Southern Ohio PGA holds one-point lead after Northern Ohio PGA rallies during first round of Ohio Cup at Firestone

AKRON – The Southern Ohio PGA Section (SOPGA) won the morning round and had just enough to hold off the Northern Ohio PGA Section (NOPGA) in the afternoon round to take a one-point lead into Wednesday’s final round of the 24^th Ohio Cup Matches at Firestone Country Club.

The annual competition between the two Ohio sections of the Professional Golfers Association of America concludes tomorrow with 16 singles matches. The SOPGA is holding an 8.5 to 7.5 lead as it attempts to end the NOPGA’s winning streak at three.

The NOPGA leads the series, 15-8 and needs 16 points to retain the Cup for the fourth year in a row. The SOPGA needs to accumulate 16.5 points to wrest the Cup away.

The SOPGA won the morning Four-Ball two-man team competition, 5.5 to 2.5 as the teams of Sam Arnold/Kyler Booher, Bob Sowards/Andy Montgomery, Daniel Sorgini/Caleb Wittig, Jeff Olson/Chase Wilson and Chris Black/Craig Goldsberry all posted wins.

The NOPGA rallied in the afternoon Foursomes, highlighted by come-from-behind wins or halves in three of the final four matches.

The NOPGA earned halves on the final hole in two of those matches as Jim Troy and Mike Stone drew with Bob Sowards and Andy Montgomery by rallying from 3-down with three holes to play.

The Moss/Adcock team and the Robison/Sierak team won two matches each for the NOPGA as did the teams of Sorgini/Wittig and Olson/Wilson for the South.

FOUR-BALL: Sam Arnold-Kyler Booher (SOPGA) def. Adam Lewicki-Jaysen Hansen, 1-up; Bob Sowards-Andy Montgomery (SOPGA) def. Joe Meglen-Nick Gustin, 3-and-2; Rob Moss-Tony Adcock (NOPGA) def. Tim Krapfel-Dennis Wells, 3-and-2; Daniel Sorgini-Caleb Wittig (SOPGA) def. Randy Dietz-Cory Kumpf, 5-and-4; Jeff Olson-Chase Wilson (SOPGA) def. Jim Troy-Mike Stone, 1-up; Dave Bahr-Bob Stephens (SOPGA) halved Gary Rusnak-Steve Stone; Chris Black-Craig Goldsberry (SOPGA) def. Mitch Camp-Tom Atchison, 1-up; Gary Robison-Mark Sierak (NOPGA) def. Joe Moore-Doug Wade, 2-up. SOPGA wins, 5.5-2.5

FOURSOMES: Lewicki-Hansen def. Arnold-Booher, 4-and-3; Moss-Adcock def. Krapfel-Wells, 3-and-2; Troy-M. Stone halved Sowards-Montgomery; Sorgini-Wittig def. Meglen-Gustin, 4-and-2; Olson-Wilson def. Dietz-Kumpf, 1-up; Rusnak-S. Stone halved Bahr-Stephens; Camp-Atchison def. Black-Goldsberry, 2-and-1; Robison-Sierak def. Moore-Wade, 2-and-1. NOPGA wins, 5-3.

Matches stand: SOPGA 8.5, NOPGA 7.5

By: Tim Rogers, Northern Ohio PGA Contributor