Dublin professional Bob Sowards became the first repeat winner in 13 years when he shot a final-round two-under par 68 to win the 35th Michelob Ultra Ohio Senior Open Championship at Firestone Country Club.
Sowards’ 36-hole total of 68-68=136 made him the first repeat winner of the event for players age 50-and-over since Findlay’s Tom Herzan captured back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.
It also gave him a 4-shot victory over amateur Howard Clendenin, who finished at 68-72=140 over the West Course’s 6,469 yards.
Six players, including 2013 champion Tom Waitrovich of Westlake and Lakewood Country Club, finished at one-over 141.
Sowards earned $2,500 for his victory.
He was locked in a one-on-one duel with Clendenin through 12 holes – both stood at one-under on a testy, swirling windy day – when the tournament swung.
Sowards, arguably the hottest player in Ohio and undoubtedly the best senior player in Ohio, dropped in a 25-foot putt for eagle. Clendenin, a resident of Seville and a Firestone member, made birdie playing one group in front. The lead became three when Clendenin made bogey on the 15th. Sowards cruised home from there, adding a birdie on the 506-yard 17th.
Hudson amateur Mike Cassell won the Super Seniors Division for players age 60-and-over, shooting a two-day total of 4-under par 135, the lowest score of the tournament regardless of division.
Cassell was the low amateur in 2015 when former Canton Brookside pro Jim Logue won the Super Seniors.
Cassell, 65, defeated Solon’s Monty Guest by four shots to win is first Super Seniors title. Guest, who earlier this week won the Senior Division in the Northeast Ohio Amateur, finished at 68-71=139.
FINAL RESULTS: Northern Ohio PGA
35th Michelob Ultra Ohio Senior Open
Firestone CC West Course, Akron, Ohio
6,469 yards, par 70
Wednesday, June 10 – Thursday, 11, 2020
SENIOR DIVISION
1 Bob Sowards Dublin, OH 68 – 68 = 136 $2,500.00
2 Howard Clendenin (a) Seville, OH, Firestone CC 68 – 72 = 140 $700.00
T3 Mike Kaido Zanesville, OH 72 – 69 = 141 $1,400.00
T3 Tom Waitrovich Westlake, Ohio, Lakewood 69 – 72 = 141 $1,400.00
T3 Steve Stone Perrysburg, OH, Maumee Golf Center 70 – 71 = 141 $1,400.00
T3 Tony Adcock Canton, OH, Seven Hills CC 71 – 70 = 141 $1,400.00
T3 Michael Kelley (a) Westerville, OH 69 – 72 = 141 $550.00
T3 Tony Hejna (a) Cleveland, OH, Kirtland 68 – 73 = 141 $550.00
T9 Rob Moss Broadview Heights, OH, Pepper Pike Club 73 – 70 = 143 $650.00
T9 Steve Parker Akron, OH, Portage 74 – 69 = 143 $650.00
T9 Nick Lambos (a) Canton, OH 73 – 70 = 143 $650.00
T9 Dennis Wells Cincinnati, OH 73 – 70 = 143 $650.00
T9 Robert Spino (a) Uniontown, OH, Alliance 71 – 72 = 143 $400.00
T9 Mitchell Camp Aurora, OH, Club Walden 71 – 72 = 143 $400.00
T15 Gary Rusnak Painesville, OH, GolfTEC – Brecksville 68 – 76 = 144 $400.00
T15 Dave Antill (a) Dublin, OH 68 – 76 = 144 $300.00
T17 Peter Betzold (a) West Chester, OH 71 – 74 = 145 $325.00
T17 Bob Stephens Springboro, OH 75 – 70 = 145 $325.00
T17 Scott Pollack Chagrin Falls, OH, 1899 Golf, CLE East 75 – 70 = 145 $250.00
T20 Ben Stewart Fairborn, OH 76 – 70 = 146 $42.00
T20 Dennis Miller Youngstown, OH, PGA Life Member 72 – 74 = 146 $42.00
T20 Gary Robison North Canton, OH, Brookside 76 – 70 = 146 $42.00
T20 Mike Thomas Loveland, OH 71 – 75 = 146 $42.00
T20 Chris Black Lancaster, OH 71 – 75 = 146 $42.00
T20 Tom Atchison Silver Lake, OH, Salem GC 75 – 71 = 146 $42.00
26 Ken Kinkopf (a) Dublin, OH 75 – 72 = 147 $200.00
T27 Tim Krapfel Dayton, OH 78 – 70 = 148
T27 Daniel Terry Wadsworth, OH, Chippewa GC 77 – 71 = 148
T27 Rick Towle Columbus, OH 76 – 72 = 148
T27 Lloyd Faulkner Cincinnati, OH 76 – 72 = 148
T27 Paul Hollenbaugh New Albany, OH 75 – 73 = 148
T27 Dan Sutton Toledo, OH, Heather Downs CC 74 – 74 = 148
T33 Robert Schustrich (a) Windham, OH 73 – 76 = 149 $175.00
T33 Robert Funk (a) East Liverpool, OH 76 – 73 = 149 $175.00
T35 Mark Wise (a) Westlake, OH, Lakewood 74 – 76 = 150 $150.00
T35 Kevin Sullivan Painesville, OH, GolfTEC – Brecksville 72 – 78 = 150
T35 Mark Guadagni (a) Hudson, OH 75 – 75 = 150 $150.00
T38 Gregory Smith Mansfield, OH, Westbrook CC 78 – 73 = 151
T38 Tony Milam Concord Twp, OH, North Coast Jr Tour 78 – 73 = 151
T38 Mike Rankin Marion, OH, Westbrook CC 73 – 78 = 151
T38 Jeff Pawlowski (a) Highland Heights, OH, StoneWater GC 75 – 76 = 151
T42 Jon Jones Warren, OH, Youngstown 79 – 73 = 152
T42 Tj Brudzinski (a) Columbus, OH 74 – 78 = 152
T42 Chris Ramaglia (a) Strongsville, OH 74 – 78 = 152
T42 John Connelly Perrysburg, OH 77 – 75 = 152
T46 Bryn Irvine (a) Bay Village, OH, Avon Oaks 77 – 76 = 153
T46 Kurt Peterson (a) Bolivar, OH 76 – 77 = 153
T46 Gary Trivisonno Aurora, OH, PGA Of America Life Member 75 – 78 = 153
T49 Rick Harmon (a) Winchester, OH, Friendly Meadows 80 – 74 = 154
T49 Dan Belden (a) Massillon, OH 78 – 76 = 154
T49 Michael Thomas (a) Wintersville, OH, Steubenville 77 – 77 = 154
T49 Judd Stephenson Avon Lake, OH, Avon Oaks 76 – 78 = 154
T49 Andy Santor Youngstown, Ohio, The Country Club 76 – 78 = 154
T54 Alan Fadel (a) Toledo, OH, The Toledo CC 80 – 75 = 155
T54 Brian Huntley (a) Uniontown, OH 78 – 77 = 155
T54 Craig Goldsberry Lewis Center, OH, Bent Tree GC 77 – 78 = 155
T57 Eric Morgan Sandusky, OH, Plum Brook CC 81 – 75 = 156
T57 Mark Telerico (a) Aurora, OH, Barrington 78 – 78 = 156
T57 Jack Pawelkoski Dayton, OH 74 – 82 = 156
60 Gregory Bishop (a) New Franklin, OH 79 – 78 = 157
T61 Robert Berkheimer (a) Strongsville, OH 82 – 76 = 158
T61 Fred Huston Loveland, OH 81 – 77 = 158
T61 Rodney Bordman (a) Norwalk, OH, Eagle Creek GC 79 – 79 = 158
T61 Mark Thomas (a) Jackson Twp, OH, Ohio Prestwick 78 – 80 = 158
T61 Peter Butler (a) Medina, OH, Weymouth Club 78 – 80 = 158
T66 Thomas Skidmore (a) Akron, OH, Weymouth Club 81 – 78 = 159
T66 Mark Borlin (a) Stow, OH, Fox Den GC 75 – 84 = 159
T68 Dan Malloy (a) Westlake, OH 83 – 77 = 160
T68 Tom Laubacher (a) Aurora, OH, Club Walden 79 – 81 = 160
T70 Tony Stritenberger Urbana, OH 81 – 80 = 161
T70 Brian Vincelette (a) Wadsworth, OH, Fox Meadow Country 81 – 80 = 161
T70 Saumil Jhaveri (a) Westlake, OH, Avon Oaks 78 – 83 = 161
73 Steve Jurick Dayton, OH 84 – 78 = 162
T74 Tom Bach Springboro, OH, Sharon Woods GC 84 – 80 = 164
T74 John Bianco (a) Independence, OH, Weymouth Club 81 – 83 = 164
T74 Bill Wentz Galena, OH, Royal American 80 – 84 = 164
77 Dennis Berkheimer (a) Strongsville, OH, Chippewa GC 81 – 84 = 165
T78 Russell Papa Solon, OH, Signature of Solon CC 84 – 82 = 166
T78 Jay Davis (a) St Clairsville, OH 82 – 84 = 166
80 Roger Tolley (a) Willard, OH 79 – 88 = 167
T81 Larry King Cincinnati, OH 85 – 83 = 168
T81 Stephen Mayes (a) Westerville, OH 82 – 86 = 168
83 Leo Szczepanski (a) Garfield Hts, OH 87 – 82 = 169
T84 Scott Osborne (a) Findlay, OH, Findlay CC 83 – 87 = 170
T84 Daniel Vosel (a) Cincinnati, OH, Elks Run G.C. 76 – 94 = 170
86 George Papas (a) Hinckley, OH 82 – 91 = 173
87 John Knock (a) Liberty Township, OH, Four Bridges C.C. 88 – 90 = 178
88 Chris Helaney (a) Lakewood, OH 91 – 92 = 183
DID NOT FINISH
WD Jack McKelvey Chagrin Falls, OH, The Country Club
WD John Toth (a) Akron, OH, Fox Den GC
WD Michael Ross (a) Hinckley, OH, Mallard Creek GC
JWD Brad Zeitner Lewis Center, OH
JWD Jeffrey Osciak (a) Hudson, OH, CC of Hudson
JWD Ted Mandes Gates Mills, OH, Mayfield SRC – Sand Ridge
SUPER SENIOR DIVISION
1 Mike Cassell (a) Hudson, OH, CC of Hudson 67 – 68 = 135 $500.00
2 Monty Guest (a) Solon, OH, Silver Lake 68 – 71 = 139 $350.00
3 Pat Delaney Springfield, OH 71 – 72 = 143 $700.00
4 Terry Shell Wintersville, OH, PGA Of America Life Member 76 – 68 = 144 $500.00
5 Cory George Lancaster, OH 73 – 73 = 146 $250.00
T6 Tim Walton Kettering, OH 74 – 73 = 147
T6 Mark Boothby (a) Cincinnati, OH 73 – 74 = 147 $200.00
8 William Downing (a) Akron, OH, Sharon 74 – 74 = 148 $175.00
9 Rick Bryson (a) Akron, OH 74 – 75 = 149 $150.00
T10 Jim Durr (a) Silver Lake, OH 75 – 76 = 151 $42.00
T10 Philip Russo (a) Cincinnati, OH, GC at Stonelick Hills 74 – 77 = 151 $42.00
T10 Walt Robertson Cleveland, OH 75 – 76 = 151
T10 Tom Baugh (a) Akron, OH, Portage 72 – 79 = 151 $42.00
14 Kim Boehlke Youngstown, OH, PGA Of America Life Member 77 – 75 = 152
T15 Marc Fried (a) Solon, OH, Signature of Solon CC 80 – 73 = 153
T15 David Clarke (a) Saint Clairsville, OH, Steubenville 79 – 74 = 153
T15 Randy Reifers (a) Milford, OH 77 – 76 = 153
T15 Theo Grubb Milford, OH, Elks Run G.C. 74 – 79 = 153
19 Jeffrey Knox (a) Brecksville, OH, Canterbury 79 – 75 = 154
20 Terry Tyson (a) Perrysburg, OH 76 – 79 = 155
21 David Royer (a) Dublin, OH 80 – 76 = 156
22 Gordon Willins (a) West Chester, OH, Harmon G.C. 78 – 79 = 157
23 Randy Crider (a) Brunswick, OH 82 – 76 = 158
24 Ron Rositani (a) Willowick, OH 84 – 76 = 160
25 Jeff Luken (a) Middleburg Hts., OH, Seneca GC 81 – 80 = 161
26 G.M. Bingman (a) Medina, OH 84 – 79 = 163
27 Raymond Najda (a) Olmsted Township, OH, Pine Hills GC 84 – 81 = 165
28 Kevin Breen (a) Fairlawn, OH, Good Park 84 – 82 = 166
29 Jeff Thompson (a) Cincinnati, OH 92 – 83 = 175
30 Gary Davis (a) Hudson, OH 93 – 84 = 177
DID NOT FINISH
WD Ronald Miller (a) Willoughby, OH, Manakiki
WD Larry Lahnan (a) Aurora, OH, Club Walden
WD Rick Merrow (a) Fairlawn, OH
JWD Frank Guise (a) Westlake, OH
