Competitive golf in 2009 was an interesting time. Tom Watson came one stroke away from winning The Open Championship at 59 years old, Y.E Yang had pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history by rallying in the final round to defeat Tiger Woods to win the PGA Championship, and Kentucky’s very own Kenny Perry was in a playoff at The Masters which was won by Angel Cabrera. Not far from Perry’s residence in Franklin, The Club at Olde Stone in Bowling Green hosted what was then known as the Powerbilt Kentucky Open. More than a decade later, the event’s leaderboard is almost as interesting to behold as the sport’s major championship leaderboards that year.

Matt Savage won the event for the second time, backing up his victory as an amateur in 2006 when he prevailed at University Club of Kentucky. On this August week in 2009, Savage established himself as the best player in the field that week by a country mile, winning the tournament by six strokes and finishing the tournament as the only player under par. At the end of the 54-hole competition, Savage had compiled a score of 211 (-5) which was also nine strokes better than a group of three players who finished in a tie for third at 220 (+4).

The golf course itself obviously proved itself to be extremely difficult this week, but certainly identified who the best players were based on the score gaps at the top of the leaderboard. Before the first round, Ryan Price, Olde Stone’s Director of Golf at the time, told Bowling Green Daily News “We’re not backing down this week (with course setup).” The rough was thick, the greens were fast and the feel of a U.S. Open was in the air at Olde Stone. Savage was one of just two players in the field to record a sub-70 round which he did twice, with 67 (-5) in the first round and 69 (-3) in the final round. Brent Long, with a 69 (-3) in the second round, was the only other player to break 70 that week.

The tournament’s champion, Savage, had recently wrapped up his collegiate career at Florida State and was in the midst of playing professionally, trying to work his way up the ranks on the PGA Tour. He would go onto play one Korn Ferry Tour event in 2010 in Chattanooga, Tennessee where he made the cut and finished T57. Savage was never quite able to break through and make it on the PGA Tour, so he went back to his alma mater in 2013 to be an Assistant Coach for the Seminoles. Today, Savage is a reinstated amateur back in Kentucky who consistently tees it up in the Kentucky Open as a past champion. In 2019 at Kearney Hill Golf Links, he finished T57.

Keith Ohr, a familiar name to Kentucky golfers, was the runner-up to Savage this week while he searched for his second Kentucky Open victory. Ohr began the final round tied with Savage as the two gentlemen had somewhat separated themselves from the rest of the pack, three strokes up over their nearest competitor when the day began. Unfortunately for Ohr, the final round was not his finest day as he recorded a round of 75 (+3) which put him too far behind Savage to threaten down the stretch. The good news of course is that since then, Ohr has been prolific in Kentucky golf competitions, which includes him grabbing that second Kentucky Open title in 2012 at Traditions Golf Club. Victories in the Kentucky PGA Professional Championship in 2013 and 2015 have kept the Head Golf Professional at Lake Forest Country Club a popular and well-respected champion in the state.

No conversation about the 2009 Kentucky Open would be complete, however, without talking about Kentucky’s modern day golfing star, Justin Thomas. Thomas was 16 years old the week of this tournament and one of those who finished in the group tied for third. He finished as the Championship’s low amateur that week and also recorded his best overall result in the event. If there was any hint at Thomas’ future stardom during this competition, it probably would have been shown most through the consistency in his scores. Thomas went 75-73-72 that week, and along with Savage and Ohr, were the only players to not shoot 76 or higher during a round in this event. Later that month, Thomas made his first start on the PGA Tour by competing in the Wyndham Championship where he opened the event with a 65 (-5). Almost exactly eight years later, Thomas would be hoisting the Wannamaker Trophy at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina as a PGA Champion.

Final results:

1) Matt Savage 67-75-69 – 211 (-5)
2) Keith Ohr 71-71-75 – 217 (+1)
T3) Justin Thomas 75-73-72 – 220 (+4)
T3) Brent Long 76-69-75 – 220 (+4)
T3) Blake Watts 76-73-71 – 220 (+4)
T6) Adam Gary 72-76-73 – 221 (+5)
T6) Cody Martin 73-78-70 – 221 (+5)
T8) Chase Cochran 75-77-70 – 222 (+6)
T8) Jordan Blann 76-70-76 – 222 (+6)
T10) David Plumb 78-71-74 – 223 (+7)
T10) Pat Stephens 73-74-76 – 223 (+7)