JIM TROY WINS NOPGA’S MITCHELL-HASKELL TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP; GARY RUSNAK PREVAILS IN SENIORS
Strongsville’s Jim Troy survived a precarious finish and Painesville’s Gary Rusnak finished strong to win individual titles in the Mitchell-Haskell Tour Championship on Tuesday at The Country Club in Pepper Pike. The event was conducted by the Northern Ohio Section of the Professional Golfers Association of America.
Troy, former Assistant Professional at Mt. Vernon Country Club now affiliated with Honma Golf USA, led wire-to-wire with rounds of 68-75 for a one-under par 143. That total was good for a four-shot victory over Fox Den Golf Course’s Tyler McHugh (77-70) and Elyria Country Club Assistant Golf Professional Jake Scott (73-74).
Rusnak also led wire-to-wire to win the Senior Division with rounds of 70-75 for a one-over par 145 and a four-shot victory over Portage Country Club Head Golf Professional Steve Parker (73-76).
The combined field of 49 players found Country’s 7,129 yards a challenge thanks to soft fairways and firm greens. Just three players – Troy, Rusnak and McHugh – were able to break par-72 in a round over the two days.
Troy, who opened with a 4-under par 68 for a five-shot lead over Scott, was well on his way to a stress-free victory as he stood at 5-under for the tournament through 32 holes. Near-disaster struck as he bogeyed the final four holes, but no one was able to take advantage. Troy, who tied for second in the NOPGA’s Professional Championship at Mansfield’s Westbrook Country Club in late August, earned $1,200 for the win and remained in strong contention for NOPGA Player of the Year honors.
Rusnak began the day with a three-shot lead and birdied the first two holes to get to 4-under par. But he took a quadruple-8 on the third hole to bring both Parker, Club Walden’s Mitch Camp and Salem Golf Club’s Tom Atchison back into the picture. Rusnak recovered, however, and got hot down the stretch with three birdies on his final five holes, including a magnificent chip-in birdie from about 60-feet on the closing hole. He earned $750 for the win.
FINAL RESULTS: Northern Ohio PGA
2020 Mitchell-Haskell Tour Championship
The Country Club, Pepper Pike, Ohio
Mon/Tue, Sep 21-22, 2020
CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION:
1 Jim Troy Honma Golf USA 68-75–143 -1 $1,200.00
T2 Tyler McHugh Fox Den GC 77-70–147 +3 $850.00
T2 Jake Scott Elyria 73-74–147 +3 $850.00
4 Michael Balcar Brandywine CC 75-73–148 +4 $700.00
T5 Randy Dietz Windmill Golf Center 75-76–151 +7 $500.00
T5 Kyle Kellogg Mt. Vernon CC 76-75–151 +7 $500.00
T5 Mark Evans Mayfield SRC – Mayfield 74-77–151 +7 $500.00
T8 Rob Moss Pepper Pike Club, The 78-74–152 +8 $250.00
T8 Jon Jones Youngstown 76-76–152 +8 $250.00
T8 Nick Paez GolfTEC – Cleveland West 75-77–152 +8 $250.00
11 Mark Sierak Barrington 79-74–153 +9 $150.00
Out of the Money:
12 Nicholas Myers Highland Meadows GC 77 – 77 = 154
13 Jaysen Hansen Beechmont 74 – 81 = 155
T14 Patrick Milkovich Canterbury 80 – 76 = 156
T14 Jordan Paolini Shaker Heights 79 – 77 = 156
T16 Joe Meglen GolfTEC-Stonebrook 78 – 79 = 157
T16 Steve Bordner The Country Club 78 – 79 = 157
T18 Cory Kumpf Brookside 83 – 75 = 158
T18 David Dinan Windmill Golf Center 80 – 78 = 158
T18 Sean McGuire Pepper Pike Club, The 77 – 81 = 158
T21 John Powers Bowling Green State Unive 80 – 79 = 159
T21 Adam Lewicki Portage 79 – 80 = 159
T21 Nick Gustin Erie Shores GC 78 – 81 = 159
T24 Darin de Lelys Westfield Group CC 79 – 81 = 160
T24 Drew Pierson Shaker Heights 80 – 80 = 160
T26 Derek Smith Red Tail 84 – 80 = 164
T26 Daniel Terry Chippewa GC 82 – 82 = 164
T26 William McKinley Canterbury 81 – 83 = 164
29 Steven Weir Cleveland State Universit 80 – 85 = 165
30 Nick Orr Canterbury 81 – 85 = 166
31 Tim Heffelfinger Northstar GC 87 – 81 = 168
T32 Jason Nussbaum Congress Lake 90 – 82 = 172
T32 Mark Scott Jr. Westfield Group CC 85 – 87 = 172
34 Trent Maxwell Windmill Golf Center 86 – 90 = 176
35 Adam Stinogle Beechmont 94 – 85 = 179
WD Brett Coluccio Northern Ohio PGA
Senior Division
1 Gary Rusnak Northern Ohio PGA 70-75–145 +1 $750.00
2 Steve Parker Portage 73-76–149 +5 $600.00
T3 Mitchell Camp Club Walden 75-75–150 +6 $450.00
T3 Tom Atchison Salem GC 73-77–150 +6 $450.00
5 Gary Robison Brookside 77-74–151 +7 $300.00
Out of the Money:
T6 Rob Moss Pepper Pike Club 78 – 74 = 152
T6 Steve Stone Maumee Golf Center 74 – 78 = 152
T6 Gary Trivisonno PGA Of America Life Member 76 – 76 = 152
T6 Jon Jones Youngstown 76 – 76 = 152
10 Kevin Sullivan GolfTEC – Brecksville 82 – 75 = 157
T11 Tony Adcock Seven Hills CC 81 – 78 = 159
T11 Tom Waitrovich Lakewood 81 – 78 = 159
13 Scott Pollack 1899 Golf, CLE East 81 – 81 = 162
14 Andy Santor The Country Club 79 – 84 = 163
15 Daniel Terry Chippewa GC 82 – 82 = 164
16 Tony Milam North Coast Jr Tour 81 – 84 = 165
