25th Ohio Senior Amateur HOF Championship Aug. 8-9 at PBCC

HURON TWP. — It seems like yesterday when Jack Waldock, with a big assist from Cleveland's George Mateyo, decided to bring a special golf event to Plum Brook Country Club.The year was 1992 when the Ohio Senior Hall of Fame Championship became a reality.And now, it's the silver anniversary for the two-day, 36-hole, medal-play tournament which has lured some of the top names in Ohio amateur history, and more.The 25th event is set for Aug. 8-9, and open to players 50 and over."This was Jack's dream and here we are celebrating 25 years," tournament director Craig Soule said. "That is pretty lengthy for any tournament, and we are still going strong."We just sent out the entry forms, and we expect another strong field, including TJ Brudzinski, (Fremont native who resides in Columbus), who first won in 2013 (with a record 134 total) and came back in 2015 to become just the second player to win two titles," Soule added. "He has indicated to me he will be back."Taylor Metcalfe, of Springfield, won back-to-back championships in 2005 and 2006 — and 20 other names are on the past champions list, including Soule, who captured the 2009 crown with a 141 mark."In addition to the tournament, we also have the two Best Ball of four championship the day before (Aug. 7), which is a great way to get the event started," Soule said. "Then there is the Ohio Golf Association's Hall of Fame banquet the night of the first day of play (Aug. 8). It's always a special time and this year we are inducting three more men."The selection committee has picked David "Duff" Lawrence, John "Jack" Sayers II and James Stahl Jr.Lawrence, 79, competed full-time on the PGA tour in 1963 and 1964, then became an assistant golf pro at Scioto Country Club in Columbus for two years. He served as the head professional at Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland from 1969 through 1988, then moved on to Scottsdale, Ariz. as the top pro at Desert Highlands Golf Club for six years, and was the head pro at Paradise Valley Country Club in Arizona from 1991 until he retired in 2003.As a player, Lawrence was an All-American at Arizona State University in 1957 and won 25 amateur titles before his professional days, in which the high water mark ams in 1966 when he was the low qualifier inn the U.S. Open and made the cut at Bellevue, Wash.Sayers, who lives in Springfield, played on the Springfield North High School team, then the Kent State University golf team for four years. In 1966, Sayers won the first of three consecutive Springfield City Amateur titles.Sayers has served on the Ohio Golf Association board for 32 years, the last eight as President. During his tenure, the OGA instituted a soft spike policy for the OGA tournaments.He participated in 12 British Amateur Championships, seven British Senior Amateur tournaments with a top finish of second in 1995. He three times qualified for the USGA Senior Amateur and won the 1995 title.He was ranked the No.1 senior amateur player in the world by Golf Digest in 1995 and 1996.Stahl, a 1957 graduate of St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati and a 1961 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, is the President and owner of CBT Company (Cincinnati Belting & Transmission) since 1975.Stahl was inducted into the National Senior Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Greater Cincinnati & Hamilton County Athletic Hal of Fame in 2006. He was also the recipient of the Ike Grainger Award in 2001, presented by the United States Golf Association for 25 years of service.The entry fee for the Hall of Fame tournament is $325, which includes green fees, carts, prizes, awards, food both days and the Hall of Fame banquet, as well as the best ball event Aug. 7.In addition to the overall champion, prizes are also awarded for gross and net play in five age groups — 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69 and 70 and up.For more information, call tournament coordinator Lori Smith at 419-627-4600.