Ohio's Golf Magazine June 2009 : Page 9Allen has been resilient as a professional, making 13 trips to the PGA Tour Qualifying School finals and earning his card nine times at Q-School. He has won once in 127 events on the Nationwide Tour at the 1998 Nike Greater Austin Open and has more than $4.8 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour. This year he has made nine cuts in 12 tournaments on the PGA Tour, with one top-25 finish (T-22 at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am). Despite his quick success on the Champions Tour and the exemption that goes with his victory, Allen said he will continue to concentrate on playing on the PGA Tour for the immediate future. “This just gives me the exact scenario I wanted,” Allen said with a laugh. “Where I'm going to be the first guy ever to win his first tournament, win a senior tournament before he wins a PGA Tour event.” Ohio Pga Club Pros Fail To Make The Cut Gary Robison, director of golf at Brookside Country Club in Canton, posted the best finish of the four PGA club professionals from Ohio. But for the first time in five years, Robison failed to make the cut. Robison shot a 76-72 (+8) and missed the cut by one stroke. He said he would have made it to the weekend if his putting had been a little better in his opening round. “I played as good yesterday as I did today,” Robison said after his second round. “I just didn’t make any putts at all yesterday. And today I made a couple.” Other Ohio PGA club professionals and their scores were: Tom Herzan, a PGA teaching professional at Findlay Country Club (74- 77—+11); Cory George, PGA head professional at Valley View Golf Club in Lancaster (77-76—+13); Jim Logue, PGA Life Member and retired director of golf at Brookside (78-76—+14). The 68-year-old Logue, who was playing in his seventh Senior PGA Championship, was able to score well out of the fairway, but he struggled from the tall Canterbury rough. “You hit the ball in the rough, you’re just done,” Logue said after his second round. “On my 35th hole, I hit the best tee shot. I just stood there posing and the ball rolls one foot in the rough and I got no swing. I can’t move it a hundred yards.” George, who was playing in his first pro- fessional major championship, said he was a little more nervous than he anticipated. He hit his drive on the opening hole of the tournament to 77 yards from the green, but made double bogey after his next shot landed short of the green and rolled back down off of the false front. He settled down after that, but also struggled when he missed the fairways. “It’s my kind of grass, so no excuses,” he said after the first round. “I hit it in the rough probably six inches three times and every time it was a penalty, every time. I didn’t hit enough fairways.” Herzan struggled with some back pain that affected his swing, but he was pleased to return to Canterbury where he served as an assistant professional from 1983-1986. “It’s fun to be back,” Herzan said after his opening round. “I just ran into some members. When I was here they were young guys and now they are old guys like me. But it is fun to be back, and the members are great.” George said the experience makes him eager to qualify for next year’s tournament at the Colorado Golf Club outside of Denver. “Well, I want to do it again,” he said. “I would really like to do it again. Maybe be a little better prepared. I think the club pros can play with them; we just need to play a little more.” Other Club Pros Make Their Mark While the PGA club professionals from Ohio struggled, some of their counterparts had memorable tournaments. Robert Gibbons, PGA head professional at Arrowhead Golf Club in Molalla, Ore., found himself in a third-round threesome (continued on page 12) Gary Robison Lips Out for Birdie on 18 Green. Cory George with Son Bleu. WWW.OHIOSGOLF.COM • JUNE 2009 9 Publication List |
