Kevin Rowe (Avon Oaks Country Club) and Joshua Clay (Shady Hollow Country Club) are tied for first place after the first round of the NOGA Great Lakes Auto Tour Championship, after both shot 1-under par 69 on Firestone’s West Course.
But the final hole played tough, as Rowe double-bogeyed and Clay bogeyed.
“I was able to start off pretty solid,” Rowe said. “I putted way better than I normally do.”
“I played well,” Clay said. “Played the par-5’s really well and the rest of the course played okay. There were a couple putts I would like back but other than that I can’t complain.”
Open Division points leader Jeff Blechschmidt (Mayfield Sand Ridge) sits in tied for sixth place at 3-over. Blechschmidt needs a top 15 finish to secure player of the year.
“I just want to stick to my game,” Blechschmidt said. “I want to win the Tour Championship, not just get out and win player of the year. I know I have some shots to make up tomorrow so just play aggressive and roll it well.”
Allen Freeman (NOHIO. Golf Club) is leading the Senior Division at 1-under par 69 and will enter the final round with a three shot lead.
Monty Guest (Signature of Solon), Nick Lambos (Brookside Country Club), Jim Durr (Silver Lake Country Club), Mark Borlin (Silver Lake Country Club), and Scott Saari (Bob-O-Link Golf Course) are all tied for second place at 2-over par 72.
Senior Player of the Year has already been won by Guest, but the Tour Championship title is still up for grabs.
Monday’s final round will take place on the famed South Course at Firestone Country Club.
“The whole thing is tomorrow,” Freeman said. “The South Course is so much different than this one. You have to stripe (the fairways) and make putts over there.
“Its one hole at a time and one shot at a time,” Freeman said. “If I win great, but as long as I try as hard as I can on every shot and consistently make clear decisions and execute it, it is what it is after that.”
Clay and Rowe echoed that sentiment.
“Come in with the same thought process,” Rowe said. “Just hit the fairways. On the South course, if you put it in the fairway, you give yourself a chance and you can take advantage of the smaller greens, make some putts and see what we can do.”
“It will take a lot of pars tomorrow I think will be good,” Clay said. “Just try to make a few putts and keep hitting it like I am.”
Tee times for the final round will begin at 8:05am on both sides of the course (below).
— story by Justin Golba
ROUND 1 RESULTS: Northern Ohio Golf Association
2021 Great Lakes Auto Scratch Series Tour Championship
Firestone Country Club West Course, Akron
Sunday, Sep 12, 2021
CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION
T1 Kevin Rowe, Avon Oaks Country Club 69
T1 Joshua Clay, Shady Hollow Country Club 69
3 Chris Okeson, Stonewater Golf Club 70
4 Doug Barber, NOHIO.GOLF Club 71
5 Shaun Kloetzer, NOHIO.GOLF Club 72
T6 Zach Glassman, Stonewater Golf Club 73
T6 Jeff Blechschmidt, Mayfield Sand Ridge Club 73
8 David Stover, The Country Club 74
T9 Patrick Rollins, Westwood Country Club 75
T9 Jack Garswood, NOHIO.GOLF Club 75
T9 Brian Polick, Weymouth & Fox Meadow CC 75
T9 Tim Skufca, Avon Oaks Country Club 75
13 Robert Schustrich, Windmill Lakes Golf Club 76
14 Brian Beebe, Ohio Prestwick Country Club 77
15 David Young, NOHIO.GOLF Club 78
NS Brian Smith, Oberlin Golf Club NS
SENIOR DIVISION
1 Allen Freeman, NOHIO.GOLF Club 69
T2 Monty Guest, Signature of Solon 72
T2 Nick Lambos, Brookside Country Club 72
T2 Jim Durr, Silver Lake Country Club 72
T2 Mark Borlin, Silver Lake Country Club 72
T2 Scott Saari, Bob-O-Link Golf Course 72
T7 Mark Guadagni, Silver Lake Country Club 73
T7 Tom Baugh, Portage Country Club 73
9 Tim Baker, Chagrin Valley Country Club 75
T10 Tom Laubacher, Club Walden 77
T10 Ed Marsinek, Windmill Lakes Golf Club 77
12 Joe Denk, Pine Hills Golf Club 78
13 Tom Skidmore, Weymouth & Fox Meadow CC 79
T14 John Toth, Fox Den Golf Course 81
T14 Mike Crawford, Bob-O-Link Golf Course 81
16 Paul Lagrotteria, Bob-O-Link Golf Course 82
17 Bob Weaver, Oberlin Golf Club 86
ROUND 2 STARTING TIMES: Northern Ohio Golf Association
2021 Great Lakes Auto Scratch Series Tour Championship
Firestone Country Club South Course, Akron
Monday, Sep 13, 2021
08:05 AM 1 Guadagni, Mark/Baugh, Tom/Baker, Tim
08:15 AM 1 Durr, Jim/Borlin, Mark/Saari, Scott
08:25 AM 1 Freeman, Allen/Guest, Monty/Lambos, Nick
08:35 AM 1 Rollins, Patrick/Stover, David/Blechschmidt, Jeff
08:45 AM 1 Glassman, Zach/Kloetzer, Shaun/Barber, Doug
08:55 AM 1 Okeson, Chris/Clay, Joshua/Rowe, Kevin
08:05 AM 10 Lagrotteria, Paul/Weaver, Bob
08:15 AM 10 Skidmore, Tom/Toth, John/Crawford, Mike
08:25 AM 10 Laubacher, Tom/Marsinek, Ed/Denk, Joe
08:35 AM 10 Young, David/Beebe, Brian/Schustrich, Robert
08:45 AM 10 Skufca, Tim/Polick, Brian/Garswood, Jack
