Michael Auterson has been close all season. Close at the SOPGA Match Play. Close at York GC back in May. Close again at Clovernook just a few weeks ago. Six finishes of T3 or better, but no wins. Now, he’s one round of good golf away from claiming his third Southern Ohio PGA Section Championship title and putting an exclamation point on that consistent run of form. No more “close” — it’s winning time.
“It’s all those little things that add up in a round of golf that keep you from winning,” Auterson said after posting rounds of 71 and 68 in Monday’s 36-hole marathon. “You’ve got to play a clean round of golf to win, and I’ve made too many tiny mistakes throughout some of those rounds.”
Auterson might admit he made a few of those mistakes in his opening round at a firm and challenging Miami Valley Golf Club, Monday morning. He went out in 33 but came back in 38, with two bogeys over his final three holes. Not the cleanest round of golf but the grind was there. In round two, he found more footing. A 3-under 68, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 15th, put him one shot clear of Andy Montgomery, Jared Jones, and the man who’s clipped him a few times this year, Ben Kern.
“I took some chances today and hit some good shots. You had to play extremely patient,” said Auterson. “The greens are great so you can make putts if you’re on the right side of the cup.”
Tuesday’s final round will be a grind. Miami Valley is playing firm and fast, and the wet 2025 summer has nudged the course conditions into downright challenging territory. Still, the site of the 1957 PGA Championship provides a fitting backdrop for another SOPGA Section Championship, given Dayton’s deep roots with the PGA of America. There’s no match play like in ’57, but the competition for the Tommy Bryant Memorial Trophy will be every bit as fierce as if these pros were playing for the Wanamaker.
There are nine players within five shots of the lead. Five of those players have wins in 2025. Three have won PGA Section Championships. 2023 Section Champion Ben Kern went 69-71 to sit just a shot back. He leads the SOPGA Rolex Player of the Year Rankings and has three wins this season, plus a victory at the SOPGA Summer Pro-Pro with Montgomery as his partner. Montgomery went out in 33 to take a quick front 9 lead in the opening round before an even par back nine rounded out a 2-under round of 69. His even par 71 in round two got him into his T2 spot. SOPGA Classic at Clovernook Champion Jared Jones went 71-69 to get into that three-way tie for second. Jones won the 2019 Southern Texas PGA Section Championship while working as the Director of Instruction at River Oaks Country Club in Houston. Auterson, a back-to-back Section Champion in 2018 and 2019, will have to hold off a stacked leaderboard.
Eleven-time Southern Ohio PGA Section Championship winner Bob Sowards sits six shots off the lead in a tie for tenth with Melissa Yeazell. Chase Wilson, Alex Martin, Dan Sorgini, Perry Wydman and Chris Muse round out the top ten.
Top 30 and ties made the cut in 2025, with 30 SOPGA Pros getting a Tuesday morning tee time. Kern, Martin and Wilson will be in the penultimate group. Auterson, Jones and Montgomery will be in the final group.
DAY 1 RESULTS: Southern Ohio PGA
2025 SOPGA Professional Championship
Miami Valley Golf Club, Dayton, OH
Monday, August 11, 2025
Blue Golf Hole-by-Hole Results >
1 Michael Auterson, Hickory Woods Golf Course 71 – 68 = 139
T2 Andy Montgomery, Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club 69 – 71 = 140
T2 Jared Jones, Scioto Country Club 71 – 69 = 140
T2 Ben Kern, Hickory Hills Golf Club 69 – 71 = 140
T5 Chase Wilson, Columbus Country Club 67 – 74 = 141
T5 Alex Martin, Golfweek Junior Tour 68 – 73 = 141
7 Daniel Sorgini, Blacklick Woods Hills 70 – 72 = 142
8 Perry Wydman, Miami Valley Golf Association 70 – 73 = 143
9 Chris Muse, Hickory Hills Golf Club 67 – 77 = 144
T10 Bob Sowards, Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club 75 – 70 = 145
T10 Melissa Yeazell, Tri County Golf Ranch 73 – 72 = 145
T12 Dave Bahr, Maketewah Country Club 74 – 72 = 146
T12 Jon Balyeat, Kenwood Country Club 73 – 73 = 146
T12 Joe Moore, Beavercreek Golf Club 71 – 75 = 146
T15 Richard Denny, Jamaica Run Golf Club 74 – 73 = 147
T15 Kyler Booher, Miami Shores Golf Course 76 – 71 = 147
17 Mike Thomas, Sharon Woods Golf Course 75 – 74 = 149
T18 Corey Weckerling, Moraine Country Club 74 – 76 = 150
T18 Trent Kopala, GOLFTEC – Dublin 76 – 74 = 150
T18 Casey Lewis, Sycamore Creek Country Club 72 – 78 = 150
T21 Matt Brewer, Cincinnati Country Club 77 – 74 = 151
T21 Brian Jones, Kenwood Country Club 73 – 78 = 151
T21 Taylor Suggs, Heritage Club 74 – 77 = 151
T21 Sam Arnold, Vineyard Golf Course 76 – 75 = 151
T25 Aaron Hart, Coldstream Country Club 74 – 78 = 152
T25 Chad Ammer, Maketewah Country Club 72 – 80 = 152
T25 Dan Halley, GOLFTEC – Dublin 75 – 77 = 152
T28 Tim Krapfel, Golf Galaxy – Dublin 75 – 78 = 153
T28 Edgar Leano, NCR Country Club- South Course 77 – 76 = 153
