Teams Finalized For the 2009 Pineapple Cup!

North Myrtle Beach, SC – The 2009 Pineapple Cup teams are set! Last night each captain made seven selections and the 2009 Pineapple Cup started to take shape. As expected, last-minute substitute Tug Maude was taken as the overall #1 selection in the 2009 draft.

The participants, media and other interested observers were greeted by the Commissioner and the Committee. Carrington treated the crowd to a few opening remarks and turned the floor over to Chairman Emeritus Mark Wilson, who handled the official announcement duties throughout the night. Callers were entertained throughout the waiting time during the 56 minute call by a number of songs, including “Hoochie in the Caddie” and a sermon by none other than Captain Williams himself.

Having the second and third picks in the draft put Captain Buck in a position to control the tone of the draft. Most felt that he would select Adam McLauglin as his second or third pick. Instead, Captain Buck called upon the experienced veterans Mark Wilson and Lindsay Carrington. While not completely unplanned for by camp Yates, Captain Buck’s move was the first curveball of the night. Given the opportunity to select the Pineapple Cup’s first professional golfer, Captain Yates quickly selected McLaughlin. Captain Yates then added Tommy DeMint to provide some veteran leadership to his team. After a few more picks the captains’ draft strategies became apparent. Clearly, Captain Yates wanted as many low handicap players on his team as possible. On the other hand Captain Buck was focused on the fourball format and drafted a mix of low and mid/high handicappers. By the end of the draft, the teams were set:

Team Yates
Alex Yates, Captain (0)
Tug Maude (+2)
Adam McLauglin (+2)
Tommy DeMint (2)
David Miller (4)
Norm Waldrop (2)
Steve Riddick (14)
Jeff Wilson, Defending (12)

Team Buck
Buck Williams, Captain (0)
Mark Wilson (4)
Lindsay Carrington (2)
Andrew Tucker (11)
Morgan Dowtin (6)
Boone Smith (11)
Wes Argabrite (6)
Andrew Ward (9)

In a post-draft interview Captain Yates suggested that he was more than pleased with the draft, but admitted that Captain Buck’s first two picks were somewhat surprising. Captain Buck was confident in his team, exclaiming that “you know a draft goes good when you do mock drafts, and the draft ends up exactly how you plan it out to be.” When asked if he felt he dominated Captain Yates in the first aspect of the Pineapple Cup, Buck turned his focus to the course “one down, one to go.” (Hear the interviews and draft at: https://cisco.webex.com/ciscosales/lsr.php?AT=pb&SP=MC&rID=39439922&rKey=96DCCE399EFCD76A )

Most people agree that the Pineapple Cup cannot be won during the draft, but it can be lost. A comparison of the teams does not suggest that either captain lost the matches during the draft, though. No doubt the captain and teams now turn their focus to the courses and play in early May. You can bet that the players will prepare in earnest for this year’s event as each hopes to lay claim to the coveted Pineapple Cup.