When dawn broke July 2 at the 104th Ohio Open Championship, the leaderboard looked a bit amateur, which is no slight.
Four of the top six golfers through the first two days at Firestone Country Club were amateurs who looked to become the first non-professional Open champion since Jordan Gilkison in 2022.
A professional claimed the title, but he was pushed all the way by an amateur as the Open completed its return to Firestone for the first time in 63 years.
Cincinnati’s Will Grimmer won the Open title with a 14-under score of 198 (66-66-66). The 2019 Ohio State graduate held off a late charge from current Buckeye Vaughn Harber to win by two strokes.
“This has probably been my best season as a pro,” Grimmer said. “I think I’ve been under par six of my last eight rounds. It’s the most consistent I’ve been as a pro. I kind of told myself, ‘Just stay in this tournament going into day three.’ Luckily, I was able to keep my nerves under control and execute at high level.”
Grimmer was one of seven golfers at 11 or 10 under after playing on Firestone’s Fazio and North courses June 30 and July 1.
However, after the field of 288 was to cut to 60, the final round shifted to the South Course, which the golfers knew would be a step up in challenge.
“I knew going in from having played here eight years ago that the South Course is the most demanding off the tee around the greens,” Grimmer said.
“I think I started with the easiest course, then second, then third,” Harber said. “In this place, you’ve got to step up and hit good shots.”
The South Course proved its mettle, as only eight golfers finished with rounds under par July 2. Grimmer had the best round of the day at 4 under.
After playing the front nine in 1 under, Grimmer seemed to take command with back-to-back birdies on 10 and 11, giving him a four-stroke lead.
“To only make two bogeys all week this week, I was proud of that,” Grimmer said. “When I got to 13 under with those back-to-back birdies, I kind of told myself, ‘If you make a lot of pars coming in, you’re going to put yourself in a good position to win.’ That still held true, but Vaughn also got incredibly hot there.”
Indeed, Harber cut the lead to just one one stroke when he scored four birdies in five holes between 11 and 15. The Ohio State sophomore said he felt he had a chance to upend his fellow Buckeye.
“I was playing OK in the front nine,” he said. “I’d say the main difference on the back nine was tee shots. I was able to give myself some good looks and, fortunately, got putts to drop. In the back of my mine, I knew I had a solid shot if I finished well.”
Grimmer said he learned a lot about himself as a golfer on the final three holes, including a par save from off the green on the par-5 16th.
Grimmer saved his best shot for last, after patting the plaque honoring Tigers Woods’ famous “Shot in the Dark” on the 18th fairway for luck.
On the 18th green, Grimmer sank a birdie putt from 25 feet, letting out a yell and Woods-style fist pump as the ball went in.
“That putt was a double breaker,” Grimmer said. “I just told myself to put good speed on this, put it to within a foot or two, and if it drops, it drops. When that thing was about eight feet out, I thought, ‘Oh, man, I just made this putt.’
“That fist pump and that walk in was about six years of heartbreak and turmoil and pain and frustration all coming out in that one moment. Winning is hard and professional golf is brutal. To come out on the other side of it is a huge relief.”
Harber and third-place finisher Jacob McBride of Hartville each shot rounds of 2 under.
Grimmer said he plans to keep tabs on Harber’s career, saying the Buckeyes golf community is “very tight.”
What’s Grimmer’s next big thing? He plans to get married in late July. Meanwhile, Harber next plans to play at the Ohio Amateur Championship July 14 and 15 in Zanesville.
Two Akron golfers earned top-10 finishes at the Open. Nathan Tarter and amateur Kyle Smith tied for sixth place with scores of 6 under for the tournament.
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