Northeast Ohio Golf: Greater Cleveland and Akron Tournament Golf News

The 2008 Ohio Publinx is being conducted at Cooks Creek GC in Ashville, Ohio, August 5th - 8th. Complete scores are now posted here on the OPGA website.

– Allen Freeman

Jeff Mallette and Mike Kracker posted an even par score of 72 in the always challenging aggregate format Monday at Chippewa to beat the team of Russ Rybka and Drew Thompson by a single shot.

In addition to the win, Kracker and Mallette also nabbed two of the three skins won on the night, helping them to climb into the third position on the season-long points list.

NOTE: Players are reminded that the 11:30 a.m. $100 Skins Game will NOT be held at Chippewa next Monday, August 11 because of a day-long event at the course.

Week 12 - 8/4/08: Combined Score, Back Nine
1st   Mallette - Kracker     72      $   200.00 GCs     $150.00 PP
2nd   Rybka - Thompson     73            $   100.00 GCs
3rd   Oates - Spino     74            $     50.00 GCs

Skins:
Mallette - Kracker     #12 / #13      $266.00
Marr - Armour     #15      $133.00

Senior Skins:
T.Stiller - Petracca     #10      $  15.00
Kline - Kline     #11 / #16      $  30.00
Markham - Skorman     #12 / #17      $  30.00
Cornelious - Mcendree     #13      $  15.00
Horner - Barnes     #18      $  15.00

– Allen Freeman

The 54-hole Greater Cleveland Amateur Championship begins this Friday, August 8th at Manakiki GC in Willoughby Hills. The field includes the top 15 and ties from the four qualifying events held the last weekend in July at four of the Cleveland Metroparks golf courses, plus a number of exempt players who qualified from previous Cleveland Am finishes or wins in local amateur golf association events.

The public is welcome to come out and watch their favorite player compete at Manakiki. And watch this Northeast Ohio Golf website for daily results and tee times as the championship progresses!

2008 GREATER CLEVELAND AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Round 1 Groupings & Starting Times
Friday, August 8, Manakiki GC, Willoughby Hills

– Allen Freeman, Mike Raby and Tom Kochensparger

Players over the age of 50, get your entry blank in asap for the 2008 Summit County Senior Amateur Championship! Play begins this Friday, August 8th at Barberton Brookside GC, and the final round is Saturday at Good Park. Send the entry blank in today or call Good Park at 330-864-0020.

Dave Pulk of Hudson had to fight hard against the challenge that 2008 Ohio Amateur Champion Vaughn Snyder of Massillon threw at him Sunday. And he fought him off just well enough to win the 2008 Summit County Amateur Championship at Good Park GC in Akron.

Pulk followed up his sizzling first round score of 5-under par 66 with a solid even-par 71 in the second. But Snyder tied Pulk by posting a 3-under par 68 in the second round, sending the event to a playoff.

Pulk then outlasted Snyder in the 3-hole aggregate playoff by shooting 1-under par for those three holes, and thus captured his first win in the Summit County Amateur.

Pulk has had a stellar record in the Akron District Golf Association, winning Player of the Year three times. He has also won the 2003 Northeast Ohio Amateur, has been club championship at Lake Forest CC in Hudson several times, and has qualified for a number of national amateur events.

But at 52 years of age, and with the quality of the field that he beat, his 2008 Summit County Am victory should remain a satisfying accomplishment.

Dave Pulk putts on the final hole of regulation while Vaugh Snyder and the gallery looks on.

2008 SUMMIT COUNTY AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Final Results, Good Park GC, Akron, August 2-3:

Veteran player Dave Pulk blistered Good Park GC in Akron today with a seven-birdie, two bogey round of 66 to take a 3-shot lead after the first round of the 2008 Summit County Amateur Golf Championship.

Tied for second place at 2-under par 69 are Matt Heestand and recent Ohio Am champ Vaughn Snyder. Defending champion Dave Oates is another shot back at 1-under par 70.

Read the Akron Beacon Journal coverage here. Scores for the entire field follow:

Four local guys beat back a slew of players from across the state — and several other states plus Canada, too — to earn spots in the United States Amateur Championship at Pinehurst Golf Club, August 18-24.

Ross Beal of Uniontown fired a sizzling 6-under par to take medalist honors for the 36 holes, which was split between Fowlers Mill GC and Legend Lake CC. Jeff Malette of Canton posted a solid 2-under par to finish second. Three players tied for third at even par, forcing a playoff for the final two spots, which was won by Mac McLaughlin of Shaker Heights and Zach Glassman of Highland Heights.

QUALIFIED FOR U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Ross Beal, Uniontown, OH   67 L - 70 F = 137
Jeff Mallette, North Canton, OH  75 L - 66 F = 141
Mac McLaughlin*, Shaker Heights, OH  72 F - 71 L = 143
Zach Glassman*, Highland Heights, OH  71 L - 72 F = 143
*-won playoff

1st & 2nd Alternates
Christopher Robertson, Rittman, OH  72 F - 71 L = 143
Daniel Grincewicz Westlake, OH  75 F - 69 L = 144

Congratulations guys, and good luck at Pinehurst! Complete results for all players are here.

The Greater Cleveland Skins Game visited Thunder Hill Golf Course in Madison on Thursday, and the big skins winners were Jim Lebzelter with a birdie on the hole 5, Josh Krause with a birdie on 6, and Mike Angie with a birdie on 7. Skins were worth $99.33 each.

Steve Blackburn Jr. came back to life with the pin shot winner on the 9th hole, while Josh Krause nabbed the pin shot on hole 3.

Lebzelter moves up eight places on the leaderboard and Angie moves into sixth place in quest of the Thompson Cup. Blackburn Jr. still holds on to lead of the Greater Cleveland Skins game after being shut out for a tough six weeks.
 
The Skins Game moves to Pleasant Hills this Thursday, August 7th starting at 5:30pm.  Green Fee rates will be $17.50 riding and $10.50 walking. Any players that want to play a “warm up 9 hole round” before the scheduled skins game must call the course first to make such arrangements.
 
Greater Cleveland Skins Game Leaderboard Through Week 16
1) Steve Blackburn Jr.    $1253.77
2) Mark Foss                   $885.50
3) John Niedzialek          $874.50
4) Paul Kish                      $693.46
5) Nick Anagnost             $429.33
6) Mike Angie                 $385.89
7) Steve Blackburn Sr.   $340.00
8) Dave Sotka                  $294.83
9) George Martin            $268.20
10)  Brian McGinty            $264.50
11) Geoff Nicely                 $236.50
12) Russ Rybka                 $201.00
13)Corey Iacofano           $168.66
13) Rob Schustrich           $168.66
15) Garry Zehe                $166.50
16) Jim Lebzelter              $151.83
17)  Josh Krause              $144.83
18) Anthony Maenza        $127.00
19)  Phil Bojc                    $103.50
20) Jeff Ettinger                $84.00
21) John Zook                   $77.00
22) Al Freeman                 $63.00
22) John Distefano            $63.00
24) Dan Lanese                  $45.50
25) Clff Paxson                  $45.50
26) Tom Bond                    $45.50
27) Cliff Lawrence            $36.00

– John Niedzialek

The 54-hole  Greater Cleveland Amateur Golf Championship will be played August 8-10 at Manakiki Golf Course in Willoughby Hills. The qualifying tournaments were held last weekend at four courses, so 60+ players are already in the field.

Now, players who are “exempt” need to get their entry blanks submitted to any of the Cleveland Metroparks golf courses by Friday, August 1st at 5 p.m. (Entry blank here.) Players who meet any of the following criteria are exempt:

1) All past Cleveland Amateur Champions, and the top ten finishers from the 2007 Championship. All past Senior Cleveland Amateur Champions, and the top five finishers from the 2008 Senior Championship.

2) Event winners during the 2008 calendar year from the Northern Ohio Golf Association, the Akron District Golf Association, and the Championship Golf Association.

3) 2008 Northern Ohio Golf Association club/course champions. (2007 champion eligible if the 2008 champion has not been determined by July 21, 2008)

4) The 2007 and 2008 winners and runners-up of the Northeast Ohio Amateur and the Summit County Amateur.

5) Players ranked in the Top 10 as of July 15th, from the Player of the Year points list of the Northern Ohio Golf Association, the Championship Golf Association, and the Akron District Golf Association, who are not otherwise exempt.

Questions? Contact Mike Raby at 440-333-0305 or email him. Otherwise, get your entry blank in by Friday…

–Allen Freeman

The teams of Chris Durbin & John Petit and Carl Schultz & John Hahn tied for first place in this week’s better ball format, each posting a score of 4-under par 31.

Jim Cea and Dave Pulk swept the skins to jump up the year-long leaderboard to 4th and 5th place respectively, which is still lead by Sam Spino and Dave Oates. Complete results below:

Week 11 - 7/28/08:  Best Ball, Front Nine
T1   Durbin - Petit 31  $  95.00 PP   $150.00 GC
T1   Schultz - Hahn 31  $  95.00 PP   $150.00 GC
T3   Marr - Armour  (SC) 32    $ 50.00 GC

Skins
Cea - Pulk #5  $510.00

Senior Skins
Cea - Pulk #5  $130.00

– Allen Freeman