Wednesday’s round was for the birds, literally. On a day of firsts, round one of The 2025 NCJT Tour Championship took on an aviary vibe as 17 players vied for championship hardware on the Devlin Course at Quail Hollow Country Club in Concord. The day saw 25 birdies, three eagles and the inexplicable demise of a goose (RIP). More on that later.
In Boys 16 to 19 action, Michael Fahey (Wadsworth) posted the only round in red and he did so by way of a walk-off eagle on the par 4 18th hole. His approach from 125 yards out found the bottom of the cup and put the end cap on a 2 under par round of 69. Fahey blistered the back nine with a pair of birdies to accompany the eagle against a lone blemish, a bogey on the 12th. His back nine of 3 under 32 was a personal best. Fahey has a comfortable lead heading into day two with two players sitting tied for second. Sammie Heiser (Pepper Pike) and Zack Snyder (Avon) share that designation with matching rounds of 78.
The Boys 15 and Under age group had fewer fireworks but solid play overall. Luke Chluda (Hudson) paced the group with a seven-over-par round of 78 (41-37). Chluda’s round featured just 5 pars, but 4 birdies that kept him ahead of the competition. Harrison Tugeau (Cleveland Heights) nearly matched Chluda 2ith 3 birdies, he’s three strokes back after going 38-43–81.
Elena Varga (Hudson) is your first round leader in Girls 19 and Under action. The always steady Varga posted a 6 over par round of 40-37–77, with a birdie on the par 5 14th. Varga leads Keira Chang (Chagrin Falls) by six heading into Thursday final round on the Weiskopf Course. The highlight of the day in girls’ action came by way of Chang’s playing partner, Angela Kerwood (Concord Twp) who chipped in from 20 yards on the par 5th fifth hole, her first eagle in competition.
Now, back to the goose. Ethan Olszowy (Avon) and Zack Snyder (Avon) had a third hole not to be soon forgotten. The excitement started with Snyder breaking his iron on his second shot, with the club head traveling nearly 80 yards into the right rough. Now this is where things get cloudy. In a scene normally reserved for Stephen King movies, a goose dropped out of the sky and landed near Olszowy, lying motionless and presumably dead. Said Olszowy, “I heard a screech, and it just dropped in front of me.” Snyder does insist that his club head did not strike the goose.
FAKE NEWS ALERT. Local authorities declined comment pending further investigation but did confiscate Snyder’s passport and access to bank accounts. The identity of the goose has been withheld pending notification of next of kin. A gofundme account is pending in support of the deceased’s gosling. Services and funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.
