YPGA Delaware Valley Invitational Overview:

The YPGA heads to West Deptford, New Jersey for the 2020 Delaware Valley Invitational. This is the first time the YPGA will head to NJ. RiverWinds offers par 5s that present great birdie opportunities and wide open fairways. Some holes are lined with water or woods, but the course should present a scoring opportunity for all members.

Predicted Winning Net Score: 69

Odds / Preview:

Andy Kotulka: +3000

Reasons he will win: The course is wide open in certain parts which will allow Andy to keep it in the “fairway”, but a lot has to go wrong elsewhere on the leaderboard for Andy to have a chance. However, a recent 88 at RiverWinds has Andy forgetting all about the 103 he posted in the last YPGA event.

Reasons he will not win: Rising temperatures in the Delaware Valley will have Andy sweating bullets and complaining all day how hot it is. A slippery grip will have his tee shots starting left and moving all the way across the fairway where he’ll gain more yards laterally than towards the pin.

Prediction: Between 8th and 10th

Billy Kelly: +600

Reasons he will win: Short term memory to forget his abysmal YPGA Open showing. The course will allow Billy to blast off the tee and won’t penalize him if he misses the fairway. His approach game is sharp, and he reaches the green in regulation more often than not. Add a 2-3 birdies to the mix and Billy will be at the top of the leaderboard on what could be his last round before fatherhood. Make it count, Papa Bill!

Reasons he will not win: Getting only 8 strokes will mean Billy will have no room for error. Those duffed chips and sloppy bunker shots will add up and ultimately leave Billy on the outside looking in.

Prediction: Top 5.

Chris Meyer: +800

Reasons he will win: GIRs and pristine scrambling. If Chris can put a card together that contains a mix of GIRs and getting up and down for par, Chris can go low at RiverWinds. Chris has a steady game but he needs to forget the dreadful showing at Broad Run in order to get his mind right. Can he do that despite not logging a round since the YPGA Open?

Reasons he will not win: The birdie attempts slide by the hole and turn into pars, and his par attempts turn into bogeys. There’s no doubt Chris will break 90 and log that patented 88, but it won’t be enough on this day.

Prediction: Top 8

David Carney: +1000

Reasons he will win: He’s smoking the drive from the start. It’s that simple. If his drives hit the fairway instead of missing left or right, Carney has the ability to play bogey golf at worst, and be in the mid-80s when all is said and done. His short game and irons are sufficient enough, but his success and mental state hinge on his driver.

Reasons he will not win: The driver does not cooperate……………………….AGAIN.

Prediction: Between 4th and 8th.

David King: +2400

Reasons he will win: 3-wood fire, hybrid fire, and putter fire. If Dave doesn’t try to do too much throughout the round, he should have a bonce back round. He shouldn’t get himself into trouble like he did at Broad Run, but rising tides life all boats and all Tour members are due for a bounce back round.

Reasons he will not win: Amanda’s been working a lot lately and he has the kids, so he can’t golf.

Prediction: Between 12th and 16th.

Ed Grambo: +600

Reasons he will win: Ed is able to use only 5 clubs all day: Driver, hybrid, PW, 52-degree, putter. Ed has a distinct advantage at RiverWinds in that he can get distance on his driver and get to his 52-degree and PW. Also, improved putting from BirdieBall.com can help Ed on the greens and get him into contention.

Reasons he will not win: Very poor short and finesse game. Too much movement in the lower body with his wedges will lead to some chunky fat shots. Wegman’s in Easton ran out of Ed’s strict dietary essentials.

Prediction: Runner-up.

Greg Taglialatela: +10000

Reasons he will beat Sabara: Better job teeing off, which will limit penalties and drops. Greg needs to focus on 100-yards and in. Focusing on saving strokes while chipping and putting can get him close to 100 and knock off Sabara in this loosely watched battle.

Reasons he will not beat Sabara: Lots of penalties/drops off the tee, and just way too much 3-putts.

Prediction: 15h place, and will not beat Sabara.

Jerry Margiotti: +900

Reasons he will win: Having a YPGA event under his belt will help Jerry in the next event. If Jerry can keep his drives straight, he figures to shoot well on Sunday and be in the running.

Reasons he will not win: Jerry finished in the top 3 last event, largely in part because the rest of the field shit the bed. Also, trying to keep pace with Musselman may increase the pressure leading to mishits.

Prediction: Top 6.

Matt Kelly: +1500

Reasons he will win: He has the skillset and pedigree to win (see, Billy Kelly, brother. 3 Tour titles). Arguably the best player on the tour and no stranger to 70s rounds and holes-in-one (3). The birdies need to be flowing for Matt to keep pace and he needs to clear the mental cobwebs.

Reasons he will not win: Being unable to straighten out his drives with his brand new M6 that was supposed to elevate his game. Matt’s recent struggles and horrendous history on the Tour make him a tough horse to bet on to claim the trophy this time around.

Prediction: middle of pack.

Michael Musselman: +250

Reasons he will win: Mike’s game is flush with making pars or better and being able to sidestep the landmines the course presents. He’s a great course manager and steers clear of shooting himself in the foot. He’s only getting 9 strokes and it’s likely that he’ll have to break 80 to get it done, but he just did that on Wednesday at RiverWinds, so….

Reasons he will not win: Smokes too many cigs during the round causing COPD and has to withdraw.

Prediction: Winner.

Mike Patitucci: +3500

Reasons he will win: He flushes his driver down the middle of the fairway hole after hole despite falling out of his shoes each time. Mix in a few birdies and Mike will be right in the thick of things.

Reasons he will not win: The reasons above won’t happen. Doesn’t seem Mike has visited a golf course in a long time and his recent round left him with an unrecorded 102 at RiverWinds. That’s not a good warm-up for the next major. Hopefully he shows up this time and doesn’t have another last-minute wedding.

Prediction: Bottom 4

Mike Sabara: +10000

Reasons he will beat Tag: a 107 recently at RiverWinds! Holy shit! This score prompted him to be drafted by Vince for the groupings ahead of other remaining tour players. Did Sabara blow his load or is he simply getting better. Another 107 likely beats Tag on Sunday.

Reasons he will not beat Tag: He’s too busy taking pictures of himself by the Delaware River and actually forgets to tee off on certain holes.

Prediction: 14th and edges out Tag.

Nate Kraynak: +2000

Reasons he will win: He hops in his time machine and creates the exact same atmosphere and scenario at Broad Run. Only this time, he doesn’t pussy putt an 8-footer to win the tournament.

Reasons he will not win: Time machines do not exist and Nate settles back into the reality that everyone is going to play better this time around and his 95 will only get him so far.

Prediction: Between 8th and 12th.

Paul Koch: +1000

Reasons he will win: He will hit his driver well and the pen will serve as a performance enhancer for Pookie. RiverWinds doesn’t impose the hazards and troubles that would get Paul into trouble and push his score into the 90s. Pook can easily throw up an 85 at RiverWinds and that’s enough to get it done when he’s given 16 strokes.

Reasons he will not win: Spending too much time in a town with the slogan “Cooler By a Mile” has Paul detached from reality and playing with folks not on the YPGA Tour. His ego will be inflated from the YPGA Open and a cocky Paul loses his swagger by the 10th hole. But hey, he’ll still have a great time

Prediction: 5th

Vince Sobocinski: +1800

Reasons he will win: Vince is currently on vacation and therefore will rediscover the recipe for success: blacking out the night before, throwing up in the early morning, failing to clean it up, jumping in the car to drive to the course and putting up a 40 on the front or back 9. Also, based on recent photos, Vince has put on some weight to help increase his driving distance from 220 to 240.

Reasons he will not win: Vince’s mental state is too erratic to be relied upon to contend. His frustrations mount on the course with each poor swing and he boils over several times throughout the round. His mental state is reminiscent of David Carney circa 2017. We’ll see if he breaks one of his women’s clubs this tournament in anger.

Prediction: 10th.

Side Matchups:

Sabara vs. Tag (-6 strokes)

Carney vs. Sobocinski Part IX (Carney leads 5-2-1, Vince getting 1 stroke)

Delaware Valley Invitational Leaderboard Prediction

1. Mike Musselman

2. Ed Grambo

3. Billy Kelly

4. Jerry Margiotti

5. Paul Koch

6. David Carney

7. Chris Meyer

8. Matt Kelly

9. Andy Kotulka

10. Vince Sobocinski

11. Nate Kraynak

12. David King

13. Mike Patitucci

14. Mike Sabara

15. Greg Taglialatela