WORTHINGTON, OH – The 27th Ohio Cup began at Worthington Hills Country Club on Tuesday, pitting Team Northern Ohio PGA against two-time defending champions Team Southern Ohio PGA.
The two teams matched up for rounds of Fourball and Foursome play where pairs of teammates went against one another. After the first day, Team Southern Ohio PGA leads 11 points to Team Nothern Ohio PGA’s five.
“Right now it seems to be going pretty good in our favor,” Team SOPGA Captain Ken Corliss, PGA said. “So it’s still nip and tuck as always.”
Pairs of five-time Ohio Cup participant Michael Auterson PGA and 10-time participant Doug Wade, PGA as well as 18-time veteran Bob Sowards, PGA and Dan Gage, PGA earned wins of 4 & 3 in the morning Fourball matches to get Team Southern Ohio PGA going.
The distinctive rules and circumstances around Fourball Match Play is special to Sowards.
“It’s just a unique event because with the fourball – we play best ball all the time for fun – and we both played really well today,” Sowards said. “The afternoon’s foursomes – if they hit a bad shot, you try to just kind of play safe, then you hit a bad shot and then it’s kind of just a weird, weird game because you never play foursomes. It’s like you play to not make a mistake as opposed to playing to make birdies. But we outlasted them.”
The team of Kyler Booher, PGA and Richard Denny, PGA had a late win in their matchup against Team NOPGA’s Jaysen Hansen, PGA and Adam Lewicki, PGA. Booher and Denny birdied three of the final four holes to claim the victory.
The duos of Sam Arnold, PGA and Mike Thomas, PGA in addition to Ben Kern, PGA and Andy Montgomery, PGA also scored victories of 4 & 3.
Chase Wilson, PGA and Jeff Olson, PGA tied Jim Troy, PGA and Nick Gustin, PGA of Team Northern Ohio PGA at three holes apiece.
In Foursome matches, Team Southern Ohio PGA drew 5.5 points after five wins and a tie.
Sowards and Gage won a back-and-forth bout against Gary Rusnak, PGA and Tony Adcock, PGA, taking advantage of a pair of bogeys and scoring a birdie on the final hole to win 2 & 1.
Sowards said he enjoyed playing alongside Gage, someone he’s known for awhile.
“He’s one of my really good friends,” Sowards said. “We practice a lot together when we do practice, and I know his game really well. He knows my game so it was kind of the perfect pairing for me.”
Ben Kern, PGA is taking part in the Ohio Cup for the first time this year after a new opportunity in the off-season moved his family to the Southern Ohio Section.
Representing Team Southern Ohio PGA and Hickory Hills Golf Club is an opportunity Kern will have over the two-day Ohio Cup. He said he enjoys being around members of both teams.
“My first year in Ohio, I know my team. I’ve met them all numerous times,” Kern said. “It’s nice to get to know the guys from the Northern Section and it’s nice to get together. I know we’re all friends but we’re out here to compete, and at the same time it’s nice to get together with Southern and Northern.”
Sowards and Gage, Booher and Denny, and Arnold and Thomas all won both Fourball and Foursome plays while pairs of Wilson and Olson as well as Kern and Montgomery had a win and a tie.
An 11-5 lead is comfortable enough for Team Southern Ohio PGA to begin preparing for final round Singles Matches on Wednesday. It gives the team a chance to compete for its third-consecutive Ohio Cup title, something Team Southern Ohio PGA hasn’t done before in its history.
“Everybody wants to have a lead going into the last day, and tomorrow’s a tough day because it’s all singles matches,” Corliss said. “Today when you’re playing you’ve got a partner so a teammate can help you. And if we’re leading, or they’re leading, everybody still has a chance because we have 16 matches tomorrow.”