Par For The Course | Chris Pollak of Aurora wins National PGA qualifier
Youths ages 11-to-18 golfed 18 holes at Westfield Country Club, followed by 18 holes at Portage Country Club, competing for the opportunity to advance from the Northern Ohio PGA Junior Section Championship qualifier to the National PGA Championship.
Chris Pollak of Aurora earned the boys championship, outscoring Dean Upholzer of Strongsville in a four-hole playoff to earn the championship. Both golfers advanced to Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont, Ill., for the national championship scheduled for Aug. 2-5.
Chloe Tarkany of Bay Village and Ella Wong of Pepper Pike were 1-over par and 7-over, respectively, to advance to Cog Hill.
Just missing the opportunity to make the trip to Illinois was Brooklyn Millard of Aurora, in fourth place.
Pollak was on fire, playing 36 holes to just 1-over par before entering the playoff at Portage Country Club in Akron. Pollak continued his outstanding golf in the four-hole playoff, winning the championship in the rain.
Other locals competing in the Junior PGA Championship included:
Boys: Parker Barrett of Aurora, 13th; Dillon Pendergast of Mogadore and Liam Curtis of Kent, tied for 21st; Jude Abbass of Aurora, 28th; Cole Hostetler of Rootstown, 40th, and Jack Zeid of Aurora, 51st.
Girls: Gracyn Vidovic of Aurora, 12th; Madolyn Kost of Kent, 13th; Sydnie Leavery of Kent, 17th, and Ashlyn Leavery of Kent, 37th.
The tournament was divided into 11-15 age divisions and overall 11-18. Vidovic earned fourth place and Leavery 14th in the girls' 11-15 age division.
Ryan Brawley wins at Pepper Pike
Ryan Brawley, a standout player for the Ravenna Ravens who graduated in 2013, is now in Northern Ohio PGA tournaments.
At the professional tournament at Pepper Pike Club, Brawley won the regular division, carding a 1-under par to best Dennis Holub of Twinsburg, an apprentice professional at Pepper Pike.
Holub won the apprentice division.
The top of the leaderboard continued to be a familiar one for Portage County as Rob Moss, director of golf at Pepper Pike and former standout for the Kent State Golden Flashes, tied Holub at even-par for second place.
The Senior Division continued the Portage County celebration as Steve Parker, also a alumnus of the Kent State men’s team and now head professional at Portage Country Club in Akron, tied Tony Adcock of Hartville’s Seven Hills Country Club, at 1-under par.
It really happened
At the Junior PGA Championship, golfers played in threesomes. The final day at Portage Country Club was a mix of mist and rain with cooler temperatures but the tournament played on. As three of the boys were playing the 14th hole, a hawk landed about 30 feet in front of them to grab a squirrel in its talons.
The squirrel proved difficult for the hawk as it hopped with its prey just a few feet several times and then stopped in the middle of the fairway.
Three golfers hesitated to walk past the hawk but finally decided the hawk was too busy to worry about them and continued their pace to their long fairway drives off the tee.
The hawk patiently waited for the golfers and then took off with its prey.
Golf is such a great game as wildlife, inclement weather and unique holes offer a different experience every time a golfer steps on the course, making friends across Ohio in the junior tournaments.
How to report news
To be added to the golf calendar, provide league results or share great golf shots and holes-in-one, email golffam2@gmail.com or call 330-206-9083.
AREA GOLF CALENDAR
RECORD-COURIER PORTAGE COUNTY AMATEURS
Register at host courses, via mail or online at PCAgolf.net.
July 24: 8th PORTAGE COUNTY KIDS AMATEUR, Sunny Hill Golf Course, Brimfield. (Preschool-9th grade from $15 to $20).
July 28-29: 15th MATT MISHLER PORTAGE COUNTY JUNIOR AMATEUR, Windmill Lakes, Ravenna and Sunny Hill Golf, Brimfield. (Ages 12 and under/$45, Ages 13 to 19 $60.
July 30-31: 92nd PORTAGE COUNTY AMATEUR, Windmill Lakes, Ravenna and Raccoon Hill, Kent. (County, Open and Women’s Divisions – 18-Holes, $85/person).
Aug. 27-28: 52nd PORTAGE COUNTY SENIOR AMATEUR, Windmill Lakes, Ravenna and Raccoon Hill, Kent. (Ages 50 and older, four divisions, $85/person).
Info: Email PortageCountyAm@gmail.com, text 330-206-9083)
Scrambles, Charity Events, Amateurs and Opens
Saturday: 27th Pfeiffer Scramble, Windmill Lakes, Ravenna. (Four-person scramble, 18-Holes.)
June 27-29: Ohio Open Championship, Westfield Country Club. (thenorthernohiopga.com)
July 15: Olive Tree Family Foundation 2nd Annual Golf Invitational, Raintree Golf and Event Center, Uniontown. (Four-person scramble, $100 per person, olivetreegolf.com, olivetree@olivetreefamily foundation.org)
July 22: Big Brothers/Big Sisters Golf Outing, Sugar Bush Golf Course, Garrettsville. (Four-person scramble, 18-holes, 95 per person. Call 330-805-0266.)
July 24: Ravenna Gridiron Club, Windmill Lakes Golf Course, Ravenna. (Four-person scramble/$500 per team.)
July 31: 4th Annual Adaptive Sports Ohio Golf Tournament, Olde Dutch Mill, Lake Milton.
Aug. 19: 36th Hattie Larlham Golf Classic, Sugar Bush Golf Club, Garrettsville. (Four-person scramble, 18-Holes. Morning/afternoon flights.)
Tournaments, clinics and events for junior golfers
Tuesday: 18-Hole NOPGA Jr. Series, Ellsworth Meadows, Hudson. (www.thenorthernohiopga.com.)
June 24: 18-Hole NOPGA Jr. Series and 9-Hole Futures, Tannenhauf, Alliance. (www.thenorthernohiopga.com.)
July 6-8: Good Park Junior Tournament, Good Park Golf Course, Akron. ($65, www.goodparkgolf.com, 330-375-2092.)
July 8: 18-Hole NOPGA Junior Series, and 9-Hole Futures Fox Den, Stow. (www.thenorthernohiopga.com.)
July 9: Drive, Chip and Putt Local Qualifying, Windmill Golf Center, Macedonia. www.thenorthernohiopga.com.)
July 12: Drive, Chip and Putt Local Qualifying, Lake Forest, Hudson. (www.thenorthernohiopga.com.)
July 13-14: 18-Hole NOPGA Junior Series, Windmill Lakes, Ravenna. (www.thenorthernohiopga.com.)
July 15: Greatest Golfer Junior In the Valley Junior Series, Olde Dutch Mill, Lake Milton. (330-654-4100.)
July 22: 9-Hole Futures Tour Championship, Mud Run, Akron. (www.thenorthernohiopga.com.)
July 25: Ohio Girls Golf Foundation Showcase, Avon Oaks Country Club, Avon. ($60/18-holes. lynne@oggf.org, 440-479-9579.
July 26-27: NOPGA Junior Tour Championship, Club Walden, Aurora. (www.thenorthernohiopga.com.)
Aug. 8: NOPGA Collegiate Preview, Alliance Country Club, Alliance. (www.thenorthernohiopga.com.)
USGA LOCAL QUALIFYING
July 5: U.S. Women’s Amateur Qualifying, Lake Forest Country Club, Hudson. (Entry deadline June 15.)
July 7: U.S. Amateur Qualifying, Weymouth Country Club, Medina. (Entry deadline June 22.)
July 28: U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifying, Sand Ridge Golf Club, Chardon. (Entry deadline July 6.)
Aug. 11: U.S. Mid Amateur Qualifying, Avon Oaks Country Club, Avon. (Entry deadline July 6.)
Aug. 25: U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Qualifying, Portage Country Club, Akron. (Entry deadline July 27.)
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Portage County amateur golf news and notes for June 12
