FAIRBORN, OH – The Southern Ohio PGA and its Board of Directors is excited to announce updates to our Tournament Policies and Programming in an effort to provide maximum opportunities to benefit the entire membership.
Click here to view the 2023 Southern Ohio PGA Tournament Schedule
These updates to the Tournament Policies and Programming will provide a mixture of competitive Championships, Pro-Pro events, and a Pro-Am Series across the Section.
Click here to view the 2023 Southern Ohio PGA Tournament Handbook
Highlights of the 2023 Tournament Policy updates include:
- Players Fee: The Players Fee will be $175 again this year and is due at the time of registration. Along with the events outlined in the Handbook that do not require a Players Fee, the Pro-Am Series will not require the fee to be paid in order to participate.. Instead, players will pay an additional $25 per player at registration for a Pro Am if their Players Fee has not been paid. The additional $25 will be added to the administration fee ($5).
- Section Pro-Am Series: The 2023 Tournament Schedule includes seven (7) Section wide Pro-Ams. The Pro-Ams will be a Pro-1 Am contest where the Professional may bring one (1) or three (3) amateurs. Professionals will compete with each player (run the wheel) in Net and Gross contests with their amateurs. If the Pro-am team earns money in two contests, they will earn only the higher of the two payouts. The registration fee will be $100 (with Players Fee paid) or $125 (without Players Fee paid) per player.
- Match Play and Senior Match Play: These two match play events will be combined and include the Section Individual Match Play and the Section Senior Match Play to be played at the same time and location. Both match play events have struggled with participation in recent years. Combining the two will give both brackets an opportunity to fill.
- Entry Fee – Senior Division Section Entry Fee (Main & Senior): The entry fee for those players who register for both Main and Senior division will pay an equal amount ($90) to both purses. This increases the entry fee from $185 to $225.
- Pro-Pro Entry Fees: Entry Fees for Pro-Pro events have been updated to provide consistency. All Pro-Pro entry fees are $135 per player except for the E-Z-Go Spring Pro-Pro where the entry will be $155. The additional entry fee for the Spring Pro-Pro is to offset the two rounds and the lunch that is provided.
- Team Challenge: The Team Challenge has helped build camaraderie and competitiveness among golf professionals in the Greater Cincinnati area for many years. This program will expand to become a Section-wide, season-long competition to include the seven (7) “Classic” events and the seven (7) Pro-Ams. The details of the program are being finalized but will include a charitable aspect as it has in the past.
- Player of the Year Points/Divisions: Rolex Player of the Year points will be awarded if earned in a division (senior/women) where a division (3 players) did not exist for the event. The player will earn the same number of points earned in the main division for their respective division.
- Section Championship Pairings: The top 18 players in the current Rolex Player of the Year will be paired together in order during the first two rounds of the Section Championship. The six pairings will be randomly distributed in the field with the first three pairings on the front and the next three pairings on the back.
- PGM Students Playing in Events: PGM students will be permitted to play in the Associate Division events along with the Pro-Am series events provided they have met the requirements located in the Tournament Handbook.
- Stableford Points: The Stableford Championship points have been updated to create the value of an eagle or greater and the value of a double bogey or higher. The points will be as follows: Double Eagle: 8 points, Eagle: 5 points, Birdie: 2 points, Par: 0 points, Bogey: -1 point, Double Bogey or more: -3 points.
- Request for Refunds: A request for refund must be submitted the day of the event.
These updates provide the foundation for the Tournament Program to be successful and provide playing opportunities to all professionals in Southern Ohio.
If you have any questions regarding these updates please reach out to Southern Ohio PGA Tournament Director, Tim Grieser, PGA at tgrieser@pgahq.com or (937) 637-9969.