THE 40TH OHIO SENIOR OPEN IS TWO WEEKS AWAY; NORTHERN OHIO PGA’S FIRST MAJOR IS MAY 28-29
The Northern Ohio Section of Professional Golfers Association (NOPGA) will stage its first major event of the season when the 40th annual Ohio Senior Open is played on the Fazio Course at Firestone Country Club on May 28-29.
The 36-hole stroke-play event annually attracts a maximum of 144 players. More than 100 players have entered this year’s event with the entry deadline still one week away (May 20th).
To date the field includes seven former champions, including five-time winner Bob Sowards, of Dublin, two-time champion Gary Trivisonno, of Aurora and the reigning champion, amateur Bob Spino, of nearby New Franklin.
The event is open to professionals and qualifying amateurs from throughout Ohio and is contested in two divisions: Regular Division for players 50 to 59-years-old and Senior Plus for players 60-and-over.
AN ADDED BONUS
For the first time the champion of the Ohio Senior Open (Regular Division) will earn an exemption into the Final Stage of 2026 U.S. Senior Open Qualifying. With the U.S. Senior Open now featuring a two-stage qualifying process, this perk allows the winner to bypass the first stage, bringing them one step closer to competing in arguably the most prestigious senior championship in golf. The 2026 U.S. Senior Open is scheduled to be played at Scioto Country Club in Columbus.
ONCE A CHAMP ALWAYS
Other former champions entered to date include PGA of America Life Members Mitch Camp (2009) and Tom Waitrovich (2013), North Coast Junior Tour Director Tony Milam (2014) and Canton amateur Nick Lambos (2016). Camp, Milam and Waitrovich are all NOPGA Hall-of-Fame members.
MORE ON BOB & TRIV
Sowards, 56, set a record when he won five consecutive Senior Open titles from 2019-2023. Trivisonno, 68, won in 2008 and 2011. Sowards is the Director of Instruction at the Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club in Powell, Ohio and Trivisonno is a PGA Life Member and a member of the NOPGA Hall of Fame.
REVISITING 2024
Bob Spino, 59, won the rain-shortened event with a 18-hole score of 3-under 31-36-67 to edge runners-up Dr. Jeff Mallette(North Canton) and professional Harold Wallace (McDermott), both of whom shot 33-35-68. He became just the fourth amateur – and the first since 2016 – to win the title. Spino has won the last two club championships at Ohio Prestwick Country Club. Pat Delaney, head professional at Reid Memorial Park in Springfield, won the Senior Plus Division with a 2-uner 68 (35-33) and Perrysburg amateur Terry Tyson was second at 34-35-69.
