Painesville’s Gary Rusnak Win his Second NOPGA Senior Professional Championship
Gary Rusnak of Painesville put together his second straight sub-par round on Tuesday and used it to win the 41st Northern Ohio Professional Golfers Association’s Professional Championship at Chagrin Valley Country Club.
After opening with a 3-under 68 on Monday, Rusnak, an instructor at 1899 Golf in Twinsburg, added a one-under par 70 on Tuesday for a 36-hole total of 4-under par 138 and a three shot victory over New Philadelphia’s Sean Kenily (70-71=141) and a hard-charging Mike Stone (74-67=141), the Director of Instruction at Belmont Country Club.
Youngstown Country Club Assistant Professional Jon Jones finished fourth at 70-74=144 to become the NOPGA’s fourth qualifier to the 37th Senior PGA Professional Championship, to be held Oct. 23-26, 2025 at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Rusnak becomes the fourth NOPGA member to win multiple Professional Championship titles, picking up his second victory since winning at Lakewood Country Club in 2021. The other three – Tony Milam, Gary Robison and Gary Trivisonno – are in the NOPGA Hall-of-Fame.
Beginning the final round with a two-shot lead, Rusnak extended it with birdies on two of his first four holes to get him to five-under par. A bogey on the 431-yard sixth was his lone blemish on the front, and he made the turn at 4-under.
Kenily, seventh in this tournament last year, became the hottest player on the course through the first nine holes. The head professional at the Union Country Club in Dover pulled even –- and briefly held the lead –- with birdies on three of the final four holes on the front side. A bogey on the par-3 ninth dropped him into a tie with Rusnak, both at 4-under.
The tournament became a two-man race and changed dramatically through the first four holes on the back, beginning on the 447-yard 12th hole, regarded by many as the toughest on the course. While Rusnak birdied the 11th by making a six-foot putt and followed with a par, Kenily suffered a double bogey on the 12th to fall three shots behind. Both players bogeyed the 13th and 14th so there was no harm done to Rusnak’s lead.
Stone, the 2023 champion and runnerup last year and in 2022, began the day six shots behind at 3-over but birdied three holes on the front to make the turn at one-over. He added three more on the back for a 4-under 67, the lowest round of the tournament. A bogey on the demanding 12th didn’t help his cause.
37th Senior PGA Professional Championship
The following players qualified for the PGA Senior Professional Championship, along with the four alternates:
QUALIFIERS: 1. Gary Rusnak (1899-Indoor Golf); 2. Mike Stone (Belmont Country Club); 3. Sean Kenily (Union Country Club); 4. Jon Jones (Youngstown Country Club).
ALTERNATES: 1. Mitch Camp (PGA Life Member); 2. Chris Carfangia (Pine Lakes Golf Club); 3. Scott Pollack (1899-Indoor Golf); 4. Mark Evans (Mayfield-Sand Ridge Country Club).
RD2 PHOTO GALLERY: 2025 NOPGA Senior Professional Championship >
FINAL RESULTS: Northern Ohio PGA
2025 NOPGA Senior Professional Championship
Chagrin Valley Country Club, Chagrin Falls
Monday, August 25 – Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Blue Golf Hole-by-Hole Results >
1. Gary Rusnak, Painesville, OH, 1899 Indoor Golf – Twinsburg, $1,750.00, *68-70-138 -4
2. Mike Stone, Perrysburg, OH, Belmont Country Club, $1,100.00, *74-67-141 -1
2. Sean Kenily, New Philadelphia, OH, Union Country Club, $1,100.00, *70-71-141 -1
4. Jon Jones, Warren, OH, Youngstown Country Club, $800.00, *70-74-144 +2
5. Mitch Camp, Aurora, OH, PGA Of America Life Member, $700.00, *74-72-146 +4
6. Christopher Carfangia, Hubbard, OH, Pine Lakes Golf Club, $600.00, *76-71-147 +5
7. Tony Adcock, Canton, OH, Foxy Golf Canton, $475.00, *76-72-148 +6
7. Scott Pollack, Chagrin Falls, OH, 1899 Indoor Golf – Twinsburg, $475.00, *75-73-148 +6
7. Mark Evans, Stow, OH, The Mayfield Sand Ridge Club – Mayfield, $475.00, *75-73-148 +6
7. Rob Moss, Broadview Heights, OH, Pepper Pike Club, $475.00, *74-74-148 +6
11. Kevin Sullivan, Painesville, OH, Quail Hollow Country Club – Weiskopf/Morrish, $325.00, *73-76-149 +7
11. Steve Stone, Maumee, OH, McDivots Driving Range, $325.00, *72-77-149 +7
13. Josh Coad, Utica, OH, Mount Vernon Country Club, $225.00, *76-74-150 +8
13. Tony Milam, Concord Township, OH, North Coast Junior Tour, $225.00, *76-74-150 +8
13. Tom Waitrovich, Westlake, Ohio, PGA Of America Life Member, $225.00, *72-78-150 +8
