For the first time in four editions of the Northern Ohio Golf Association’s Lewis Cup, the matches are tied at a score of 6-6 after Saturday’s team play.
Competing on the South Course at Westfield Country Club, the Senior team won the Four-Ball (better ball) matches on the first nine holes by a score of 3.5 to 2.5, but the Amateur team rallied in the Foursomes (alternate shot) with the exact same score.
Tom Laubacher made a 25-foot birdie putt at the ninth alongside partner Jim Durr to square the first Four-Ball match of the day against Ryan Wirtz + Rick Deichert, earning a huge half-point for the Seniors. And in a pair of slight upsets, Senior Captain Rob Schustrich and partner Doug Hauenstein toppled Vaughn Snyder + Tom Bell, while Seniors Mark Borlin + Allen Freeman did the same to Amateur Captain Brian Smith and partner Ben Hogan.
In Foursomes, Laubacher + Durr rode the momentum from their first nine halve to a 3&1 win. Ams Snyder + Bell recouped their lost Four-Ball point with a 1-up win in Foursomes, and Smith + Hogan halved with Borlin + Freeman.
Three teams won both of their nine-hole matches to earn 2 points on the day: Howard Clendenin + Kyle Buzaki and Andrew Grayson + Brian Beebe for the Amateurs, and Tom Baugh + Tom Skidmore for the Seniors.
SUNDAY SINGLES MATCHES
Sunday’s 12 singles matches, worth one point each, will decide which side claims the Lewis Cup for the year. Given that the Amateurs currently hold the Cup, the Seniors must earn at least a half-point more on Sunday to take possession. The match-ups, which begin at 9:30 a.m. on the rustic North Course at Westfield Country Club, are as follows:
AMATEUR vs SENIOR:
Vaughn Snyder vs Tom Laubacher
Thomas Bell vs Tom Skidmore
Rick Deichert vs Tom Baugh
Ryan Wirtz vs Dean Cutlip
Tyler Ankrom vs John Toth
Brian Beebe vs Doug Hauenstein
Howard Clendenin vs Mike Belacic
Kyle Buzaki vs Jim Durr
Andrew Grayson vs Allen Freeman
Andrew Malkus vs Mark Borlin
Ben Hogan vs Scott Winckowski
Brian Smith vs Robert Schustrich (CAPTAINS)
GROUPINGS & STARTING TIMES: SUNDAY SINGLES MATCHES >
PHOTO GALLERY: 2024 Lewis Cup Day 1 >
— photos by Cody Carson
DAY 1 RESULTS: Northern Ohio Golf Association
2024 Lewis Cup Matches
Westfield Country Club South Course
Saturday, September 28, 2024
Golf Genius Hole-by-Hole Results >
Four-Ball Match Results:
Ryan Wirtz + Rick Deichert (Ams) TIED Jim Durr + Tom Laubacher (Srs)
Robert Schustrich + Doug Hauenstein (Srs) won 2 & 1 over Vaughn Snyder + Thomas Bell (Ams)
Allen Freeman + Mark Borlin (Srs) won 1-up over Ben Hogan + Brian Smith (Ams)
Howard Clendenin + Kyle Buzaki (Ams) won 4 & 3 over Scott Winckowski + Mike Belacic (Srs)
Tom Baugh + Tom Skidmore (Srs) won 3 & 1 over Tyler Ankrom + Andrew Malkus (Ams)
Andrew Grayson + Brian Beebe (Ams) won 2 & 1 over Dean Cutlip + John Toth (Srs)
FOUR-BALL TOTALS: 2.50 Amateurs, 3.50 Senior Amateurs
Foursomes Match Results:
Jim Durr + Tom Laubacher (Srs) won 3 & 1 over Ryan Wirtz + Rick Deichert (Ams)
Vaughn Snyder + Thomas Bell (Ams) won 1-up over Robert Schustrich + Doug Hauenstein (Srs)
Ben Hogan + Brian Smith (Ams) TIED Allen Freeman + Mark Borlin (Srs)
Howard Clendenin + Kyle Buzaki (Ams) won 4 & 2 over Scott Winckowski / Mike Belacic (Srs)
Tom Baugh + Tom Skidmore (Srs) won 3 & 2 over Tyler Ankrom + Andrew Malkus (Ams)
Andrew Grayson + Brian Beebe (Ams) won 2 & 1 over Dean Cutlip + John Toth
FOURSOMES TOTALS: 3.50 Amateurs, 2.50 Senior Amateurs
DAY 1 TOTALS: 6 points Amateurs, 6 points Seniors
