DAYTON, OH (August 16, 2022) – At three-under-par, Sam Arnold, PGA claimed the 77th Southern Ohio PGA Professional Championship presented by Cadillac, Club Car and Rolex at Miami Valley Golf Club. 

“I just stayed patient and tried to make as many pars as I could,” Arnold reflected when asked about his round. “The golf course was in great shape but it definitely got a lot harder as far as the conditions with it being so firm.  I tried not to beat myself [mentally] and just tried to keep the ball in front of me.” 

Consistency was key for Arnold, the PGA General Manager at The Vineyard Golf Course in Cincinnati, OH, to go low at Miami Valley Golf Club and take home the Tommy Bryant Memorial Trophy. He opened the tournament strong with a birdie on the first hole. Although bogeys were added to his scorecard throughout the first round, Arnold matched each one with a birdie to post a score of even-par 71. Unchanged in his strategy, Arnold continued to match birdies to any bogey on his scorecard and posted a second round score of even-par 71. Sitting one stroke off the lead overnight, Arnold arrived with the dependable plan to make pars in the third round. He stuck to his game plan by making 15 pars and three birdies to post a final round score of 68. Arnold’s total score of three-under-par 210 gave him a four stroke victory as he earned his third Southern Ohio PGA Professional Championship. 

“This win means a lot, especially being a senior,” Arnold mentioned when asked how this win felt coming a decade after his last Section Championship title and how the game changes for those eligible for the Senior Division. “I may look 50 but I don’t feel 50. I think it’s all about knowing your schedule. I’ve got a great wife who is extremely supportive,  awesome kids who encourage me to go practice, and a wonderful team at The Vineyard. You get better with age, as they say. I just played a little smarter.” 

At the young age of 50-years-old, Arnold has been a part of the Southern Ohio golf community for most of his life. He began playing the game in Cincinnati where his name can be found in the archives of many local newspapers’ sports sections featuring his junior golf scores. Moving north of his hometown, Arnold attended Wright State University in Dayton and competed as a member of the men’s golf team from 1990-1993. In 1998, he earned his PGA Membership as an Assistant Professional at The Vineyard Golf Course. As a member of the Southern Ohio PGA Section, Arnold continues to strive for excellence in his career on and off the course. He has captured many tournament wins including the 2021 SOPGA Tour Championship at TPC River’s Bend and the Southern Ohio PGA Professional Championship at Pinnacle Golf Club in 2007 and Scioto Country Club in 2012. 

“I respect Joe’s game and I think he respects mine and we just battled it out today,” Arnold noted about the opportunity to compete with former college teammate Joe Moore, PGA. “It was very competitive. We were both in our own games. Joe unfortunately got a bad bounce and my ball seemed to be going the right way and that’s how it is sometimes.”

Through this victory, Arnold qualified for the 2023 PGA Professional National Championship set to be played April 30-May 1, 2023 in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico at Twin Warriors and Santa Ana Pueblo Golf Clubs. 

In addition to Arnold, four additional top Southern Ohio Section professionals qualified for the 2023 PGA Professional National Championship after Tuesday’s final round. Joe Moore, PGA Head Professional at Beavercreek Golf Club finished the tournament with a total score of one-over-par 214 to claim runner-up and the second qualifying spot.  Michael Auterson, PGA Head Professional at Hickory Woods Golf Course; Richard Denny, PGA Assistant Professional at Jamaica Run Golf Course; and Jeff Olson, PGA General Manager at the Golf Club of Dublin finished in a three-way tie for third place at two-over-par 215 to claim the final qualifying spots. 

Tim Krapfel, PGA; Andy Montgomery, PGA; Dan Gage, PGA; and Anthony Andrews, PGA  claimed alternate spots into the 2023 PGA Professional National Championship. Bob Sowards, PGA, Director of Instruction at Kinsale Golf & Fitness Center, and Wyatt Worthington, PGA Teaching Professional at The Golf Depot at Central Park  have both earned exemptions into the 2023 PGA Professional Championship based on their top finishes at previous championships. 

For more information about the PGA Professional Championship, click here. 

To view the full Southern Ohio PGA Professional Championship leaderboard, including the National PGA Professional Championship qualifiers, click here. 

The 2022 Southern Ohio PGA Professional Championship is presented by Cadillac, Club Car, and Rolex. It is also made possible thanks to supporting partners Titleist FootJoy, Nike, TaylorMade, Callaway, NBC Golf Channel and the PGA Tour. 

Thanks to the team at Miami Valley Golf Club for their commitment to hosting the 77th Southern Ohio PGA Professional Championship.