Commonwealth Cup - Week 8 Recap

Pennington's Reign Rolls On at the Scramble for Hope

Commonwealth Cup – Week 8 Recap
Pennington’s Reign Rolls On at the Scramble for Hope
By Rory Fairway | Kentucky Golf Journal

With the Commonwealth Cup regular season winding down, the stakes were high at the Scramble for Hope, held at the always-tricky Robin’s Landing Golf Club—and once again, Slice Pennington proved unflappable, carding his fourth straight victory and extending his lead heading into next week’s season finale at Valhalla.

The action started early in Round 1 with a Bunker Jones classic: a chip-in birdie on Hole 15 that sent the crowd (and his statistical model) into celebration. Not to be outdone, Pennington answered on Hole 17 with a chip-in of his own. But the fireworks didn’t stop there—Bunker and Putts O’Malley both scorched the back nine at 6-under, with Putts grabbing the overnight lead after a sensational round of precision putting and gutsy approaches.

“Watching those two trade birdies was like watching a chess match played with wedges,” said co-commissioner Ty Webb. “Except nobody was wearing a shirt with sleeves.”

Round 2 brought even more theatrics. Jones stayed hot, chipping in again on Hole 5—his short game was hotter than a sidewalk in July. Meanwhile, Max Irons and Pennington turned Hole 9 into an eagle-palooza, both rolling in long putts to ignite the leaderboard.

But Pennington, once again, proved he’s on another level. After a shaky bogey on his first hole, he went full beast mode—eagle on 9, then a chip-in eagle on 10, followed by a torrid birdie streak to close out the round 8-under over his final 17 holes.

“Slice is playing like he’s allergic to par,” marveled co-commissioner Hook Wright, sipping sweet tea and squinting into the sun. “Every time I think someone’s going to catch him, he pulls another eagle out of his back pocket.”

Final Standings – Scramble for Hope at Robin’s Landing

🥇 Slice Pennington – 12 under
🥈 Bunker Jones – 10 under
🥉 Max Irons – 9 under (T-3)
🥉 Putts O’Malley – 9 under (T-3)

Season Standings After Week 8

🥇 Slice Pennington – 62 points
🥈 Max Irons – 46 points
🥉 Putts O’Malley – 36 points
4️⃣ Bunker Jones – 32 points

The Commonwealth Cup now heads to its grand finale: a four-round showdown at the legendary Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, KY. With Pennington holding a commanding lead but Irons, Putts, and Bunker all still capable of shaking up the final standings, the Season 1 Championship promises drama, redemption, and maybe even a comeback for the ages.

Buckle up. Valhalla awaits.