By Tim Rogers, NOPGA Media

AKRON: There isn’t a soul on any golf course in any city in any state in any country on any planet in any galaxy in any universe capable of challenging Daniel Wetterich’s victory in the 105th Ohio Open Championship on Wednesday on Firestone Country Club’s demanding North Course.

Or, how he won it. There are things in life that you just don’t challenge. This was one of those things.

Wetterich, a 29-year-old professional from Cincinnati, didn’t luck out. The handful of contenders or challengers around him didn’t gag or fold. No one got DQ’d or penalized. 

Wetterich just didn’t win the tournament. He went out on a blistering day in arguably the most diverse and significant golf tournament Ohio has to offer and took it.

  Plain and simple? He played better than anyone else when it mattered. He came from seventh place and six strokes behind heading into the final round and won by three, the widest margin of victory in this event since Jake McBride and Justin Lower beat everyone by four shots in 2021. He made six birdies and two eagles on holes longer than some runways. With the championship hanging in the balance, he played his final four holes in four under, including an eagle on the final hole following a masterful 6-iron second that set up a 7-foot putt.

That’s what champions are made of.

Wetterich, who once led his Ohio State team in scoring and left for a  Korn Ferry event in Colorado today, shot a final-round, 10-under 62 to win by three shots. His rounds of 64-71-62 added to 197 and 17-under par.

Nope, there are some things you just can’t challenge.

“This is an honor to win this tournament,” he said. “There are some great names on the trophy . . . Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson won it three times. And a lot of my friends have won it. To have my name added to the trophy is an honor.”

Second-round leader, Dover professional Ryan Troyer, shared second place with amateurs Logan Sutto and Strongsville’s Nick Piesen, all at 14-under 200.

Troyer, 34, posted his best finish in numerous previous Opens, spurred by a near-record 63 in Tuesday’s second round, but consecutive bogeys midway through the final nine holes derailed him.

Sutto, a junior at Butler University out of Monclava near Toledo, and Strongsville’s Piesen, a junior at Indiana, earned low amateur honors. Sutto was the hottest player in the final field of 62 – cut from the original 266 – in the early going with four birdies through his first four holes. Piesen closed his front nine with birdies on his final three holes.

The top of the leaderboard changed frequently and repeatedly, almost by the minute, throughout the day. At any given moment names changed, giving fits to those manning the mobile scoreboards.

  Five players at one time or another owned the tournament lead. Troyer began the day on top thanks to his 63. Shane Ochs, a senior at Wright State from Beavercreek, took over when he played his first five holes in four under.

Sutto, who helped Anthony Wayne win the Division I state championship in 2023, replaced Ochs with his torrid birdie-par-birdie-birdie-birdie start.

Then came Wetterich.

Playing two groups behind the leaders, Wetterich began a rally that would have done Paul Lawrie – see the 1999 Open Championship — proud. A combination of splendid iron play and some memorable lengthy putts became the norm.

He made a 25-footer that had a three-foot, right-to-left break from the front edge on the third for birdie and followed with his first eagle by draining a 45-footer on the 533-yard fifth following a majestic 6-iron from about 200 yards to the center of the green.

A solid drive and a delicate lob from close to the water that stopped five feet from the hole helped complete a birdie on the 534-yard seventh.

While he didn’t birdie the 431-yard ninth he made a crucial 24-footer to save par after being stymied near a tree that restricted his swing.

“That putt really kept me going,” he said. “And I feel I really needed it at the time. I could only advance it about 50 yards because of the tree.”

So, he simply pitched it to two dozen feet and made the putt.

Birdies on 10 and 11 followed, getting him to 13-under, one shot behind Sutto and Ochs. He made a 5-footer on 10 but chances of making birdie from 55 feet on the 171-yard 11th looked bleak. To everyone but Wetterich. It was center cut.

Wetterich is not an early scoreboard watcher, but when your name is in the hunt he makes exceptions.

“Early on and through the middle of a round I don’t pay any attention to the scoreboard,” he said. “But when things are nearing the end I like to know where I stand and what I might have to do to win.”

He started paying attention on the 14th hole and here’s what he did:

  • He birdied the shortened 15th with a seven-footer.
  • He birdied the monstrous 16th from 30 feet, leaving his eagle attempt on the lip.
  • He two-putted the par-3 17th for par.

“I knew a par was good there,” he said. “I had a one-shot lead so all I needed to do was make a solid shot.”

Then came the mind-blowing, fitting ending to a marvelous week 18th.

His drive left him 190 yards to the pin with water coming into play if one lets it. He didn’t He hit a 6-iron to seven feet and made the putt.

Game. Set. Match.

During his acceptance speech Wetterich thanked everyone and saved a special moment for last when he called his former college roommate, Christopher Utrup, to join him for a celebratory photo with the Commodore Perry Trophy.

The two became friends through junior golf, despite Wetterich being from southwest Ohio and Utrup from the Northeast. It was Wetterich who convinced Utrup to join him at Xavier. Wetterich transferred to OSU but the two remained friends and Wetterich thanked Utrup and his family for their hospitality this week.

“I didn’t do much, that’s for sure,” said Utrup, who lives near Mayfair Golf Course in Green “All I did was house him, feed him and make sure he got to the course on time.”

And one other favor followed at day’s end. Wetterich discovered a nail had flattened one of his tires. He left the course to attend it even though champions should not have to fix flat tires.

There are some things you just don’t challenge.

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