BEAVERCREEK, Ohio — For a few moments, Alex Gomia wasn’t sure what had just happened.

The final scorecard was signed. The numbers were official. The trophy was waiting.

But the reality of it all hadn’t quite caught up yet.

“I don’t even know what just happened,” Gomia said after it became official.

“I just closed my eyes out there.”

When he opened them, he was a champion.

Gomia captured the 49th Southern Ohio PGA Assistant Professional Championship at Beavercreek Golf Club, delivering the kind of performance that places a player in a very exclusive group within the Section’s history.

A group that includes names like Sowards. Delaney. Jones.

And now, Gomia.

Beavercreek has a way of rewarding confidence. When the greens are pure and the course is ready, birdies can come after gutsy, challenging tee shots. Gomia found plenty of them. Over two rounds, he made nine birdies, the most in the field, on his way to a three-shot victory.

“I still can’t believe it,” Gomia said.

The foundation was built in the opening round.

Gomia carded a 2-under 70, doing exactly what players need to do at Beavercreek: take advantage of the par 5s. He made birdie on three of the four longer holes, creating separation early and carrying a three-shot lead into the final round.

Then, he turned a lead into a championship.

Gomia opened the final round with three consecutive birdies, immediately putting pressure on the field and creating the cushion he would need to finish the job. A bogey on the final hole did little to change the outcome.

The championship belonged to him.

And with it came a place among some of the most accomplished PGA Professionals in Southern Ohio history.

For nearly five decades, the Southern Ohio PGA Assistant Professional Championship has been a proving ground for the next generation of Section leaders — a place where future Hall of Famers, club leaders and some of the most respected PGA Professionals in the region earned one of their first major championships.

Next year, the championship will celebrate its 50th playing, adding another chapter to a tradition built on competition, development and the pursuit of excellence.

Hall of Famer Pat Delaney won this championship in 1982. Bob Sowards captured the title in 2002. Jared Jones won twice, in 2012 and 2015.

Now Gomia’s name joins theirs.

For the second consecutive year, the Assistant Professional Championship winner was ineligible to advance to the national Assistant PGA Professional Championship at PGA Golf Club, creating another layer of drama for the afternoon finish.

Scioto Country Club’s Jared Hoelzen made sure the race stayed interesting.

After opening with a 3-over 75, Hoelzen caught fire in the final round, firing a 2-under 70 to finish alone in second place and secure his trip to Port St. Lucie.

The final qualifying spot came down to a playoff.

2025 qualifier Taylor Holt appeared to have done enough after posting a steady final round and finishing at +3. Then Brookside Golf & Country Club’s Mitchell Cook arrived late.

After making three bogeys on his first nine holes of the final round, Cook flipped the script. He closed with four birdies coming home, tying Holt and forcing the playoff.

Then he delivered the shot that mattered most.

After both players found the fairway on the playoff hole, Holt’s approach sailed long and left. Cook stepped in with the opportunity and delivered a precise wedge to about 20 feet.

Holt’s chip left him with four feet for par — a putt he never had to hit.

Cook rolled in the birdie.

Ticket punched.

It was a fitting finish for a player who had spent the previous week searching for answers. Just seven days earlier, Cook walked off Medallion Club after a round of 95, unsure where his game had gone.

One week later, he was heading to Florida.

“That’s golf, man,” Cook said moments after the putt dropped. “You keep going and you keep fighting.”

That’s exactly what he did.

Holt, Carter Cheek, Hunter Miller and Corey Weckerling will serve as the four alternates from the Southern Ohio PGA Section for the Assistant PGA Professional Championship, scheduled for Nov. 12-15 at PGA Golf Club.