Last week’s 73rd Kentucky PGA Professional Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville provided opportunities for 63 PGA members who battled for the title of top pro in Kentucky. A handful of golfers with northern Kentucky ties tried to take advantage by putting together solid finishes in a tightly contested field.
In the end, three area head golf professionals wound up placing in the top nine and one could be headed to the national event. In all, four local head pros swung their way into the top 13. Ryne Burnett, Tom Walters, Bruce Oldendick and Andrew Stephens all could be happy about something during their time hitting with Kentucky’s best.
The day belonged to Daniel Iceman, who earned the title of Kentucky PGA Professional Champion with a two-round score of even-par 144. He won in a playoff with Zachary Haynes. The appropriately named Iceman, reigning KPGA Player of the Year, two-putted for the victory on No. 10. He pulled to within inches of the hole with his first putt and tapped in for the win.
Iceman, the head professional at Weissinger Hills Golf Course in Shelbyville, secured a spot in the April 2025 PGA Professional Championship in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He is joined by runner-up Haynes and third-place Grover Justice.
Serving as alternates for the national tournament are Brad Maynard, Mitchell Moore and Burnett, head golf pro at Triple Crown Country Club in Union. Burnett, a former Lindsey Wilson golfer, tied for fifth at 6-over-par 150. That was one shot ahead of Walters, head pro at Summit Hills Country Club in Crestview Hills. Walters, who golfed at Northern Kentucky University and has played with PGA greats Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara, just missed an alternate spot with a score of 151.
Oldendick, from Florence, is the head pro at Pendleton Hills Country Club in Butler. The four-time KPGA player of the year, tied for ninth with 153. Oldendick, a four-time Northern Kentucky Men’s Amateur champion and the only player to win three in a row, has won more than 140 tournaments.
Stephens, co-founder and director of instruction at The Academy at the Stephens Golf Center in Burlington, tied for 13th. The former assistant coach of the University of Cincinnati men’s golf team, finished with a score of 155. Stephens is a two-time KPGA player of the year. He set course records at Triple Crown Country Club (61) and Fort Mitchell Country Club (63).
Elsewhere around the links:
23rd Northern Kentucky Four Ball Championship
Several area golfers distinguished themselves at this month’s 23rd Northern Kentucky Four Ball Championship. The event was held at Lassing Pointe Golf Club in Union and crowned six flight winners. Method of play is 18-holes: 6-hole four-ball stroke play, 6-hole modified alternate shot, and 6-hole scramble. The field is divided into four divisions: Championship, Senior, Women’s and Mixed. Prizes are awarded for Gross and Net in each division.
The local team of Marty Arnzen and Brad Ginter from Highland Country Club in Fort Thomas tied for second in the Championship Net Division with a score of 65. They tied for fifth in the Championship Gross Division with 66. Traditions Golf Club’s Justin Amlung and Adam Worrell tied for sixth in Championship Net.
Eagle Creek Country Club’s Tommy Mueller and Diana Mueller won the Net Mixed crown with a score of 66. Eagle Creek’s Bobbie Morris and Dave Radford tied for sixth in Net Seniors with 65.
NKU Women’s Golf On The Upswing
The Northern Kentucky University women’s golf team is coming off its best finish at the Horizon League Championship since 2016-17. The Norse finished fifth at the spring tournament with the third-best score in the final round. That gave them some momentum heading into the fall season. NKU opens the schedule Aug. 30 at Central Michigan. There has been some roster turnover since the Norse last played. The top three golfers at the spring championship have moved on. The top returnees are seniors Reagan Nolan, Gracie Baun, Rachel DiDonato and junior Ella Hardy.
Nolan had one top 10 finish and placed 36th at the Horizon tournament. Baun, 38th at the league championship, has the top scoring average among the returnees at 79.1. Haley Coleman, who has dealt with injuries the past two seasons, is next at 79.2. Hardy, who had a spring season-high seventh-place finish, averaged 80.1. DiDonato had a pair of top 15 finishes. The Norse added University of Cincinnati transfer Kenna Jenkinson. Former Cooper standout Eva Maley is among four freshmen.
NKU Men Boosted By Newcomers
The NKU men’s golf team features a solid cast of returning players and some intriguing new members. The Norse are coming off a fifth-place finish at the Horizon League Championship, their best showing since 2018-19. Back from that team are four of the top five placers at the Horizon tournament. They are Luke Muller (12th), Isaac Moody (17th), Zack Beard and Micah Bertram. Muller, one of a trio of returning seniors, had three top 20 placings including a top 10 finish. He wrapped up with a scoring average of 73.4, lowest among returnees. Beard is next at 74.
NKU will be a deeper squad following the additions of three transfers. Muller’s former Highlands teammate, senior Justin Gabbard, joins the Norse. He makes the jump from Xavier where he had three top 20 finishes last season. Another former local prep player, St. Henry’s Mason Butler, is with the Norse. He put together four top 10 finishes in two seasons at Thomas More. Cooper Eberle is from Eastern Michigan where he did not compete last season but averaged 77 as a freshman. Former Newport Central Catholic standout Caleb Eaglin is one of two freshmen. The season opener is Sept. 8-10 at Marshall.
Top Golfers Back For Thomas More Women
The Thomas More University golf teams return for a second season at the NCAA Division II level. Likewise, it’s the Saints’ second year as a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The women return four of their top five scorers at the G-MAC spring championship. The 10th-place Saints welcome back sophomores Megan Childs (36th at the G-MAC), Elena Beck (38th), Anna Schmitt (51st) and Gracie Dargie, a former Ryle Raider.
There are two seniors: Sydney Miller (44th at the G-MAC) and Ysabella Peru from Dixie Heights. Childs and Miller carded low rounds of 85 at the G-MAC. Kyndell Frazier from Scott is the lone junior. Former Notre Dame Academy standout Natalie Lovell is one of four freshmen along with Shealynn Deaton from Bellevue. Lovell transferred from Creighton. There are five players from Cincinnati’s Girls Greater Catholic League, including Beck, Childs and Schmitt from Seton. The season starts Sept. 9 at Alice Lloyd College.
Saints Men Led By Locals
The Thomas More men’s golf team lost three of its top four finishers at the G-MAC tournament. The top returning placer is former Covington Catholic standout Nathan Resing. The sophomore had a low round of 79 at the conference tournament. He placed 61st with a three-round average of just under 83.
The Saints are young with no seniors. They have just two juniors: Connor Albrinck from St. Henry and Ben Epplen from Beechwood. Two more locals, former Cooper golfer Yuji Maruishi and Noah Riley from Holy Cross are sophomores. The season gets underway Sept. 9 at Alice Lloyd.