Hunt Goes Low, Olson Goes Lower the Wrong Way
Week 3 at UNM North had a little bit of everything: one player shooting near par, another treating the scorecard like a long-division worksheet, and Jeff Kardas managing to lose twice without lifting a club a second time. Jeff Hunt owned the night with the low gross of 37 and a share of the low net 34 alongside Jason Maxwell. The field combined for 6 birdies, which sounds respectable until you count the doubles. Orlando Flores and Jimmie Rains kept rolling, and the standings shuffled enough to make the middle of the pack dizzy.
Hunt 6.5, Dean 3.5
Andy Dean won hole 1 and birdied No. 5, and for a few minutes he looked like the man in charge. Then Hunt won three straight from hole 6, capped by a birdie on No. 8 while Dean posted a double on the very same hole. That kind of swing is why it's called match play. Hunt's gross 37 was the best in the building, and Dean's 43 was a fair reminder that one good hole does not make a round.
Shields 7, Olson 3
Joe Olson made double or worse on seven of nine holes, which is less a round of golf than a hostage situation. Brian Shields took the first three holes before Olson had found his tee, then added Nos. 6 and 7 for a 7–3 win with a net 35. Shields shouldn't get too proud, though: he doubled 6, 8 and 9 himself and still won going away, which tells you everything about the opposition. Olson's gross 56 earned him two late holes and a long drive home.
Pehr 6, Harvey 4
Brit Harvey won closest to the pin on hole 2 and the $75 that came with it, then made a double on that same hole. Only in this league. Tom Pehr won four of the first seven holes with a steady gross 41 and held on while Harvey, getting 5 strokes, rallied to take Nos. 8 and 9. Pehr's double on the last hole made the finish closer than it needed to be, but the low net 35 settled it.
Candelaria 5.5, Rael 4.5
The comeback of the night. Paul Rael won the first three holes and must have started picturing the scorecard on the fridge, then Dennis Candelaria won the last three to steal it 5.5–4.5. Candelaria finished with a birdie on No. 9 for a net 35, while Rael's doubles on 4, 7 and 8 handed the match back. Rael played the front like a contender and the finish like he'd double-parked.
Rains 7.5, Baird 3.5
No strokes changed hands, and frankly neither man had any to spare. The first four holes were halved, presumably because both players doubled all of them. Jimmie Rains made seven doubles or worse and still won 7.5–3.5, because Doug Baird made eight. Rains took Nos. 5, 6 and 9 with a gross 53 and moved to three straight wins, proof that you don't have to be pretty, just less ugly.
Maxwell 6.5, Sewell 3.5
Jason Maxwell went the whole round without a double, a rarity on this card, and his net 34 tied for the night's best. Todd Sewell had the flashier moment with a birdie on hole 4 and the better gross at 42, but doubles on 1, 5 and 9 undid him. Maxwell's win on No. 9 sealed the 6.5–3.5 result, and Sewell will spend the week wondering how the lower handicap lost by three.
Jaramillo 6.5, Kardas 3.5
Thomas Jaramillo made five doubles and won anyway, which is the beauty of 5 strokes. Kardas actually had the better gross, 48 to 50, but his own doubles on 1, 5, 6, 8 and 9 wasted it. Jaramillo closed by winning Nos. 8 and 9 for a 6.5–3.5 win and a net 40.
Flores 7.5, Kardas card 2.5
Kardas's scorecard got a second outing against Orlando Flores and fared no better. Flores opened with a double on hole 1, the only blemish, then birdied No. 3, won the last four holes and closed with a birdie on 9 for a gross 38. Kardas lost two matches on one card, which has to be some kind of efficiency.
Around the league
Brit Harvey took the night's only prize, closest to the pin on hole 2, collecting the full $75 pot, which should cover the double he made right after. Flores still leads with 22.5 points, ahead of Rains at 20, and both extended their win streaks to three. Hunt moved up to third, level with Pehr at 17.5, and Maxwell climbed from seventh to fifth. The bigger jumps were Jaramillo, from 10th to sixth, and Shields, from 12th to seventh. Going the other way: Olson slid from fifth to eighth, Sewell from sixth to 10th, and Kardas from ninth to 11th after his two-for-one special. It's only Week 3 with 17 weeks left, so nobody should print the standings yet, but a few of you might want to print a range schedule.