By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

The final round of the 96th Portage County Amateur was like moving day on the PGA Tour.

As golfers made their way around the 18 holes of Raccoon Hill Golf Course, the leaderboard changed in all three divisions: Women, County and Open.

Some golfers even left the site as they thought they didn’t have the opportunity to win and then found out they needed to return for the awards presentation.

COUNTY DIVISION

The leave-and-return situation was exactly the case in the County Division.

COUNTY DIVISION CHAMPIONS
(From left to right): Derrick Benner, runner-up; James Bokshon, champion; Brendan Osborne, third place.

James Bokshon, of Ravenna, thought the 79 he fired during the 18 holes was not good enough to break into the top-three champions, but in reality his 79 paired with his 76 from Windmill gave him a final one-stroke lead, 155, over Derrick Benner of Mantua 76-80—156.

Rounding out the top three was Brendan Osborne of Mantua, also carding a two-round total of 156, missing second place in a scorecard playoff.

Early first-round leader, Laszlo May of Rootstown, who was 3-over-par (74) at Windmill added an 84 at Raccoon Hill for a 158.

The Portage County Amateur is unique in that golfers compete in a County Division and an Open Division (golfers residing outside of Portage County) maintaining the integrity of the Amateur crowning the best golfer in the event in the local county.

Golfers can compare their scores overall because the golfers in the County and Open Divisions play the same pro tees.

OPEN DIVISION

OPEN DIVISION CHAMPIONS
(From left to right): Ty VanBulck, champion; Jason Moore, runner-up; Nathan Miller, third place.

In the Open Division, Ty Vanbulck of Hartville, earned a one-stroke victory, carding a nice 2-over-par 73 at Raccoon Hill to add to his 76 at Windmill Lakes for the one-stroke victory over Jason Moore of Cuyahoga Falls and Nathan Miller of Youngstown, each carding 150s.

Moore was low man in the clubhouse for the final day, carding an even-par 71 to par with the 79 he fired at Windmill Lakes.

Miller found Raccoon Hill at little more challenging. The incoming freshman, playing for the Youngstown State University Penguins in the fall, carded a 72, 2-over-par at Windmill and added a 78, also carding a 150

WOMEN DIVISON

Hannah Higgins of North Canton and Sammy Morgan of North Benton are in very different places in their golf careers.

Higgins is a senior this fall at Lewis University in Chicago on the varsity golf team. Higgins also works at Congress Lake Country Club and for the Northern Ohio PGA.

Sammy Morgan will be a junior on the Southeast Pirates’ varsity golf team, the two-time champions of the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference. Morgan is the reigning champion of the Junior Portage County Amateur.

The two women battled for the top spot, Morgan leading the first day by three strokes and Higgins coming from behind on the second day to win by one stroke.

WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS
(From left to right): Hannah Higgins, champion; Sammy Morgan, North Benton.

Many golfers commented on the long tradition of the Portage County Amateur (96 years and counting) and already solidified their registrations for 2027 as golfers look toward their high school, collegiate and fall league and tournament golf seasons.

SCOREBOARD

96TH PORTAGE COUNTY AMATEUR

FINAL TWO-ROUND TOTAL

(18 HOLES EACH AT WINDMILL LAKES & RACCOON Hill)

WOMEN DIVISION

Hannah Higgins, Norton Canton 77-79 156

Sammy Morgan, North Benton 74-83 157.

COUNTY DIVISION

James Bokshon, Ravenna 76-79 155

Derrick Benner, Mantua 76-80 156

Brendan Osborne, Mantua 76-80 156

Laszlo May, Rootstown 74-84 158

Mason Bartholomy, Rootstown 80-77 157

Ed Marsinek, Ravenna 84-76 160

Dove Fall, Windham 79-81 160

James Morgan, Berlin Lake 83-79 162

Ben Jenior, Rootstown 81-83 164

Randy Wilburn, Deerfield 79-85 164

Evan Dalziel, Kent 86-83 169

Logan Uphold, Ravenna 82-93 175

Bailey Campbell, Suffield 92-85 177

Mike Rezabek, Ravenna 89-94 183

Cooper Devins, Aurora 94-90 184

Brian Kinter, Rootstown 98-89 187

Eric Ernsberger, Ravenna 105-90 201

Marty Reynolds, Ravenna 113-110 223.

OPEN DIVISION

Ty VanBulck, Hartville 76-73 149

Jason Moore, Cuyahoga Falls 79-71 150

Nathan Miller, Youngstown 72-78 150

Thomas Mankowski, Canton 78-77 155

Chris Nurse, Lake Milton 73-86 156

Derek Sibit, Akron 85-82 167