By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

The Northern Ohio PGA started its junior series of tournaments at Trumbull Country Club in Warren.

Gracyn Vidovic, of Aurora, an OHSAA state qualifier for the Greenmen in 2024, earned a third-place victory in the girls 16-to-19 age division.

Vidovic fired a 2-over-par on the tough fairways at Trumbull Country Club.

Other area golfers competing included Ravenna’s Mica Thirion, who shot an 11-over in the boys 16 to 19 division, along with Aurora’s Gianna Rodenhauser, who shot a 5-over in the girls 16 to 19 age division.

KENT STATE WOMEN

The Kent State women’s golf team traveled to the NCAA women’s Las Vegas Regional at Spanish Trail Country Club following their victory in the Mid-American Conference.

At the regional event, freshman Veronika Kedronova fired three rounds at 1-under-par (215) to earn the sixth-individual qualifying spot and advance to the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship.

The Golden Flashes tied with Oklahoma for eighth place at the regional.

Kedronova will compete at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship May 17-20 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.

TAYLOR PENDRITH

Former Kent State varsity men’s golfer, Taylor Pendrith, has secured his first victory on the PGA Tour.

Pendrith won the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinley, Texas carding a total 23-under-par in his 74th career PGA Tour start.

Fans of Pendrith will have the opportunity to see him play at the PGA Championship and at next year’s Masters, tourneys he qualified for with the Byron Nelson victory.

Pendrith was a senior in 2013-14 on the Kent State men’s roster and, at that time, was one of only two players in Kent State history to play in the NCAA Championships in all four of his college seasons. He tied 69th at the NCAA Championship.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

Hope this column finds families on the course with their moms playing golf at their favorite golf course today.

Many golf courses offer specials for a mom to play with their children and husband today.

It is usually where you will find our family, but we were fortunate to be able to play in the Chubbs Peterson Memorial Scramble at Olde Dutch Mill Golf Course on Saturday. A little bit of rain didn’t stop up. We had two teams of Jeniors, including bonus family members. We ultimately finished in first and second place.

It is because we always have fun.

We tease each other, make fun of not-so-great shots and cheer the unexpected good ones.

It’s a tradition that goes back generations in our family.

My mom and dad both played golf. Playing with three other couples, the kids always came, too. We had our own foursome and often played as the buffer foursome between our moms and dads.

And, this was at a time in the 1960’s, when there weren’t large numbers of women playing on the golf courses of Northeast Ohio.

Playing golf on Sunday mornings with my dad led to regularly playing on Saturday and Sunday mornings as the first tee time with our family, including children and grandchildren.

It is our vacation.

Nothing gets much better than that.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES

PORTAGE SPORTS

• June 29—Portage Sports Four-Person Scramble, Sunny Hill Golf Course, Brimfield. ($300 per team, email tomnader@portagesports.com to register a team or for sponsorship opportunities)

PORTAGE COUNTY AMATEURS

Register at host golf courses, online at pcagolf.net or via mail. For info call/text 330-206-9083, email golffam2@gmail.com, or log onto the Portage County Amateurs Facebook page.

JULY 21—10^th Portage County Kids Amateur, Sunny Hill Golf Course, Brimfield.

JULY 22-23—18^th Matt Mishler Portage County Junior Amateur, Sunny Hill Golf Course, Brimfield and Windmill Lakes Golf Course, Ravenna.

JULY 27-28—94^th Portage County Amateur, Windmill Lakes Golf Course, Ravenna and Raccoon Hill Golf Club, Kent.

AUG. 24-25—54^th Portage County Senior Amateur, Windmill Lakes Golf Course, Ravenna and Raccoon Hill Golf Club, Kent.

TOURNAMENTS AND EVENTS

(To add an event to the calendar, text or call 330-206-9083 or email golffam2@gmail.com.)

JUNIOR EVENTS

June 28—Olde Dutch Mill Junior Tournament, Olde Dutch Mill Golf Course, Lake Milton. (Registration information 330-654-4100)

NOPGA Junior Events (register a at northernohiopga.com)

TODAY—NOPGA Junior Series, Trumbull Country Club, Warren.

MAY 28—NOPGA Junior Series at Lake Forest Country Club, Hudson.

JULY 15-16—48^th Ohio Junior Girls Championship, Marion Country Club, Marion. (WOSGA.org)

JULY 22—Ohio Girls Golf Foundation High School Showcase, Avon Oaks Country Club, Avon. (Sponsored by NOPGA)

JULY 15-16—NOPGA 36 Hole Jr. Series, Windmill Lakes, Ravenna.

JULY 30-31—41^st NOPGA Jr. Tour Championship, Club Walden, Aurora.

OUTINGS, TOURNAMENTS AND EVENTS

MAY 26—Waterloo Boosters Golf Outing, Paradise Lake Golf Course, Suffield. (Todd Wise 330-842-9279).

JUNE 1—The Golden Flash Bash, Fairways at Twin Lakes, Kent. (KentStateSports.com/FlashBash).

JUNE 8 -10—Northeast Ohio Amateur Championship, Windmill Lakes Golf Club, Ravenna. (Register at Northeast Ohio Golf Association at www.noga.org)

JUNE 15—Putt Around Downtown, Main Street Kent (Noon to 5 p.m., registration information TBA)

AUG. 4—Nancy Cannon Memorial Golf Outing, Paradise Lake Golf Course, Suffield.

WOMEN

JUNE 6-8—Ohio Women’s Open, Heatherwoode Golf Club, Springboro. (ohiowomensopen.com)

JUNE 8-10—Northeast Ohio Amateur Championship, Windmill Lakes Golf Club, Ravenna. (Register at www.noga.org)

JULY 22-25—101^st Women’s Ohio State Amateur Championship, Belmont Hills Country Club, Clairsville (WOSGA.org)

JULY 22-25—8^th Women’s Mid-Amateur, Belmont Hills Country Club, St. Clairsville. (WOSGA.org)