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Matthew F. Bielawa:
Mr. Bielawa is anyone's guess. He is incredibly volatile. This year at CenterPointe, Mr. Bielawa has scored as low as 74, taking only 26 putts, and has gone as high as an 87. This inconsistency makes prediction of Matt's performance incredibly difficult. His ball-striking has not been up to par so far this year, but his short game has saved him. Matt is known to knock in more long-range putts than anyone in the field, and his type of explosive play can be difficult to play with. He will probably make his share of relatively high numbers, but generally makes his share of birdies to compensate. Like his mentor, Phil Mickelson, Bielawa has enough good holes to make a very low number, but often blows it by enduring a couple bad holes. Look for Matt to get his short game working at least one day and go into the mid-70's. Also, look for him to struggle at least one day with a low-to-mid-80 round.
David L. Kleinman:
The opposite of Mr. Bielawa, Kleinman is usually a model of consistency. His solid ball-striking usually earns him high seventies to low eighties. Kleinman has maintained this consistency even in the early season this year, firing back-to-back 78's while at school. If he can finally learn the ropes at CenterPointe, Kleinman will be incredibly dangerous. However, it is this lack of mental confidence at CenterPointe that contributed to his tournament-high round of 89 in the final round last year. Publically, Kleinman will say he wasn't focused for the final round since it was irrelevant to the matches. But, privately, he knows he was fighting just as hard in the final round as he was in rounds prior, but just didn't bring the game to the course. Look for Kleinman to be solid, with two rounds in the low 80's and one round dipping into the 70's. Kleinman will have to wait another year to truly say that he understands the dreaded idiosyncrasies of "The Pointe."
Joseph N. Mathias:
X-Factor Number 1. The fate of the 2nd Annual DiBella Memorial Matches rest in some part on the shoulders of Mr. Mathias. His striking round of 76 in the Innaugural Matches were an incredible victory for team "V" which put them over the edge to victory. However, Mathias has not shown that he can provide this emotional boost on a consistent basis. In fact, the matches are the only time we have witnessed Mr. Mathias breaking 80 in a long time. However, Mathias is tournament tough, and the presence of Mr. Martin apparently always brings out the best in him. Whether Mathias will be able to step up and shoot another round under 80 remains to be seen. Look for Mathias to fold to Mr. Stachura, but fight hard to beat Andolina and Martin just like he did last year.
Mark T. Andolina:
Mark is X Factor Number 2. He was Mr. Consistency last year firing three rounds of 83. On a usual day, this would be good enough to win at least one point. However, last year, three rounds of 83 left Mark without a point. This year, Mark looks to finally break into the win column after nine long months of waiting. However, this will all be unlikely if he cannot get his driver to work for him. Mark has struggled with his driving this year, and has had to develop a solid short game just to break even. If he can get his driving together by the matches, he will be dangerous. However, if the driver cannot get it going, Mark will have to wait at least another year to get his first win.
Adam C. Martin:
The lowest scorer in last year's Matches is back, but his game isn't at the same level. Adam has struggled a bit this year due to lack of play, but will be equally dangerous if he can remember the swing that propelled him to a tournament-best 73 last year. Adam is still a big hitter, and can be incredibly explosive when he gets the putter going. His mental game still struggles however, as Adam is often ready to "pack it in" after one double bogey. We witnessed his fiery temper last year on the 13th green, and this fiery temper can often be the end of a potentially successful round for Mr. Martin. If he can maintain focus, and keep his anger in check, Adam could prove to be very successful for Team "F," and could be the player to take them over the top for their first DiBella Memorial Matches Win.
David A. Stachura:
It seems that Mr. Stachura wants this tournament more than anyone. Stachura, with an unmatched amount of pride, feels embarassment after last year's Matches, and is out for revenge. He has suggested many different rule changes this year that would have given a definite advantage to his team. However, since the defending champions break all ties in board voting, his rule changes did not get passed. Therefore, Stachura will need to elevate his game to the next level to help his team earn their first DiBella victory. If he can maintain the solid game that he has found over the last week, Captain Stachura will be a dangerous player in the Matches, and another player that could boost the F's over the top.