Only two amateurs have managed to win the main division of the Ohio Senior Open during its 28-year run at Firestone Country Club.
Firestone member Howard Clendenin would love to be the third.
The retired sales engineer from Fairlawn put himself in great position to accomplish that when he shot a five-under 35-30=65 on the Fazio Course during Wednesday’s opening round in the 40th Senior Open.
Technically, four amateurs have won but only Canton’s Nick Lambos (2016) and New Franklin’s Bob Spino last year won at Firestone. Delaware’s Chuck Smith (1986) and Ashland’s Jack Miller (1990) won at Plum Brook.
Clendenin, a frequent contender and runnerup in this event in 2020, used a torrid finish to build a one-shot lead over five-time champion Bob Sowards heading into Thursday’s final round.
Sowards, whose five consecutive wins starting in 2019 is an all-time record, is alone in second place after a bogey-free 32-34=66 on a damp and chilly day.
Four players were in a logjam tie for third, including 2013 champion Tom Waitrovich (33-35), Pepper Pike Head Professional Rob Moss (33-35), Youngstown Country Club Assistant Professional Jon Jones (35-33) and Belmont Country Club Director of Instruction Mike Stone (37-31), all three shots back at 2-under 68.
Clendenin, who turns 56 on Sunday, led the field of 138 with seven birdies, with five over his final six holes. He began his round with bogeys on the first two holes but was bogey-free the rest of the way. He caught fire with seven birdies over his final 11 holes.
Sowards, Director of Instruction at Kinsale Golf and Fitness Country Club in suburban Columbus, birdied three of the final four holes on the front and added another on the 11th before running seven straight pars.
Waitrovich, the former long-time Head Professional at Lakewood Country Club, was one-under through 16 holes but spiked his round with an eagle on the 506-yard 17th to get to three under only to bogey the closing hole, regarded as one of the toughest on the course.
After making the turn at even-par, Jones birdied three of the first six holes on the back to get to 3-under but he also bogeyed the 18th.
While Clendenin is the only amateur in the top seven of the regular division, seven non-professionals hold the 10 spots in the Senior Plus Division.
Brecksville’s Allen Freeman (37-34), Solon’s Marc Fried (36-35) – both amateurs – share the lead with Tim Krapfel (35-36), a Golf Galaxy Teaching Pro in Dublin, share the lead at one-over 71. Red Tail Head Professional Todd Company, Firestone member Steven Shaw and Cincinnati’s Dan DeVore are tied for third at 2-over 72 while Clevelander David Games, Beachwood’s Dean Pahr, 2020 Senior Plus champ Mike Cassell (Hudson) and 2022 champion Ed Steiber (Cincinnati) are tied for seventh at 4-over 74.
Freeman, Fried, DeVore, Games, Pahr, Cassell and Steiber are amateurs.
RD1 PHOTO GALLERY: 2025 Ohio Senior Open >
RD1 RESULTS: Northern Ohio PGA
2025 Ohio Senior Open
Firestone Country Club Fazio Course, Akron – Par 70
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
BlueGolf Hole-by-Hole Results >
CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION
1 Howard Clendenin (a), Fairlawn, OH, Firestone Country Club 65
2 Bob Sowards, Dublin, OH 66
T3 Tom Waitrovich, Westlake, Ohio, PGA Of America Life Member 68
T3 Jon Jones, Warren, OH, Youngstown Country Club 68
T3 Rob Moss, Broadview Heights, OH, Pepper Pike Club 68
T3 Mike Stone, Perrysburg, OH, Belmont Country Club 68
T7 Mike Thomas, Loveland, OH 69
T7 Michael Riley (a), Akron, OH, Fairlawn Country Club 69
T9 Brian Smith (a), Amherst, OH, Oberlin Golf Club 70
T9 Dennis Miller, Youngstown, OH, PGA Of America Life Member 70
T9 Sam Arnold, Cincinnati, OH 70
12 Mitch Camp, Aurora, OH, PGA Of America Life Member 71
T13 Rik Cramer, Bellbrook, OH 72
T13 David Dinan, Akron, OH, Windmill Golf Center 72
T13 Steve Parker, Akron, OH, Firestone Country Club 72
T13 Robert Schustrich (a), Windham, OH 72
T13 Peter Samborsky II (a), Kettering, Ohio 72
T18 Garrett Frank (a), Youngstown, OH 73
T18 Paul Wackerly, Minerva, OH 73
T18 Matthew Sutter (a), North Canton, OH, Brookside Country Club 73
T18 Mike Kaido, Zanesville, OH 73
T18 Joseph Moore, Englewood, OH 73
T23 Tony Adcock, Canton, OH, Foxy Golf Canton 74
T23 Gary Trivisonno, Aurora, OH, PGA Of America Life Member 74
T23 Darrin Vaughan, Bolivar, OH 74
T23 Scott Savage, Mount Vernon, OH 74
T23 John Goodson, Hudson, OH, Lake Forest Country Club 74
T23 Dave Antill (a), Dublin, OH 74
T29 Robert Huston (a), Loveland, OH, Tri County Golf Ranch 75
T29 Nick Myers, Sylvania, OH, Highland Meadows Golf Club 75
T29 Peter Betzold (a), West Chester, OH, Twin Run Golf Course 75
T29 Brian Beebe (a), Uniontown, OH, Firestone Country Club 75
T29 Mark EvansStow, OH, The Mayfield Sand Ridge Club – Mayfield 75
T29 Brian Unk, Lewis Center, OH 75
T29 Robert Spino (a), New Franklin, OH, Ohio Prestwick Country Club 75
T29 Kevin Sullivan, Painesville, OH, Quail Hollow Country Club – Weiskopf/Morrish 75
T29 John Bernatovicz (a), Akron, OH, Westfield Group Country Club 75
T29 Steve Mulcahy, Lima, Ohio, University of Findlay 75
T29 Tony Milam, Concord Township, OH, North Coast Junior Tour 75
T29 Chris Black, Lancaster, OH, OH 75
T29 John Fryman (a), Westerville, OH 75
T42 Jay Davis (a), St Clairsville, OH, Steubenville Country Club 76
T42 Bob Koch, Medina, OH, Fox Meadow Country Club 76
T42 Willie Yacknow, Fairlawn, OH, Challenge Golf Course At Edwin Shaw Rehab 76
T42 Doug Ganim (a), Westerville, OH 76
T42 Dale Davis, Akron, OH, Firestone Country Club 76
T42 Mark Guadagni (a), Hudson, OH, Silver Lake Country Club 76
T42 Jeff Mallette (a), North Canton, OH, Brookside Country Club 76
T42 Gary Rusnak, Painesville, OH, 1899 Indoor Golf – Twinsburg 76
T50 Ryan Reichley (a), Dayton, OH 77
T50 Kurt Peterson (a), Massillon, OH 77
T50 Craig Goldsberry, Lewis Center, OH, Bent Tree Golf Club 77
T50 Brian Jones, West Chester, OH 77
T54 Jason Leeds (a), Powell, OH 78
T54 Wayne Moler (a), Waterford, OH 78
T54 Brad Cavey, Medina, OH, Beechmont Country Club 78
T54 Daniel Terry, Wadsworth, OH, Chippewa Golf Club – Doylestown 78
T58 Mike Haynes (a), Gallipolis, OH 79
T58 Paul Krueger (a), Parma, OH 79
T58 James Logue Jr, Westerville, OH 79
T58 Edward Diebold (a), Coventry Township, OH 79
T62 Dean Cutlip (a), Copley, OH, Firestone Country Club 80
T62 Joe Podolski (a), Worthington, OH 80
T62 Ken Kinkopf (a), Jupiter, FL 80
T62 Roger Tolley (a), Willard, OH, Eagle Creek Golf Club 80
T62 Nick Lambos (a), Canton, OH, Brookside Country Club 80
T62 Trevor Thomas, Findlay, OH, The Delphos Country Club 80
T62 Scott Pollack, Chagrin Falls, OH, 1899 Indoor Golf – Twinsburg 80
T69 David Clancy (a), Springboro, OH 81
T69 Mark Warden (a), Vincent, OH 81
T69 Scott Loudon (a), Canton, OH, Ohio Prestwick Country Club 81
T69 Chris Brooks (a), Columbus, OH 81
T69 Bob Stephens, Mason, OH, PGA Life Member 81
T74 Ryan Groff (a), Troy, OH 82
T74 Scott Karabin, Warren, OH, Old Avalon Golf Course 82
T74 Chris Casto, Galena, OH, NorthStar Golf Club 82
T74 Derek Kesig (a), Delaware, OH 82
T78 Stephen Mayes (a), Westerville, OH 83
T78 Jeff Thrams (a), North Canton, OH, Shady Hollow Country Club 83
T80 Brian Crowthers (a), Cincinnati, OH 84
T80 Ronald Salerno, Broadview Hts, OH, X-Golf Broadview Heights 84
82 Dennis Dempsey (a), Madison, OH, Quail Hollow Country Club 85
83 Dan Sutton, Holland, OH, McDivots Driving Range 87
T84 Jon Bucciarelli (a), Munroe Falls, OH 88
T84 Dirk Hartman, Akron, OH, The First Tee of Akron 88
86 David Mosley (a), West Chester, OH, Hamilton Elks GC W/B 91
87 Brad Stewart (a), Doylestown, OH 93
WD Timothy Ailes, Delaware, OH
WD Kenneth Lacy, Toledo, OH, Ottawa Park Golf Course
WD Michael Sweany (a), Massillon, OH
SENIOR PLUS DIVISION
T1 Allen Freeman (a), Brecksville, OH 71
T1 Tim Krapfel, Galloway, OH 71
T1 Marc Fried (a), Solon, OH, Signature of Solon Country Club 71
T4 Todd Company, Avon, Ohio, Red Tail Golf Club 72
T4 Steven Shaw, Brecksville, OH, Firestone Country Club 72
T4 Dan DeVore (a), Cincinnati, OH, Hamilton Elks GC W/B 72
7 David Games (a), Cleveland, OH 73
T8 Dean Pahr (a), Beachwood, OH, Canterbury Golf Club 74
T8 Mike Cassell (a), Hudson, OH, The Country Club of Hudson 74
T8 Edward Steiber (a), Cincinnati, OH 74
T11 Kim Boehlke, Youngstown, OH, PGA Of America Life Member 75
T11 Mark Borlin (a), Stow, OH, Silver Lake Country Club 75
T11 Terry Shell, Wintersville, OH, PGA Of America Life Member 75
T11 Tom Laubacher (a), Aurora, OH, Club Walden 75
T11 Tom Baugh (a), Akron, OH, Portage Country Club 75
T16 Jeff Semple (a), Canton, OH, Firestone Country Club 76
T16 Mark Boothby (a), Cincinnati, OH 76
T16 Terry Tyson (a), Perrysburg, OH 76
T19 John Toth (a), Akron, OH, Fox Den Golf Course 77
T19 Pat Delaney, Springfield, OH 77
T21 Jack Pawelkoski, Dayton, OH 78
T21 Beau Rugg (a), Hilliard, OH 78
T21 John Martin, Deleware, OH 78
T24 Gregg Matthus, Canton, OH, Shady Hollow Country Club 79
T24 Larry Lahnan (a), Aurora, OH, Club Walden 79
T24 Philip Russo (a), Cincinnati, OH, The Golf Club at Stonelick Hills 79
T24 Curtis Cranmer (a), Waynesville, OH 79
T24 Doug Ison (a), Jackson, OH 79
T29 Leo Szczepanski (a), Seven Hills, OH 80
T29 Clay Baker (a), Galena, OH 80
T31 Larry King, Cincinnati, OH, Tri County Golf Ranch 81
T31 George Allen (a), Warren, OH 81
T31 Theo Grubb, Milford, OH, Elks Run Golf Club 81
T31 Michael Ross (a), Hinckley, OH, Weymouth Club 81
T31 Mark Ciccarello (a), South euclid, OH, Highland Park Golf Course – Blue Course 81
36 David Clarke (a), Saint Clairsville, OH, Steubenville Country Club 82
37 Mike Crawford (a), Sheffield Lake, OH 83
T38 Fred Gintert (a), Pearland, TX 84
T38 Dave Ison (a), Pedro, OH 84
T38 Scott Campbell (a), Strongsville, OH, Weymouth Club 84
41 Doug Wade (a), Galens, OH 85
42 John Jewell (a), Centerville, OH 86
43 Blake Smith, Canfield, OH 87
44 Raymond Najda (a), Olmsted Township, OH, Pine Hills Golf Club 91
WD Frank Guise (a), Westlake, OH, Oberlin Golf Club
WD Doug Hauenstein (a), Aurora, OH
