Strudwick team wins Vindicator Pro-Am

Fittingly, the winning team included a representative from the sponsor.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
VIENNA -- It only seemed fitting that someone from The Vindicator was on the winning team in the Vindicator Pro-Am Tournament Monday at Squaw Creek Country Club.
The event helped to kick off the 2002 Giant Eagle LPGA Classic, which is beginning its 13th season in the Valley.
Ted Suffolk, Assistant General Manager at The Vindicator, was part of the winning team in the five-person scramble event.
That team, which included LPGA professional Suzanne Strudwick, also included Jim and Lisa Ford of Valparaiso, Ind., and Carl Paglia of Poland.
Score breakdown
They posted a winning net score of 54.80 and shot an actual score of 58, which was 14-under par.
"We just had a great time and Suzanne was tremendous out there," said Suffolk. "Her iron play was unbelievable. She just hit everything close to the hole."
Strudwick, a native of Cheshire, England, who resides in Knoxville, Tenn., said that everybody contributed.
"I had a lot of help, but I did make some nice iron shots. There were three or four that we had for easy tap-in birdies," Strudwick said.
One of those shots came on the par-3, No. 9 hole when Strudwick hit her tee shot to within 10 inches of the hole.
"She was doing that all day long," said Suffolk.
Second place in the event went to the team that was led by LPGA player Angela Stanford and included amateurs Maria Lisko, Mike Kruggle, Linda Wash and Nancy Miller. They shot a score of 60 actual and a 55.00 net.
The top five teams finished in the prize listings. There were 22 teams in the tournament.
Third place went to the team captained by LPGA player Marianne Morris, from Middletown. Her team consisted of Elizabeth Kobly, Toni Notaro, Kelly McGee and Maggie Hay. They shot 59 actual and had a net score of 55.40.
Lowest actual
Fourth place went to the team led by professional Laurie Brower and included Jim Norris, Dennis Beech, Fred Byer and John Hamilton, who are all Giant Eagle vendors. This team had the lowest actual score of 56, 16-under par, and had 55.95 net total.
Fifth place at 56.00 was led by LPGA player Laurel Kean, also an Ohio native. They included Mary Ferry, Judy Schmutz, Susan Rupert and Alyson Winick.
Another team, which included Vindicator employees, was the team led by LPGA rookie Angela Buzminski. They shot 57 actual score, second best in the tournament and since they had no handicap they finished at 57. The team included Vindicator's Director of Advertising Ron Capretta, Retail Advertising Manager Mike Hearn, Outside Classified Sales Supervisor Dale Gresko and Dave Meikle of Meikle Realty.
That team just missed tying for the low score of the day when three of their putts just missed falling in on the final hole.
Another team included former Heisman Trophy winner Gino Torretta. That team, captained by LPGA pro Natascha Fink, included Bobby Soule, Terry Everett and Dale Solloway.
Torretta, who won the Heisman in 1992 at the University of Miami, was playing because of his friendship with Soule, from Lamar Outdoor Advertising.
mollica@vindy.com