Evening League
It was a week of shakeups at the top of the leaderboard. Jason Pafundi's team held on to first place, but not without a scare — with regular partner Ken Steele out, substitute Matt Poole stepped in and helped the team add two more points to their total (10.0 → 12.0). It wasn't all smooth sailing, though; a few errant shots down the stretch from Poole let Damon Elinwood and Spencer McDaniel creep back within range before the team closed it out.
Right on their heels: Pete Lewis, who debuted new partner Dan Specht this week after Wally Ornsteen stepped aside to focus solely on the Morning League. The pairing looked anything but new, picking up a league-best 3.0 points to vault from a share of second into a dead heat with Pafundi atop the standings at 12.0 apiece. A statement first outing for Specht.
They weren't the only ones climbing. Daniel Wall/Leonard Wall and Adam Gamage/Jed Weaver each tacked on 3.0 points to move into third and fourth, while Arthur Poland/Paul Kelsey matched that pace to join Mike Prentice/Reed Prentice in a tie for fifth at 10.0.
That surge up front has opened real daylight in the standings. The top five teams are now separated from the rest of the field by a full two points or more, with sixth place sitting at 9.0 and a wide, tightly bunched pack — from Randall Waltz/Donovan York down through the middle of the table — still very much alive. Several of those mid-table teams are quietly stacking small weekly gains, and with the season far from decided, they're well positioned to play spoiler as the race for the top tightens.
Full standings are posted at wawenockgolfclub.com.
Morning League
Joe Taylor and John Reeves remain right where they belong — atop the standings — adding another point to push to 9.0. But they've got company this week: Rob Davidson/Wayne Gilbert put together the strongest round of anyone in the morning field, picking up 2.0 points to remain in a share of first place alongside Taylor and Reeves. It's the kind of week that comes with a catch — Davidson and Gilbert have been vocal about the double-edged sword of playing well early, worried that continued strong finishes will mean giving back strokes as the season wears on. For now, though, they're co-leaders, and Taylor's group will have company at the top going forward.
The middle of the standings saw the most dramatic movement. Brian Wiacek/Blaine Schwabe turned in the week's biggest leap, jumping from 8th all the way into a five-way tie for third at 7.0 — joining Pete Lewis/Wally Ornsteen, **Tim Alley/Daryl Benner, Doc Barbera/Ron Hiser, and Chuck Plummer/Peter Davidson, all of whom matched that pace. That's a crowded, competitive knot just behind the leaders.
Further down, Mark Hurlbut/Brad Hastings had a quiet week and slipped from a share of third to 8th as the pack around them surged, while Peter Christine/Peter Bass, Frank Dearnley/Tony Papa, and Rick Hagen/Ted Silar all posted identical gains to stay bunched together in a tie for 9th. The bottom of the board held mostly steady, with Scott Craig/Malcolm Foster and the four teams tied at 15th (Chick/Hughes, Cosgrove/Simard, Curtis/Ikalainen, and Taylor/Silver) all looking for the kind of week that shakes things loose.
Full standings are posted at wawenockgolfclub.com.