Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links in Akron played as difficult as ever on Saturday in the opening event of the Akron District Golf Association’s 2013 campaign: swirling winds, firm greens, challenging hole locations. Even in the 2-man better ball format, no team really ‘got it going’ in either division to post a runaway score in the Parke H. Thornton memorial event.
But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t some fireworks.
It took an ace at the 17th hole by Dave Oates — sent in on the fly, no less! — to propel him and partner Mike Simpson, the clear pre-tournament favorites on this Kentucky Derby Saturday, into a share of victory with a team that had to be considered one of the higher-odds long-shots: Russ Rybka of Russell Township and Drew Thompson of Avon Lake.
Both teams finished at 4-under par 67, but ended up there in completely different ways.
Rybka and Thompson turned the front nine after a sterling bogey-free 4-under par 32 in which Thompson played lights-out. The pair had a clean scorecard up until a sloppy bogey at the simple par-4 12th. But a great pair of par saves on the long back-nine par threes by Thompson, coupled with Rybka’s 20-foot birdie putt at the 16th, got them back to 4-under on the day. Rykba then made a curling putt from the wrong side of the ridge on the short 17th to save an unlikely par, and the underdogs had a chance at an outright victory on 18. But neither player could shake in their birdie putts at the last, even after being greenside in two on the par 5.
Oates and Simpson took the opposite route: a pedestrian front nine then a light-it-up finish. Sandwiched around Oates’ ace at the 17th hole were par-5 birdies at the 16th and 18th, which in essence put Oates and Simpson to the winning 4-under par score in a three hole span.
The champion teams finished one clear of Dan Marr and Bobby Spino, who had their chances at the victory apple but offset their many birdies with three bogeys and a three-putt par to finish at 68. A whopping 43 teams took part in the Open Division.
In the Senior Division, a tie at the top at 4-under par 68 (with the fourth hole extended to a par 5 for a par of 72) had the Brothers Dean, Jeff and Bruce, finish even with Dave Cutlip and Ed Marsinek.
No aces were made by either of those groups, but Bruce Dean did hole a bomb of a birdie putt on the par-3 second from well off the front fringe, in excess of 65 feet, to get their day started.
The two Senior Division co-champions also finished one clear of a single team, edging a now-healthy Randy Skorman and partner Doug Rockich who finished solo third at 3-under par 69. 24 teams total participated on the Senior side.
Superintendent Charlie Mozingo and his crew are to be commended for the condition of the golf course at Turkeyfoot, as the greens were smooth and fast and the hole locations set perfectly. That’s why another big field is expect next week Saturday for the annual Turkeyfoot Spring 2-Man Scramble; get your entry in here.
All gift certificate payouts listed below will be available after Monday at Foxy Golf, the sponsor of the ADGA Parke H. Thornton 2-Man Better Ball. The shop is just east of the golf course on Turkeyfoot Road, so stop and shop there, maybe on the way to next weekend’s scramble.
See the ADGA 2-Man Better Ball Photo Gallery here. The story cover photo is Brandon Shannon hitting off the first tee.
The next event on the Akron District Golf Association’s 2013 schedule is the Golf Galaxy 4-M Scramble at Barberton Brookside Golf Course on Saturday, May 25th; register from the Tournament Calendar page here.
FINAL RESULTS:
2013 Akron District Golf Association
Parke H. Thornton 2-Man Better Ball
Sponsored by Foxy Golf
Turkeyfoot Lake Golf Links, Green, Ohio
Saturday, May 4th, 2013
OPEN DIVISION RESULTS: Par 71
POS | TEAM | SCORE | TEAM PRIZE | OPTIONAL POT
1 Oates, Dave / Simpson, Mike 67 $550.00 | $320.00
1 Rybka, Russ / Thompson, Drew 67 $550.00 | $320.00
3 Spino, B. / Marr, D. 68 $350.00 | $160.00
4 Snell, D. / Foutty, B. 69 $300.00
5 Freeman, A. /K ovach, T. 70 $238.00
5 McClary, T. / Meighen, J. 70 $238.00
7 Flemming, D. / Sloan, K. 71 $174.00
7 Guest, M. / Smith, B. 71 $174.00
7 Morrow, T. / Lower, M. 71 $174.00
7 O’Byrne, E. / Thiel, M. 71 $174.00
7 Reuscher, C. / Swiatkowski, J. 71 $174.00
12 Alcorn, D. / Lenartowicz, M. 72 $80.00
12 Brouse, A. / Bernatovicz, J. 72 $80.00
12 Cockerham, J. / Bowman, E. 72 $80.00
15 Crewse, A. / Vincelette, B. 73
15 Mallette, J. / Nemeth, J. 73
15 Schustrich, R. / Metzendorf, D. 73
18 Jadgchew, J. / Johnson, M. 74
18 Oldfield, R. / Agarenzo, M. 74
18 Shannon, B. / Shannon, T. 74
18 Wilgues, K. / Hull, C. 74
22 Abdoo, J. / Wigal, J. 75
22 Armour, M. / Trier, D. 75
22 Kloetzer, S. / Karamas, J. 75
22 Schrader, C. / DiFrancesco, T. 75
26 Cutlip, D. / Stormer, J. 76
26 Danals, N. / Danals, K. 76
26 Hinkle, T. / Slates, C. 76
26 Kloetzer, T. / Kloetzer, M. 76
30 Blike, J. / Sargent, N. 77
30 Johnston, J. / Grosso, J. 77
30 Kabasky, J. / Petry, N. 77
30 Miller, R. / Partner 77
30 Mozingo, M. / Burnett, M. 77
30 Roberts, B. / Linn, J. 77
36 Brown, J. / Boley, B. 78
36 Gudenas, E. / Osbourne, P. 78
38 Ciccarello, M. / Feist, S. 79
38 Cupples, C. / Culbertson, R. 79
38 Vellios, Y. / Wade, S. 79
41 Farrell, J. / Lowry, R. 80
41 Plute, C. / Bailey, B. 80
43 Minno, A. / Shisler, M. 87
Open Division Skins: $215.00 each
Reuscher/ Swiatkowski Eagle (2) #5
Brouse / Bernatovicz Birdie (2) #8
Farrell / Lowry Birdie (2) #13
Oates / Simpson Oates Ace #17
SENIOR DIVISION RESULTS: Par 72
POS | TEAM | SCORE | TEAM PRIZE | OPTIONAL POT
1 Cutlip, Dave / Marsinek, Ed 68 $550.00 | $192.00
1 Dean, Jeff / Dean, Bruce 68 $550.00 | $192.00
3 Skorman, R. / Rockich, D. 69 $350.00 | $96.00
4 Cea, J. / Bell, R. 71 $242.00
4 Davis, T. / Seever, T. 71 $242.00
4 Lambos, N. / Merrow, R. 71 $242.00
4 Szwast, T. / Stemple, B. 71 $242.00
8 Yanko, R. / Baugh, T. 72
9 Bader, J. / Ziga, P. 73
9 Hamilton, M. / Markham, T. 73
9 Hedrick, J. / Tarter, J. 73
9 Miller, F. / Lahnan, L. 73
13 Cox, T. / Bolas, D. 74
13 Martin, F. / Stack, T. 74
13 Recht, J. / Thompson, T. 74
13 Skidmore, T. / Downing, B. 74
13 Thomas, M. / Spino, S. 74
18 Conway, T. / Misheff, D. 76
18 Esposito, J. / Mendoza, R. 76
20 Kern, J. / Woodrum, D. 78
21 Chapple, D. /Larizza, K. 79
21 Folks, M. / Tuscan, F. 79
21 Wilson, S. / Sattler, D. 79
24 Roth, B. / Wike, S. 88
Senior Skins: $160.00 each
Cea/Bell Eagle (2) #1
Bader/Ziga Birdie (3) #3
Baugh/Yanko Birdie (2) #17
