By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

The Northern Ohio PGA hosts the Mitchell Haskins Tour Championship today and Monday at The Country Club in Pepper Pike.

The tour championship welcomes tournament champions from section events, past tour winners as well as the top-30 members, six associates and 15 seniors off the points list.

Golfers to watch locally in the final stroke-play event of the season for the NOPGA include: Mitch Camp, former Director of Golf at Club Walden, Aurora; Randy Dietz, alumnus of Kent Roosevelt and Kent State, currently teaching professional at Windmill Golf Center; D.J. Holub of Twinsburg, former Portage County Junior Amateur Champion; Collin McEndree, director of golf at Club Walden and Aurora High School girls golf coach; Rob Moss of Pepper Pike Club and Kent State golf alumnus; and Mark Sierak of Optimus Golf, former director of golf at Aurora’s Barrington Golf Club.

COLLEGIATE ATHLETES EARNING RESPECT

Each week, Par for the Course will update the successes of Portage County collegiate athletes both on and off the golf course.

Featured this week are Cole Hostetler, Rootstown alumnus; Brooklyn Millard, Aurora alumnus; Morgan Bauza, Kent Roosevelt alumnus and Devon Carpenter, alumnus of Field.

MORGAN BAUZA

Kent Roosevelt graduate Morgan Bauza

Bauza graduated from Kent Roosevelt and was a member of the successful Rough Riders golf team, earning Second Team All-League honors her junior and senior seasons and was on the Kent Roosevelt team that qualified for the state tournament her senior year.

She was recruited by Niagara University in New York and is a member of the Purple Eagles’ golf team.

In her freshman year at Niagara, she earned her best finish of the season at the Outer Banks Intercollegiate, placing 25th and recoded a season-low 97 at the Youngstown State University kick-ff.

In her sophomore season, Bauza fired a 286, 54-hole total at the Niagara-hosted tournament to conclude the season. Bauza started the season with an 88, her career low at Niagara at the A-Ga Ming Invitational in Kewadin, Mich., and followed that round with a 92.

Bauza has just started her junior year and season at Niagara.

COLE HOSTETLER

Rootstown graduate Cole Hostetler

Hostetler, a graduate of Rootstown High School, competes for Detroit Mercyhurst University in Michigan.

At Rootstown, he earned letters in both golf and basketball. He earned all-league honors all four years in golf including First Team as a sophomore, junior and senior in the Portage Trail Conference. Hostetler was selected all-district three times, including a member of the First Team All-District his junior and senior year in golf.

Hostetler owned a 75.6 average his senior year.

In his freshman year at Merecyhurst, Hostetler competed in three rounds for an 84 average. His tournament play included the Northern Kentucky Jewell Invitational, finishing 75th as an individual.

Hostetler earned the Dean’s award for students who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or better.

Hostetler begins his sophomore season this fall.

BROOKLYN MILLARD

Aurora graduate Brooklyn Millard

Millard begins her freshman season at the University of Toledo as a member of the Rockets’ varsity women’s golf team. Millard, a graduate of Aurora High School, had a stellar career before entering college, including capturing medalist honors at the 2022 USGA Women’s Amateur qualifier and at the 2023 PGA Junior Championship qualifier.

Registering a 67.3 stroke average, she payed in over 500 junior tournaments.

In high school, Millard was First Team All-Ohio and finished as the runner-up in the state tournament as a sophomore. She was the Suburban League Player of the Year in 2020, 2021 and 2023.

In her debut tournament with the Rockets, Millard posted Toledo’s best individual finish, tying for 27th place at 10-over-par with rounds of 75-73-78 at the Cardinal Cup hosted by the University of Louisville.

The Rockets head to East Lansing to compete in the Mary Fossum Invitational at Michigan State that concludes its 36 rounds today.

DEVON CARPENTER

Field graduate Devon Carpenter

Carpenter begins her junior season at Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Goshen, Ind. An alumnus of Field High School, Carpenter earned medalist honors at the league preseason tournament and qualified for district.

This season, Carpenter competed in the Players Club Invitational in Yorktown, Ind., hosted by Taylor University and helped the Cougars finish in eighth place with rounds of 96-87-97.

The Cougars opened the season at the Battle at Brookwood in Fort Wayne, Ind., as Mount Vernon Nazarene took home fourth place.

Carpenter finished in 13rth place with rounds of 84-83.

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS

OCT. 5: The Caddyshack Open, Olde Dutch Mill, Lake Milton. (Four person scramble, 9 a.m. shotgun start, $75 per team, $20 optional skins competition.) Includes 18-holes, cart, lunch, dinner and drinks. Call .330-654-4100 or email oldedutchmill@yahoo.com