Ohio's Golf Magazine — June 2009
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Camp Wins Ohio Senior Open
Teammate Rod Spittle to win the 24th Ohio Senior Open, May 13-14 at Firestone Country Club West Course in Akron.
Camp needed a blistering 7-under-par 64 in the second round of the 36-hole tournament to secure a spot in the playoff after opening with a 1-over par 71. From the fourth through 14th holes in his second round Camp made seven birdies and only one bogey to take the lead, but he could not go any lower after that, making par the final four holes including on the 18th when he left a birdie attempt just short of the cup.
He had to wait anxiously in the clubhouse while opening-round leader Gary Robison (66-71-137) and several other contenders finished the second round behind him. The feeling was eerily familiar; last year Gary Trivisonno and Robison passed Camp on the final holes to finish first and second respectively.
“I knew with three holes to play that I had the lead,” Camp told Ohio’s Golf. “I played the last three holes really well, but I didn’t make any putts. Last year I was in the lead with four holes to play and the same kind of thing happened. When I finished (this year) I knew as the first day leaders came by on 17 where everybody stood, and it looked pretty good that I was going to get caught by somebody. I was just hoping that it was at least a playoff and not lose by one.” This year, Camp’s second-round push was enough for a playoff. Robison, director of golf at Brookside Country Club in Canton, birdied four straight holes beginning with the par-5 13th, but he could not overcome five early bogies and finished in fourth place.
Lancaster’s Cory George (69-67—136) birdied five of the final six holes but had to settle for third place, one stroke out of a playoff. Spittle (70-65—135) forced the playoff by making birdie on five of his final seven holes in a bogey-free final round.
The 53-year-old Spittle, from Dublin, turned professional four years ago after a 25- year career in sales and marketing for several health insurance companies. He has played in 26 Champions Tour events in his pro career, with a career best T-2 at the 2007 Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn. This year he has played in several Monday qualifiers on the Champions Tour but has yet to qualify for a tournament.
Camp, who lettered at Ohio State from 1977-1980 and Spittle, who lettered there From 1976-1978, both had chances to win on the first two playoff holes. Spittle left a birdie putt on the lip on the opening playoff hole, the par-5 17th, and Camp lipped out a birdie putt on the par-4 18th.
The duo returned to No. 17 for the third playoff hole and Camp knocked his second shot on the green with a 4-iron. After Spittle chipped up and missed a birdie putt, Camp made a two-putt birdie for the win.
Camp said the key to the tournament was his finish on the first day. He was 3-over par with two holes to play and birdied the last two holes. The two birdies allowed him to stay within five strokes of the leader and gave him a later tee time on day two, which allowed him to miss playing in the rain showers that challenged the earlier groups.
“That was the turning point,” Camp said. “As it turned out, the rain stopped right when I teed off.
Shooting 71 and staying within one of the leader and only having one guy more than three strokes ahead of me was very important.” The victory was Camp’s first at the Ohio Senior Open in two attempts. He won the Ohio Open in 1985 and 1993 and has previously captured the assistants’ championship, section championship and match play championship, the top events that are hosted annually by the Northern Ohio PGA section.
“It is nice to have won all the majors, so to speak,” said Camp, director of golf at Club Walden in Aurora. “It was also nice to go out and play a good round of golf and know you can still do that.
You never know when it is not going to happen anymore.” Spittle has played sporadically in Ohio the last couple of years because of his touring schedule and was happy to catch up with Camp and other old friends.
“I don’t think either one of us when we left Ohio State 30 years ago really knew what the future would hold,” Spittle said. “So here we are in a tournament playing with one of our teammates and that is pretty cool. It really didn’t matter who won or who lost.” “The best thing about it was that it was such a good field,” Camp said about his victory. “(Tom) Herzan and Trivisonno and Spittle have been playing senior tour stops. A lot of guys have been doing nothing but playing golf, so that was rewarding to play well against a field like that when you are not playing all that much.”
Camp needed a blistering 7-under-par 64 in the second round of the 36-hole tournament to secure a spot in the playoff after opening with a 1-over par 71. From the fourth through 14th holes in his second round Camp made seven birdies and only one bogey to take the lead, but he could not go any lower after that, making par the final four holes including on the 18th when he left a birdie attempt just short of the cup.
He had to wait anxiously in the clubhouse while opening-round leader Gary Robison (66-71-137) and several other contenders finished the second round behind him. The feeling was eerily familiar; last year Gary Trivisonno and Robison passed Camp on the final holes to finish first and second respectively.
“I knew with three holes to play that I had the lead,” Camp told Ohio’s Golf. “I played the last three holes really well, but I didn’t make any putts. Last year I was in the lead with four holes to play and the same kind of thing happened. When I finished (this year) I knew as the first day leaders came by on 17 where everybody stood, and it looked pretty good that I was going to get caught by somebody. I was just hoping that it was at least a playoff and not lose by one.” This year, Camp’s second-round push was enough for a playoff. Robison, director of golf at Brookside Country Club in Canton, birdied four straight holes beginning with the par-5 13th, but he could not overcome five early bogies and finished in fourth place.
Lancaster’s Cory George (69-67—136) birdied five of the final six holes but had to settle for third place, one stroke out of a playoff. Spittle (70-65—135) forced the playoff by making birdie on five of his final seven holes in a bogey-free final round.
The 53-year-old Spittle, from Dublin, turned professional four years ago after a 25- year career in sales and marketing for several health insurance companies. He has played in 26 Champions Tour events in his pro career, with a career best T-2 at the 2007 Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn. This year he has played in several Monday qualifiers on the Champions Tour but has yet to qualify for a tournament.
Camp, who lettered at Ohio State from 1977-1980 and Spittle, who lettered there From 1976-1978, both had chances to win on the first two playoff holes. Spittle left a birdie putt on the lip on the opening playoff hole, the par-5 17th, and Camp lipped out a birdie putt on the par-4 18th.
The duo returned to No. 17 for the third playoff hole and Camp knocked his second shot on the green with a 4-iron. After Spittle chipped up and missed a birdie putt, Camp made a two-putt birdie for the win.
Camp said the key to the tournament was his finish on the first day. He was 3-over par with two holes to play and birdied the last two holes. The two birdies allowed him to stay within five strokes of the leader and gave him a later tee time on day two, which allowed him to miss playing in the rain showers that challenged the earlier groups.
“That was the turning point,” Camp said. “As it turned out, the rain stopped right when I teed off.
Shooting 71 and staying within one of the leader and only having one guy more than three strokes ahead of me was very important.” The victory was Camp’s first at the Ohio Senior Open in two attempts. He won the Ohio Open in 1985 and 1993 and has previously captured the assistants’ championship, section championship and match play championship, the top events that are hosted annually by the Northern Ohio PGA section.
“It is nice to have won all the majors, so to speak,” said Camp, director of golf at Club Walden in Aurora. “It was also nice to go out and play a good round of golf and know you can still do that.
You never know when it is not going to happen anymore.” Spittle has played sporadically in Ohio the last couple of years because of his touring schedule and was happy to catch up with Camp and other old friends.
“I don’t think either one of us when we left Ohio State 30 years ago really knew what the future would hold,” Spittle said. “So here we are in a tournament playing with one of our teammates and that is pretty cool. It really didn’t matter who won or who lost.” “The best thing about it was that it was such a good field,” Camp said about his victory. “(Tom) Herzan and Trivisonno and Spittle have been playing senior tour stops. A lot of guys have been doing nothing but playing golf, so that was rewarding to play well against a field like that when you are not playing all that much.”
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