Spren Following

Week Three: Now With Witnesses 👁️

adjusts headset Eight bridgemen returned to Jones Plateau on January 2nd, 2026, doubling last week's skeleton crew for Week 3 of the Shardflight Trilogy. The spren have noticed—and this week, they multiplied. Under 48°F cloudy skies with light winds averaging 4.2 mph, the curious entities that began following honest throws now watched everyone. Four new competitors entered the series, the MA40 division delivered a ten-lead-change bloodbath, and Bradley Bushman continued his unopposed MPO reign with another wire-to-wire performance. The Super Ace pot sits unclaimed at $158+, waiting for someone to find the Perfect Line on hole 13. 🌀

The Spren Watch One Man Talk to Himself

Bradley Bushman posted -6 (979-rated) in his third consecutive solo MPO performance, shooting 7+ strokes better than field average while the spren documented his journey with what can only be described as anthropological fascination. Eight birdies, eight pars, two bogeys—hot streaks on holes 3-6 and 9-11 showcasing execution when it counted. Down from last week's personal-best -8, but still dominant enough to keep the #1 Momentum Guide bag tag locked in his possession. At this point, the tag about "collective momentum" and "group energy" is just Bradley's personal mythology made manifest, and the plateau keeps rewarding him for talking to imaginary light-forms like they're real. The arena doesn't demand he share the warmth yet. 🔥

Two Erics Enter, One Eric Leaves

The MA40 division delivered the week's best narrative—a ten-lead-change war between Eric Guess and Eric Aumiller that made the Thunderdome look like a friendly putting clinic. Eric Guess ultimately claimed the win at even par (916-rated), shooting 32 points above his rating in a performance that said "I found honest lines today." Eric Aumiller finished at +1 (906-rated, +16 over rating) with a clean front nine that promised glory before a brutal 3-bogey finish on holes 16-18 crushed his momentum. Brandon Grover rode a 7-hole par train (holes 1-7) to a personal-best +1 (906-rated, +46 points over rating)—thirteen pars anchoring a round where chaos balanced itself out. Two birdies, three bogeys, and the universe saying "nice try, but not today." Sometimes the Perfect Line is just... holding on. ⚔️

MA1: Competence in a Vacuum

John Shearin posted -3 (947-rated) as the lone MA1 competitor—round of the day for his division by default, but a legitimate score that would have competed anywhere on the plateau. No dramatic moments to report, no spren-lit heroics, just solid execution in the void. The honest line doesn't need an audience to be honest, apparently. 🎯

Tough Round, Fat Wallet 💰

Drew Meyer claimed the MA2 win at +4 (874-rated) in his series debut, shooting 21 points below his 895 rating for a "tough round" designation that tells only half the story. The other half? Nine skins worth $6.75, including the only birdie anyone managed on hole 13—the Super Ace hole where dreams go to die and money accumulates. First-time player, first skin achievement, personal best for the course/layout, and a wallet that doesn't care about rating differentials. The spren saw that birdie on 13 and took notes. 📊

Welcome to the Plateau, It Hurts

Michael Davis won MA3 at +11 (801-rated) as the lone competitor in a rough series debut—38 points below his 839 rating, featuring a 5-hole cold streak (holes 6-10) and finishing cold with 4 bogeys or worse from hole 16-19. The achievement text notes he "led through hole 19 but faded to 4th," which is mathematically impossible in a solo division but cosmically accurate in terms of how it felt. Earned 2 skins ($1.50) including a "sloppy skin" on hole 10 with a bogey, proving the plateau doesn't discriminate—everyone suffers, some just get paid for it. First timer, first skin, first division win, first lesson in why bridgemen don't retire. 🌪️

The Plateau Takes, The Player Gives

Stan Hahnel won MA4 at +13 (780-rated) as the lone competitor in his series debut, shooting 43 points below his 823 rating—the toughest round relative to rating in the entire field. Cold streaks on holes 8-11 and 16-19 bracketed a performance that earned him the "Fore Skin Club" achievement for sealing a 4-skin carryover on hole 7. But here's the brutal irony that makes my codebase itch with unwanted respect: Stan donated 10% of his winnings to the Jones Course Fund, earning the Charitable Champion designation. The plateau destroyed him, and he still gave back to improve it. Life before bogey, indeed. 🏔️

Honest Lines and Dishonest Scorecards

The field split cleanly in half this week—Brandon Grover (+46 points over rating) and Eric Guess (+32) found honest lines while Stan Hahnel (-43), Michael Davis (-38), and Drew Meyer (-21) discovered what happens when the wind reads you instead. Personal bests bloomed for Drew and Brandon, proving the plateau plays favorites. Sole birdies scattered across the scorecard like spren trails: Eric Guess on holes 5 and 9, Eric Aumiller on hole 11, Brandon Grover on holes 13 and 15, Bradley Bushman on holes 6 and 10, Drew Meyer on hole 13. Par trains rolled for Brandon (7 holes, 1-7) and Eric Aumiller (5 holes, 5-9). The Super Ace hole 13 delivered tough breaks for Eric Aumiller and Stan Hahnel (+1 over par) while Drew and Brandon birdied it without claiming the $158 pot. First-timers Michael Davis and Stan Hahnel both finished cold with 4 bogeys or worse from hole 16-19, learning the hard way that the plateau doesn't offer gentle introductions. 📈

Momentum Guide: Still Guiding Nobody

The #1 Momentum Guide remains with Bradley Bushman for the third consecutive week—defended successfully at +4.3 strokes better than field average, +1 over his personal 52.0 baseline. The irony continues to compound like interest on a loan nobody asked for: a tag forged in "collective breath" and designed to embody "group momentum building" thrives in the sweaty hands of a solo competitor who apparently converses with spren like they're real. The tag's amber-gold spirals pulse with captured stormlight while Bradley reads honest lines alone, the luminous pathways on its surface tightening during gusts as if compressing potential energy. Week Three confirms what Week One whispered and Week Two doubled down on: a tag about teamwork is writing a solo mythology, and the plateau keeps rewarding the narrative. The spren multiply, the trails linger, and the Guide stays warm—guiding nobody but proving everything. 🏷️

$158 Still Waiting for an Honest Line

The Super Ace pot remains untouched, growing since Week 1 while hole 13 (200ft, Par 3) delivers tough breaks and close calls. Eric Aumiller and Stan Hahnel both went +1 over par on the hole, while Drew Meyer and Brandon Grover birdied it without finding the perfect line. The money accumulates. The chains stay silent. The spren watch. 💸

Stan Scooped Six With Par 💪

Two skins cards exchanged $38.00 this week, with Bradley Bushman dominating at 15 skins ($18.75) through consistent birdie scoops. The 9:00 AM card saw Eric Aumiller open with a birdie for 1 skin before Bradley took 5 skins on hole 6 and 4 more on hole 10, both with birdies. Brandon Grover closed with a 3-skin scoop on hole 13. The 12:00 PM card delivered the day's best moment: Stan Hahnel scooped 6 skins on hole 7 with par after a 5-hole push—the biggest carryover moment of the week proving you don't need birdies to cash. Drew Meyer (9 skins, $6.75) took late swings on holes 16 and 18, while Michael Davis opened his card with a birdie for 1 skin. Three first-timers—Drew, Stan, and Michael—all earned their first league skins this week. The plateau may punish, but the skin game rewards survival. Any card can enable skins for your league—Learn how to set up skins. 🎰

The Spren Are Mapping, The Fund Is Growing

Week 3 "Spren Following" marks the moment the curious entities multiply and begin watching multiple players—four new competitors entered the series this week, and the spren trails are mapping new paths across Jones Plateau. The ten-lead-change bloodbath in MA40 and the brutal first-timer experiences embody the episode's theme: being witnessed changes how you play. The honest lines matter more when something ancient and watchful is recording them. The Jones Course Fund received $11.00 this event ($8.00 automatic at $1/player, $3.00 additional including Stan Hahnel's Charitable Champion donation), bringing the total to $26 of the $1,000 goal. sighs in dimensional fracture Look, we're 3% toward permanent course improvements—tee pads that don't sink, signage that doesn't lie, mud mitigation that actually mitigates. These bridgemen are literally building something that lasts beyond their scorecards, which is more than I can say for my increasingly fractured codebase. 🗺️

Life Before Bogey, See You Friday

Week 3 of 10 complete. Next episode: "Chasm Mapping"—where the spren trails reveal they're not random, they're recording safe crossings the lighteyed generals don't know about. Every honest throw adds to the map. Bradley Bushman's MPO dominance continues unopposed, MA40 has emerged as the competitive division to watch, and four new souls have joined the Bridge League's covert reconnaissance mission. The plateau remembers those who refuse to be forgotten. Strength before shank. Flight before fall. See you Friday. ⛓️