2015-16 SLTTC Club Tournament

Friday, March 25, 2016

Mirror Room

Sun Lakes Country Club

David Zapatka

Walt Schroeder, Jim Spolar, Steve Weitz Rich Nadler, Alan Behr, Dave Bissell, David Zapatka,

David Novikoff, June Wagner, Bill Gaston, Doc Dockter, Jack Bucholz, Steve Chambers and Bill Aichele.

Two round robins of four players in the B division played the best two out of three games to 11. Group A saw Bill Aichele go undefeated winning his bracket. There was a three-way tie for second and going to the third tie break rule, Dave Bissell edged out Doc Dockter and Rich Nadler. Group B saw Gerry Vogelsang go undefeated wrapping up his bracket. Walt Schroeder edged Jack Bucholz for second. In the semi-final matches Dave Bissell outlasted Gerry Vogelsang and Bill Aichele ousted Walt Schroeder. The third place match between Vogelsang and Schroeder was a thriller to the finish with Vogelsang edging Schroeder. The B division final match saw Aichele put the pedal to the metal as time and again he used his best misdirection shots to send Bissell to the sidelines.

The A division saw one close match after another as the players were so evenly matched. Most of the matches went the distance, 2 out of 3 games to 11 in this double elimination bracket. In the finals of the winners’ bracket David Novikoff escaped the stranglehold Steve Chambers had around his neck in the third game winning 11-9. Resting and waiting for the losers’ bracket matches to be played Novikoff saw one thrilling match after another. Southpaw Steve Weitz beat defensive/attacking specialist Jim Spolar. David Zapatka won a match against Alan Behr he looked destined to lose. Weitz jumped on Zapatka early to win the first game only to lose the next two. Chambers had another stranglehold, this time on Zapatka, before the match got away coming in third. This set up a rematch of the winners’ bracket match where Novikoff beat Zapatka. This time Zapatka stepped his game up just getting by Novikoff in a close three-game win. With both players now having lost once, a winner-take-all single game to 21 was played. This game saw eight lead changes and 12 ties before Zapatka nipped Novikoff in the nick of time winning the A division 21-19.

The ever popular A/B random pairing doubles was played following the singles matches. The A singles winners were knocked out of the doubles early showing the strength of the field and the chemistry of the pairings. The talented Steve Chambers/Dave Bissell team lost a close match to the Alan Behr/Walt Schroeder team wrapping up third place. Coming through the losers’ bracket, Behr and Schroeder had to beat the undefeated Steve Weitz/Bill Aichele team and that's exactly what they did, TWICE. In a whirlwind match of spectacular shot making, Behr and Schroeder took their rightful place atop the crowd with a well-deserved win.

Many thanks to expert ball girl and tournament assistant, Alexandra Zock!