Upper Arlington, OH — Death, taxes and Bob Sowards winning the SOPGA Tour Championship. Those seem to be the only constants left in life in this crazy year after Sowards won his third consecutive Tour Championship in three tries.
Sowards, the Director of Instruction at Kinsale Golf & Fitness, completed an improbable comeback to win the 2020 Tour Championship in a one hole playoff over Chase Wilson, PGA Director of Instruction at Columbus Country Club. Sowards entered the day four strokes behind day one leader Jeff Olson, PGA and tied with Wilson.
Staring at a two stroke deficit standing on the 18th tee this afternoon, Sowards just stuck to his game and let fate do its thing. After putting his tee shot into the left rough, Sowards watched as Wilson went right and into a bunker.
Wilson’s shot out of the bunker caught the lip and advanced only a few yards in front of the bunker. Sowards then watched as Wilson’s next shot sailed right of the green and embedded in the rough.
Sowards calmly hit his approach into the front middle of the green to give himself a chance to extend the championship. He proceeded to two-putt for par and Wilson’s bogey putt for the win skirted just wide of the hole.
Another par on the first playoff hole (Hole #18) clinched Bob’s third consecutive Tour Championship title. After two grueling rounds of golf and lots of drama, Sowards was just happy to be heading home with the title once again.
Olson finished in third place after a final round 4-over-par 75 for a total score of 144. Sam Arnold, PGA and Caleb Wittig, PGA rounded out the top five after tying at 145 overall. Arnold tied for the low round of the day with a 69 to recover from an opening-round 76.
The Section staff would like to extend a huge thank you to Joe Falardeau, PGA and his staff at Scioto Country Club for hosting the event once again. They did a great job of keeping the course in championship-level shape through adverse weather conditions during the week.
For full results and full tournament information, please click here.