The final day of the 92nd Portage County Amateur Championship was exciting as golfers moved up the leaderboard or held onto the top of the leaderboard from their Saturday finish at Windmill Lakes Golf Club, Ravenna
For the second and final day of competition, the Amateur returned to Raccoon Hill Golf Club in Kent.
All three champions of the Women’s, Open and County Divisions were tied or held first place alone going into the second 18-holes.
COUNTY DIVISION
Jarrod Page is a familiar name to golf fans.
The champion of the County Division played for the Kent State Golden Flashes and worked at Kent State University Golf Course before regaining his Amateur status several years ago.
Page has played in the Amateur, but it is his first victory. He notched the win by beating two former champions in the final pairing, Rob Schustrich of Garrettsville and Bud Radis of Aurora.
Page’s back-to-back rounds of even par bested Schustrich by one stroke,
Schustrich tied Page at even par in the first round at Windmill. He was under-par for his first 18-holes until a four-putt on the final green notched his top-of-the-leaderboard tie with Page.
At Raccoon, Page earned another even-par round, remaining steady to best Schustrich by one stroke on the final day.
Radis had fired a 72 at Windmill but struggled the second day, adding a 76 to tur in a 148 total and finish in fourth place.
And what about third?
Ben Lansinger, former Mogadore standout now competing for Malone University and entering his junior season, put together a stunning round at Raccoon, making the turn at three-under par and maintaining that score for the only under-par round in the County Division to leap into third place after firing a first-round 77.
Rounding out the top five was Luke Radis of Aurora, brother of Bud Radis, who lost to his brother by one stroke and giving Bud Radis bragging rights.
WOMEN’S DIVISION
Abbie Retherford competes on the varsity boys team for the Ravenna Ravens. Saturday and Sunday she demonstrated why.
The Women’s Division played more than 6,000 yards at both Raccoon Hill and Windmill Lakes.
Retherford grabbed the lead on the first day and never looked back.
At Windmill, Retherford carded a four-over-par 74 that cleared her nearest competitors by six strokes and then added an 83 for a total 157, nine strokes better than the field.
Retherford had a solid four days of tournament action, taking the runner-up spot in the Matt Mishler Junior Portage County Amateur on Thursday and Friday.
The field of women featured all Portage County stand-outs as Grace Thompson, successful golfer for the Kent Roosevelt Lady Riders who just completed her junior season at Walsh University. Thompson fired rounds of 80-85 for a 165.
Sydnie Leavery just completed her season at Kent Roosevelt with the Lady Riders team that advanced to the OHSAA DI State Tournament. Leavery, tallied rounds of 80-86 for a 166 and third place before she heads to La Salle University to compete for the DI Explorers this fall.
Rounding out the top five, Devon Carpenter of Mogadore, fired a two-day total of 193 and Samantha Miller of Streetsboro totaled 197.
Carpenter was a solid golfer for the Field Lady Falcons. Relatively new to golf, Carpenter still advanced to the OHSAA D2 District her senior year.
Miller was a member of the relatively new Streetsboro Lady Rockets girls varsity golf team and will enter her sophomore season at Muskingum University this fall.
OPEN DIVISION
The only two-round score under-par of the entire field at the Portage County Amateur was fired by Gunnar McCollins of Massillon, entering his senior year at Cleveland State University.
McCollins carded a 71 at Windmill to tie for the lead with Blake Hood of Alliance.
At Raccoon, McCollins left the field behind as he fired a two-under-par 69 for a 140 that bested Chris Okeson of Beachwood by six strokes and multiple-time champion Brian Smith of Oberlin by eight strokes.
McCollins round included seven birdies on the way to the championship.
Okeson and Smith finished second and third respectively.
Mike Ritichey, former Crestwood varsity golf coach now of Cleveland took home fourth as he climbed the leaderboard with second round of 71.
Hood struggled at Raccoon but still managed to tie Ritchey, finishing in fifth via scorecard playoff.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Next up for the 2022 Portage County Amateurs is the 52nd Portage County Senior Amateur scheduled for Aug. 27 at Raccoon Hill and Aug. 28 at Windmill Lakes.
Four divisions include: age 50-plus, 60-plus, 70-plus and women 50 and over.
The 93rd Portage County Amateur is scheduled to compete July 29-30 at Windmill and Raccoon Hill.
FINAL RESULTS:
92nd Portage County Amateur
Windmill Lakes Golf Club, Ravenna
Raccoon Hill Golf Course, Kent
Sat/Sun, July 30-31, 2022
COUNTY DIVISION
Jarrod Page, Streetsboro 70-71 141
Rob Schustrich, Garrettsville 70-72 142
Ben Lansinger, Mogadore 77-67 144
Bud Radis, Aurora 72-76 148
Luke Radis, Aurora 75-74 149
Jeremy Knight, Streetsboro 77-74 151
Carter Troyer, Kent 78-74 152
Spencer Crone, Ravenna76-77 153
Evan Ferrara, Ravenna 76-77 153
Randy Wilburn, Deerfield 77-79 156
Laszlo May, Rootstown 81-78 159
Blaze Tanner, Aurora 76-84 160
Casey Troyer, Kent 80-80 161
Russell Shaffer, Rootstown 87-74 161
Ed Marsinek, Shalersville79-82 161
Anthony Marozzi, Ravenna 80-85 165
Bryan Keyser, Atwater 82-84 166
Mark Mitchell, Ravenna 82-85 167
Garrison Rose, Garrettsville 85-86 171
Travis Stein, Mogadore 83-90 173
Evan Dalziel, Kent 85-88 173
Ben Jenior, Rootstown 82-92 174
Bailey Campbell, Suffield 85-91 176
Vince Fortney, Garrettsville 95-87 182
Brendon Osborne, Mantua 93-94 187
Eric Ernsberger, Diamond 103-91 194
Aaron Snyder, Garrettsville 101-95 196
WOMEN’S DIVISION
Abbie Retherford, Ravenna 74-83 157
Grace Thompson, Kent 80-85 165
Sydnie Leavery, Kent 80-86 166
Devon Carpenter, Mogadore 88-105 193
Samantha Miller, Streetsboro 94-103 197
OPEN DIVISION
Gunnar McCollins, Massillon 71-69 140
Chris Okeson, Beachwood 74-72 146
Brian Smith, Oberlin 73-75 148
Mike Ritchey, Cleveland 80-71 151
Blake Hood, Alliance 71-80 151
Ben Cowan, Orange 78-76 154
Toby Matson, Grove City, PA 77-77 154
Reed Anderson, Upper Arlington 77-78 155
Cole Christman, Boardman 77-79 156
Bryce Hood, Alliance 76-80 156
Reece Ziegler, Bucyrus 82-77 159
Luke Schreck, Seville 86-74 160
Matt Hairston, Cleveland 81-81 162
Spencer Sizemore, Hudson 83-80 163
Josh Gealy, Stow 88-85 173
James Wilcox, Youngstown 96-87 183
