There is nothing more fun in tournament golf than knowing exactly where you stand on the leaderboard and having a chance to win on the final hole.
A couple of teams had that very experience on Saturday at the 2018 Joe Ungvary Sr. Memorial Jumble. One succeeded, the others didn’t quite pull it off.
The team of Nick Lambos and Aaron Crewse (above) set the early scoring pace for the day, posting a solid 6-under par 65 total in an event that features six holes of scramble, six holes of better ball and six holes of true alternate shot. The pair shot 3-under par in scramble, 1-under in better ball, and tied for first place at 2-under par in the always tricky alternate shot segment.
That big finish gave Lambos and Crewse the score to beat. And for a good chunk of the day, it looked like no team might beat it.
But nearing the end of the field, the team of Howard Clendenin and Steve Blackburn Jr. had come on strong. They came to the final hole at 7-under par for the day, having scored 3-under in scramble, a winning 4-under par in the better ball segment, and even par in alternate shot. A par at the last would push them past Lambos and Crewse for the win, and the pair was aware of the score required.
Clendenin over-cooked his 3-wood tee shot into the left trees. A gap existed between the trees for Blackburn to reach the green, but it required a flighted right-to-left shot. Blackburn didn’t shape the shot exactly as needed, and the ball ended up 10 yards right of the green just short of hole high. Clendenin struck the pitch from some scratchy rough that took off on him, leaving Blackburn a tough, sloping 12-foot left-to-righter for par. It required perfect line-speed to hole, and Blackburn was just a bit short on pace.
The last hole bogey by Clendenin and Blackburn left two teams tied at the top for the tournament.
A couple groups after that, the team of AJ Borisa and Ryan Stefanski (above) had a chance to tie the two teams already in the clubhouse. On the 18th tee, Borisa slung his drive far right, and the second was blocked behind the big trees through the fairway. Stefanski decided to simply go through the corner of trees and pulled off a hero shot, leaving AJ with a slightly-bending birdie putt up the hill from about 10 feet. But Borisa missed left.
Then in the final group of the day, the Columbus-area team of Tyler Anderson and Shannon Bartruff, came to the 18th tee tied for the lead. They had shot 3-under par in scramble, tied for second in the better ball segment with another 3-under par, and were even in alternate shot. But the pair didn’t know they were tied for the lead at the start of the final hole.
Anderson busted a drawing tee shot down the middle and down the hill, leaving a perfect angle for their second. Bartruff took advantage, zipping a wedge in to 10 feet below and right of the hole.
When they arrived at the green, the pair asked where they stood against the field. They were informed that the putt they faced was for the win, and they smiled at the prospect and joked about the pressure.
The pair looked over the putt together, chatted for a few seconds, and Anderson settled over it. With a perfect stroke, the ball found the exact center of the cup. Baby fist pump. Victory.
And as icing on the cake, the birdie at the last earned a share of the skin as least-tied in the alternate shot segment. With that skin, the T2 in better ball, the T3 in alternate shot and the overall win, Bartruff and Anderson nabbed $800 on the day.
Blackburn Jr. and Clendenin actually beat the winners out in total winnings, however: they took half the shared skins pot in scramble, won the better ball segment outright, and finished T2 overall. Added up, $825.
Crewse and Lambos tied for first in the alternate shot segment and finished T2 overall, netting them $610.
Complete results overall and by segment below.
Thanks to Tim and Kristin Davis for all of their administrative efforts in running the Ungvary Memorial, one of the season’s truly fun events. A tip of the cap to Edgar’s Restaurant for the appetizers they provided after play. And thanks to the Good Park Golf Course staff, as the course was in fine condition.
2018 UNGVARY MEMORIAL JUMBLE PHOTO GALLERY >
FINAL RESULTS:
2018 Joe Ungvary Sr Memorial Jumble
Good Park Golf Course, Akron
Saturday, June 9, 2018
OVERALL RESULTS:
1st Shannon Bartuff / Tyler Anderson 64 $500
2nd Howard Clendenin / Steve Blackburn Jr. 65 $350
2nd Aaron Crewse / Nick Lambos 65 $350
4th Ryan Stefanski / AJ Borisa 66 $250
5th Mike Simpson / Jim Krivanek 67 $87
5th Dean Cutlip / Jeff Stormer 67 $87
5th John Karamas / Shaun Kloetzer 67 $87
5th Dave Sotka / Niko Anagnost 67 $87
Bishop/Koprevic 68
Plouse/Rice 68
Prok/Monas 68
Thomas/Clark 69
Bojc/Arens 69
Miller/Lahnan 69
Wild/Koinis 69
Ungvary/Griffith 70
Lieser/Locke 70
Fleming/Freeman 71
Trier/Beebe 71
Blackburn Sr./ Blackburn 71
Cutlip/Marsinek 71
Bryson/Maxwell 72
Luckenbaugh/Byers 72
Watkins/Hull 72
Schneider/Hepner 72
Thompson/Bethune 74
Armour/Chadima 75
Spino/Marr 75
Anderson/Martina 75
Ream/Rybka 76
Foss/Angie 77
Loftin/Trent 79
Lyon/Myatt 80
Berkheimer/Eckley 80
SCRAMBLE RESULTS
1st Simpson/Krivanek 19 260
1st Prok/Monas 19 260
3rd Ungvary/Griffith 20 35
3rd Plouse/Rice 20 35
3rd Anderson/Martina 20 35
SKINS: $165 ea (least tied)
Clendenin/Blackburn Jr. Birdie 2 Hole #6
Blackburn Sr./ Blackburn Birdie 2 Hole #6
BETTER BALL RESULTS
1st Clendenin/Blackburn Jr. 19 $310
2nd Bishop/Koprevic 20 80
2nd Stefanski/Borisa 20 80
2nd Wild/Koinis 20 80
2nd Bartuff/Anderson 20 80
SKINS: $82 ea (least tied)
Bishop/Koprevic Birdie 3 Hole #7
Wild/Koinis Birdie 3 Hole #7
Fleming/Freeman Eagle 2 Hole #12
Sotka/Anagnost Eagle 2 Hole #12
ALTERNATE SHOT RESULTS
1st Luckenbaugh/Byers 22 260
1st Crewse/Lambos 22 260
3rd Thomas/Clark 23 55
3rd Bartuff/Anderson 23 55
SKINS: $165 ea (least tied)
Luckenbaugh/Byers Birdie 3 Hole #18
Bartuff/Anderson Birdie 3 Hole #18
