The results are in for the four Final Matches of the 2024 Great Lakes Auto Scratch Series Match Play Championships!
Scratch Individual Championship
In the finale of the Scratch Individual Matches, Brian Smith played host to the defending NOGA Match Play Champion, Ian Hardesty.
The Championship Match was played at Smith’s home course, Oberlin Golf Club, on August 29th. Smith took advantage of hosting the Championship Match, winning the match on the 14th hole by a dominant score of 5&4.
This win would prove to be substantial for Smith, as only 50 points would decide the 2024 Player of the Year race, and the difference between winning and losing this final match was 70 points. Smith was crowned the 2024 NOGA Player of the Year just a few days later at the NOGA Tour Championship at Firestone.
FINAL BRACKET: Scratch Individual Championship >
Scratch Individual Senior Championship
Mike Belacic, the number six overall seed in the Senior Bracket, would host the number eight overall seed, Robert Schustrich, in the Senior Stroke Play Championship.
Belacic hosted the match at his home course of Westfield Country Club on August 29th. This match would also have significant Player of the Year implications, with both players entering the match in the top 6 of NOGA’s Senior Player of the Year standings.
Belacic also took care of business at his home course, winning comfortably with a score of 5&4 to claim the 2024 Senior Individual Match Play title.
FINAL BRACKET: Senior Scratch Individual Championship >
Scratch Four-Ball Championship
The NOGA Four-Ball Match Play Championship finals was played at the Sand Ridge Club on August 22nd. The number five overall seed, Chris Okeson + Michael Klaric III, hosted the number 14 seed Jeff Meagrow + John Bernatovicz.
This would be the third time in this year’s tournament that Meagrow + Bernatovicz would be the visiting team.
The match was a back and forth affair, as the visitors Jeff and John took a 2-up lead after the front nine, with John making three birdies.
But the home team came storming back, starting with an eagle by Klaric on the 14th hole then back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16. Okeson duplicated Klaric’s birdie on 16, as the team picked up momentum to take a 1-up lead with two holes to play. Okeson + Klaric won the 18th hole as well to secure a 2-up victory and the 2024 Four-Ball title.
FINAL BRACKET: Scratch Four-Ball Championship >
Scratch Four-Ball Senior Championship
The Senior Four-Ball Match Play Championship was hosted by the number two overall seed Mark Borlin + Allen Freeman at Silver Lake Country Club. The number five overall seed, Bob Spino + Mark Thomas traveled to reigning club champion Borlin’s home course on August 21st for the final Senior Four-Ball match of the season.
Spino started out scorching hot for the visitors, making birdie on three of his first four holes for the team to take an early 3-up lead. This lead would be maintained until the 9th hole, when Borlin would make birdie to cut into the deficit.
The teams traded holes early on the back nine, but then on the 15th hole, Freeman made birdie to cut the lead to one with three holes to play.
The drama ended there, however, as the two teams would go on to push the last three holes, making Spino + Thomas the 2024 Senior Scratch Four-Ball Match Play Champions.
