GROVE CITY, OH (October 5, 2021) – Strong start for Southern Ohio as the team leads Northern Ohio by one through opening matches at the 25th Ohio Cup.
32 Ohio PGA Professionals arrived at Pinnacle Golf Club early Monday morning prepared to tee it up in the 25th Ohio Cup. Ohio’s weather had other plans for these players though, as a dense fog surrounded the course and caused a 60-minute delay to the opening round of the annual team match-play competition between the Southern Ohio and Northern Ohio PGA Sections. Members of both teams were fired up and ready to go once play officially began.
Dave Bahr, PGA and Dennis Wells, PGA were first on the course representing the Southern Ohio PGA. They took an early lead going three-up through eight holes on Northern Ohio PGA’s Tom Atchison, PGA and Mitchell Camp, PGA. Bahr and Wells won the Southern Ohio team it’s first point by defeating Atchison and Camp 2&1.
Southern Ohio’s second pairing of Andy Montgomery, PGA and Bob Sowards, PGA earned the team another point on the leaderboard. The two won six holes during their 16 hole match to defeat Northern Ohio’s Rob Moss, PGA and Jim Troy, PGA 3&2.
Kyler Booher, PGA and Danny Sorgini, PGA were off to a solid start in their match against Northern Ohio’s Nick Gustin, PGA and Joe Meglen, PGA. Things clicked into place for the pairing by the seventh hole. Winning five of their last 10 holes, Booher and Sorgini put another point on the board for Southern Ohio by winning the match 3&2.
Jeff Olson, PGA and Chase Wilson, PGA earned Southern Ohio it’s final Four-Ball Match point by defeating Mark Evans, PGA and Jaysen Hansen, PGA on the 17th hole.
Attempting to make up for time lost during the morning’s weather delay, tournament officials and team captains agreed to keep all pairings the same for the afternoon foursome matches. As their four-ball match ended, players headed back to Pinnacle Golf Club’s first tee for a rematch with an alternate shot format.
Coming off a loss in their earlier 18-hole match, Sam Arnold, PGA and Joe Moore, PGA opened their second round match at five-under-par through six holes. They defeated Northern Ohio’s Randy Dietz, PGA and Chris Kumpf, PGA 6&5 to earn Southern Ohio another point on the leaderboard.
Rookie Anthony Andrews, PGA and Ohio Cup veteran Bob Stephens, PGA were determined to add a point to the leaderboard for Southern Ohio during their second round foursome match. The pair defeated Northern Ohio’s playing captain Gary Trivisonno, PGA and his teammate Gary Rusnak, PGA 4&3.
Montgomery and Sowards added half a point to each team score from a hard fought halved match with Northern Ohio’s Moss and Troy. The group completed their match playing into a setting sun down the eighteenth hole.
Southern Ohio finished day one of the 25th Ohio Cup at 7.5 points and a one stroke lead over Northern Ohio. Two foursome matches were unable to finish due to darkness and will resume play Wednesday morning before beginning their final round singles matches. Southern Ohio’s Booher and Sorgini one-down to Northern Ohio’s Gustin and Meglen through 16 holes. Olson and Wilson are currently all-square with Evans and Hansen through 14 holes.
While the final two second round foursome matches finish on Wednesday morning, the other 12 players of each team will warm up for the final round singles matches set to begin at 9:00 AM.
Click here to follow the 25th Ohio Cup leaderboard.
The 25th Ohio Cup is made possible thanks to great partners of the Southern Ohio PGA. Saling Simms Associates continue their support of the Southern Ohio team and are on the first tee each morning cheering on each player. Thanks to local representatives Rod Koch and Chris Hall from Titleist and FootJoy and Devon Holden, PGA from Holden Golf Sales representing AHEAD, Sun Mountain and Dunning for providing the best uniforms and equipment to help the Southern Ohio team play their best this week.