It’s my Parting Shot for some Weekend Short Shots…..

Note to self, don’t offer up an opinion that is unpopular with Toronto Maple Leafs’ fans! Or, at least to one Leafs’ fan from Warman, whose probably more of a hater of me than a Leafs’ fan. Regardless, every N-H-L commentator that I’ve seen since I wrote that on Friday has agreed with my take on the lack of team togetherness apparent within the Buds’ locker room, so I’ll stick with what I said and I can hardly wait for the next funny message I receive from my detractor from Warman!!

A lot of us Sunday hackers were left to feel pretty good yesterday while watching Ludvig Aberg do something that invariably happens to us mid-to-high handicap players. Although I’ve rarely, if ever, had a three-stroke lead going into a round in a tournament or with buddies – as Aberg did yesterday going into the fourth and final round of the Players’ Championship – I have put drives into the water on consecutive holes, more times than I care to admit, to turn a promising score into the usual! Aberg is young and he will learn what it takes to win the big events on the P-G-A Tour at some point! That point just wasn’t yesterday!!

I told you there would be changes to watch out for in the women’s and men’s curling world, now that the 2023 through 2026 Olympic cycle, or quadrennial, has passed. The Saskatoon trio of Colton Flasch and the Marsh twins, Kevin and Dan, have recruited Tyler Tardi to be their skip with Mike McEwen becoming a free agent. A Richmond, B-C, product, Tardi played third the last four years for Kevin Koe and came close to winning the just-completed Brier – losing to Matt Dunstone’s Winnipeg quartet in the final in St. John’s, Newfoundland. That’s a solid pick-up by Flasch and the Marsh’s as they continue to pursue a first Brier title for themselves and the first for Saskatchewan since Rick Folk in 1980!!

I, also, wonder if Tyler Tardi is related to T-S-N curling analyst and former Canadian, World and Olympic champion Cathy Gauthier? Before she married Ron Gauthier in Winnipeg, her maiden name was Tardi – same spelling and not exactly a common name!!

That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!