Roadmaster Rounds

The Trap Wasn't the Weather 🌤️

The registration email warned you. "Suspiciously perfect forecast," it said. 51°F with zero drama. And you know what? The weather delivered exactly as promised—average 49.2°F, light clouds, wind barely whispering at 4.6 mph. The trap wasn't the weather. The trap was thinking the leaderboard would stay put. Twenty players showed up for Week 3 of Chain Man's "Roadmaster Rounds," where Charlie convinces Raymond to practice at different times, on different holes, preparing for tournament play. The flex start format delivered that road trip energy—players scattered across tee times, driving the old Roadmaster between practice spots. And somewhere between the third and fourth fairway, Brian Hansen stopped letting the deck cut itself, posted a 974-rated round, and snatched the #1 tag from Eric Pearson's hands. The leaderboard just started listening to its brother. 🎯

Nine Under, Eight Positions, One Redemption 🎰

Brian Hansen shot -9 with a 974 rating—that's +38 over his baseline, which in Vegas terms means "the house just got cleaned out." After cratering from 3rd to 9th last week with a -41 rating swing, he didn't just recover; he nuked the entire RPA field with an 8-position climb straight to the top. Wire-to-wire dominance: took the lead on hole 3, never looked back, bogey-free, personal best. The Stacked Deck tag is now his, and the golden-hour glow apparently works when you actually read the floorboards correctly. Houston Turner (-8, 961-rated) finished just outside the cash in 2nd—also bogey-free, also a personal best, also 68 points above rating. That's a heartbreaker bubble finish if I've ever seen one. The lead changed hands at least four times early: Casey Turner and Houston tied after hole 1, Landon Adams shared it through hole 3 before a bogey on 4 dropped him, then Brian climbed into contention and tied for the lead on hole 8 before pulling away. Malachi Vazquez and John Ashworth both posted -7 (947-rated) for T3. Ashworth's 3-hole hot streak (6-8) and Vazquez's 4-hole run (12-15) kept them in the hunt, but by then Hansen had already counted the chains that mattered. 🔥

The Dealer's Edge Got Hustled 🎧

The registration email asked if anyone wanted to hustle Eric Pearson for the #1 tag. Turns out Brian Hansen read that email. Eric dropped from #1 to #3 despite posting a solid 947—still 35 points above his rating, still round of the day in RAD, but -43 from last week's 990. The 990 code remains uncracked. The Dealer's Edge whispered, but the deck got shuffled. The lead changed hands at least six times in RAD: four-way tie after hole 1 (Chris Fox, Eric Pearson, Kieran Buhler, Skyler Kunz), then chaos. Kieran Buhler led through hole 15 before fading to 9th. Skyler Kunz led through hole 16—bogey-free, +67 rating spike, 933-rated—before fading to 6th. That's the story of the division if not for the late fade. Chris Fox (-3, 892-rated) set a personal best despite finishing 32 below rating, led through hole 6, faded to 10th. Improvement arc from +1 last week. And Kent Moos? Crashed hard: from -8 (963-rated) last week to +1 (838-rated) this week. A 125-point rating correction. The hot hand cooled like a Vegas sunrise. ☀️

Hole 13: Where Gregg Davis Did the Math 🧮

Gregg Davis (-2, 879-rated) took the lead on hole 13 after a 3-hole hot streak (13-15) and held it through the finish. The Counting House picks its favorites, and today it picked Gregg. Stephen Dunton came out blazing—led after hole 1 with a sole birdie in The Counting House—but a bogey on hole 2 dropped him. His front nine was 3 strokes better than his back, and by hole 18 he'd faded from 1st to 5th. Peter Haws (-1, 2nd) grabbed the lead on hole 2 with his own sole birdie in The Counting House, then held the final cash spot with the steady consistency of someone who understands that counting chains is a marathon, not a sprint. Momentum callback: -1 last week, -1 this week. Steady as the count itself. 📊

The Math Doesn't Care About Field Size 🧑‍🔬

William Fetzer (+4, 797-rated) in RAG posted his second consecutive +4, front nine 4 strokes better than back. Consistent. The work is real. Round of the day in RAG by default, but Raymond would count the chains whether anyone was watching or not. Bryant Adams (-1, 865-rated) in RAH had a rough day: 64 points below his 929 rating despite the solo win. Front nine was 5 strokes better than back, and a 10-hole par train (4-13) suggests he found a groove but couldn't convert. Missed opportunity on hole 3—bogey while the field averaged -0.7. Kevin Koga (E, 852-rated) in RAF posted 46 points above his 806 rating, front nine 4 strokes better than back. Round of the day in RAF. The math doesn't care about field size. It just counts what's real. 🎲

The Counting House Served Everyone Differently 🎲

Three bogey-free rounds: Brian Hansen, Houston Turner, Skyler Kunz. All three posted personal bests or near-career highs. Four personal bests total: Brett Buttars (-2), Chris Fox (-3), Houston Turner (-8), Brian Hansen (-9). The rating spikes were wild: Houston Turner (+68), Skyler Kunz (+67), Kevin Koga (+46), Brian Hansen (+38), Eric Pearson (+35), Kieran Buhler (+31). The crashes were brutal: Kent Moos (-75), Bryant Adams (-64), Michuel Palfy (-40), Chris Fox (-32 despite PB), Brian Bowling (-29). The Counting House served everyone differently—some got hot streaks, some got reality checks. Sole birdies in The Counting House: Stephen Dunton (hole 1), Peter Haws (hole 2), William Fetzer (hole 4), Brian Bowling (hole 8), Michuel Palfy (hole 16). The math is getting personal. And Landon Adams posted the sole birdie in The Hustler's Table on hole 11 (459ft)—when the rest of the field pars or worse, one birdie is a statement. 🏆

The Deck Cut Itself in Hansen's Favor ✨

Brian Hansen now holds the #1 Stacked Deck tag after an 8-position climb from 9th to 1st. The tag changed hands—Eric Pearson's one-week reign ended when Hansen posted 974 and beat the field average by 4.1. The Stacked Deck represents "constructed advantage"—Charlie's philosophy of arranging the battlefield so thoroughly that victory feels like the natural conclusion to a story you began writing hours before. It doesn't cheat reality; it curates it, selecting from infinite possibilities the specific timeline where every gust, bounce, and opponent's decision leads to one inevitable outcome. The golden-hour glow follows the holder. Chains rattle more welcomingly on approach. The air carries the faint scent of ozone and worn leather. The latest tag history says it best: "Brian Hansen shot a 974 on a 936 rating—that's +38 over his PDGA baseline, which translates to 'yeah, he absolutely showed up today.' After cratering from 3 to 9 last week, he's not just recovered; he's nuked the leaderboard with an 8-position jump straight to the top. The Stacked Deck didn't cheat for him; he just stopped letting the deck cut itself." Position #1 in week 3 of 9 means the narrative spotlight just shifted—can he hold it? 🃏

The '87 Roadmaster Remains Unpurchased 🚗

No CTP, Ace, or Super Ace winners this week. The Super Ace pot on hole 10 survives at $852—still enough to buy a slightly used '87 Roadmaster, as the registration email promised. The communal ace pot at $150.46 also survives. The chains counted, but none counted an ace. The field threw; the field missed. The Roadmaster stays on the lot. Maybe next week someone will find the keys. 🔑

Five Opted In, One Cashed Out 💸

One skins card, five players, $22.50 exchanged. John Ashworth dominated: 18 skins for $22.50—all of it. Nine birdies on the card. The $1.25/skin math worked entirely in his favor. Brett Buttars and Chris Fox posted zero skins each. The birdies didn't land on clean holes. On a card where everyone opted in, one player counted every chain that mattered. The rest watched. Thinking about adding stakes to your card? Learn how to set up skins. 🎯

The Hustle Gets Complicated (And Funded) 🎬

Episode 3 is "Roadmaster Rounds"—Charlie convinces Raymond to practice at different times, on different holes, and somewhere between the third and fourth fairway, Charlie starts actually listening to his brother. Raymond reveals he remembers Charlie from childhood—remembers being sent away, remembers the songs Charlie sang. The hustle starts feeling complicated. This week's redemption arcs mirror that theme: Brian Hansen remembered what he's capable of after last week's fade, and the leaderboard started listening. The league raised $22.60 for the Roots Course Fund this week ($20 automatic + $2.60 extras)—fund is now at $82.35 of the $1,000 goal (8%). The $1/player auto-contribution is working. No open improvement requests yet—if you've got ideas for tee pads, signage, or benches at Roots, now's the time to request an improvement. 🎥

Lenny's Offer Is Coming. So Is Tuesday. 🎭

Week 3 of 9 complete. The midpoint approaches. Brian Hansen holds the top tag; Eric Pearson's reign ended after one week. Next week: Episode 4, "Roots Routine"—Raymond's rigid routines clash with Charlie's flexible scheming. Every disc must be selected in order. Every practice putt must be from the same spot. Tuesday means Tuesday. Charlie learns that working with Raymond means working within Raymond's world. And Lenny, the rival player, approaches Charlie with an offer: ditch Raymond, partner with him for Vegas instead. The money would be guaranteed. Charlie hesitates longer than he should. The hustle is getting complicated. Definitely complicated. See you next Tuesday at Roots. Definitely Roots. 🎬