Bob Sowards, PGA of Kinsale Golf & Fitness overcame various obstacles to win the 2020 Springfield Classic in a playoff over Jeff Olson, PGA. Sowards and Olson both shot 4-under-par 68 during a choppy, weather-delayed event to force the playoff. After both players made par on the first two playoff holes, Sowards made another par on the third playoff hole to claim the hard-fought victory.
Already facing a challenging course setup, the weather did the players no favors in the tournament. Pop-up storms in the area forced two separate weather delays totaling nearly three hours in the middle of play. Sowards then had to wait another two hours after he completed his round before the playoff started. In spite of all that, he was able to hold off Olson in a hard-fought and even playoff match.
Olson made a couple of great putts to save par on the first two playoff holes, but his approach shot ended up just left of the green on the deciding hole. His long par putt came up just short, giving Sowards an opportunity to clinch the victory with another par. Both players fought hard and earned their high finishes in the event.
The Donald Ross-designed greens gave the entire field fits throughout the day, but Sowards and Olson were rewarded for their resolve and shot-making skills on Monday. They both narrowly edged out Zanesville Country Club’s Caleb Wittig, PGA, who was the leader in the clubhouse for most of the day with a 3-under-par 69 before Sowards came in five hours after Wittig finished his round.
The Section staff would like to thank the entire field for their patience and understanding through the weather delays. We would also like to thank Jake Houston, PGA and his staff at Springfield Country Club for hosting the event and being so accommodating throughout the day.
For full tournament results and more information, please click here.