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And finally... We get a slice of goodness in this world gone mad. The Morgan Cup is Back!!!!
What would a Morgan Cup be without getting a breakdown and some Odds?
When & Where
TPC Vegas
October 9th-11th
Las Vegas, NV
The course on which the Morgan Cup will be contested is well known, as last year's Distance Powered by Srixon Event was also held there. I was there live providing coverage for the forum, and can attest how great of track this course is for a competitive event.
The Morgan Cup will be competed for over the course of 45 holes of competition, and the format is a great one for this course, and could provide for some drama down the stretch. The back nine is at least 3 strokes harder than the front nine (especially the closing holes), if matches get to this daunting stretch, there are swings that can be had and that's how points get stolen. The course itself is flat out gorgeous with a lot of great views, the participants are in for a treat.
If you want to take a closer look at the course, here is the link to the official site:
tpc.com
If you want to take a deep dive in how another group of THP'ers handled this course, this thread is a great place to go:
The Format:
Saturday
18 Holes: Shamble Format
9 Holes: Alternate Shot Format
Sunday
18 Holes: Singles
I like this format, because I believe that this is a course that lends itself to longer holed matches. Because this format has two 18 hole matches, there is 16 points available in total, 8' points wins the Morgan Cup. If you have been around for awhile, you will know that I am a huge mark for the Alternate Shot Format, and I'm glad to see it's inclusion here. The Team that is able to make a move in that 3rd nine, is the Team that will probably win the Morgan Cup.
The Handicaps of the Teams:
Team Hackers:
Captain: OITW (10.9)
Asst Captain: Mike Yagley from Cobra Golf (5.9)
E1iterate (10.5)
Parrot (11.2)
H8tobogie (11.4)
baylrballa (11.9)
Jmk202 (13.6)
maxw72 (18.7)
Team Paradise:
Captain: jdtox (6.2)
Asst Captain: Jose Miraflor from Cobra Golf (3.7)
KY Golfer (4.7)
ToddJ027b (5.6)
Duffer Waldorf (8.6)
MarMill8412 (8.9)
Oumagic (9.4)
Vdubtx (17.1)
On paper Team Paradise holds a big edge on combined handicap front (8.0 to 11.8), both Captains will have interesting options as it relates to pairings. I will say that it appears that Team Paradise has more options related to balancing their parings, and Team Hackers margin for error related to pairings is slimmer.
Alternate Shot being the format that will keep both Captains in deep thought from now to the Cup. Pairings for Alternate Shot could be the difference between winning and losing the Cup. Without attempting to bias the pairings, there is a very chalky path for Team Paradise to follow in the Alternate Shot stanza that would apply maximum pressure to Team Paradise. I'll be interested to see how both Captains handle their options.
Pops are a great equalizer, and Team Hackers is likely to be getting pops in most pairing configurations. It's also worth noting that Team Hacker's Captain OITW arrives to this Morgan Cup with a handicap 3 strokes higher than he had last year, while Team Paradise's Captain jdtox has a handicap almost a stroke lower that he had in last year's event. The Captain's match should be interesting, as jdtox will be glad not to draw Canadan this year. E1iterate also arrives with his game seemingly in shambles with a handicap 2 stokes higher than his historic low, and a round of 90 his last time out.
Club Selection:
Team Hackers:
Captain: OITW (10.9)- Forged Tec
Asst Captain: Mike Yagley from Cobra Golf (5.9)
E1iterate (10.5)- Forged Tec
Parrot (11.2)- Forged Tec
H8tobogie (11.4)- Forged Tec
baylrballa (11.9)- Forged Tec
Jmk202 (13.6)- Forged Tec OL
maxw72 (18.7)- Forged Tec
Team Paradise:
Captain: jdtox (6.2)- Forged Tec
Asst Captain: Jose Miraflor from Cobra Golf (3.7)
KY Golfer (4.7)- Speedzone
ToddJ027b (5.6)- Forged Tec
Duffer Waldorf (8.6)- Speedzone
MarMill8412 (8.9)- Forged Tec
Oumagic (9.4)- Forged Tec OL
Vdubtx (17.1)- Speedzone
As you can see, not much of a contrast between the 2 teams in the area of club selection. Team Hackers opting heavily to go with the Forged Tec line, while Team Paradise's club selection was a little more mixed. Personally, I have hit all of the new Cobra offering, and feel that the Forged Tec is the best iron that Cobra has ever made. It is an iron that is uber forgiving and retains ball speed on mishits all over the face, in a players distance profile.
Also, a wide range of handicaps can play the Forged Tec line without problem, so I think that the adjustment period will be better handled well by both teams. In the pressure cooker that is Morgan Cup pressure, I do like the fact that some on Team Paradise took the Speedzone irons. The Speedzone Irons are sneaky good and more forgiving than the Forged Tec.
Because the Morgan Cup was pushed back from it's original date, the majority of the participants have had their equipment a lot longer than in past Morgan Cups. Many of the participants have also had the ability to tinker with their set up, which is not normally the case in the Morgan Cup. There shouldn't be any excuses related to getting comfortable with the equipment.
Opening Odds:
Note: This is for entrainment proposes only, and to get some chatter built up about the Morgan Cup. Not to hurt anyone's feelings.
It is hard not to make Team Paradise a favorite here to open. They have a Captain that is attempting to build on the lessons learned last year in a losing effort and will be highly motivated to complete his Morgan Cup Trilogy on a winning note (MVP to Losing Captain to TBD). I also like Team Paradise's pairing flexibility more, this pairing flexibility makes Team Hackers margin for error very thin, and Team Paradise has the lower combined team handicap. The course isn't very difficult off the tee, however, it does require you to be in the correct position in order to take advantage and score. Ball striking will be at a premium, and Team Paradise fits that bill on paper.
Team Hackers is a live dog and will give Team Paradise all it can handle if they can make the most of the pops that they are going to get. To make these pops count the most, they need to get Singles Sunday in the mix. If they survive the Alternate Shot stanza, all bets are off because they have a bunch of mid caps that will be getting pops in singles. It's going to be a great follow, can Team Hackers win without Canadan or will jdtox have his "Return of the Jedi" moment and close the trilogy out?
This post will serve for updates in the odds and break downs, with that being said, I'm ready to post an opening number.
Opening Team Odds of Winning the 2020 Morgan Cup:
Team Paradise -300
Team Hackers +250
Team Odds of Winning the 2020 Morgan Cup (10/3/20 Update):
Team Paradise -250
Team Hackers +200
Team Odds of Winning the 2020 Morgan Cup (10/8/20 Update):
Team Paradise -190
Team Hackers +150
Team Odds of Winning the 2020 Morgan Cup (10/10/20 Update):
Team Paradise -220
Team Hackers +175
What would a Morgan Cup be without getting a breakdown and some Odds?
When & Where
TPC Vegas
October 9th-11th
Las Vegas, NV
The course on which the Morgan Cup will be contested is well known, as last year's Distance Powered by Srixon Event was also held there. I was there live providing coverage for the forum, and can attest how great of track this course is for a competitive event.
The Morgan Cup will be competed for over the course of 45 holes of competition, and the format is a great one for this course, and could provide for some drama down the stretch. The back nine is at least 3 strokes harder than the front nine (especially the closing holes), if matches get to this daunting stretch, there are swings that can be had and that's how points get stolen. The course itself is flat out gorgeous with a lot of great views, the participants are in for a treat.
If you want to take a closer look at the course, here is the link to the official site:
TPC Las Vegas | PGA TOUR Public Golf in Las Vegas, Nevada
Play Where the Pros Play. Desert Elegance on a 7,000 yard golf course just minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. Online tee times and golf packages available.
tpc.com
If you want to take a deep dive in how another group of THP'ers handled this course, this thread is a great place to go:
The Format:
Saturday
18 Holes: Shamble Format
9 Holes: Alternate Shot Format
Sunday
18 Holes: Singles
I like this format, because I believe that this is a course that lends itself to longer holed matches. Because this format has two 18 hole matches, there is 16 points available in total, 8' points wins the Morgan Cup. If you have been around for awhile, you will know that I am a huge mark for the Alternate Shot Format, and I'm glad to see it's inclusion here. The Team that is able to make a move in that 3rd nine, is the Team that will probably win the Morgan Cup.
The Handicaps of the Teams:
Team Hackers:
Captain: OITW (10.9)
Asst Captain: Mike Yagley from Cobra Golf (5.9)
E1iterate (10.5)
Parrot (11.2)
H8tobogie (11.4)
baylrballa (11.9)
Jmk202 (13.6)
maxw72 (18.7)
Team Paradise:
Captain: jdtox (6.2)
Asst Captain: Jose Miraflor from Cobra Golf (3.7)
KY Golfer (4.7)
ToddJ027b (5.6)
Duffer Waldorf (8.6)
MarMill8412 (8.9)
Oumagic (9.4)
Vdubtx (17.1)
On paper Team Paradise holds a big edge on combined handicap front (8.0 to 11.8), both Captains will have interesting options as it relates to pairings. I will say that it appears that Team Paradise has more options related to balancing their parings, and Team Hackers margin for error related to pairings is slimmer.
Alternate Shot being the format that will keep both Captains in deep thought from now to the Cup. Pairings for Alternate Shot could be the difference between winning and losing the Cup. Without attempting to bias the pairings, there is a very chalky path for Team Paradise to follow in the Alternate Shot stanza that would apply maximum pressure to Team Paradise. I'll be interested to see how both Captains handle their options.
Pops are a great equalizer, and Team Hackers is likely to be getting pops in most pairing configurations. It's also worth noting that Team Hacker's Captain OITW arrives to this Morgan Cup with a handicap 3 strokes higher than he had last year, while Team Paradise's Captain jdtox has a handicap almost a stroke lower that he had in last year's event. The Captain's match should be interesting, as jdtox will be glad not to draw Canadan this year. E1iterate also arrives with his game seemingly in shambles with a handicap 2 stokes higher than his historic low, and a round of 90 his last time out.
Club Selection:
Team Hackers:
Captain: OITW (10.9)- Forged Tec
Asst Captain: Mike Yagley from Cobra Golf (5.9)
E1iterate (10.5)- Forged Tec
Parrot (11.2)- Forged Tec
H8tobogie (11.4)- Forged Tec
baylrballa (11.9)- Forged Tec
Jmk202 (13.6)- Forged Tec OL
maxw72 (18.7)- Forged Tec
Team Paradise:
Captain: jdtox (6.2)- Forged Tec
Asst Captain: Jose Miraflor from Cobra Golf (3.7)
KY Golfer (4.7)- Speedzone
ToddJ027b (5.6)- Forged Tec
Duffer Waldorf (8.6)- Speedzone
MarMill8412 (8.9)- Forged Tec
Oumagic (9.4)- Forged Tec OL
Vdubtx (17.1)- Speedzone
As you can see, not much of a contrast between the 2 teams in the area of club selection. Team Hackers opting heavily to go with the Forged Tec line, while Team Paradise's club selection was a little more mixed. Personally, I have hit all of the new Cobra offering, and feel that the Forged Tec is the best iron that Cobra has ever made. It is an iron that is uber forgiving and retains ball speed on mishits all over the face, in a players distance profile.
Also, a wide range of handicaps can play the Forged Tec line without problem, so I think that the adjustment period will be better handled well by both teams. In the pressure cooker that is Morgan Cup pressure, I do like the fact that some on Team Paradise took the Speedzone irons. The Speedzone Irons are sneaky good and more forgiving than the Forged Tec.
Because the Morgan Cup was pushed back from it's original date, the majority of the participants have had their equipment a lot longer than in past Morgan Cups. Many of the participants have also had the ability to tinker with their set up, which is not normally the case in the Morgan Cup. There shouldn't be any excuses related to getting comfortable with the equipment.
Opening Odds:
Note: This is for entrainment proposes only, and to get some chatter built up about the Morgan Cup. Not to hurt anyone's feelings.
It is hard not to make Team Paradise a favorite here to open. They have a Captain that is attempting to build on the lessons learned last year in a losing effort and will be highly motivated to complete his Morgan Cup Trilogy on a winning note (MVP to Losing Captain to TBD). I also like Team Paradise's pairing flexibility more, this pairing flexibility makes Team Hackers margin for error very thin, and Team Paradise has the lower combined team handicap. The course isn't very difficult off the tee, however, it does require you to be in the correct position in order to take advantage and score. Ball striking will be at a premium, and Team Paradise fits that bill on paper.
Team Hackers is a live dog and will give Team Paradise all it can handle if they can make the most of the pops that they are going to get. To make these pops count the most, they need to get Singles Sunday in the mix. If they survive the Alternate Shot stanza, all bets are off because they have a bunch of mid caps that will be getting pops in singles. It's going to be a great follow, can Team Hackers win without Canadan or will jdtox have his "Return of the Jedi" moment and close the trilogy out?
This post will serve for updates in the odds and break downs, with that being said, I'm ready to post an opening number.
Opening Team Odds of Winning the 2020 Morgan Cup:
Team Paradise -300
Team Hackers +250
Team Odds of Winning the 2020 Morgan Cup (10/3/20 Update):
Team Paradise -250
Team Hackers +200
Team Odds of Winning the 2020 Morgan Cup (10/8/20 Update):
Team Paradise -190
Team Hackers +150
Team Odds of Winning the 2020 Morgan Cup (10/10/20 Update):
Team Paradise -220
Team Hackers +175
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