Three Teams Tie at the Top of Turkeyfoot 2-Man

It was a different kind of course setup for the 2014 edition of the Turkeyfoot Spring 2-Man Scramble.

In past years, the golf course has been set up ‘tough but fair’ throughout. This year, the hole locations on the front nine were a bit tougher than normal, and the back nine setup featured some forward tees and more accessible — but still tricky — pin spots.

That change made for an exciting finish, as the three teams that tied for first place held their own going out but then ripped up the inward side to claim a share of the win.

The best score notched on the front side was 4-under par 32 by four teams: Howard Clendenin and John Topeka (who tied for the victory at Turkeyfoot in last week’s ADGA better ball); veterans Jim Cea and Ron Bell; Bob Blaze and Greg Omen; and Mike Simpson and Jim Krivanek.

But none of those four teams could keep pace with the back nine scorching that was to come: a pair of 6-under par 29s and one 5-under 30 led to a tie for first place at 8-under 63.

Ken Kopriveck and Shayne Bishop posted the first 63 of the day with nines of 33-30. They birdied all the holes a team should birdie, but added in birdies at the tough 4th and 8th holes as well. For a good long while it looked as if they might walk away as the solo winners.

But nearing the end of the day, senior stars Larry Lahnan and Fred Miller posted 34-29 that included strong birdies at the two tough finishing par threes, 15 and 17, and at the 18th as well.

Ty Kovach and Allen Freeman matched that 34-29 score with a back nine made up of eight straight threes and a five at the last. Ty Kovach made eagle on his own ball at the par-5 16th with a smash of a drive and a six-iron to 3 feet.

Those three teams finished one shot better than Clendenin and Topeka, Aaron Crewse and Brian Vincelette, and Dr. Jeff Mallette and Joe Nemeth.

The biggest winners of the day didn’t shoot 63, but what a day they had. Charlie Schrader and Todd Huff made two chip-in eagles, one on each side, and they needed both of them to ring the register. On the front side, Huff first chipped in for eagle on the par-4 fifth hole, but that eagle effort was tied off by Blaze and Omen. On the back, no one matched Huff’s second eagle chip-in — on the par-4 10th hole — which netted the pair the entire skins pot of $1,450! Charlie hit both tee shots, so it was a true team effort.

A big field of 56 teams played on what was a warmer and relatively windless day, different than the wind-blown ice hockey of the past few weeks. Welcome to golf season 2014, finally.

As always, a big thank you to Tim Davis, Charlie Mozingo and Dave Chapple for running another great Turkeyfoot spring scramble event!

 
FINAL RESULTS:
2014 Turkeyfoot Spring 2-Man Scramble
Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links, Akron Ohio
Saturday, May 10th, 2014

 
T1 Kopriveck / Bishop 63 $800
Kovach / Freeman 63 $800
Lahnan / F. Miller 63 $800

T4 Clendenin / Topeka 64 $500
Crewse / Vincelette 64 $500
Mallette / Nemeth 64 $500

T7 Moose / Sanner 65 $260
Hull / Roberts 65 $260
Blaze / Oman 65 $260
Stefanski / Heestand 65 $260
Skorman / Markham 65 $260

T12 Fiest / Sizzler 66 $80
Cea / Bell 66 $80
Simpson / Krivanek 66 $80
Marr / B. Spino 66 $80
Godzak / Zitkovic 66 $80

T17 Lofton / Holt 67
D. Cutlip / Marsinek 67
Vellios / Wade 67
T. Davis / Seever 67
Selzer / Mills 67
Sotka / Blackburn 67
B. Smith / Leeds 67
Lowry / Fricker 67

T25 Trier / Stem 68
Oates / M. Thomas 68
Sommers / Abshire 68
Schrader / Huff 68
Plute / Bailey 68

58 teams total

 
SKINS: $1,450
Schrader / Huff – Eagle 2 on Hole #10