60 golfers tee it up in pair of tournaments starting today

Sixty golfers will participate in the Miami Valley Golf Association’s Senior Metropolitan and Mid-Amateur Championships at Sycamore Creek Country Club today and Tuesday.

None of the 12 past champions is among the 22 players who have entered the 36-hole Mid-Amateur competition for seniors ages 25-49.

The most successful in the group is 43-year-old Pete Samborsky, who has won the Miami Valley Metropolitan Championship five times.

Thirty-eight players have registered for the Senior competition, which is separated among players ages 50-64, 65-74 and 75 and older.

One of the 18 players in the 50-64 segment is Dave Novotny, who won more than a dozen NCR Country Club championships when he was much younger.

Others include: Pete Flick, Gary Hickman, Gary Sult, Jeff Kuske, Steve Sandstrom, and Greg Eldred.

Former City champion Larry Duggins is in the 65-74 age group and Joe Reichley is among those 75 and older.

DCC course baffled seniors:

Dayton Country Club’s hilly, tree-lined course is not one of the longer ones in the area but it almost always gives golfers a strong test as was the case in the Ohio Senior Amateur Championship played Tuesday and Wednesday.

The winner was defending champion Derek Gustafson of Cincinnati, the only player in a field of 68 who parred the course over 36 holes.

Gustafson, 58, turned in rounds of 72 and 70 for an even par 142 total on the par 71 course. The five-time club champion at Sharon Woods Golf Course in Cincinnati won by three strokes over three players who finished at 145 — Doug Lockwood of Powell, Tim Murphy of Milford and Tom Hickman of Westerville.

There were four subpar rounds in the tournament — 70s by James Stevning of Powell, Doug Ison of Jackson and Gustafson and a 68 by former champion Jim Durr of Silver Lake, who shot 78 in the first round.

Dave Novotny had the best score of Dayton area players. He posted rounds of 73 and 74 for a 5-over-par 147. He tied for ninth.

Steve Bedell of Brecksville won the super senior competition with a 150 total. Doug Gage of Dayton and Chuck Parsons of Springfield tied for second at 151.

First Tee has three fall events:

The First Tee of Greater Miami Valley has scheduled three fall events for the benefit of the chapter.

The first one is a Dingle House Golf Scramble Sept. 18 at Four Bridges Country Club in Liberty Township. It has an 11 a.m. shotgun start.

On Sept. 23 they will have the second annual Glow Golf Scramble at Armco Golf Club on Route 741 near Lebanon. It starts at 8 p.m. The fee is $200 per foursome.

On Oct. 2, there will be an event called First Tee Day at Dayton Country Club. People can play a round of golf at DCC with tee times between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Lunch is included. The fee is $85 per person with $30 from each registrant going to First Tee.

Contact rkarnes@daytoncountryclub.com or call the DCC pro shop at (937) 2942735.

First Tee is an international youth development organization introducing golf and its inherent values to young people.

The Southern Ohio PGA Section will hold its 72nd PGA Senior Championship on Monday at Sugar Valley Country Club.