Painesville’s Gary Rusnak Win his Second NOPGA Senior Professional Championship
After opening the 41st Northern Ohio Senior PGA Professional Championship with a 3-under 68 on Monday, Painesville’s Gary Rusnak questioned whether he would be able to go under par again during Tuesday’s final round at testy Chagrin Valley Country Club.
“You know, I came to the Section five years ago when I was 57 and I had a pretty good run,” he said on Monday while sitting on a two-shot lead. “Won some events. Played pretty well. But I’m 62 now and those good rounds don’t come one after the other like they used to.”
Sometimes they do.
Rusnak refuted his Monday concerns on Tuesday, shot a one-under 70 and won the Championship for the second time in five years with a two-day total of 4-under 168.
“It wasn’t stress free,” I’ll tell you that,” said Rusnak, who held off hard charges from Belmont Country Club Director of Instruction Mike Stone (74-67=141) and Union Country Club Head Professional Sean Kenily (70-71=141). “It was stressful.”
Cheers to Rusnak, 62, and Kenily, 56, as the only two players able to post consecutive sub-par rounds over CVCC’s 6,456 wind-blown yards.
Youngstown Country Club Assistant Pro Jon Jones (70-74=144) finished fourth to earn the final qualifying spot to the 37th Senior PGA Professional Championship, to be held Oct. 23-26 at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Kenily, seventh in this event last year at Westbrook Country Club, began the day two shots behind but soon got Rusnak’s attention. While Rusnak birdied two of the first four holes Kenily birdied three of the final five, including a chip-in from the back fringe on the 510-yard fifth, to take a one stroke lead at 5-under to Rusnak’s 4-under.
The lead didn’t last long as Rusnak parred the par-3 ninth to Kenily’s bogey.
“He got off to a great start,” Rusnak said. “I mean, it got to the point that we were either tied or he was ahead. “He played very well.”
Things started to change in Rusnak’s favor early on the back nine. He birdied the easy 11th – to Kenily’s par — by making a six-foot putt and made par on the demanding 12th – arguably the toughest hole on the course – while Kenily took a dreaded double bogey. A lip-out from six feet led to a bogey on 13 and an errant drive into the left trees forced Kenily to punch about sideways, which led to another bogey on 14.
It’s not like Rusnak took charge as he also bogeyed the 13th and 14th but did not let panic take over. He played holes 10 through 14 at one-over to Kenily’s four-over. The lead was back to two.
Perhaps an overlooked hole was the 408-yard 15th. Both made par but Rusnak was forced to make a tricky four-footer.
“The two-putt on 15 was big,” he said. “I knew I was two or three shots ahead so I felt if I could par in I would be okay.”
Both sandwiched a birdie between two pars over the final three holes.
“I thought 12 and 13 were big swings,” said Rusnak, who went par-bogey to Kenily’s double and bogey.
Meanwhile, several groups in front, Mike Stone was trying to make a charge. The 2023 champ and two-time runnerup led the field with six birdies. His fifth of the day on the 330-yard 14th got him to even for the first time since Monday morning. He closed his round with a birdie on the 18th to get into the red numbers.
While Rusnak allayed his pre-round fears with back-to-back par-breaking rounds he said winning at 62 was extremely harder than winning at 57, as he did in 2021. He might even be a little more proud on Tuesday than he was on the final day at Lakewood Country Club.
“I told you that when I returned to the Section five or six years ago at age 57 and had a really good run it was one thing. But now I’m older and there are a lot more younger guys, guys in their 50s, coming in and they are very good players, like Mike Stone and a lot of others. It’s tough. It’s tough to win at my age. So, I am really proud of this. To win in your 60s is not easy. Gary Robison did it and made it look easy. But that’s Gary.”
Rusnak did not make it look easy. But, for two days he made a believer of himself and many other guys in their 60s. Back-to-back rounds under par in the heat of competition can do that.
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
