This year, those four players were (left to right) Dave Sotka, Carl “Unk” Quercioli, Dan Predovic, Mark White.

When none of those top-four competitors earned a earned a skin or a pinshot at Powderhorn, Dave Sotka of Chardon walked away with the 2011 Greater Cleveland Skins Game Championship, and with it his second Thompson Cup.

Sotka finished with 9 skins and 5 pinshots on the year, good for a season total of $1728.22. This was Sotka’s second Skins Game Championship; his last Thompson Cup win came in 2007. Sotka bettered his 2007 season total by $750.

After receiving the Thompson Cup, Sotka remarked, “The reality is that this is a skins game and I was real fortunate to have birdies and eagles hold up on the right holes. With that being said, it was a strong field this year and I am happy I could come out on top.”

For that final event night of the season (a ‘Double-Down’ night with double the normal entry fee stakes), 17 players participated and three skins were won worth $260.00 each.

Steve Blackburn Jr. earned a fantastic eagle skin by hitting a 3-wood from 240 yards out to 2-feet on the par five 16th hole. Brian Perkins made birdie on the long par four 10th hole, and Mark Foss scored a birdie on the par-3 14th hole.

Pin shot winner were Mike Angie on the 14th hole worth $108, and Paul Kish on the 17th hole earning the Mulligan’s pin shot worth $136.

Once the final event’s earnings were added to the total, there was only one fairly significant change in the 2011 Leaderboard standings.

Dan Predovic of Berea finished in second place on the season with $1,318.34 and earned unofficial “Rookie of the Year” honors. Predovic also won the individual stroke play “Greater Cleveland Shootout” event on Labor Day Monday, earning $750 for that victory. Predovic had the lead throughout much of the season, but Sotka made a great run at the end.

With his eagle skin on the final night, Blackburn Jr. vault into third place on the final leaderboard standings with $1136.21 for the year.

Carl “Unk” Quercioli was the leading senior player and had an outstanding year, finishing in fourth place.

Mark White finished in fifth, while Mike Angie was the 2011 pinshot leader and finished sixth overall.

The Greater Cleveland Skins game paid out over $13,000 in pins and skins in 2011.

Director John Niedzialek thanked all the players for a great year. “We had a record turn-out and many of the courses gave our players reduced rates and we certainly want to promote those courses in the future. Congratulations to Dave Sotka. It is a long season with many of the top players in Northeast Ohio participating. Give the man his due.”

“A special thanks goes out to Sean Kreft, owner of Mulligan’s Pub and Grill in Highland Heights, who has donated $1,000 to the Greater Cleveland Skins Game over the last two years. It is great to see courses and sponsors supporting amateur players in Northeast Ohio. I invite all amateur players to participate in 2012.”

Steve Blackburn Jr. earned the top spot in the Mulligan’s Pub Season Championship and took home an extra $452 on the year. An extra $1,100 was paid out on Thursday to the top ten finishers in the Mulligan’s season-long point standing.

FINAL RESULTS: 2011 GREATER CLEVELAND SKINS GAME

Let’s see: a team victory and three skins from a carry-over pot at Rosemont; yup, that qualifies as a really big final night…

John Kabasky and Howard Weaver posted a solid 3-under par score of 55 to beat the aformentioned Jim Cea and partner Ronny Bell by two shots in the 12-hole jumble format at Rosemont Country Club on Monday.

Cea and Bell’s 1-under par second-place effort certainly was a good one, especially given Cea’s position for year going into the final event. And in most circumstances, that second-place finish by Cea would have been good enough to keep hold of the year-long title.

But in addition to the overall win, Kabasky and Weaver also grabbed an astounding three of the six skins won on the evening — from a carry-over pot, no less — netting them a total of $920 from their scramble / better ball / aggregate / alternate shot effort.

Kabasky’s take of $460 for the night against Cea’s $50 share of the second place prize moved Kabasky to the top of the Monday Night League Standings — by a mere $17.25! An incredible way to win a season-long championship.

Weaver ended up in third position on the 2011 standings with his share of the big Rosemont haul, just $34.75 behind Cea for the year.

A total of $17,036.70 was won by all players on the season.

Tim Davis earned shot-of-the-night honors when he holed his second from the fairway on the par-4 5th hole — causing his partner Kevin Larizza to whoop it up enough for the customers at the Giant Eagle to hear.

Results from the last event night at Rosemont below, along with the final 2011 Chippewa Monday Night League Standings after that.

As always, a special thanks to host Kevin Larizza and our unflappable League Director, Eric McKinney, for yet another great Chippewa Scratch League season. The league is a great thing to be a part of, and every player looks forward to competing again in 2012!
 

2011 Chippewa Scratch League Week 16: Oct 10th – Rosemont 3/3/3/3
1st – Weaver – Kabasky 55 $ 240.00 PP $ 200.00 C
2nd – Cea – Bell 57 $ 100.00 C
T3rd – T. Stiller – Archer 58 $ 25.00 C
T3rd – Larizza – Davis 58 $ 25.00 C
 

SKINS:
M. Stiller – Leonard #2 $ 160.00
Larizza – Davis #5 $ 160.00
Weaver – Kabasky #6 $ 160.00
Simpson – Krivanek #8 $ 160.00
Weaver – Kabasky #10 $ 160.00
Weaver – Kabasky #17 $ 160.00
 
 

FINAL 2011 CHIPPEWA MONDAY SCRATCH LEAGUE STANDINGS

On a beautifully warm and sunny evening, one player continued his hot-streak while another padded his season-long lead.

Dave Sotka, who currently holds the top spot on leaderboard for the 2011 season, wasted no time adding to his lead by making a birdie skin on the par-4 1st hole. Sotka extends his lead to $410 heading into next week’s final event of the season, to determine the 2011 Champion and the winner of the Thompson Cup.

Sam Corabi continued his red-hot streak of end-of-the-season skin-winning by draining a side-winding 40-footer for a birdie on the tough 178-yard par-3 5th hole.

And the last skin of the evening went to Joey DiDonato with an improbable chip-in birdie on the long par-4 8th hole.

Skins paid $115 each.

The Mulligan’s pin shot went to John Niedzialek on the 5th hole worth $60, and Steve Blackburn Jr. hit it to 3 feet on the 133 yard par three 7th hole to grab the pin shot worth $45.

Next week is the final “Double Down” night with the Thompson Cup presentation immediately following. Play will start at 4 pm at Powderhorn Golf Course in Madison. With the stakes being doubled, Sotka is not assured of the title yet!!

(Players are reminded that they must have played in six or more events to play in the season ending double down event at Powderhorn.)

2011 GREATER CLEVELAND SKINS GAME LEADERBOARD: WEEK 25

The Chippewa Scratch League has been CANCELED once again for tonight, Monday, October 3rd due to wet conditions. Hopefully next week…

The nearly dry session ended with two skins won, a rare double-dip on the pin shots, and no major changes on the 2011 Leaderboard.

Brian Pentek of Painesville has caught fire near the end of the 2011 season, this time claiming a skin on the par-4 10th hole by hitting it to 5 feet and making the birdie putt.

Mike Angie knocked in a 40-foot bomb on the par-4 13th hole for the other skin of the night. Skins were worth $161.00 each.

Brian Perkins found his trip away from his home course of Erie Shores worthwhile, as “Pinshot Perkins” claimed both pin shots: knocking it to 8-feet on the 175 yard par three 11th hole; and again to 8-feet on the 212-yard 14th hole. Unfortunately for Brian, both of his birdie putts missed on the low side or it could have been a double-double-dip! Pin shots paid $49.00 each.

Next Thursday, the Greater Cleveland Skins Game travels to Hawthorne Valley Country Club in Solon for the first time ever, with play starting at 4:15 p.m.

Can Dave Sotka hold onto the lead and take home the 2011 Thompson Cup? There are only two weeks left for guys to catch him!!!

Players are reminded that in order to be eligible for the season-ending “Double Down” event in two weeks at Powderhorn Golf Course, that they must play in six or more events before that date. For some, next week’s event at Hawthorne Valley may be the last opportunity to gain that eligibility for the season ending event on October 13.
 

2011 GREATER CLEVELAND SKINS GAME LEADERBOARD: WEEK 24

Eighteen players came out to see if they could grab a big win and move up the 2011 Leaderboard as the season starts to wind down, but only one player accomplished that goal.

Sam Corabi of Painesville made the only skin on the night with a deuce on the 200-yard par three 12th hole. Corabi took all $414 of the skins pot back home to help out the Painesville economy! The cleanup was the season’s first single skin winner of the year.

Recently-crowned Erie Shores Club Champion Brian Perkins grabbed the pin shot on the 12th hole, while Mark White nabbed the other pin shot on 16. Pin shots paid $63 each.

Dave Sotka still leads the pack with just three weeks remaining in the 2011 Greater Cleveland Skins Game season!

Next Thursday, the skins game travels to Chardon Lakes Golf Course with play starting at 4:30 p.m.
 

2011 GREATER CLEVELAND SKINS GAME LEADERBOARD: WEEK 23

League play will resume again next week Monday — with a big CARRY-OVER SKINS POT in play!

And since no skins were won on the evening, the skins money carries over to next week — making for an interesting September finish to the 2011 race.

Standings leader Jim Cea and partner Dave Pulk jumped off hot on Monday, making birdie-eagle on the starting par-fives. A win by Cea could have sealed the standings race. But the pair did not finish as well as they started even though the Senior tees were left in their everyday-play ‘up’ positions. That was a huge break for the rest of the field field, as some of the Senior tees were 75 yards up from the back tee positions (which truly needs to be addressed).

Hot-putting Jason Chadima and partner Mike Armour could have joined Kracker and Mallette in the winner’s circle on Monday, save for a missed 6-foot par putt that resulted in bogey on 16.

The win by Kracker and Mallette simply adds to the list of potential teams who could pull off a last-minute September season standings win. If the big skins pot next week is won by just one team who also pulls off a victory, that could put a new leader at the top of the 2011 standings…
 

2011 Chippewa Scratch League Week 15, August 12th: Scramble Back 9
1st – Mallette – Kracker 30 $ 220.00 PP $ 200.00 GC
T2nd – B.Spino – Gooda 31 $50.00 GC
T2nd – Armour – Chadima 31 $50.00 GC
T2nd – Simpson – Krivanek 31 $50.00 GC

Skins: CARRY OVER !!!!

On yet another rainy Thursday, Blackburn Jr. birdied both the par-four 10th hole and the par-four 17th hole for two skins on the night.

Blackburne Jr. carved out a smooth 67 on the night after playing the front nine as well.

Geoff Nicely, the “most experienced” senior participant in the Greater Cleveland Skins Game, showed the youngsters how to make an eagle skin on the par five 12th hole with a ten foot putt for the third skin on the night. (To correct a previous article, Geoff Nicely was the first senior player ever to break the $1,000 mark last year in the Greater Cleveland Skins Game, a feat also accomplished by Carl Quercioli this season.)

Phil Bojc grabbed the last skin on the night with a “double dip” on the 205-yard par-three 15th hole, taking home the pin shot and making the 20-foot putt for a birdie skin.

Mark White claimed the pin shot on the par-three 11th hole.

Skins were worth $74.75 on the night and pin shots paid $45.50 each.

Dave Sotka still holds onto the top spot by about $250 on the 2011 Leaderboard as we reach the final turn of the season in chase of the Thompson Cup!

Next week, the Greater Cleveland Skins Game moves to Wicked Woods in Newbury with play starting at 4:30 pm.
 

2011 GREATER CLEVELAND SKINS GAME LEADERBOARD – WEEK 21