Schustrich Wins Chippewa Championship in Playoff

rob schustrich kevin larizza
Rob Schustrich holds the crystal and host Kevin Larizza after winning the 2013 Chippewa Championship in a playoff.

Jon ClarkIt was an unexpected result.

With just a few holes to play, it looked like Malone player Jon Clark from Clinton (shown at right) would cruise to his first Chippewa Championship victory in a walk.

Playing in the penultimate group, Clark was three under par for the day through 12 holes, including eagle-birdie on 10 and 11.

The players in the final few groups knew what Clark was doing, they knew that he has been playing incredibly solid golf all season long, and they had resigned themselves to playing for second place.

But that’s why The Chippewa Championship has earned the reputation that it holds. Because while every hole holds a chance at birdie (or eagle or albatross, which is another story for later!), each hole is also a disaster-in-wait.

And unfortunately for Clark, those disasters took place right at the very end.

After playing spectacularly for 12 holes on Sunday, Clark finished the final six holes bogey-bogey-par-bogey-bogey-triple. Of course the triple at the end was most unexpected of all, and it totaled to a final round 75 that put him at 8-over par 150 for the tournament.

So which players were suddenly back in the hunt after Clark’s missteps?

Oh, how about a defending champion who shot 79 in the first round, and a 48-year-old guy using a long putter against the college kids.

Playing in the group ahead of Clark, 2012 champion Nathan Tarter of Mogadore and another Malone player posted a Sunday round of 2-under par 69 — the best score of the day by five shots! — to finish at 6-over par 148.

Then in the day’s final group, Rob Schustrich from Windham cruised home with a respectable 75, nothing spectacular but solid given the situation. Paired with a first round 73, he also finish at the 148 mark.

It took everyone in attendance a few minutes to figure it out, but yes, those two 148s were the low 36-hole scores, and the two unlikely beneficiaries of Clark’s tough finish were headed to a playoff on the lengthened par-4 18th hole.

Neither tee shot in the playoff was spectacular: Schustrich went way right into the 10th fairway, Tarter hit a tree and dropped straight down in the right rough. Tarter advanced his second shot only 140 yards from a cabbage lie, and Schustrich whacked a long iron to short-left of the green. Then Tarter hit his third shot from 140 yards out to the front edge of the green.

From there, the video tells the story:

Schustrich holed the putts that needed to be holed, played steady golf in an event that requires steady golf, and ended up the 2013 Chippewa Champion.

 
The shot of the tournament came from Jon Jadgchew, who made an albatross-2 on the 508-yard par-5 third hole. Jadgchew hit three wood off the tee (he hit a poor driver in the first round so he revised his strategy for round two), then he holed that same 3-wood from 245 yards on the second shote! None of his fellow players saw it go in for sure, but they all knew it was dead on line. Only when they reached the green and couldn’t find the ball did they check the cup and confirm the double-eagle. Oddly, while Jadgchew has never made a hole-in-one, this was his second albatross!

Complete list of final results and skin winners below. Also check out the Round 2 Photo Gallery.

As always, the players greatly thank tournament director and Chippewa Golf Club owner Kevin Larizza for the spectacular event that he puts on year-after-year. In this his 25th Anniversary event, Kevin and his staff combined a well-conditioned golf course, a challenging but fair test of tournament golf, and an incredible food and beverage spread on both days. Amateur players in Northeast Ohio who miss this event miss out on a lot. Thank you Kevin, Jim, Don, Sean and Brad!

 

Chippewa ChampionshipFINAL RESULTS:
2013 Chippewa Championship

Chippewa Golf Club, Doylestown, Ohio
August 24-25, 2013
Par 71

 

PLAYERRD1RD2TOTAL
Schustrich, Rob7375148
Tarter, Nathan7969148
Clark, Jon7575150
Crewse, Aaron7279151
Kopriveck, Kenny7775152
Okeson, Chris7677153
Feith, Taylor7579154
Freeman, Al7777154
Simpson, Mike7381154
Clendenin, Howard8177158
Cutlip, Dean7979158
Lahnan, Larry8078158
Smith, Brian8177158
Chadima, Jason8574159
Parker, Quinn8277159
Kabasky, John8179160
Maxwell, Ryan7585160
Anderson, Josh8378161
Kovach, Ty7784161
Levethal, Corey8279161
Jadgchew, John8379162
Marr, Dan8082162
Schneider, Mark8082162
Snell, Dave8280162
Stasiulewicz, Jacob8181162
Trier, Dave7786163
Miller, Fred8084164
Petry, Nate8579164
Topeka, John7985164
Bryson, Rick8679165
Grosso, Jim7887165
Yacovazzi, Anthony8580165
Berkheimer, Dennis8185166
Niskanen, Jim8383166
Breen, Kevin8780167
Davis, Tim7988167
Flossie, Joe8484168
LeMasters, Brian8584169
Wilson, Steve8584169
Chupek, Bernie8684170
Slates, Chris8387170
Boni, Chris8784171
Loomis, Rob8685171
Larizza, Kevin8488172
Lenartowicz, Michael9181172
Wenger, Jeff8884172
Hose, Mike8588173
Berkheimer, Bob8688174
Feist, Steve9480174
McCoy, Ron8689175
Hazel, Tim8789176
Thomas, Mark8779176
Armour, Mike8988177
McKenzie, Joe8889177
Hamilton, Mike9583178
Rybka, Russ8989178
Smith, Ricky9286178
Willgues, Kurt9385178
Hach, Mark9287179
Plute, Chris9386179
Hinkle, Tom9387180
Markham, Tom8892180
Nemeth, Joe9486180
Troutman, Ken10378181
Kimson, Steve9191182
Cornelius, Bob9687183
Feeney, Pat8797184
Cardinali, Michael8996185
Roth, Bryan85100185
Jessup, Brett9492186
Kenney, Brandon9591186
Ream, Tom9195186
Brooker, Jerry9592187
Palay, Landon9397190
Helaney, Chris9695191
Hetler, Jeff9993192
Schwendiman, Matt9894192
Collins, Scott10291193
Backus, Mike9699195
Mikesell, Troy10293195
Martin, Rich9899197
Savage, Ben10196197
Coughenhour, Pat10594199
Page, Chris97107204
Potosky, Mike95109204
Lewis, Jake115107222
Beck, Bob85WDWD
Foy, Jason97WDWD
Gainer, Jeff90WDWD
Petracca, Dave97WDWD
Johnson, Scott82NCNC

 

SKINS:

$50 36-Hole Big Skins Game: $363 ea
Rob Schustrich #5 ““ Birdie
Nate Petry #13 ““ Birdie
Dan Marr #15 ““ Birdie
Mike Hamilton – #17 ““ Birdie
Nate Petry – #18 ““ Birdie
Jason Chadima – #21 ““ Eagle
Ron McCoy – #27 ““ Birdie
Jon Clark – #28 ““ Eagle
Chris Slates – #29 ““ Eagle
Brian Smith – #31 ““ Birdie
Rob Schustrich – #34 ““ Birdie

$20 18-Hole Double-Play Skins Game: $370 ea.
John Jadchew #3 ““ Albatross
Rob Shustrich – #5 ““Birdie
Jon Clark #10 – Eagle
Mike Hamilton – #17 ““ Birdie

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Allen Freeman

Allen is a writer, photographer and editor for Northern Ohio Golf.

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