By Tim Rogers, NOPGA Media

CANFIELD: It was an elephant-in-the-room type question, too more obvious than a coffee stain on a white shirt and too prominent not to ask.

Or, more precisely, a few follow-up elephant-in-the-room type questions.

Would anyone be able to catch second-round leader – but first-time participant – Michael Balcar during  the final round of the 76th annual Northern Ohio Professional Golfers Association’s Professional Championship?

Was Balcar’s five-shot lead too great to overcome, even for his talented and tested pursuers?

Would Balcar fold like a cheap umbrella on a windy day or would one of his handful of stalkers catch fire and become a modern-day Paul Lawrie and rally from some kind of outrageous deficit to win? Or both?

The answers were found over the final 18 holes at classic Tippecanoe Country Club and in Balcar’s deeply rooted desire and talent.

No, Balcar would not collapse like some kind of Jean van de Veld and get overtaken by Lawrie. And try as they might, his hunters were never able to catch him.

Balcar stormed the field and maybe outfoxed Tippecanoe with a final-round 7-under 65 to win what is also known as the Section Championship with a 54-hole score of 16-under 200. He won by seven shots in his first Section Championship appearance. Those numbers are not typos. His performance was relentlessly overpowering. 

His 7-shot win was the largest margin of victory in recent memory. NOPGA Hall-of-Famer Rob Moss beat Mitch Flemming by six at Canterbury Golf Club in 2012 in the third of his unprecedented five-year winning streak.  

Prior to the final round Balcar maintained he would not look ahead. He vowed to stay in the moment and take it one stroke at a time.

It is safe to say the 33-year-old assistant professional at Brandywine Country Club has plenty reasons to look forward now.

He can look forward to representing the NOPGA in the 30th annual Ohio Cup Matches next month at the Mayfield-Sand Ridge Club. It is an event he seriously wants to be a part of.

He can look ahead to playing in the 59th PGA National Professional Championship in Florida in April. 

He can look ahead to seeing his name inscribed on the championship trophy alongside such illustrious past winners as Denny Shute, Herman Keiser, Frank Stranahan, Don Padgett and more recently Gary Robison, Tom Atchison, Rob Moss, Jim Troy and Gary Trivisonno.

He can look forward to having his bank account inflated by $7,500, his prize for what was a fantastic three rounds highlighted by an equally as fantastic final round that brought him his second NOPGA major title since 2023.

“This feels incredible,” he said after the awards ceremony and customary photo sessions. “There are a lot of great player’s names on that trophy and to win it in my first time is something. This tournament has a long history and there are a lot of great players in our Section. I really appreciated a lot of them sticking around and congratulating me. That was special. I just thank God for the opportunity, and I was able to stay in my routine and stay in the present and stay positive.”

He had special thanks for his long-time mentor and caddie Jeff Manore, who has known and worked with him for more than half his life. He also gave thanks to Tippecanoe members Jack Monda, Marshall Buck and Frank Dixon.

Balcar, the 2023 Ohio Open champion, met those three when he played a practice round at Tippecanoe before the July 5th tornado that wiped out 234 trees and closed the course for 21 days.

“I met them on the practice tee and we just started talking and they asked me if I wanted to join their group,” Balcar said. “They took me all around the course and showed me the tricks that only long-time members know. I really think that helped.”

 Balcar’s rounds of 67-68-65 bested the aforementioned three-time champion Troy, who battled admirably with rounds of 66-74-67=207 to finish as the runnerup for the second straight year and for the sixth time in the last eight years.

Third place went to another battler, Windmill Golf Center lead instructor Randy Dietz, who went 72-71-70=213 while fighting back and knee issues, and Canterbury Golf Club Assistant Anthony Panepento, who finished 72-71-71=214.

Troy, Dietz and Panepento will join Balcar at the PGA Professional Championship in Florida as the four qualifiers granted by the PGA.

Belmont Country Club Director of Instruction Mike Stone (70-74-71=215), Union Club Director of Golf Sean Kenily (73-70-73=216),, Optimus Golf Owner Mark Sierak (72-74-71 = 217), and Rob Moss (71-74-72=217) are the alternates.

The final round was everything a final round of a major should be. In hindsight it lacked a little intrigue, but arguably, five of the Section’s best players were in the final three threesomes. Balcar, Troy and Dietz were in the last group and Panepento and Stone were in two of the preceding groups.

While Balcar had a five-shot lead over Troy and an eight-shot lead over Dietz, Panepento, Kenily and Findlay Country Club Head Professional Jordan Schroeder, we know strange things can happen during a final round.

 Think Greg Norman in the 1996 Masters, van de Veld in the 1999 Open Championship, Jordan Spieth in the 2016 Masters or even Rory McIlroy, who lost a 4-shot lead in the final round of the 2011 Masters when he shot 80.

If it can happen to those guys it can happen to anyone. Just not on this day to Balcar. He finished with 19 birdies, one eagle and five bogeys.

Let’s focus on the Balcar-Troy-Dietz group. The three of them put on a dazzling display of shot-making. They combined to produce more birdies and eagles than you’ll find in the National Aviary. They had 17 birdies and two eagles. Through the first seven holes they combined for 10 birdies, 15 pars and zero bogeys.

Balcar, 33, and Troy, 45, each birdied four of their first seven holes and Dietz was close behind with two birdies and an eagle through the same seven.

Until he bogeyed the par-3 16th with a rare three-putt Balcar was 9-under for the day and 18-under for the tournament. He flirted with the course record of 63 owned by 1996 Ohio Open champion Dennis Miller until the three-flop. He admitted to briefly thinking of 59 after his birdie on 15.

Balcar and Dietz birdied and Troy parred the 339-yard 12th by driving the green. Dietz and Troy hit drivers and Balcar – he of the 180 mph ball speed and 117 mph swing speed — used a 3-wood.

Balcar was relentless in protecting his comfortable lead, which never dwindled to fewer than five shots. Still, Troy and Dietz kept pursuing but to no avail. At one point all three players were 3-under, but Dietz and Troy could not make up any ground and that was the pattern of the day.

Balcar admitted to being anxious before play began.

“It was a long 18 hours,” he said. “I was ready to play at 9 p.m. on Tuesday. I was like a little kid waiting to go to Cedar Point the next day. I tried everything, counting sheep, visualizing the golf course and I couldn’t fall asleep.”

With his length Balcar played Tippecanoe’s 12 par-5s in seven under. He went bogey-free for stretches of 17 and 24 consecutive holes over the three rounds. Two of his five bogeys came on the final three holes of the tournament, long after it had been decided.

A tip-of-the-hat must go to Tippecanoe head professional Michael Spiech and his staff. And a double tip to superintendent Jake Harold and assistant Jason Nagy and their crew. Not every staff could have endured and bounced back from the destruction caused by the July 5th  tornado.

And, obviously, a strong tip to champion Balcar, challengers Troy and Dietz and all others who played a part in the tournament. It was a lot of fun to watch.

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