By Tim Rogers, NOPGA Media

After opening the 41st Northern Ohio Senior PGA Professional Championship with a 3-under 68 on Monday, Painesville’s Gary Rusnak questioned whether he would be able to go under par again during Tuesday’s final round at testy Chagrin Valley Country Club.

“You know, I came to the Section five years ago when I was 57 and I had a pretty good run,” he said on Monday while sitting on a two-shot lead. “Won some events. Played pretty well. But I’m 62 now and those good rounds don’t come one after the other like they used to.”

Sometimes they do.

Rusnak refuted his Monday concerns on Tuesday, shot a one-under 70 and won the Championship for the second time in five years with a two-day total of 4-under 168.

“It wasn’t stress free, I’ll tell you that,” said Rusnak, who held off hard charges from Mike Stone (74-67=141) and Sean Kenily (70-71=141). “It was stressful.”

Cheers to Rusnak, 62, and Kenily, 56, as the only two players able to post consecutive sub-par rounds over CVCC’s 6,456 wind-blown yards.

Jon Jones (70-74=144) finished fourth to earn the final qualifying spot to the 37th Senior PGA Professional Championship, to be held Oct. 23-26 at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Kenily began the day two shots behind but quickly got Rusnak’s attention. While Rusnak birdied two of the first four holes, Kenily birdied three of the final five, including a chip-in from the back fringe on the 510-yard fifth, to take a one-stroke lead at 5-under. The lead didn’t last long as Rusnak parred the par-3 ninth to Kenily’s bogey.

“He got off to a great start,” Rusnak said. “It got to the point that we were either tied or he was ahead. He played very well.”

Things shifted on the back nine. Rusnak birdied the 11th to regain the lead while Kenily made double bogey on 12 and followed with bogeys on 13 and 14. Rusnak also bogeyed 13 and 14, but by playing holes 10–14 in one-over to Kenily’s four-over, the lead stretched back to two.

A key moment came at the 15th, where Rusnak sank a tricky four-footer for par. “The two-putt on 15 was big,” he said. “I knew if I could par in, I’d be okay.” Both players then closed with a birdie sandwiched by two pars.

Meanwhile, Stone was making a late run. The 2023 champ and two-time runner-up led the field with six birdies, including one on the 14th to get back to even par for the first time since Monday morning. He closed with a birdie on the 18th to finish in red figures.

For Rusnak, winning at 62 was even more meaningful than his first Senior Professional title at age 57. “Now I’m older and there are a lot more younger guys, guys in their 50s, like Mike Stone and a lot of others. It’s tough to win at my age. So, I am really proud of this. To win in your 60s is not easy.”

Rusnak didn’t make it look easy, but for two days he proved to himself and others that it’s possible.

The Qualifiers

  1. Gary Rusnak (1899 Indoor Golf – Twinsburg)

  2. Mike Stone (Belmont Country Club)

  3. Sean Kenily (Union Country Club)

  4. Jon Jones (Youngstown Country Club)

The Alternates

  1. Mitch Camp (PGA Life Member)

  2. Chris Carfangia (Pine Lakes Golf Club)

  3. Scott Pollack (1899 Indoor Golf – Twinsburg)

  4. Mark Evans (Mayfield Sand Ridge Country Club)