WRITTEN BY: Jack Rubin
ZANESVILLE, OH - The 119th playing of the Ohio Amateur Championship takes place July 15-18, 2025, at Zanesville Country Club in Zanesville, Ohio.
This week, 144 players will look to join a list of many accomplished Ohio Amateur champions; including Arnold Palmer, John Cook, Ben Curtis, Jason Kokrak, and Frank R. Stranahan, among others.
The champion of the 2025 Ohio Amateur Championship will earn a lifetime exemption for the Ohio Amateur Championship, as well as an exemption into the 2025 U.S. Amateur Championship.
The Top-5 finishers and ties will be locally exempt for the 2026 U.S. Amateur Championship.
ABOUT THE COURSE
Zanesville Country Club's golf course was designed by Donald Ross and Chick Evans and has been in its current location since 1933.
Zanesville’s well-conditioned golf course features typical back-to-front Ross greens, a few elevated tees and greens, as well as “Joe’s Run”, a creek that meanders throughout the layout.
The Ohio Amateur Championship has been played at Zanesville Country Club four times before (1955, 1960, 2005, and 2015). It also recently hosted the Ohio Junior Championship in 2021.
Paul Thomas, the grandfather of two-time major champion Justin Thomas, worked as the golf pro at Zanesville Country Club for almost three decades.
General Manager: Mike Kaido
Head Pro: Mike Durant
Superintendent: Tim Dunn
BAILEY LOOKS TO BECOME THE FIRST TO THREE-PEAT
Andrew Bailey of Shaker Heights will look to become the first player to win the Ohio Amateur Championship three consecutive times. Bailey won the 2023 edition at Canterbury Golf Club before defending his title a year ago at Sylvania Country Club.
Bailey is also the top player in the field in the current World Amateur Golf Ranking, sitting at No. 125.
FIELD NOTES
Other defending Ohio Amateur champions in the field include Vaughn Snyder (2008) and Stephen Anderson (1990).
Three recent Ohio Junior champions are in the field; Liam Curtis (2025), Braden Herstich (2024), and Finley Bartlett (2022). Liam Curtis is the son of two-time Ohio Amateur champion Ben Curtis.
Domenic Maricocchi (Cincinnati) is the lone recent Ohio Mid-Amateur Championship winner in the field at Zanesville.
Four recent champions of the Ohio Two-man Best-ball will tee it up at ZCC; Dhaivat Pandya (2024), Josh Veith (2023), Nick Reardon (2023), and Scott Anderson (2022).
Defending CDGA Amateur champion Vaughn Harber is one of the top players in the field. The rising sophomore at Ohio State finished runner-up recently at the Ohio Open. Harber also won the 2023 OHSAA Division I Individual title.
Four players who finished in a tie for third at the 2024 Ohio Amateur Championship are in the field at ZCC. Darin Hudak, who co-led after two rounds a year ago. as well as Mitchell Soma, Colin Schadek, and 2023 CDGA Amateur champion, Brett Podobinski.
Mason’s AJ Wilhelm won the boys 15 & under division of the 2021 Ohio Junior Championship that was played at Zanesville Country Club. Wilhelm finished T-11 a year ago at the Ohio Amateur.
Ryan Pamer of Hudson was the runner-up at the 2021 Ohio Junior at Zanesville. Pamer finished T-16 in Sylvania.
Strongsville's Nicholas Piesen ended up in a tie for third at that edition of the Ohio Junior. Piesen also co-led the 2024 Ohio Amateur Championship after two rounds before placing t-11.
Other top players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking include Jordan Gilkison (#222) and Joe Wilson IV (#917).
A pair of players, Noah Dever and 2024 CDGA Mid-Amateur Champion Blake Hartford, are from Zanesville CC.
Oldest player in the field: Brian Schubert, 57 years, 5 months, 6 days
