Blue Heaven: Mi-Tee Cup 2011 Wrap-Up

In a spirited competition that went down to the very last Singles matches on Sunday afternoon, Team USA prevailed in the 2011 Mi-Tee Cup Challenge by a score of 26 1/2 to 21 1/2, and in doing so denied four-time defending champions Team Texas the chance to earn the coveted "five-peat".

Like many wagers, the 2011 Mi-Tee Cup was won before the competition began, in this case during the Friday night draft party. Having assembled a team of draft experts that included co-captain Cipriano Robles, vaunted NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper, former Blue Hat captain and LCCC alum Sean Charnock, and Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington, Team USA Captain Dave Schmertz employed a shock and awe strategy to plunder the ranks of Red Hat alumni, putting Team Texas captains Scott Wenning and Jerry Haas back on their heels (asses) as the draft unfolded at a dizzying pace.


"That's the way Mi-Tee Cup go."

When James Cassels was selected as the last player on the board (inheriting the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" previously held by a mysteriously absent Harry Starkweather), the team captains headed to their respective war rooms, brain trusts in tow and cocktails in hand to set the pairings for Saturday's two-man Best Ball and Alternate Shot matches.

Saturday dawned clear and windy, and inspired by Tim Unverzagt's sporty blue Fruit of The Loom plaid boxers, Team USA ran out to an early 8-4 lead in the Best Ball matches, only to see their lead virtually evaporate when Team USA won the afternoon's Alternate Shot matches by a score of 6.5 -3.5, highlighted by Lance Addison's eagle from 75 yards on #18 that stole a point for Team Texas. With but a single shot separating the teams, the 48 combatants repaired to the comfort of the 19th Hole, where cold beer and high drama awaited the selection of Sunday's Singles pairings.

Employing a player selection strategy culled from Sun Tzu's classic text, "The Art of War", Captain Schmertz brilliantly divided his forces in a manner designed to wreak maximum confusion on his opponents. Breaking ranks from Mi-Tee Cup tradition, Schmertz elected not to match LCCC head golf professional Robert Singletary against his upstart assistant, Eric Hunt, and instead announced that Diron "8-a-Side" French would take the erstwhile young pro. Left with no other option, Captain Wenning could only throw Mike "Button" Bowers out as the sacrificial lamb against Singletary, with the balance of the pairings then set for Sunday's 24-match Singles finale that would decide the 2011 Mi-Tee Cup.

The respective teams hit the course on Sunday morning, with Team Texas desperate to close the single-point deficit and retain the Cup, while Team USA was equally determined to pull away. Over the course of the next four hours the 24 matches were waged, some closing out in relatively short order while others went down to the wire. A cavalcade of golf carts followed the remaining groups, with Dave McCallum and Dan Costello dispensing drams of Scotch to the gallery courtesy of our good friend, Bill Douglass, whose recent surgery kept him out of the Mi-Tee Cup festivities this year.

Winner: 2011 Golden Fleece Award
Eric Hunt

When the final putt had been conceded and the last match of the day had come to a close, Team USA had successfully wrested the 2011 Mi-Tee Cup away from Team Texas, winning by the combined score of 26.5 - 21.5.  As 24 blue caps were simultaneously flung into the air in jubilation, Bob Blakely was seen dancing a foxtrot by the scoreboard, kissing Byron Barlow on both cheeks as Diron French consoled his vanquised opponent.

The two teams then repaired once again to the 19th Hole, where Captains Schmertz and Wenning presented tokens of the group's appreciation to the tournament namesakes, Mike and Tee, while everyone enjoyed a few post-round libations. All in all, it was unanimously agreed that after it's 9th year of competition, the Mi-tee Cup Challenge is the most competitive and enjoyable event of any on the LCCC golf calendar.

Congratulations go out once again to the victorious members of Team USA: James McCaffrey, Jim Quirk, James Cassels, Chris Weinzirl, Dave Schmertz, Tony Howard, Bob Blakely, Cipriano Robles, Matt Miller, Bob Armstrong, Gil Hollander, Rodney Isom, Tom francis, Tim Unverzagt, Terry Freeman, Jeff Wells, Blewett Gardner, Diron French, Frank Carter, and Robert Singletary.

See you all again next year.