The 49th Denny Shute Match Play Championship, which runs for four days at Portage Country Club beginning Monday, October 16th, will have a new format for 2023.
Instead of the traditional three-division competitive alignment – Championship, Senior, Associate – everyone will compete in one division.
A stroke-play qualifier will be held on the 16th and the field will be reduced to the top 32 scores, with defending champion Mark Scott Jr., head professional at Westwood Country Club, receiving the top-seeded position. The remaining 31 players will be seeded according to their qualifying score.
The prestigious event is held in honor of native Clevelander and former Portage Country Club head professional Densmore (Denny) Shute, who was a match-play wizard and counted three major championships among his 17 professional victories. Shute attended Western Reserve University and was the head professional at Portage from 1945 to 1972. He won the Open Championship in 1933 and the PGA Championship in 1936 and 1937. He was inducted into the NOPGA Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2008.
The list of former champions includes a cavalcade of Section members, including more than one dozen NOPGA Hall-of-Famers.
DENNY SHUTE MATCH PLAY PAST CHAMPIONS
CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION
1975 – Gene Ferrell, Orchard Hills C.C.
1976 – Bryan Abbott, Fairlawn C.C.
1977 – Martin Roesink, Skyland Pines G.C.
1978 – Martin Roesink, Skyland Pines G.C.
1979 – Bryan Abbott, Thunder Hill C.C.
1980 – James B. Masserio, Canterbury G.C.
1981 – Frank Wharton, Fairlawn C.C.
1982 – Jim Logue, Brookside C.C.
1983 – Craig Immel, Quail Hollow Inn
1984 – Craig Murray, Canterbury G.C.
1985 – Craig Immel, Quail Hollow Inn
1986 – Dan Simmons, Portage C.C.
1987 – Mitch Camp, Fairlawn C.C.
1988 – Mike Bittner, Brookside C.C.
1989 – Gary Robison, Firestone C.C.
1990 – Jay Spitale, Skyland Pines G.C.
1991 – Ron Contini, Jr., Juli-Fe’ View C.C.
1992 – Jimmie Brothers, Portage C.C.
1993 – Bryan Abbott, Spring Hill G.C.
1994 – Mike Bittner, Highlander Golf
1995 – Gary Robison, Firestone C.C.
1996 – Gary Trivisonno, Aurora C.C.
1997 – Eric Morgan, Lakewood C.C.
1998 – Gary Trivisonno, Aurora C.C.
1999 – Larry Manski, Youngstown C.C.
2000 – Dennis Miller, Mill Creek G.C.
2001 – Mitch Camp, Walden G. T. C.
2002 – Tom Atchison, Silver Lake C.C.
2003 – Tony Adcock, Lakeview G.C.
2004 – Gary Trivisonno, Aurora C.C.
2005 – Gary Robison, Firestone C.C.
2006 – Jon Jones, Youngstown C.C.
2007 – Jon Jones, Youngstown C.C.
2008 – Todd Lancaster, Westwood C.C.
2009 – Jaysen Hansen, Inverness Club
2010 – Jaysen Hansen, Inverness Club
2011 – Mitch Flemming, Golf Tec
2012 – Dennis Miller, Mill Creek G.C.
2013 – Mark Evans, Beechmont C.C.
2014 – Rob Moss, Pepper Pike Club
2015 – Casey Schrader, Pepper Pike Club
2016 – Mark Evans, Mayfield C.C.
2017 – Mark Evans, Mayfield C.C.
2018 – Jim Troy, Mt. Vernon C.C.
2019 – Randy Dietz, Windmill Golf Center
2020 – Randy Dietz, Windmill Golf Center
2021 – Drew Pierson, Shaker Heights CC
2022 – Mark Scott Jr., Brookside Country Club
SENIOR DIVISION
2004 – Tom Herzan
2005 – Tom Herzan
2006 – Jay Spitale
2007 – Gary Robison
2008 – Jay Spitale
2009 – Tom Waitrovich
2010 – Tom Atchison
2011 – Tom Atchison
2012 – Mitch Camp
2013 – Mitch Camp
2014 – Gary Robison
2015 – Mitch Camp
2016 – Tom Atchison
2017 – Steve Parker
2018 – Jon Jones
2019 – Rob Moss
2020 – Gary Robison
2021 – Rob Moss
2022 – Jon Jones
ASSOCIATE DIVISION
2004 – Larry Manski
2005 – David Kass
2006 – Jaysen Hansen
2007 – Paul Wackerly
2008 – Mike Rutgers
2009 – Mark Bixler
2010 – Mark Evans
2011 – Mike Emery
2012 – Mark Evans
2013 – Randy Dietz
2014 – Glenn Cunningham
2015 – Randy Dietz
2016 – Mike Stone
2017 – Nick Latimer-Zabor
2018 – Sam Wilding
2019 – Jordan Paolini
2020 – John Powers
2021 – Mark Scott Jr.
2022 – DJ Holub
MULTIPLE WINNERS:
A handful of players have won multiple titles in multiple Shute Match Play categories, with NOPGA Hall-of-Famer Gary Robison, Club Walden director of golf Mitch Camp and Mayfield-Sand Ridge head professional Mark Evans holding the top spots in that distinction. Robison has won three Regular Division titles (1989, 1995 and 2005) and three Senior Division titles (2007, 2014 and 2020). Camp has won two Regular Division titles (1987 and 2001) and three Senior titles (2012, 2013 and 2015) and Evans has won three Regular Division titles (2013, 2016 and 2017) and two Associate Division titles (2010, 2012).
Other players with multiple wins in multiple categories are Jon Jones, Tom Atchison, Randy Dietz, Jaysen Hansen, Rob Moss, Mark Scott Jr., and Larry Manski.
LOOKING BACK AT 2022
Mark Scott Jr., Jon Jones and DJ Holub were the respective winners during brutally cold and damp weather conditions.
Scott, the head professional at Westwood Country Club, defeated long-time associate Cory Kumpf, 3-and-2, in the finals of the Regular Division. To reach the finals Scott defeated 2018 champion Jim Troy, 4-and-3 in the semifinals, The Golf Dome owner Matt Creech, 4-and-2 in the quarterfinals and Chippewa Golf Club head professional Dan Terry, 1-up, in the first round.
Jones, assistant professional at Youngstown Country Club, won the Senior Division title for the second time – and fourth title overall — by defeating Pepper Pike head professional Rob Moss, 2-and-1, in the finals. Earlier, he had eliminated long-time friend and frequent playing partner, Tony Adcock (teaching & coaching professional 1899 Golf-Canton). 1-up; Windmill Lakes Golf Club Director of Fitting and Instruction, Justin Long, 5-and-3; and Mill Creek Head Professional Andy Santor, 3-and-2.
Holub, assistant professional at the Pepper Pike Club, won the Associate Division title by edging Canterbury Golf Club Director of Instruction Patrick Milkovich, 1-up, after 35 holes. In the semifinals Holub defeated fellow Pepper Pike Club assistant Sean McGuire, 2-and-1 and opened with a 6-and-4 win over Westfield Country Club assistant Augustin Lanche.
2023 DENNY SHUTE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Monday, Oct. 16 11 a.m. 18-hole stroke play qualifier
Tuesday, Oct. 17 8:30 a.m. Round of 32
Tuesday, Oct. 17 11 a.m. Round of 16
Wednesday, Oct. 18 8 a.m. Quarterfinals
Wednesday, Oct. 18 11 a.m Semifinals
Thursday, Oct. 19 Noon 36-hole finals
