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Ohio’s Michael Balcar Wins Event No. 6 in PGA Tournament Series
By Craig Dolch
Published on
Michael Balcar ended the PGA Tournament Series the way he started it: Holding a trophy.
If only it was that simple.
Balcar started Friday’s final round of Event No. 6 with a one-shot lead, quickly lost it and saw four other players hold the lead during a topsy-turvy day on the Ryder Course at PGA Golf Club.
Balcar had four birdies (and two bogeys) on his last eight holes to shoot 3-under 68 and win by a stroke over two players at 10-under 132. He birdied the 17th to take the lead for good and parred the 18th with a two-putt from the back fringe.
“My goal when I came down for the PGA Tournament Series was to win a check in every event,” said Balcar, a 32-year-old PGA of America Golf Professional at Brandywine Country Club in Toledo, Ohio. “I’m proud of that consistency. To win two tournaments makes it really special.”
Ben Kern (66), who took last year off from competition, tied for second place with Andre Chi (64) at 9-under 133. Kern, low PGA of America Golf Professional at the 2018 PGA Championship, took the lead with a 5-under 31 on the front nine, but settled for an even-par 35 on the back nine.
“I just wanted to be by myself,” Kern, a PGA Professional at Hickory Hills Golf Club in Ohio, said of his hiatus. “I started playing Section events this year, and thought I’d come down here for the last two events to knock some rust off. I’m happy with a couple of top-10s.”
Chi, who played in last week’s Korn Ferry Tour final stage of Q-school, fired a front-nine 30 to earn a share of the lead. He bogeyed 11 and 12, then eagled the par-5 13th when he hit a 4-iron to 4 feet. He birdied 17 to tie Balcar before the latter matched his birdie at 17.
“I was driving it well, putting myself in good positions and I felt comfortable around the greens,” said Chi, a PGA Professional at Deepdale Golf Club in New York. “I was just playing smart. But I knew I needed to make that birdie putt at 18.”
Chi said he expected Balcar to birdie 17, and he was proven correct. Balcar hit his second shot over the green, knowing he needed to get up and down to take the lead.
“It was a nice 20-yard chip up the hill,” Balcar said. “I clipped it just the way I wanted to, and hit it to 4 or 5 feet.”
The money title came down to the back nine. Danny Balin of Lake Success, N.Y., who entered with a $279 lead over Bob Sowards of Dublin, Ohio, fell behind when Sowards eagled the par-4 14th, but regained the money lead when Sowards double bogeyed the 17th. Balin finished fourth, totaling $15,310; Sowards’ T-5 left him with $14,364.
“I was thinking about the money title a lot today,” said Balin, a PGA Professional at Fresh Meadow Country Club in New York. “I get an extra 100 points for the National Player of the Year, and that helps me for making the PGA Cup. I got a little lucky there because Bob is such a solid player.”
Sowards’ back nine typified the tumultuous day. He holed his approach from 96 yards at the par-4 14th, but double bogeyed the 17th when he hooked a 4-iron out of bounds after the ball hit the cart path.
“The eagle got me back in the tournament, but I have one weak club in my bag, and I had to trust it on 17,” Sowards said. “That’s the last time I hit that 4-iron.”
The PGA Winter Championships, presented by GolfPass and On Location, start Jan. 7 with the Quarter Century Championships on the Wanamaker and Ryder Courses.
For more information about the 2025 PGA Tournament Series, visit the event website.
