GOLD DIVISION
Robert Gintert and Dave Peck.
(Not pictured is Mogadore’s Lou Boarman)

By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

The final round of the 55^th Portage County Senior Amateur was as exciting as it was fun for the competitors playing in three divisions: Senior (ages 50-59), Gold (ages 60-69) and Platinum (ages 70-plus).

DAVE PECK

Golfers were talking as word spread about the round being played by Dave Peck in the Gold Division.

Peck, the former superintendent at Grantwood Golf Club in Solon, was enjoying an outstanding 18 holes of golf and everyone was cheering for him.

The champion of the Gold Division, Peck had the low round in the clubhouse for the day, an outstanding 65, 5-under-par on the fairways of Windmill Golf Course.

Peck was the only golfer who maintained his lead from the first round at Raccoon Hill, where he fired a 71 for a total of 136 for 18 holes.

It was Peck’s fourth Portage County Senior Amateur championship of his career.

“It felt easy,” said Peck. “I was hitting greens and my putter was working.”

To say the putter was working is an understatement, as he only had to make approximately 80 feet of putts throughout the 18 holes combined.

Following Peck in the Gold Division, Lou Boarman of Mogadore earned second place and Robert Gintert of Newton Falls earned third place, each scoring 150 strokes with Boarman taking second place in a scorecard playoff.

SENIOR DIVISION

SENIOR DIVISION
Chris Minear, champion; Dove Fall runner-up and Doug Lockwood, third

Chris Minear of Akron, earning second place in 2024 and third place in 2023, moved up to capture the championship this year. Minear fired rounds of 78-75 for a 154 total to best Dove Fall of Windham and Doug Lockwood of Powell by three strokes. Fall won in a scorecard playoff.

Fall has been playing in the Portage County Amateur for more than 20 years, while Lockwood was competing for the first time.

PLATINUM DIVISION

Jim Herchek of Chagrin Falls tied with John Sloe at the end of play at Raccoon Hill with identical under-par rounds of 67, fired an even-par 70 at Windmill Lakes for an under-par 137 total.

PLATINUM DIVISION
Paul Trenta runner-up, Jim Herchek champion, John Sloe third

During the front nine, the competition was neck and neck before Sloe ended up with a final 78 at Windmill to finish in third place with his son Chris Sloe on the bag.

Second place was Paul Trenta of Hartville moving up to second place, third after Raccoon Hill, with a solid round of 67 at Windmill Lakes. The 3-under-par round placed him one stroke behind Herchek and seven strokes ahead of Sloe.

FINALLY

The senior golfers always linger in the clubhouse to talk about their worst shots, the pin placement that gave them the most trouble, buy a drink for the golfer with the low round and just generally talk golf.

The excitement of Peck’s 5-under-par round, the movement up and down the leaderboard by competitors that play in the Senior Amateur every year and anticipation of returning year after year is evident for these golfers that love the game.

Congratulations to all competitors for not only their outstanding rounds, acceptance of a bad shot and their sportsmanship that allows them to be happy for the golfers that played better than themselves.

55^th PORTAGE COUNTY SENIOR AMATEUR

FINAL SCOREBOARD

(At Windmill Lakes) 

SENIOR DIVISION (Age 50-59)

Chris Minear, Akron 78-76 154

Dove Fall, Windham 83-74 157

Doug Lockwood, Powell 77-80 157

Matt Harness, Cleveland 84–81 165

Andrew Coddington, Independence 109-82 191

Eric Ernsberger, Ravenna 90-102 192

GOLD DIVISION (Ages 60-69)

Dave Peck, Macedonia 71-65 162 136

Lou Boarman, Mogadore 78-72 150

Robert Gintert, Newton Falls 76-74 150

Jeff Luken, Middleburg Hts. 76-76 152

David Dees, Lisbon 73-79 152

Ray McNiece, Cleveland 80-73 153

Matt Manno, Middlefield 79-79 158

Randy Wilburn, Deerfield 80-80 160

Steve DeBolt, Newton Falls 83-77 160

Gary Congin, Chesterland 82-80 162

Ron Rositani, Willowick 91-81 172

Tom Freeman, Akron 94-82 176

David Ritter, Akron 86-93 179

PLATINUM DIVISION (Age 70+)

Jim Herchek, Chagrin Falls 67-70 137

Paul Trenta, Hartville 71-67 138

John Sloe, Aurora 67-78 145

Steve Bedell, Champion 77-71 148

Keith Pluto, Parma 78-77 155

Dan Ledenican, Aurora 82-74 156