By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

The 104th Pyramid Treating Ohio Open teed off at Firestone Country Club on Monday, with more than 280 players in the field seeking to win the prestigious tournament hosted by The Northern Ohio PGA.

LIAM CURTIS

Players have two 18-hole rounds at Firestone Country Club before the cut is made and the final 18-hole round on Wednesday leads to the crowning of a champion.

Competitors play either the Fazio Course or the North Course and then switch on the first two days before the cut that leads the best golfers to the Firestone’s South Course.

After the first round, several Portage County-area golfers are positioning themselves to make a run for the title.

Many Metro Athletic Conference golfers may remember Nolan Haynes, who competed for Norton before signing with Kent State University to play for the Golden Flashes.

Kent State golfers are often at the top of the leaderboard and in this Ohio Open it is no different as Haynes is tied at the top, carding an astounding 8-under-par 62 to best the entire field and earn first by one-stroke over Vaughn Harber of Blacklick. Haynes competed on Firestone’s Fazio Course (also known as the West).

DILLON PENDERGAST

The top five includes several familiar golfers to Portage County followers of the sport.

Liam Curtis of Kent and Dillon Pendergast of Mogadore, tackling the Fazio Course and the North course, respectively, tied for fifth place, firing 5-under-par 67s.

Curtis begins his college career at Kent State University in the fall, Pendergast begins his junior year at Cleveland State University in August.

Also in the running to make the cut for Wednesday is Chris Pollak of Aurora in 25th place (68). Pollak, a recent Aurora graduate is on his way to compete for Florida Southern College for the 2025-26 season.

Follow Portage Sports for final cut on Tuesday and all of the action on Wednesday on the famed South Course of Firestone Country Club.