The Greater Cleveland Skins Game kicked off its 21st season Thursday night at Fowlers Mill Golf Course, under cold and damp conditions.
Twenty-seven players were on hand to see defending champion Eddie Neer of Lyndhurst hit the first tee shot of the year on Fowlers’ 10th hole, all hoping to take the Thompson Cup from him.
But by the evening’s end, it was a couple players from the west side of town who made the most of their trip to Fowlers Mill.
The big winner on the evening was Dan Predovic of Berea; he was all smiles at the end as he captured two of the five skins won on the night. Dan’s first appearance at the Greater Cleveland Skins Game netted birdie skins on the par-four 11th hole and on the par-four 16th hole.
Bob Karshner was next to post his name on the leaderboard, as he grabbed a skin with a 30 foot birdie putt on the 12th hole.
Steve Blackburn Jr. collected a birdie on the difficult par four 16th hole, and Joe Zabukovec made the only birdie on the par-five 18th hole which held up for an unlikely skin.
Skins were worth $124.20 each.
Erron Gomez, another westsider from Westlake and another first-time Cleveland Skins Game player, captured the first pin shot of the season on the 181-yard 13th hole, hitting it 15 feet away.
Allen Freeman of Brecksville hit it to 10-feet on the 173-yard 17th hole to grab the second pin shot available on the night.
Pin shots paid $94.50 each.
So Dan Predovic makes the first move of 2011 to sit at the top of the leaderboard in chase of the Thompson Cup!
Next week the Greater Cleveland Skins Game travels to Aurora Country Club, with play starting at 4:30 p.m.
2011 GREATER CLEVELAND SKINS GAME LEADERBOARD: WEEK 1
| PLAYER | TOTAL | Skins | Skins $ | Pins | Pins $ |
| Dan Predovic | $248.40 | 2 | $248.40 | ||
| Steve Blackburn Jr | $124.20 | 1 | $124.20 | ||
| Joe Zabukovec | $124.20 | 1 | $124.20 | ||
| Bob Karshner | $124.20 | 1 | $124.20 | ||
| Erron Gomez | $94.50 | 1 | $94.50 | ||
| Allen Freeman | $94.50 | 1 | $94.50 |
