Five Ohio Pros Qualify for PGA Senior Professional Championship.
Steve Parker demonstrated a lot of game and plenty of patience over 36 holes to win the 40th NOPGA Senior Professional Championship at an extremely windy and testy Westbrook Country Club.
Parker fired two rounds of 69-70, five-under par, to earn a three-shot victory. Scott Pollack, from Twinsburg and defending champion Mike Stone finished tied for second place at 2-under 142, while another former champion, Pepper Pike Head Professional, Rob Moss finished fourth at one-under par.
All four qualify for the National Professional Championship, to be held in Sunriver, Oregon. Because Stone was already exempt into the National event, Tony Adcock will also advance after beating PGA Life Member and four-time winner Gary Trivisonno in a playoff for the final qualifying spot.
“With the wind it was hard to be aggressive,” said Parker. “There were times you would be standing over the be all and the wind would gust or start coming from a different direction. I just wanted to play smart, not do anything stupid, and stay away from making mistakes.”
Stone, who has been one of the hottest players in the Section this year, pointed to his putter.
“I just didn’t make any putts,” he said, adding that he missed birdie opportunities on four holes on the back nine. “But congratulations to Steve. He deserved to win. He was the best player over the 36 holes.”
Pollack played perhaps his best golf of the season and with a little luck and a few more turns of the ball his 71 could have been a 69. He left three or four putts on the edge. His lone bogey of the day came on the second hole. He played the next 16 holes in 2-under par.
This is the first time Parker has won this event and it was easy to tell it was a satisfying victory. He credited Brookside Head Professional Cory Kumpf with giving him a putting tip and passed out praise to many of his NOPGA colleagues.
“This is great,” he said while posing for the obligatory photos. “It’s a great feeling. There are some great names on that trophy, men who have been mentors and guys I have learned from.”
And one of those lessons paid off handsomely at Westbrook.
