Springboro, OH – The 2nd Ohio Women’s Open held at Heatherwoode Golf Club was a fantastic showcase of high-level competition, filled with thrilling moments that kept spectators and players on the edge of their seats. It was also a solid showcase of the various levels of women’s golf in the state of Ohio, ranging from PGA Members and professionals all the way down to the ten Southern Ohio PGA Junior Tour member who teed it up.

It starts with Junior Division Champion and SOPGA Junior Tour member Paige Weiss of Orient. Paige earned the 2023 Junior Tour Player of the Year title and recently committing to play college golf at the University of Findlay. She came into the event playing well and backed up that form, carding a steady 80 in the opening round. She wasn’t alone near the top of that leaderboard. Elise Dunkle and Kinsley Brown, both from Springboro, Ohio, matched her score with 80s of their own, setting up a tightly contested second round. The three juniors were tied for the lead, heading into the final round.

Paige Weiss is the winner of the Junior Division at the 2025 Ohio Women’s Open

Managing the opening nine holes at Heatherwoode is crucial to success. The opener is a typically friendly handshake where a good tee shot sets up a decent scoring opportunity. But that all changes when players get to the fifth tee. The next four holes give require complete focus and attention on every shot and Weiss responded in a big way on Saturday. All three frontrunners found themselves one over par through the first four holes but Weiss separated herself through that tough stretch, breaking 40 and putting her in the lead walking onto the 10th tee. 

It was a lead she wouldn’t give up. She made just one bogey—which she followed up with a birdie—to finish even-par on the final nine holes. Her impressive second-round 74 not only secured her the win in the Junior Division but also marked one of the standout performances in the tournament. It was a impressive round that added another highlight to her growing list of golf achievements.

One of the hallmarks of the SOPGA Junior Tour is giving players space to improve and even reinforce their resilience on the golf course and no one personified that more than Nora Meek of Beavercreek. After a challenging first round, Nora came back with an incredible final-round 76, a full 17 strokes better than her opening 93. Meek birdied the par-4 7th hole, an accomplishment Ohio Women’s Open winner Gabby Woods can’t claim, and was double-bogey free.

Dayton’s Lauren Miller also stood out with her significant improvement from round one to round two. After opening with 85, Miller bested front and back nine hole scores from the day before, finishing at 81. That included a par streak across that treacherous stretch of holes on the front nine.

Zoey Merritt of Degraff brought consistency to her game with back-to-back solid rounds. She posted an 84 in round one and followed it up with an 85 in round two. Her steady play across both days earned her a strong finish and showcased her ever-increasing potential on the SOPGA Junior Tour.

Completing the Junior Division were Ceci Coccia of New Albany, Cadence Monroe-McCoy of Springfield, and Emma Shaffer, also from Springfield. While they may not have finished at the top of the leaderboard, each of these young players showed heart, perseverance, and pride in representing the SOPGA Junior Tour. They played with energy and enthusiasm, supported their fellow competitors, and admirably handled the challenges of tournament play.

These young ladies demonstrated all the ideals behind the SOPGA Junior Tour and demonstrated why they’re a vital part of the game’s future. Their consistency, determination and resilience were massive contributions to the OWO’s competitive atmosphere and positive spirit, and also reinforced how the SOPGA Junior Tour impacts members with lessons that apply to everything on and off the golf course.

By Jacob Olson, for the Southern Ohio PGA