By Tim Rogers
NOPGA Media

Chardon, Ohio: Ever have one of those days that starts perfectly?

You know, the sun is out, the newspaper is at your door, the coffee is hot and the juice is cold? Just a promising gem of a day?

But by afternoon, something goes haywire. It starts to pour. Lunch gets burned. Your kid gets sent home from school with a fever. The bank calls about that overdraft, and the roofer says you need a new roof. On both the house and the garage.

But by the end of the day, things improve and life doesn’t seem to be so bad after all.

If so, then you can relate to how the first day of the 30th Ohio Cup Matches went for the team from the Northern Ohio PGA.

By the end of the day, after the NOPGA won the final three matches in foursomes—all of which went to the 18th hole—things didn’t seem too bad heading into Wednesday’s 16 singles matches.

The SOPGA still leads, 9–7, but it’s a sight better than what could have been.

“Compared to where we could have been, a two-point deficit doesn’t seem that bad,” said team captain Tom Waitrovich, fighting a nasty cold that had him in bed by 9 o’clock. “We all know that losing 9–7 is a whole lot better than losing 10–6. I would hate to think where we’d be if we were down four points. The guys hung in there and made some nice comebacks.”

That doesn’t mean it’ll all be steak and lobster going forward, but there is a chance the NOPGA can extend its series lead to 18–12 and loosen the stranglehold the SOPGA has had on the event, winning four of the last five competitions.

“We have a chance,” Waitro continued. “The guys fought and we put our lineup together and see if we can’t give the South a helluva surprise.”

In a nutshell, the NOPGA got off to a surprisingly pleasant start, playing its way to a 4–4 tie after the eight fourball matches. Following a 30-minute frost delay, the matches were played in temperatures in the low 60s, requiring layered clothing for most players.

The foursomes matches got off to a start colder than the weather. The South won the first five matches, building a 9–4 lead. To make matters worse, some of the Section’s top players—including Jaysen Hansen, Jim Troy and seniors Steve Parker, Mitch Camp, Jon Jones and Sean Kenily—were among those who lost matches in the morning or afternoon.

Camp and Parker had a 1-up lead over Sam Arnold and Joe Moore, only to see Arnold roll in a 45-footer to tie the match on the penultimate hole and then birdie the 530-yard 18th to win, 1-up.

In the morning, Randy Dietz and Cory Kumpf were tied with former Ohio Open champion Chase Wilson and substitute Danny Sorgini through 14 holes, only to have Wilson birdie the 15th and 17th holes en route to a 2-up win.

In the afternoon, Dietz and Kumpf led Bob Sowards—undeniably one of the state’s best—and Michael Auterson through 12 holes, only to have the Southern team reel off three consecutive birdies en route to a 2-up win.

The NOPGA had some grand moments as well. Jaysen Hansen and Jim Troy defeated Sowards and Auterson, 2-and-1. Rookie Michael Balcar and Anthony Panepento put together a strong back-nine stretch—highlighted by Balcar’s hole-out from 120 yards on the 13th—to close out Taylor Suggs and Alex Martin, 5-and-3.

Nick Gustin and Mark Sierak birdied the final three holes to salvage a tie with Allie White and Corey Weckerling in the morning, then defeated Sorgini and Wilson, 1-up, in the afternoon by winning the final two holes. White, the two-time OHSAA state champion from Lancaster, became the first woman to appear in the Ohio Cup and did well, earning the SOPGA 1.5 points.

Panepento and Balcar, who could become the NOPGA’s dynamite team of the future if they aren’t already, were tied with Suggs and Martin through 16 holes in the afternoon but birdied the final two to win, 2-up.

Gary Rusnak and Nick Paez rallied to tie Brad Loomis and Mike Thomas through 16 holes, then birdied the 17th to win, 1-up.

The Section’s two biggest point-getters were Balcar and Panepento, with two victories apiece. Several others contributed 1.5 points with a win and a tie.

Everybody gets another chance on Wednesday with the 16 singles matches. The first tee time is 8:30 a.m.

Singles Pairings — Northern Ohio Listed First

Nick Paez vs. Dave Bahr (Seniors)
Sean Kenily vs. Sam Arnold (Seniors)
Cory Kumpf vs. Bob Sowards
Jim Troy vs. Chase Wilson
Anthony Panepento vs. Danny Sorgini
Mitch Camp vs. Joe Moore (Seniors)
Ian Haidle vs. Allie White
Gary Rusnak vs. Mike Thomas (Seniors)
Jaysen Hansen vs. Taylor Suggs
Steve Parker vs. Chad Ammer (Seniors)
Nick Gustin vs. Corey Weckerling
Jon Jones vs. Brad Loomis (Seniors)
Michael Balcar vs. Michael Auterson
Randy Dietz vs. Alex Martin
Jordan Paolini vs. Jared Jones
Mark Sierak vs. Andy Montgomery