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An integral part of one of the best three-year stretches ever by an NCAA Div. III golf team, Rodger Loesch was a member of Wooster’s only national championship team in 1975, and nearly won an individual championship himself a year later, highlighting his exceptional career with the Fighting Scots.
Loesch transferred to Wooster as a sophomore, joining a golf team that was on the brink of major success under legendary head coach Bob Nye. The Scots had competed in what was then known as the National Collegiate Golf Finals in five-straight seasons prior to his arrival, and once Loesch hit the links, it was clear he was only going to improve the team’s chances of making another run at a national title.
Through his first six events (12 rounds) with Wooster, Loesch ranked third on a team that went on to produce three other “W” Association Hall-of-Famers, averaging 77.5 strokes, headlined by a season-low 71 on his way to medalist honors at the Dale Beckler Invitational. He also tied for seventh (out of 82) at the Ohio Athletic Conference meet, helping lead the Scots to the conference title, and later, an invitation to the NCAA Div. III Championships.
It was around that time Loesch’s strong debut season hit a roadblock as he suffered a severely pinched nerve in his neck, limiting him to the point that in the days prior to the NCAA Div. III Championships, he wasn’t even able to swing a golf club. Loesch battled through the pain to compete at nationals anyway, shooting a 239 (79-79-81), which only narrowly missed out on factoring into Wooster’s team score (top-four).
Perhaps his toughness was an inspiration to his teammates, or perhaps it was just meant to be, but Wooster wound up edging out Hampden-Sydney College during the final hole of the third round to win what still remains the school’s only national championship.
With his injury behind him, Loesch was motivated his junior year to not only help Wooster defend its trophy, but individually, to see what he was capable of at the NCAA’s. Loesch and company steamrolled through the OAC yet again, winning the conference championship by 20 strokes, and this time it was Loesch leading the charge with a team-low 76.8 stroke average through 23 rounds.
At the NCAA’s, a now-healthy Loesch was a force, as he finished just three strokes behind the individual champion to tie for runner-up honors with a four-round total of 298 (76-76-72-77) en route to being named one of just six All-Americans that year. As a team, the Scots finished fourth in the country.
Loesch helped take Wooster back to the NCAA’s as a senior, this time contributing towards another noteworthy team finish (third-place). The Scots three-year run of placing first, fourth, and third at nationals between 1975-77 is the most dominant period in program history.
With a degree in business economics, Loesch initially worked for Arthur Anderson for two years and passed the CPA exam during that time. He then took an accounting position at Shiloh Industries, Inc., and later was promoted to Controller and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the organization. After 14 years at Shiloh, he moved on to Jay Industries, Inc., in his hometown of Mansfield, Ohio, where he also currently holds the position as CFO.
In his free time, Loesch still plays golf, and also has begun hiking with his wife, Sue Shin Loesch. They have two adult children, Mi-Sun Loesch (27) and Gregory Loesch (24), and he recently became a grandfather, saying he’s “enjoying this new stage of my life.”