The Akron District Golf Association made a qualifying and format change to the 2015 Dave Towell Cadillac Shootout, and it made for a fun event.
A 9 a.m. shotgun big skins game at the Raymond C. Firestone Public 9 in Akron was used as the qualifier to set the field for the afternoon Shootout: the top four birdie/eagle makers and ties from the Championship and Senior Divisions each earned a spot in the single elimination Shootout.
The morning’s Big Skins winners — with skins worth $225 each — were:
Fred Martin Birdie 3 Hole #1 (Really? On a 290 yard par 4?)
Mark Borlin Birdie 2 Hole #2
Chris Plute Eagle 2 Hole #8 (drove green made an 18 footer)
Ty Kovach Eagle 2 #10 (drove green made a 25 footer)
Kory Hull Birdie 2 Hole #18 (sorry for no photo Kory!)
For the Shootout qualifying in the Championship Division, Mike Simpson led the way with 6 birdies in the skins game to earn a spot in the Shootout; Chris Plute earned 5 points, and Ty Kovach, Dave Trier and Shane Bishop nabbed the final spots with 4 points.
In the Senior Division, 4 points led the way and 3 points made earned a spot: Randy Skorman, Mark Ciccarello, Tom Seever, Tom Stack.
The following are the 2015 ADGA Dave Towell Cadiallac Shootout Results, in order of elimination:
Dave Trier and Chris Plute, bogey #1
Randy Skorman, bogey #2
Shayne Bishop, 3-putt bogey on #3
Mark Ciccarello, missed 4 footer for par
Ty Kovach and Tom Seever in a putt off, Seever advanced
Tom Stack, bogey #6
Mark Borlin did not get it up and down from over the green on #7
The final two players, Tom Seever and Mike Simpson, went to the 167 yard par-3 9th to determine a winner.
First Simpson flushed a 9 iron that looked like a keeper, but the down-wind down-hill shot hit the back part of the green and went over.
Then Tom Seever hit 8 iron to 20 feet.
Simpson chipped to 6 inches and Seever proceeded to 2 putt for the tie.
Tournament Directors Tim Davis and Dave Chapple decide to have a chip-off from about 10 feet off the front edge.
Seever went first with Simpson’s back turned so he couldn’t gain any advantage from watching the roll out. Simpson then putted. After careful measuring, Simpson edge out Seever by the length of a cell phone!
Photo gallery from the Shootout here. The ADGA wishes to thank PGA pro Dan Dauk and the Firestone Public 9 for hosting this early season event!
