Cassady, Corliss and King Selected to Hall of Fame

Selection into the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame celebrates a lifetime of golf excellence and advancement of the game across the Southern Ohio Section. Established in 1997, the Hall of Fame honors PGA of America Golf Professionals who have served and continue to serve the Section in above and beyond ways that leave a profound and lasting impact on golfers and fellow professionals. Their dedication contributes to the lasting legacy and invaluable influence Southern Ohio PGA Professionals have had on their communities over the Section’s eight decade history.

Ken Corliss, PGA

An Ohio golf legend in his own right, Ken Corliss, PGA, has dedicated more than five decades to the game as a PGA of America Golf Professional across the Buckeye state. 

Ken has made his mark as a high-level instructor, facility owner and fierce competitor in both the Northern Ohio and Southern Ohio PGA Sections. A two-time winner of the Bill Strausbaugh Award, Ken’s career started in the 1970s learning from the man himself. His career took him to Highland Meadows, Mohawk Golf Club, Cooks Creek and now to Wedgewood Golf and Country Club in Powell, Ohio.

A leader from very early on in his career, Ken served on the NOPGA Board of Directors and has been a huge presence in bringing the game of golf to children with special needs through the Special Olympics. He’s also been a faithful and steadfast PGA HOPE instructor, serving our nation’s by showing them the therapeutic benefits of this incredible sport. 

As a competitor, Corliss has played in seven PGA Professional Championships, eight Senior PGA Professional Championships, and multiple Champions Tour events, while also capturing four Toledo Open titles. His proudest professional moment came in 1999 when he competed in the Senior British Open.

Teaching remains his greatest passion, and he has guided countless players, including his daughter Kiki, a four-time All-American at the University of Findlay and NAIA National Champion. He has also mentored several assistants who went on to build successful careers in and beyond golf.

Corliss’s career has been recognized with the Southern Ohio PGA Merchandiser of the Year Award (2013), two Bill Strausbaugh Awards (2020, 2024), and induction into both the Toledo Golf Hall of Fame (2002) and Sylvania High School Hall of Fame (2016).

In recognition of his lifelong dedication and impact, Ken Corliss has been named to the Southern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame, Class of 2025.

Larry King, PGA

Few PGA Professionals in Southern Ohio have combined competitive excellence, facility leadership, and community impact quite like Larry King, PGA. For more than three decades, King has been a fixture in Cincinnati and Southern Ohio golf, most recently as the owner and head professional at Tri County Golf Ranch, where his commitment to teaching and growing the game has touched thousands of lives.

A PGA Member since 1992, King’s work ethic and standing across the Section is legendary. His persistence and attention to detail have become hallmarks of his career as an instructor, facility owner and player. His career saw him in leadership and instructional roles at Stillmeadow Country Club, Four Bridges Country Club, and across the Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC) system, before purchasing Tri County Golf Ranch in 2014.

On the competitive stage, King built an enviable record. He is a six-time Greater Cincinnati PGA Player of the Year and has qualified 17 times for the PGA Professional National Championship, as well as four appearances in the Senior PGA Professional National Championship. He won the Southern Ohio Section Championship in 1989 and Senior Section Championship in 2013. He is a mainstay on SOPGA Ohio Cup teams and is currently serving as an Assistant Captain.

Beyond playing accomplishments, King has been an influential leader in the Section. He served more than a decade in Cincinnati Chapter leadership, including terms as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President, and President from 2010–2012. He helped establish the Southern Ohio PGA Junior Tour and contributed his time on the Section Tournament Committee.

Perhaps King’s greatest legacy is in player development. While working with the CRC, he introduced more than 300 juniors annually to the game, including through the Tony Yates Inner City Youth Program. He has guided players at all levels, from beginners to collegiate competitors at Xavier University as well as professionals. He’s been the putting coach for 2019 SOPGA Hall of Famer Bob Sowards, PGA, for many years. In recognition of his dedication, he received the Southern Ohio PGA Player Development Award in 2020.

Today at Tri County Golf Ranch, King continues to build a welcoming environment for golfers of all ages and skill levels. With its par-3 course, driving range, and instructional programs, the facility reflects his lifelong mission: to make golf accessible, enjoyable, and meaningful for everyone.

The Southern Ohio PGA proudly welcomes Larry King, PGA, into the 2025 Hall of Fame Class, honoring a career defined by excellence, service, and a passion for growing the game.

Larry Cassady, PGA

Few people have shaped Columbus golf more than Larry Cassady, PGA, as a player, instructor and developer. A Columbus native, Cassady began his professional journey at Pickaway Country Club in 1963 before spending more than 20 years at Brookside Golf & Country Club. He went on to serve at Shamrock Golf Club, Jefferson Country Club, and Wedgewood Golf & Country Club. Now retired, he still manages to find time to share his passion for the game with many PGA Professionals and golfers across Columbus.

Beyond his club roles, Cassady contributed significantly to the Southern Ohio PGA, serving as an At-Large Director in the early 1970s and participating in numerous committees, including junior golf, tournaments, and player development. His leadership helped shape opportunities for both professionals and amateurs across the Section.

Cassady’s playing career was equally impressive. He tied the Brookside course record of 64, competed in the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst, and qualified for the 1998 U.S. Senior Open at Riviera Country Club.

A passionate teacher, Cassady has mentored dozens of young professionals who went on to become head professionals, general managers, and leaders in the golf industry. His commitment to junior golf and player development has left a lasting mark on countless students, from future PGA professionals to community and business leaders, including Ohio Governors Jim Rhodes and John Kasich.

Along with his brother, Cassady was also hugely influential in the building and development of several golf properties and facilities in Central Ohio. Those are now golf mainstays across the city and in perfect position to capitalize on the post-pandemic golf boom. 

Cassady has also been a champion of community engagement through golf, hosting and supporting events that benefited the Evans Scholars Foundation, Special Olympics, Columbus Children’s Hospital, Folds of Honor, and other charitable causes.

With a legacy defined by competitive excellence, dedicated service, and a lifelong commitment to growing the game, Larry Cassady exemplifies the very best of the PGA of America.

The Southern Ohio PGA proudly recognizes Larry Cassady, PGA, whose distinguished career has spanned more than six decades as a golf professional, mentor, and ambassador for the game.

The Legacy Award, which goes to a member who has shown exemplary devotion and commitment to enhancing the well-being of the Southern Ohio PGA, will be given to Cincinnati Country Club General Manager/COO Joe Zinchini, PGA. The 2018 Southern Ohio PGA Golf Professional of the Year, Zinchini’s reputation for service and professional development is renowned across the country, not just throughout the Section. As a past president of the Section, Zinchini spearheaded PGA REACH Southern Ohio initiatives and expanded perfectly timed professional development opportunities for anyone looking to enter the golf industry. Zinchini has received multiple SOPGA Awards; the Bill Strausbaugh Award (2015, 2005), the PGA Professional Development Award (2006).

The Lifetime Achievement Award, which goes to those who have greatly contributed to the game of golf in the Southern Ohio Section PGA, will be given to Jim Saling of Saling Simms Associates. Valued partners of the SOPGA for more than two decades, Jim Saling’s personal support of Southern Ohio PGA Professionals is unmatched across the Section. Starting with the Ohio Cup in 2007 and continuing to this day, the partnership is directly responsible for helping expand the positive growth and outreach the Section has been able to make over that time.

Hall of Fame Inductees and 2025 SOPGA Award Winners will be honored at the annual Southern Ohio PGA Awards Dinner Friday, November 21 at Scioto Reserve Country Club.