WORTHINGTON, OH – Team Southern Ohio PGA prevailed 20.5-11.5 in the 27th Ohio Cup, winning the title for a third-consecutive year over Team Northern Ohio PGA at Worthington Hills Country Club on Wednesday.  

“The takeaway is the Southern Ohio team played great,” Team SOPGA Captain Ken Corliss, PGA said. “It’s always tough because Northern Ohio has always been the better side in this, so we’ve won three years in a row, which is unheard of. Our guys played great all three days.” 

Momentum continued from Tuesday when Team Southern Ohio PGA took an 11-5 lead after Fourball and Foursome Match Play.  

After 16 Singles Matches on Wednesday, 10 in the Regular Division and six in the Senior Division, Team Southern Ohio PGA capitalized on eight wins to capture the 2023 Ohio Cup victory.  

“This is a big momentum game,” Assistant Playing Captain Bob Sowards, PGA said. “This competition is all about momentum so the last two matches (Tuesday), Chase Wilson and Jeff Olson, turning their match around and winning five holes in a row to winning the match and then Ben Kern and Andy Montgomery tie in their match being three down – that was a huge momentum swing. So they could have got a big, big boost but we got a point and a half out of two of those and that was the biggest thing about yesterday.” 

Team Northern Ohio PGA pulled within 6.5 points to 3.5 after Cory Kumpf, PGA won over Ricky Denny, PGA 2 & 1. The team got within three points again when Nick Gustin, PGA won 3 & 1 over Mike Auterson, PGA to make it 8-5. 

Another win for Team Northern Ohio PGA came by way of Adam Lewicki, PGA’s win of 2 & 1 over Doug Wade, PGA. That made the score 8-6 at that point before Team Southern Ohio PGA claimed a 9.5-6.5 victory in singles play. 

The nine-point margin of victory is Team Southern Ohio PGA’s largest in event history, topping the previous mark in 2009 of seven. 

“I thought this was the best team that’s ever been assembled for this competition, and we performed like it,” Sowards said. “Our seniors are our strength now which when they were winning it a lot that was our weakness so our juniors are always strong but our seniors are really good now so we got a really good team now.” 

Team Southern Ohio PGA saw singles match wins of 5 & 4 from Sowards and Dave Bahr, PGA, and also got singles victories from Ben Kern, PGA, Jeff Olson, PGA, Sam Arnold, PGA, Mike Thomas, PGA, Dan Gage, PGA and Joe Moore, PGA. 

Sowards got Team Southern Ohio PGA out to an early lead in singles match play behind a win of 5 & 4. Undefeated in the 2023 event, he contributed three points to Team Southern Ohio PGA. 

“I played really well,” Sowards said. “I got off to a good start and made four birdies on my first eight holes and just kind of squeezed him from there and got the win. But I knew going out, I’m a big believer in putting your best players out as early as possible. Getting Ben out there early against their best player, me against their best senior, I’ll take that. I’ll take those odds every time.” 

The win gives Corliss the sixth Ohio Cup victory of his career. 

After two days of back-and-forth play, Team Southern Ohio will revel in its Ohio Cup win, and the team wants to build on it for more in the future. 

“It starts because we had great weather – that was one thing, but no – it’s always tough when you win twice,” Corliss said. “You know everybody is going to be shooting for you. We just had more bullets than what they had. We got a lot of young players, which is great. Our seniors are young so that’s pretty good.”

Justin Van Huekelom, PGA Head Professional at Worthington Hills Country Club and his staff provided an outstanding, yet challenging course for the 27th Ohio Cup. Next year, the event returns to be hosted in the Northern Ohio PGA Section. 

Team Southern Ohio PGA was able to play their best at the 2023 event thanks to the support of SOPGA Partners Saling Simms Associates represented by Jim Saling, Brent Simms, Jenn Berry and Mark NAME; Stitch Golf represented locally by Todd Adams; as well as AHEAD USA and Sun Mountain represented by Devon Holden, PGA and Holden Golf Sales.