Northern Ohio PGA Seeks Fifth Straight Win in 25th Ohio Cup

WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, Ohio: The Northern Ohio Section of the Professional Golfers Association of America will attempt to win for the fifth straight year when the 25th annual Ohio Cup is played at the Pinnacle Golf Club, in Grove City, October 4-6.

Coming on the heels of the 43d Ryder Cup, the Ohio Cup is a team competition between the Northern Ohio and Southern Ohio Sections of the PGA of America. The event will be played this year at the Pinnacle Golf Club in Grove City with the Southern Ohio Section serving as the host team.

The teams consist of 10 players in the Regular Division and six players in the Senior Division with competition being held in the match play categories of Four-Ball (also known as Best Ball), Foursomes (aka Alternate Shot) and Singles. One point is awarded for each victory with halved matches earning one-half point.
The NOPGA, captained for the second straight year by PGA Life Member Gary Trivisonno, is seeking its fifth straight victory in the event that began in 1997 at the Country Club of the North, in Xenia, Ohio.

Trivisonno, who had a 20-26-5 record in 18 appearances as a player in the event, led the North to a come-from-behind 18.5 to 13.5 victory in 2020 on the famed South Course at Firestone Country Club.The victory gave the NOPGA a 15-8 lead in the series. The NOPGA trailed, 8.5 to 7.5 after the Four-Ball and Foursomes matches but rallied to win by going 9-3-4 in the 16 singles matches.

Trivisonno will be assisted by Gary Robison, long-time professional at Firestone and Canton Brookside, who competed 19 times in the event and compiled a sparkling 37-10-10 record. His mark stands as one of the all-time best.

THE NOPGA ROSTERS (with club association, Ohio Cup appearances and Ohio Cup record).

REGULAR TEAM
RANDY DIETZ: Windmill Golf Center, 3rd, 4-2-0;
MARK EVANS: Mayfield Sand Ridge, 7th, 10-5-3
NICK GUSTIN: Erie Shores, 9th, 4-15-5
JAYSEN HANSEN: Beechmont, 14th, 20-13-6
CORY KUMPF: Canton Brookside, 8th, 6-12-3
ADAM LEWICKI: Portage, 2d, 1-2-0
JOE MEGLEN: GolfTEC-Stonebrook, 4th, 1-6-2
ROB MOSS: Pepper Pike, 16th, 26-14-5
NICK PAEZ: GolfTEC-Cleveland West, 2d, 3-0-0
JIM TROY: Honma Golf, USA, 4th, 6-2-1

SENIOR TEAM
TONY ADCOCK: Seven Hills, 16th, 17-23-5
TOM ATCHISON: Salem Golf Club, 19th, 32-14-8
MITCH CAMP: Club Walden, 21st, 35-15-10
STEVE PARKER: Portage, 4th, 2-3-4
GARY RUSNAK: 1899 Golf Cleveland East, 2d, 0-0-3
GARY TRIVISONNO: PGA Life Member, 18th, 20-26-5

ABOUT THE SOUTH: Captained by Cory George (Valley View Golf Course) and assistant Ken Corliss (Golf Club of Dublin) the South team is anchored by accomplished professionals Bob Sowards (Kinsale Golf and Fitness), Sam Arnold (Vineyard Golf Course), Jeff Olson (Golf Club of Dublin),
Mike Auterson (Hickory Woods), Chris Wilson (Columbus Country Club) and Seniors Chris Black (Valley View) and Doug Bahr (Maketewah Country Club). All have winning records in numerous Ohio Cup appearances or have won major events in Ohio.

Sowards is a three-time winner of the Ohio Open and twice has won the Ohio Senior Open. He has a 21-19-5 record in 15 Ohio Cup appearances.
Arnold has won several times in SOPGA events and owns a 21-15-6 record in 14th Ohio Cup appearances.
Olson’s 22-16-1 record in 13 appearances tops the SOPGA Regulars.
Auterson is 3-0-0 in two previous appearances but did not play last year.
Wilson won the Ohio Open in 2017 and is 3-2-1 in two previous Cup appearances.
Black won the Ohio Open in 1998 and has a 13-16-4 record in 11 appearances.
Bahr will play in his 16th Ohio Cup and has a 23-10-12 record, tops amongst the Seniors.

ABOUT PINNACLE: Designed by Lanny Wadkins and opened iun 2006, Pinnacle plays to 7,445 yards and a par of 72. Water intersects and cuts through 16 of the 18 holes.

THE SCHEDULE:
MONDAY, OCT. 4:
Practice rounds, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Four-Ball draw: 6 p.m.

TUESDAY, OCT. 5:
First round, Four-Ball, 8:30 a.m.
Second round, Foursomes, 1 p.m.
Draw for Singles, 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 6:
Third rounds, Singles, 8:30 a.m.
Trophy presentation, 3 p.m.