2015 YEAR IN REVIEW part 1

MGM Gold

The 2015 season saw the transformative rookie class of 2006 – Doug and Walter Vargas, P-Jay Fidler, John Mann, and Chris Moawad – mark their 10th year on the MGM Tour. With the exception of John Mann, all would notch victories. Rookie Nik Freitas, and 2nd year member Ed Quiroz, each posted victories less than 10 starts into their nascent Tour careers. Their first wins would come in, of all things, majors. And MGM Tour charter member Martin Witt reached the pinnacle of his career, winning Player of the Year.

2014 Player of the Year Travois Gordón’s comments regarding his approach to 2015 – “I look at it as a victory lap because I don’t have to pay for anything. So I’m just hanging out with friends.” – drew fervent responses from some of his peers at the season opener in Manhattan Beach.

“It’s kind of a pompous thing to say. I would expect no less from a person from New Orleans and the upper class. I don’t want to make this a racial thing but upper class, New Orleans, plantations, stuff like that, right? He’s showing his true colors.”

John Frost

 

“That’s so insulting to the many of us that haven’t won, or even those that have won and haven’t repeated. You know, he’s trying to psyche himself out. He knows it was a fluke last year and there’s nothing he can do to prevent the onslaught that’s gonna happen this year. To say something like that shows such a lack of respect.”

-Doug Vargas, 4-time and eventual 5-time Player of the Year runner-up

 

“If that’s a method for him to take pressure off himself, that’s great, but you’re kinda reserving yourself to already being satisfied with placing lower. Personally, I don’t advocate putting out a disclaimer. [Player of the Year is] like the Super Bowl of our Tour. It should always be in everyone’s mind, in the forefront, [to believe and tell oneself] ‘My goal is to win enough tournaments to take that trophy home’.”

-3 time Player of the Year Chris Moawad

 

Gordón would become just the 3rd Player of the Year, first in 6 years, to fail to register a win the following season.

 

January…

Clint Crump matched his career best MBC score and carded a new career best single round to win the season opening Manhattan Beach Championship.  It was his 9th career win and first MBC.  Walter Vargas was, perhaps rightfully so, left fuming after a 3rd place finish despite setting new tournament records for score and total pars.

1. Crump
2. Vaughan
3. W. Vargas

“I would have taken first [last year] if my brother had his handicap taken away. For some reason the head of the Tour decided not to take his strokes [for being late] and now it’s just a joke, the whole tournament’s a joke. And people are saying that they’re tanking so they get higher handicaps like Gerry Vaughan over there. What about integrity? What about class? I guess nobody here has it but me.”
-Walter Vargas prior to the start of the Manhattan Beach Championship

 

“I need a pass like Doug Vargas!”
-John Frost, running late, texting to the commissioner.

 

“Yea, yea. Doug was already saying that he didn’t care about the rules anymore.
Just told me today.”
-Walter Vargas’s response to the commissioner’s promise to enforce the rules for late arrival.

 

“This car has never gone that fast.”
-Doug Vargas who barely made the check-in time.

 

“I guess no one had the $30 dues.”
-Clint Crump on the 6 non-starters

 

“Willis Reed? Come on Tim. Let’s not get too carried away. More like Vlade Divac coming back into a game after appearing to be paralyzed by a Spud Webb charge.”
-Doug Vargas’s response to Tim Joe’s comment that Walter Vargas playing with a bad back was Willis Reed-esque.

 

“I have no feeling toward it whatsoever.”
-Gerry Vaughan on starting the year with a redemptive runner-up finish after suffering the worst season of his career in 2014.

 

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“What do I have to do to win a tournament now if I can’t have the game of the day, game of my career here at this course, and still not win.”
Walter Vargas

 

 

 

 “Well, it’s all about the handicaps and how you play historically. They always end up being correct in the long run but I’ve been bitten by them too. And never question the commissioner. ”
-Clint Crump on an upset Walter Vargas who finished 3rd despite setting the new course record for score and total pars.

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“I appreciate getting the attention from Willy J Promotions because last year it’s like I was invisible.  And [now] I’m getting my pictures taken this year, you know there’s a little post game interview, so it’s nice to get the attention from
Willy J.”
Gerry Vaughan on his best finish since winning in 2010.

 

 

 

February…

MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAP-Jay Fidler, making his 2015 season debut, shot a new career best  Whitsett round to win the Charly Classic for the first time.  His victory, the 4th of his career, ended a 17-tournament winless streak.

1. Fidler
2. Vaughan
3. Witt

 

“I caught it because I put every date in my calendar when you first released them.
I bet even Armen doesn’t do that.”
-John Mann after the Tour commissioner expressed surprise that Mann noticed a date change on the Tour website for the Charly Classic.

Walter Vargas (missing the tournament): What am I, Bird??  Chopped liver???  You won’t miss my ass?  I’m truly disappointed….
Marty Witt: There’s Ethiopians with cancer that have a nicer looking ass than you. Nobody will miss that smelly, un-kept cum-dumpster.  Maybe Travis.

 

“No. With the mini golf there’s so much luck involved and [I] just [have] a lack of geometry skills.”
-Clint Crump when asked if being a former 3-time champion gives him an edge over the competition.

 

“And I really wanted to listen to Bird complain about the mini golf putters.”
-John Mann expressing regret at missing this year’s Charly Classic

 

“Every day I stare at my [trophy] collection and think, ‘yea, it’s probably not gonna
ever repeat itself’.”
-2014 Player of the Year Travois Gordón, making his season debut, when asked to reflect on his extraordinary 2014 season.

 

“No, I mean, that’s sort of the pinnacle. Once you win, you can just suck for the rest of the time like I do, and still feel good about yourself.”
-2010 Player of the Year Gerry Vaughan when asked if there was any advice he could give to 2014 Player of the Year Travois Gordón going into this season.

 

“Sorry… so easy to forget.”
-John Mann’s response to John Frost’s reminder that he (Frost) was defending Charly Classic champion.

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“I gotta ask. Do you shave your legs?”
-Doug Vargas to Marty Witt

“Is that a record?”
-Chris Moawad after Doug Vargas’s 63 in mini golf was announced.

“Ah then, forget about it. I’m just gonna have a hot dog.”
-Clint Crump, who earned 3 bonus strokes from mini golf, after being told that ChrisMoawad,
P-Jay Fidler, and Gerry Vaughan also earned 3 strokes.

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“That would be 3 years? I think it’s my kids. Yea, I think that’s what changed my whole golf game. I have kids now and that’s affected it tremendously.”
-P-Jay Fidler, who averaged 35 his first 4 Charly starts, when told he had shot 41 his last 3.

 

 

March…

The MGM Tour landed in a virtual oasis in the middle of congested West L.A. with Heroes Golf Course – dedicated to helping veterans – hosting this year’s Hooters Team Play Championship. John Frost and Chris Moawad finished atop the leaderboard making it a record-tying 4th Hooters win for Frost and partner Moawad’s first in 8 years. 92 degree temps in Westwood broke the previous record high of 84.

1. Frost/Moawad
2. Witt/Freitas
3. Mann/T. Joe

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“I’m in, but I’d prefer to not have a partner.”
-Gerry Vaughan, confirming his participation for the Hooters

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“Clearly you’re expecting me to bail out. You better bring a better game than
you have the last four years.”
-John Mann to Tim Joe after learning they were a team

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“‘P-Squared’ is ready to go!!  F’n P-Jay’s so hot right now!…and wings are like Popeye’s spinach to me…only they make my belly bulge, not my forearms.”
-Patrick Bird

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“Guess I don’t play well with others.”
-John Mann when asked to explain his paltry attendance – just 3 starts in 9 years – at the Hooters.

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“I didn’t really assess them once I saw I was with P-Jay. We’re gonna take it.”
-Patrick Bird when asked his thoughts on the other teams

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“We’re the odd couple. ‘Can two men play golf together without driving each other crazy?’”
-John Mann to partner Tim Joe

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“See u suckas on Saturday.  Frost – u can keep score for our team.”
-Chris Moawad

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“I know you create the battlefield for your own demonic pleasures and I hate to rob you of that.”
-Gerry Vaughan to the Tour commissioner following his team’s withdrawal

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“The course is a little different. It’s like you play 9 but you’re actually walking 18.”
-Nik Freitas on the hilly course’s somewhat odd layout

 

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“And he’s wearing that commie hat.”
-John Frost, after seeing John Mann urinating on the golf course that honors veterans.

 

 

 

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“I was looking at the website and I was like, ‘yea, I won this once’ and I had to go so far back to see where it was.  It was kind of an eye opener how long I’ve been on the Tour.
I think it was only my 2nd year.”
-Chris Moawad who waited 8 years before winning the Hooters for a 2nd time.

 

“I saw Bird whining and complaining and I realized I should not behave that same way. Sorry about all that negative shit that I said.
Although I do feel that way, I shouldn’t have acted that way, so I apologize.”
-John Frost, after winning, addressing his anger prior to the round for being penalized for late check-in.

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“We blew it. I think because we were playing with P-Jay and Bird. They were kind of a black cloud over the group. It was pretty heavy. Once we ditched them [we turned it around].”
-Nik Freitas on his team’s runner-up finish.  After -1 points on the front 9, he and Witt set a 2nd round record for points with 18.

 

 

“Kristina says I like Hooters.”
-John Frost after winning the Hooters for the 4th time in the last 7 years.

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April…

Tour rookie Nik Freitas captured the Match Play Invitational, his first major in just his 5th start on Tour; and he did so in dramatic fashion, defeating 3 former champions in the process.

1. Freitas
2. Moawad
T3. D. Vargas, Frost

“Wow! Look at Travois. From champ to chump. My how quickly the worm turns.”
-Patrick Bird after seeing the latest player rankings that saw 2014 Player of the Year
Travois Gordón last.

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“He’s going to the range. Cheater.”
-P-Jay Fidler on Nik Freitas

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“You say a ‘draw’, that makes me think of like, there’s names in a hat. But I don’t think that really happened in this case. I think it was more of a, ‘hey we’re gonna put these guys against each other and see what happens’. Honestly I got a little nervous.”
-P-Jay Fidler when asked his thoughts on the draw that had him facing hometown friend Nik Freitas in the first round.

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“Honestly, we’re friends.  There would be nothing weird. But it would be fun because for the rest of the year I could just tell him I’m better than him.”
-Nik Freitas when asked what it would mean to him and P-Jay if he were to beat him.

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“P-Jay gave me some golf cleats a while back but I feel like he was trying to sabotage me. I could barely walk after the round.”
-Nik Freitas

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 “THERE’S NO CHIPPING ON THE TEE BOX. GO DOWN TO THE CHIPPING AREA IF YOU WANNA CHIP. IT’S WHAT’S IT’S FOR.”
-the surly Rancho Park starter over the loudspeaker to Martin Witt.

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“It’s a good way to get out of church.”
-John Frost on playing Sunday, his first final four appearance.
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“He seems like he’s storming the Tour the way Chris Moawad did back when he came on the Tour, so you know… fuck that guy.”
-Defending champion Travois Gordón on his loss to Nik Freitas

 

 

 

“That ball rolled away from the pin like my chances of winning this match.”
-defending champion Travois Gordón after his chip shot on 8

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“No, not really. I just met him.”
-Nik Freitas when asked if it meant anything to him to have defeated the defending champion

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“Really doesn’t mean much. Maybe everybody had a bad day the year Travis won. It’s really hard to look up to a guy like Travis.”
-John Frost, playing in his first Final Four, when asked if Travois Gordón’s win last year was a source of inspiration.

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“He’s the new Gerry. Nerves of steel, he’s always the same level of anxiety, which is none.”
-Doug Vargas on his Final Four opponent Nik Freitas

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“I’ve had a lot of time to think about it. I wish it all would have happened in one day.  The whole time I was driving here I was like, man I don’t wanna get in a wreck or break down, I wanna make it to this thing.”
-Nik Freitas on playing day 2 and the Final Four.

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“I blame the commissioner for pairing me up with [Chris]. I should’ve been paired up with Doug or Nik. He knows that Moawad is my kryptonite and the other 2 guys I probably would have won,
and therefore it’s less exciting.”
-John Frost following his semi-Final loss to Chris Moawad

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“He looks like Armen when he taught us all how to play golf. He just looks unbeatable.”
-Doug Vargas prior to his semi-final match against Nik Freitas

 

 


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“Every hole was a struggle. I took my sweatshirt off and that’s what did it. It was the sweatshirt.”
-Nik Freitas sticking his tee shot on 9 against Doug.

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“It’s real now.”
-Nik Freitas after the first tee shots of the Final Four.

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“Now it’s on.”
-Doug Vargas who emerged from the bathroom prior to the 4th hole.

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“I was shaking the whole time. It’s like you have to go into like some crazy zen mode. I didn’t know it was going to be this nerve-wracking.”
-Nik Freitas on what he was feeling on the 9th hole with a 1-up lead.

 

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“There can only be one.”
-Chris Moawad’s response to Nik Freitas being compared to him as the ‘new’ Chris Moawad, a newcomer taking the Tour by storm.

 

 

 

“Goddamn, I think I have an ulcer.”
-Nik Freitas following his win.

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The MGM Tour decides to password protect its website…

“Im fine with it being locked down.. I dont want to end up on MTV Catfish.”
-Chris Moawad on the decision to password protect the website

 

“Keep it locked down! Although, when we were told of the username/password, no one mentioned the complicated math equations we would have to solve.”
– Travois Gordón

 

“You might want to do away with the math portion. Some have trouble enough with keeping score.”
-Clint Crump on the Tour website’s new security feature

 

“Are the math questions gonna get progressively more difficult?”
-Patrick Bird

June…

Martin Witt celebrated Father’s day early by bringing home the Astronomer’s Monument trophy after winning the Griffith Observatory Championship.  With temperatures touching 90, conditions were particularly tough on what was the smallest field in tournament history.

1. Witt
2. D. Vargas
3. T. Joe

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“Yea it’s a tough one, but I figured if I went to the party, would I be thinking of golf and the answer is no. But if I went golfing, would I be thinking about London and the party, and the answer is yes… so I have to choose the party.”
-P-Jay Fidler on choosing his daughter’s school’s Father’s day party over the tournament.

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“I like the fact that Nik is the man to beat and he’s wearing jeans and a button down t-shirt.”
-Travois Gordon

 

 

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“We were on the 9th hole and I was like, I swear to God if I win this thing I’m gonna give it back. Everybody stunk.”
-Marty Witt

 

“I don’t wanna know my score.”
-an exasperated Nik Freitas following his round

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Off camera, Witt watches Quiroz’s approach…

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Witt: So far I’ve liked everything I’ve seen.

 

“Who won the bogey pool?”
A dispirited Chris Moawad, who matched his career worst score at Roosevelt

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“This place is crazy. I don’t like playing here at all.”
-Nik Freitas following his Griffith debut.

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“Oh my god, it’s a brutal course.  It’s hilly, it’s hot, there’s no shade at all. You hit a bad shot, you pay for it. There’s trees fuckin everywhere.  You always find yourself in trouble.”
-Doug Vargas on Roosevelt

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“Well yea, <chuckles> it was a field of 9. I mean, if we had 6 more guys I guarantee you the top-3 would have been changed because we really weren’t playing all that great.”
-Doug Vargas after being told he shot the best gross

 

 

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“I’m [withdrawing] already for next year. I like the idea of playing this course but every time I play it, it never works out for me.”
-a demoralized Chris Moawad who shot a career worst 49.

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The first half of the 2015 season concludes…