Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links hosted a 27-hole jumble format Shootout on Saturday.
Drew Thompson and Todd Rohde decided to stage a bank heist instead.
Thompson and Rohde won the 2011 Turkeyfoot 27-hole Jumble Shootout by a single shot, but in the process they took just about as much of the skins and pot money as they could.
The pair started the day like any team would want to start: with an eagle-2 at the opening hole, which turned out to be good for the only skin on the first nine. They finished the scramble format in a tie for first place with Pete Skirpstas and Jeremy King at 5-under par 31.
But after a couple of missed putts, Thompson and Rohde lost all momentum in the better ball middle nine, shooting a 2-over par 37. Meanwhile, Skirpstas and King shot 2-under par 34 to lead the field after 18 holes, at 7-under for the day. A number of other teams posted two solid nines as well. And so — as it always does — the tournament came down to the third nine and the alternate shot format. And there were all kinds of storylines there.
Mike Kracker and Jeff Mallette made it into the house first with what seemed to be the ‘magic score’ of 100, posting a 2-under par alternate shot nine after going in at 4-under. That 6-under par 100 number became the over/under line for the rest of the afternoon.
Columbus-area residents Jason Leeds and Terry Wamack looked like they might break the magic score to be the outright winners: heading into the final hole, the short par-5 27th, they sat at 7-under par hoping to get to -8 with a routine birdie. But instead, Wamack’s tee shot sailed out of bounds and the pair bogeyed to finish at 100.
Next up, Skirpstas and King had the same score going into the 27th hole, 7-under par on the day. Skirpstas crushed his tee shot into the fairway, leaving an eight iron for King. When King hit the approach, he turned away from the shot confident it was all over the flag. But it sailed long to the back fringe, leaving a screaming down-hiller. The pair putted back and forth four times from there and made bogey as well, to finish at 100.
Mike Armour and Dave Trier also looked good going into the final nine, as the pair had played well in the alternate shot format in the past and were 6-under par after 18 holes. But they could not muster the finish they needed and posted an over par score on the nine.
So it was left to Thompson and Rohde, and they regrouped on the tricky third nine. While Thompson made all the putts on the first nine, the third nine belonged to Rohde. The pair hit the shots that were needed, drove it on to a couple of the short-four greens, and stood at 6-under par going into the 27th. Thompson hit a solid tee shot, Rohde’s approach was just off the green, and Thompson left the third to 8-feet with loads of swing. But Rohde holed the birdie putt to break the magic line and finish at a score of 99 and a one shot victory over three teams.
Between the overall win ($850), the lone skin on the first nine ($480), the T1 on the first nine ($250) and the T1 on the third nine ($250), Rohde and Thompson hauled away a giant money bag of $1,830 on the day!
Much thanks to Charlie Mozingo and Tim Davis for running this always enjoyable event, and kudos to the staff at Turkeyfoot for the incredible golf course conditions in what has been a tough weather year. The format, the golf course conditions and the hole locations and the weather could not have been better.
FINAL RESULTS: 2011 Turkeyfoot 2-Man Jumble Shootout
Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links, Akron, Ohio – Par 106
Saturday, September 17th, 2011:
1st Thompson/ Rohde 31-37-31=99 $850.00
T2 Wamack/Leeds 35-33-32=100 $530.00
T2 Mallette/Kracker 32-36-33=100 $530.00
T2 Skirpstas-King 31-34-35=100 $530.00
T5 Heim/Lenton 34-34-33=101 $150.00
T5 Brick/Smith 33-33-35=101 $150.00
T5 Cea/Bell 35-35-31=101 $150.00
T5 Thornton/Roberts 34-35-32=101 $150.00
T5 Selzer/Senghan 34-32-35=101 $150.00
1st Nine Payouts – Scramble [Par 36]:
Skirpstas/King 31 $250
Thompson/Rohde 31 $250
Mallete/Kracker 32 $70
Crewse/Vincelette 32 $70
2nd Nine Payouts – Better Ball [Par 35]:
Senghan/Selzar 32 $250
Armour/Trier 32 $250
Heran/Mintz 32 $35
Brick/Smith 32 $35
Leeds/Wamack 32 $35
Miller/Lahnan 32 $35
3rd Nine Payouts – Alternate Shot [Par 35]:
Cea/Bell 31 $250
Thompson/Rohde 31 $250
Leeds/Wamack 32 $70
Thornton/Roberts 32 $70
SKINS (paid each nine holes):
1st Nine
Thompson/Rohde #1 eagle $480.00
2nd Nine
Miller/Lahnan #10 eagle $160.00
Woodrum/Szwast #15 birdie $160.00
Andrews/Biscardi #16 eagle $160.00
3rd Nine
Thornton/Roberts #22 eagle $240.00
Skorman/Cutlip #27 eagle $240.00
