It didn’t look like it, especially when he was standing over putts, but Steve Klick, PGA, was battling nerves down the stretch of the 79th Southern Ohio PGA Senior Professional Championship at Beavercreek Golf Club.
He had to keep reminding himself of one simple thing: breathe.
Breathe. Roll another one in. Breathe. Repeat.
All the way to clinching his first Southern Ohio PGA Senior Section title.
“I’d like to think that I made it look easy but I have to be honest, I had trouble breathing on the back nine,” Klick admitted. “It’s so difficult to win in our Section because there are so many good players.”
The home course advantage certainly helped. Klick, Beavercreek’s Director of Operations, made the most of the home game, just as his colleague, Head Golf Professional Joe Moore, did on his way to a solo second-place finish.
“It means a lot to finish one-two. I think both Joe and I did a very good job representing our facility this week,” said Klick. “I’m so humbled to represent our Section as the Senior Champion.”
The putter was the difference maker. Starting the final round two shots behind Moore and Bob Sowards, Klick wasted no time closing the gap. He birdied the first hole and caught fire, rolling in five birdies on the front nine. He finished the day with just 26 total putts.
“It might be the best putting round I’ve ever seen in person,” said Sowards, which is quite something coming from someone with 21 appearances in Major championships.
“I was telling Joe [Moore] that the putter feels light in my hands right now,” said Klick. “For some reason over the last 36 holes, it felt really light and it allowed me to get the ball rolling on the right lines.”
That confidence showed on the final hole. Leading by two, Klick pulled his tee shot into the left rough and found his approach blocked by the lone tree guarding the green. Rather than attempting a risky shot, he smartly played to the bailout area right of the green. A good chip to 10 feet left him a par putt for the championship and that one was always going in. Dead center with an emphatic fist pump to boot. Bang!
“We don’t play for a living. Most of us are working all day at facilities,” Klick reflected. “I kept reminding myself, ‘this is why you practice, this is why you stay late in the evenings.’ This performance was building, and it came together at the right time.”
The Southern Ohio PGA Section will send five qualifiers to the Senior PGA Professional Championship in October: Klick, Moore, Sam Arnold, Anthony Andrews, and Mike Thomas will join Sowards, who is already exempt. Paul Hollenbaugh earned first alternate status with a solo seventh-place finish. Pat Delaney, Tim Krapfel, Brad Loomis and Jimmy Logue are the other alternates.
In the Legends Division, Ken Corliss, PGA, claimed the win with rounds of 75–73, while Cory George finished runner-up.
FINAL RESULTS: Southern Ohio PGA
2025 SOPGA Senior Professional Championship
Beavercreek Golf Club, Beavercreek, Ohio
Monday, September 8 – Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Blue Golf Hole-by-Hole Results >
1 Steven Klick, Beavercreek Golf Club 71 – 68 = 139 $1,150.00
2 Joe Moore, Beavercreek Golf Club 69 – 72 = 141 $950.00
3 Bob Sowards, Kinsale Golf & Fitness Club 69 – 73 = 142 $820.00
4 Sam Arnold, Vineyard Golf Course 73 – 72 = 145 $670.00
5 Anthony Andrews, Blue Ash Golf Course 74 – 72 = 146 $560.00
6 Mike Thomas, Sharon Woods Golf Course 74 – 73 = 147 $450.00
7 Paul Hollenbaugh, New Albany Country Club – North/East 77 – 71 = 148 $390.00
T8 Tim Krapfel, Golf Galaxy – Dublin 77 – 73 = 150 $305.00
T8 Pat Delaney, PGA Life Member 74 – 76 = 150 $305.00
10 Brad Loomis, Miami View Golf Club 77 – 74 = 151
T11 Jimmy Logue, The Country Club at Muirfield Village 76 – 76 = 152
T11 Barry Hinckley, New Albany Links 77 – 75 = 152
T13 Bob Stephens, PGA Life Member 80 – 73 = 153
T13 Dave Bahr, Maketewah Country Club 75 – 78 = 153
15 Chad Ammer, Maketewah Country Club 75 – 79 = 154
T16 Brian Jones, Kenwood Country Club 80 – 75 = 155
T16 Larry King, Tri County Golf Ranch 78 – 77 = 155
T18 Jon Decker, Medallion Club – Meadows 86 – 71 = 157
T18 Mike Kaido, Zanesville Country Club 81 – 76 = 157
T18 Sonny Rinala, Heritage Club 81 – 76 = 157
T18 Jack Pawelkoski, Miami Valley Golf Club 79 – 78 = 157
T18 Chris Black, The View 76 – 81 = 157
T23 Paul Hobart, PGA Life Member 81 – 77 = 158
T23 Sean Arthur, Hamilton Elks GC W/B 78 – 80 = 158
T23 Tom Bach, Heatherwoode Golf Club 77 – 81 = 158
26 Ryan Brickley, PGA Life Member 82 – 78 = 160
27 John Gordon, Oxford Country Club 81 – 80 = 161
T28 Glenn Johnson, York Golf Club 85 – 82 = 167
T28 Brad Zeitner, Intown Golf Club 80 – 87 = 167
30 Brian Kelly, Ohio State University Golf Club 92 – 99 = 191
