in. They had also intentionally not come back to our group on the course to watch because they didn’t want to make us nervous. The pride and excitement coming from them to the two of us was just incredible. Second, telling the story with the understanding that I have known and been friends with Canadan for years now, Steve and I were sitting in the Caledonia restaurant before round 2, and Dan (as captain of Team Albatross) comes up and says something along the lines of “I hear you stole a half point from my team”. I am not normally a competitive person, but that moment felt amazing.
Adwillingham/Paladin vs Jman/Devrickus
36 holes in a day is not something I often do, but I might do it more if I could share the second 18 with James and Ricky on Caledonia. Starting on 1, this round was two 9 hole matches of Alternate Shot, a format I have played very little of.
Again, for the entire 14 holes we played, the teams didn’t push a hole, such can be the volatility of Alt Shot. James hit a nice approach on 1, and Steve couldn’t recover from my pulled tee shot…1 down. James and Ricky hit three good shots for a GIR on 2…2 down. I stuck a hybrid to 4 feet on 3…1 down. We took 4…AS. We hit one OB on 5, and Ricky dang near aced 6, to put us back 2 down. We strung a couple nice shots on 7 to go 1 down, but they finished us off on 8 for a 2 & 1 first match victory.
As we waited for our groups to redisperse for the second match, none of us could hit the green from 79 yards out on nine, and my body started showing the physical and mental fatigue of the long day. We lost 10, I hit another good approach into 11 to square it up, and then the wheels fell off for me particularly. We lost the next four holes and finished up the day with a hug and handshake on the 15[SUP]th[/SUP] green, losing 4 & 3.
Obviously everyone was playing the same formats, but I found it really difficult to stay in this afternoon round given that you could go 4-6 holes without hitting a driver, and with the wild swings, it felt like we were on the 8[SUP]th[/SUP] green the first time I used a putter. All that being said, Caledonia is such a beautiful golf course that I would play the whole round with a 7-iron if that is what was requested.
A few additional comments I want to make about this round and the day as a whole. I was so happy to be playing James and Ricky this round. I love both of these guys (and randomly hugged Ricky like all weekend, and I was sober), and both guys hit some tremendous shots given the long day. James may be the happiest dad-to-be I have ever met, and that smile was infectious all weekend. They certainly managed the golf course and situation a lot better than I did, and they deserve a ton of credit for it. I will talk more about my partner in a later episode, but he was such a great guy, and we played mental coach with each other all day. Finally, and this will be discussed later as well, Steve’s awesome wife Rebecca followed us every hole in the afternoon match. I observed an incredible transformation in those few hours between someone who tolerated golf and someone who started to understand why one could like this insane game. This was another of my favorite moments of the weekend (one can have a LOT of favorites, almost like your children).
Adwillingham vs J4U (playing alongside Amart vs MikeDean)
A brief (stop laughing) interlude before I type out this final round. I woke up Sunday morning EXTREMELY emotional. I cannot pinpoint what it was, last day of the final Morgan Cup, culmination of this 9 month journey, being done leading this incredible group of guys, missing my family, probably all had a role. I literally cried 5 times between the time I woke up until I emerged from my cave. Choked a few more back being on the range with everyone, and then being with everyone on the tee. Almost broke down again when JB said the words “Last Morgan Cup”, again hugging Morgan, again hugging Dean (who I had played in singles in 2011), etc.
I had met Doug (J4U) in Las Vegas last year and knew I was going to have to play really well to have a chance in this match. I could barely breathe by the time I stepped up to that first tee. All I can say is thank goodness for the wideness of the True Blue fairways because I needed every inch out to the right to keep it on the grass, and in general on a day I could only play pretty big sweeping fade/slice drives. Doug striped the first two holes, and before I knew where I was, I was 2 Down. I finally settled down, and started staying down on the ball, got away with a pull to the fat side of the green on 3, and won 3 and 4 to go back AS. Next couple holes are a blur, but I know I hit a really good hybrid on 7, and made a good par on 9 to go 3 Up at the turn.
Andy Martin was a superstar all weekend, and his play was really inspiring about what is possible if you put your mind and effort into it…purely awesome. Mike Dean ran into an absolute juggernaut and after the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] green, Doug and I rearranged bags and played in as a twosome.
On the back nine, we traded holes for a while, he won 10 (2 up), I won 11 (3 Up), he won 12 (2 Up), I won 13 and 14 to go 4 Up with 4 to play. While not as straight off the tee as on Saturday, I was hitting some really good shots and making a fair number of pars. When I went Dormie, the nerves went absolutely berserk.
Editors notes: Unless you are a Dot Com supporter, and really aren’t we all, the next couple paragraphs may not be suitable for children under 13.
I get up on the 15[SUP]th[/SUP] tee and flare a drive over the waste area left into tall wispy grass. Doug hammers a drive straight down the middle. My second from the high grass (3[SUP]rd[/SUP] overall) finally reaches the FW. Doug hammers the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] shot, puts the ball on in 3. I finally sheepishly reach the green in 5 (hearing the roars from #Cookie’s hole-in-one from our fairway, how awesome was that). Doug putts it decently close and I concede. 3 Up / 3 to Play.
On 16, a beautiful par 3, Doug hits a beautiful iron to the middle of the green. I proceed to flare a 7 iron (hope the camera was only on the green, because I uttered my only poor language during play) to the bottom of the waste bunker right at the water’s edge. I did pull off a very nice shot to get it over the huge wall and up on the green, but Doug lagged a very nice putt, and when mine par didn’t drop, he had pulled another back. 2 Up / 2 to Play.
Poor Doug, dealing with the nerves of competition, and I’m losing it game wise (which is at least to his benefit), but the more nervous I get the more I am talking at him. Such a great guy though, never even told me to shut up, even though I am sure he was thinking it.
On 17, we both hit drives out into the fairway. I have 170 or so in, and lifted up on my 4 hybrid, knocking it in the drink. Doug thins his second a bit, but it safely carries the water, running over the back of the green. I drop and hit PW on to the front of the green for my fourth, but Doug runs it up very nicely and takes the hole. 1 Up / 1 to Play.
Eighteen tee, having dropped three straight holes, I can’t say I am feeling too good about myself, and I tell Doug “I’m the best person on Team Hackers for this to happen to, it will be an incredible story either way”. We both hit good drives again, and I had maybe 150 to the sucker flag tucked far left. I aimed it 30 feet right and just swung the club. I swore the ball was going to fly the green, but it carried just right and was safely on. Doug caught it a bit heavy, and after knocking my putt safely down the hill, he conceded, and received a really long hug on the 18[SUP]th[/SUP] green.
Kevin was there to do our post round interview, and I wish I had any clue what was said, but Kevin says it was really good, so I’ll wait to see it on video with everyone else. I know that my voice cracked twice, but I was too exhausted to really break down. The next people I see are Steve and Rebecca (who have a Diet Coke for me in hand…I party hard like that), and several more of my Team Hackers brothers.
To win a Sunday Singles match at the Morgan Cup was and is purely a dream come true. Honestly, if Doug and I play 10 times, I win 1 maybe 2 tops, and it was only the width of this golf course than made it possible. Doug was incredible throughout, both as a competitor and as a friend, and I’m sure I drove him crazy at times. We were both cheering for each other to hit good shot after good shot. I will say, that when I heard that Team Dot Com had taken the cup pretty handily, I felt incredibly happy for many guys, but no one more than Doug.
Recap - Part 5
Part 1: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3192488&viewfull=1#post3192488
Part 2: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3193836&viewfull=1#post3193836
Part 3: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3195093&viewfull=1#post3195093
Part 4: http://www.thehackersparadise.com/f...4-Morgan-Cup&p=3197746&viewfull=1#post3197746
Matches:
Adwillingham/Paladin vs Parshooter/Coers
I had really enjoyed getting to know Andy and Andrew through this process. I knew both guys would present quite the challenge for me and Steve, but I honestly was not prepared for drama that this match would produce.
For the first nine holes (10-18 on True Blue for us), we were playing a Shamble format. This is one I have some experience with as my work league plays something similar with some regularity. We were the second foursome off of the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] tee, so we had around 12 guys on that box cheering us on.
This entire match was about runs. We won 10, they won 11, we won 12. We were 2 down after 17, we won 18, and made the turn 1 down. As we hit the front nine, we switched to the Pinehurst format. Steve and I strung three good shots together to pull AS after 1. The last ten holes of this match had outright winners, a personal streak that would ultimately reach around 30 holes for me without a push.
Andy and Andrew reeled off three good holes on 2, 3, and 4 to take advantage of some poor shots on our part and ultimately go 3 up. Steve and I started ham and egging it better and won 5, 6, and 7 to pull back to AS. I burnt the edge on a putt to tie the hole on 8, so we went to 9, our last, 1 down. Steve blistered a drive, and I put it in the front bunker in 2 from 211 out. Our par was good enough to take the hole and half the point.
Personally, I felt like my play this 18, particularly off the tee was my best all weekend, and we needed every bit of it to claw out this half. This ½ point was also really significant to me as I had gone 0-3 in my first Morgan Cup, so I was finally on the scoreboard. Poor Steve came in for a handshake after he made the 3-4 footer on 9, and got a bear hug he didn’t understand at the time.
Overall, it was a terrific match against two great opponents (and even greater guys). I cannot wait to see the coverage (thanks to Chris for following the last few holes). We all hit some good shots, we all hit some loose shots, and it was a crazy match with lots of swings.
After this match ended, two of my favorite moments of this weekend occurred. First, as Steve and I pull up to the cart area, several of our teammates were down there and they mobbed us when we pulled up. They had been following the live update thread like everyone else, and had seen the results come in. They had also intentionally not come back to our group on the course to watch because they didn’t want to make us nervous. The pride and excitement coming from them to the two of us was just incredible. Second, telling the story with the understanding that I have known and been friends with Canadan for years now, Steve and I were sitting in the Caledonia restaurant before round 2, and Dan (as captain of Team Albatross) comes up and says something along the lines of “I hear you stole a half point from my team”. I am not normally a competitive person, but that moment felt amazing.
Adwillingham/Paladin vs Jman/Devrickus
36 holes in a day is not something I often do, but I might do it more if I could share the second 18 with James and Ricky on Caledonia. Starting on 1, this round was two 9 hole matches of Alternate Shot, a format I have played very little of.
Again, for the entire 14 holes we played, the teams didn’t push a hole, such can be the volatility of Alt Shot. James hit a nice approach on 1, and Steve couldn’t recover from my pulled tee shot…1 down. James and Ricky hit three good shots for a GIR on 2…2 down. I stuck a hybrid to 4 feet on 3…1 down. We took 4…AS. We hit one OB on 5, and Ricky dang near aced 6, to put us back 2 down. We strung a couple nice shots on 7 to go 1 down, but they finished us off on 8 for a 2 & 1 first match victory.
As we waited for our groups to redisperse for the second match, none of us could hit the green from 79 yards out on nine, and my body started showing the physical and mental fatigue of the long day. We lost 10, I hit another good approach into 11 to square it up, and then the wheels fell off for me particularly. We lost the next four holes and finished up the day with a hug and handshake on the 15[SUP]th[/SUP] green, losing 4 & 3.
Obviously everyone was playing the same formats, but I found it really difficult to stay in this afternoon round given that you could go 4-6 holes without hitting a driver, and with the wild swings, it felt like we were on the 8[SUP]th[/SUP] green the first time I used a putter. All that being said, Caledonia is such a beautiful golf course that I would play the whole round with a 7-iron if that is what was requested.
A few additional comments I want to make about this round and the day as a whole. I was so happy to be playing James and Ricky this round. I love both of these guys (and randomly hugged Ricky like all weekend, and I was sober), and both guys hit some tremendous shots given the long day. James may be the happiest dad-to-be I have ever met, and that smile was infectious all weekend. They certainly managed the golf course and situation a lot better than I did, and they deserve a ton of credit for it. I will talk more about my partner in a later episode, but he was such a great guy, and we played mental coach with each other all day. Finally, and this will be discussed later as well, Steve’s awesome wife Rebecca followed us every hole in the afternoon match. I observed an incredible transformation in those few hours between someone who tolerated golf and someone who started to understand why one could like this insane game. This was another of my favorite moments of the weekend (one can have a LOT of favorites, almost like your children).
Adwillingham vs J4U (playing alongside Amart vs MikeDean)
A brief (stop laughing) interlude before I type out this final round. I woke up Sunday morning EXTREMELY emotional. I cannot pinpoint what it was, last day of the final Morgan Cup, culmination of this 9 month journey, being done leading this incredible group of guys, missing my family, probably all had a role. I literally cried 5 times between the time I woke up until I emerged from my cave. Choked a few more back being on the range with everyone, and then being with everyone on the tee. Almost broke down again when JB said the words “Last Morgan Cup”, again hugging Morgan, again hugging Dean (who I had played in singles in 2011), etc.
I had met Doug (J4U) in Las Vegas last year and knew I was going to have to play really well to have a chance in this match. I could barely breathe by the time I stepped up to that first tee. All I can say is thank goodness for the wideness of the True Blue fairways because I needed every inch out to the right to keep it on the grass, and in general on a day I could only play pretty big sweeping fade/slice drives. Doug striped the first two holes, and before I knew where I was, I was 2 Down. I finally settled down, and started staying down on the ball, got away with a pull to the fat side of the green on 3, and won 3 and 4 to go back AS. Next couple holes are a blur, but I know I hit a really good hybrid on 7, and made a good par on 9 to go 3 Up at the turn.
Andy Martin was a superstar all weekend, and his play was really inspiring about what is possible if you put your mind and effort into it…purely awesome. Mike Dean ran into an absolute juggernaut and after the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] green, Doug and I rearranged bags and played in as a twosome.
On the back nine, we traded holes for a while, he won 10 (2 up), I won 11 (3 Up), he won 12 (2 Up), I won 13 and 14 to go 4 Up with 4 to play. While not as straight off the tee as on Saturday, I was hitting some really good shots and making a fair number of pars. When I went Dormie, the nerves went absolutely berserk.
Editors notes: Unless you are a Dot Com supporter, and really aren’t we all, the next couple paragraphs may not be suitable for children under 13.
I get up on the 15[SUP]th[/SUP] tee and flare a drive over the waste area left into tall wispy grass. Doug hammers a drive straight down the middle. My second from the high grass (3[SUP]rd[/SUP] overall) finally reaches the FW. Doug hammers the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] shot, puts the ball on in 3. I finally sheepishly reach the green in 5 (hearing the roars from #Cookie’s hole-in-one from our fairway, how awesome was that). Doug putts it decently close and I concede. 3 Up / 3 to Play.
On 16, a beautiful par 3, Doug hits a beautiful iron to the middle of the green. I proceed to flare a 7 iron (hope the camera was only on the green, because I uttered my only poor language during play) to the bottom of the waste bunker right at the water’s edge. I did pull off a very nice shot to get it over the huge wall and up on the green, but Doug lagged a very nice putt, and when mine par didn’t drop, he had pulled another back. 2 Up / 2 to Play.
Poor Doug, dealing with the nerves of competition, and I’m losing it game wise (which is at least to his benefit), but the more nervous I get the more I am talking at him. Such a great guy though, never even told me to shut up, even though I am sure he was thinking it.
On 17, we both hit drives out into the fairway. I have 170 or so in, and lifted up on my 4 hybrid, knocking it in the drink. Doug thins his second a bit, but it safely carries the water, running over the back of the green. I drop and hit PW on to the front of the green for my fourth, but Doug runs it up very nicely and takes the hole. 1 Up / 1 to Play.
Eighteen tee, having dropped three straight holes, I can’t say I am feeling too good about myself, and I tell Doug “I’m the best person on Team Hackers for this to happen to, it will be an incredible story either way”. We both hit good drives again, and I had maybe 150 to the sucker flag tucked far left. I aimed it 30 feet right and just swung the club. I swore the ball was going to fly the green, but it carried just right and was safely on. Doug caught it a bit heavy, and after knocking my putt safely down the hill, he conceded, and received a really long hug on the 18[SUP]th[/SUP] green.
Kevin was there to do our post round interview, and I wish I had any clue what was said, but Kevin says it was really good, so I’ll wait to see it on video with everyone else. I know that my voice cracked twice, but I was too exhausted to really break down. The next people I see are Steve and Rebecca (who have a Diet Coke for me in hand…I party hard like that), and several more of my Team Hackers brothers.
To win a Sunday Singles match at the Morgan Cup was and is purely a dream come true. Honestly, if Doug and I play 10 times, I win 1 maybe 2 tops, and it was only the width of this golf course than made it possible. Doug was incredible throughout, both as a competitor and as a friend, and I’m sure I drove him crazy at times. We were both cheering for each other to hit good shot after good shot. I will say, that when I heard that Team Dot Com had taken the cup pretty handily, I felt incredibly happy for many guys, but no one more than Doug.
Guys, I'll also apologize for writing the longest recap novel ever published. Just like in real life, once I start talking, I am having trouble stopping. I am finding that writing all this is providing me a closure to this amazing chapter of my life in a way that I never expected to find. At this point, I am writing it for me as much as I am to share. It has been a very cathartic experience putting this into words.
adamw238
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I found a meeting room with no windows sat down and hit record. No intentions of go over 20 minutes, 30 minutes, or even 40 minutes. Much like Seth though, it happens. I promise every recap I post after this will be something funny I remember from the weekend. :act-up:
So sit down, grab a bottle of something....because you'll probably be able to get through it all and enjoy!
Edit: HAWK!!! I'm really sorry about 10-15 minutes in. It's nothing bad. I just gave you the wrong first name...
So sit down, grab a bottle of something....because you'll probably be able to get through it all and enjoy!
Edit: HAWK!!! I'm really sorry about 10-15 minutes in. It's nothing bad. I just gave you the wrong first name...
ATLGolfer
#ATLClive75
Whoa -- 51minutes!
I need to block some time off for all of your videos this weekend (and to finally do my recaps). It will all be well worth it, though.
Really looking forward to watching these.
I need to block some time off for all of your videos this weekend (and to finally do my recaps). It will all be well worth it, though.
Really looking forward to watching these.
adamw238
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Yeah...there are points where I'm even shocked at the length. My bad yo!
INgolfer
Internet Golfer
AD you rock bro, I've enjoyed reading your recaps and I feel like I have learned a lot more about you. We have shared one round together but I was in another cart and I was cranky because my dog was under the knife, but I hope we get to share another, you crack me up and just seem like a fun dude to play with. Glad you pulled out that singles win, when it finally came down to it on 18 your nerves held up and you pulled it off.
TNTCigarguy
2014 #THPMC @TntCigarguy
Donne your recaps Rock!!!!!!!!!!!
Neb and Adam. I am going to carve out time this weekend to watch these.
Neb and Adam. I am going to carve out time this weekend to watch these.
Nebgolfer
Active member
Just had to top me, didn't you??
adamw238
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Lol....it wasn't on purpose.
kc720
Active member
Guys i havent had the time to fully read or view the videos but will do so when i get back home and able to block off some time. Then i will do a recap as well. Thanks guys for all the recaps. It will help ease some of my blues
Donne, I haven't published my recap yet, and it's been so long since I last sat in front of a real keyboard that it's going to be a very laborious process...but helping you break your Morgan Cup drought is a highlight of my brief golfing career up to this point. You were playing some amazing golf, and I'm just happy not to have gotten in your way too often. I consider you my friend and brother. Watching you play into 18, I'm glad I had my sunglasses on. I know how much that win meant to you. You earned it, cap.
- Staff
- #625
Dude, no rush. Sometimes it needs to just all soak in some more to really find the way to word things.