It was a hot, steamy day at Windmill Lakes Golf Club in Ravenna on Sunday as more than 70 competitors teed off for the final 18-holes of competition in the 46th Record-Courier Senior Portage County Amateur Championship.
The par 70 fairways proved to be tough as leads changed hands and golfers moved up the leaderboard from their first-day rounds.
After the final scorecard was signed, the champions were a mix of golfers from Portage County and throughout the rest of Ohio, with tiebreakers necessary to determine many of the top five.
SENIOR DIVISION (Age 50-59)
Jeff Maier (photo coming soon) traveled from Columbus to play in the Senior Amateur.
Tied for fourth place after the first day at Oak Knolls, Maier added a 74 to his first round 75 for a 149 to edge out four competitors tied with a final score of 150.
Maier won the tournament by hitting all but one fairways on his final day.
“I had never played Oak Knolls before so I just had to strap down the seatbelt and go for it on the first day,” said Maier.
Maier, who played college basketball for Geneseo State in New York, picked up golf after college and loves the competition.
There was a three-way tie for second place between Randy Crider of Brunswick, Ed Marsinek of Ravenna and Dave Peck of Macedonia, with Crider taking second and Marsinek third thanks to a scorecard playoff.
None of the second through fourth place competitors had been in the top two championship pairings, making their way up the leaderboard with solid shooting on the final day.
GOLD DIVISION (ages 60 to 69)
Jeff Dean from Copley, a first time competitor in the Senior Amateur, tied for the low round of the day at Windmill Lakes, a two-over-par 72 on his way to an outstanding two-day total of 144.
Dean also led both days, edging out Robert Gintert of Newton Falls by one stroke thanks to Gintert’s 73 in the first round at Oak Knolls.
Dean plays in the Akron District Golf Association series and won the Zoar Invitational earlier this season.
“My drives were awesome today,” said Dean who made a long putt to save par for the one-stroke cushion he needed over Gintert.
Randy Steele of Hudson took the third spot, also firing that two-over-par 72 at Windmill to tie Gintert, taking third in a scorecard playoff.
PLATINUM DIVISION (ages 70+)
Robert Hall of Ravenna, competes in leagues throughout the area at Windmill Lakes, Oak Knolls and Ellsworth Meadows and competes in a traveling league with friends.
Hall was a runner-up in the Senior Amateur two years ago but this year he captured the championship leading wire-to-wire
On Sunday, Hall added an 80 to his first-round score of 77 for a one-stroke victory over former Senior Amateur champion Ed Taber of Aurora.
David Pifer of Mantua took home third place but complimented Hall for his efforts.
“We were calling him Fairway Bob because of the amount of fairways he hit in both rounds,” said Pifer.
Hall said he only got into trouble on one hole and was in three sand traps along the way.
“I made a lot of putts,” said Hall as he accepted the trophy and the admiration of the golfers in his division
Jim “Papa” Wise of Ravenna, the oldest competitor in the Platinum Division fired his age, a 93.
But it took some solid shooting at the end of his round as Wise finished with two birdies on the 17th and 18th holes.
SENIOR WOMEN
Wendy Brugmann of Mantua, plays in the Portage County Amateur almost every year but this year was her first victory. Firing a 95 at Windmill she earned the championship trophy.
WRAP-UP
Competitors are looking forward to the 47th edition of the Record-Courier Portage County Senior Amateur in 2017 as the event continues to grow.
This was the final competition of the 2017 for the Record-Courier series of Amateurs saw competitors ranging in age from 7 to 93 play on the fairways of Windmill Lakes, Oak Knolls and Kent State University Golf Courses.
(Written by Susan Jenior, reprinted with permission from the Record-Courier.)
FINAL RESULTS:
2016 Record-Courier Senior Portage County Amateur
Oak Knolls Golf Course, Kent | Par 72
Saturday, August 27
Windmill Lakes Golf Course, Ravenna | Par 70
Sunday, August 28
SENIOR DIVISION (50-59)
Jeff Maier, Columbus 75-74 149
Randy Crider, Brunswick 77-73 150
Ed Marsinek, Ravenna 78-72 150
Dave Peck, Macedonia 73-77 150
George Allen, Warren 77-74 151
Timothy Ford, Lewis Center 79-73 152
Dean Cutlip, Copley 77- 76 153
Tim Heavner, Alliance 77-76 153
Dave Cutlip, Mogadore 71-84 155
Frank Livak, Ravenna 73-82 155
Geoffrey Burge, Aurora 78-80 158
Scott Neill, Chardon 82-78 160
Michael Robbins, Chagrin Falls 79-82 161
Mark Ciccarello, South Euclid 81-80 161
Lou Boarman, Cuyahoga Falls 81-80 161
Troy Luckenbaugh, Uniontown 82-80 162
Ron Rositani, Willowick 86-76 162
Gary Congin, Chesterland 84-79 163
Jack Pico, Niles 81-82 163
Larry Kerns, Shaker Heights 80-84 164
Haroon Ishmail, Youngstown 80-86 166
Randy Wilburn, Deerfield 82-87 169
Jim Franks, Ravenna 88-88 176
Steve Pruneski, Uniontown 86-92 178
John Wingett, Ravenna 94-85 179
Ryan Ferrara, Kent 95-84 179
Scott Reys, Shaker Heights 86-95 181
Ramon Rousseau, Stow 88-79 187
Gary Jarosz, Ravenna 102-89 191
AGE 60-69
Jeff Dean, Copley 72-72 144
Robert Gintert, Newton Falls 73-72 145
Randy Steele, Hudson 73-72 145
Jim Herchek, Chagrin Falls 73-72 145
Jeff Luken, Middleburg Heights 73-77 150
Bill Carlyon, Fairlawn 77-75 152
Mike Rezabek, Ravenna 81-73 154
Tom Shuster, Southington 73-82 155
Joe Weidner, Thompson 74-81 155
Bob Goulish, Tallmadge 75-81 156
Mark Knevel, North Olmsted 80-76 156
John Sloe, Aurora 81-77 158
Walter Lawrence, Tallmadge 82-76 158
Tom Reed, Steubenville 79-82 161
Jim Cofojohn, Mantua 79-82 161
Chuck Reminder, Twinsburg 82-79 161
John Rhoads, Rootstown 80-82 162
Matt Habbyshaw, Aurora 85-80 165
Ted Reminder, Streetsboro 84-82 166
Gerald Musiel, Chagrin Falls 86-80 166
Steve Bedell, Brecksville 77-91 168
Gary Tentler, North Canton 86-82 168
Timothy Ryan, Newton Falls 86-84 170
Neil Callen, Kent 82-89 171
Don Miller, Hudson 86-86 172
Robert Beal, Kent 90-85 175
Don Houghton, Kent 91-88 179
Bob Wright, Rootstown 87-92 179
Ron Benco, Strongsville 91-89 180
AGE 70+
Robert Hall, Ravenna 77-80 157
Ed Taber, Aurora 82-76 158
David Pifer, Mantua 83-77 160
Jerry Bobbs, Ravenna 82-79 161
Ron Rhome, Kent 81-79 160
Thomas Ludlam, Atwater 79-84 163
Eli Maravich, Mogadore 81-82 163
Bob Harwell, Akron 82-83 165
Dan Bania, Delaware 88-86 174
Jim “Papa” Wise, Ravenna 93-89 182
Terry Bonar, Aurora 90-96 186
Bob Mishler, Garrettsville 92-DNF
WOMEN
Wendy Brugmann, Mantua 90-95 185
Linda Shahan, Ravenna 136-125 261
