“Double Down Thursday” at the Greater Cleveland Skins game provided an early Christmas present to the Blackburn family: Steve Jr. and Steve Sr. captured the entire skins pot, with each skin worth $322.
The stakes were doubled at this midseason event. Steve Sr. birdied the difficult par-4 10th hole at ThunderHill, while Steve Jr. had his birdie hold up at the easy par-5 12th hole.
After the round, the competitive Steve Sr. remarked, “My son has a lot of talent, but a lot more luck.”
Tom Evans won the pin shot on the 11th hole, and Brian McCullough captured the pin shot on the 16th hole. Pin shots were worth $98 each.
The big payday for Steve Blackburn Sr. rocketed him into the top 5 of the Greater Cleveland Skins Game and earned him an exemption into this year’s Greater Cleveland Amateur Championship, to be held in August at Sleepy Hollow in Brecksville. Steve Jr.’s big night extended his lead at the top of the 2009 Leaderboard.
The top five players from the 2009 mid-season leaderboard who earned exemptions into the Cleveland Am are: Steve Backburn Jr.; Eddie Neer; Mike Angie; Steve Blackburn Sr.; George Martin. (Martin edged out Joe Tasca by 16 cents on the leaderboard to gain the final spot!)
Next week Thursday, the Greater Cleveland Skins Game travels to Quail Hollow at 5p.m., at a $25 green fee rate. All amateur players are welcome to participate. See the remainder of the 2009 Cleveland Skins Game schedule here.
2009 CLEVELAND SKINS GAME LEADERBOARD: WEEK 12
| Player Name | Total | Skins | Skins $ | Pins | Pins $ |
| Steve Blackburn Jr | $855.16 | 4 | $694.16 | 3 | $161.00 |
| Eddie Neer | $450.50 | 2 | $391.00 | 2 | $59.50 |
| Mike Angie | $408.00 | 1 | $345.00 | 1 | $63.00 |
| Steve Blackburn Sr | $397.00 | 2 | $397.00 | ||
| George Martin | $388.66 | 2 | $280.16 | 2 | $108.50 |
| Joe Tasca | $388.50 | 3 | $336.00 | 1 | $52.50 |
| Rob Schustrich | $323.00 | 2 | $288.00 | 1 | $35.00 |
| Dave Sotka | $284.00 | 1 | $138.00 | 3 | $146.00 |
| John Niedzialek | $263.50 | 1 | $92.00 | 4 | $171.50 |
| Gary Zehe | $235.16 | 2 | $197.66 | 1 | $37.50 |
| Allen Freeman | $207.00 | 2 | $207.00 | ||
| Geoff Nicely | $122.66 | 1 | $122.66 | ||
| Jim Lebzelter | $111.66 | 1 | $76.66 | 1 | $35.00 |
| Paul Kish | $103.50 | 1 | $103.50 | ||
| Tom Evans | $98.00 | 1 | $98.00 | ||
| Brian McCullough | $98.00 | 1 | $98.00 | ||
| Paul Kasper | $76.66 | 1 | $76.66 | ||
| Sam Corabi | $75.00 | 1 | $75.00 | ||
| Josh Krause | $63.00 | 1 | $63.00 | ||
| Mark Foss | $59.50 | 2 | $59.50 | ||
| Russ Rybka | $45.50 | 1 | $45.50 | ||
| Tim Linnnich | $37.50 | 1 | $37.50 | ||
| Anthony Marinelli | $37.50 | 1 | $37.50 |
