Lake-Effect Show

August 28, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Trio tied atop leaderboard entering final round in Poland

YOUNGSTOWN

Their paths differed but their results are the same.

After the first two rounds of the Greatest Golfer of the Valley tournament, a handful of young guns sit atop the Pete Mollica Open Division heading into today’s final round at The Lake Club in Poland.

Scott Porter (Tippecanoe Country Club), Josh Zarlenga (Youngstown Country Club) and Greg Cook (Mahoning Country Club) share first place after finishing the first two rounds with identical 145 scores, though their scores varied on Saturday at Youngstown Country Club.

There was Porter, 33, younger brother of Mike Porter, the 2010 Greatest Golfer of the Valley tournament champion, who shot a 75 Saturday after posting a division best 70 on Friday.

“I struggled significantly,” Porter said with a chuckle, “I was always above the hole and never gave myself a chance.”

Mike Porter shot an 81 Saturday; he made the cut after shooting a two-day 152.

Then there was Zarlenga, 28, and Cook, 27, who each shot 73s. Cook shot a one-under 35 on the front nine before settling for a three-over 38 on the back nine. Zarlenga’s day went the exact opposite — he shot a 38 on the front and a 35 on the back.

Zarlenga, who’s been a member at YCC the past four years, had a bit of a home-course advantage, but admitted the course had new, never-before-seen wrinkles.

“They actually had a few of the pins and tees in spots they normally don’t,” Zarlenga said.

Cook played YCC for just the second time, but said he was well prepared after hundreds of rounds at the difficult Mahoning Country Club during the last decade.

“I was just trying to stay in contention,” he said. “I started strong, hit a lot of fairways, the front side was good and consistent. The back nine was nothing great; it was kind of boring all the way around.”

One hole on the back nine that provided difficulties was the 166-yard, par-3 16th, which has a green that slopes wickedly from right to left.

“No. 16, in my opinion, is the toughest par 3 that you could possibly play in the Mahoning Valley,” Zarlenga said.

Zarlenga bogeyed the hole. Cook, who managed to shoot par on the hole, said there was one way to beat the slope.

“You’ve just gotta put the ball in the right spot,” Cook said. “If you keep it below the hole you should be OK.”

Only 12 of the 42 Mollica Division golfers shot par on the hole.

Keeping it above or below the hole wasn’t the toughest challenge for one group.

Teeing from a wrong location caused a disqualification for the group of Jeff Campbell, Alan Podolsky and former NFLer Jeff Wilkins.

“I was in the middle of No. 5 and I turned around and said, ‘Why are we playing [from] the 3s?’” Wilkins said after the round.

Wilkins wasn’t too upset; he shot a 76 Friday and triple-bogeyed the first hole Saturday afternoon.

Anthony Conn (Mill Creek) trails the leaders by a single stroke headed into today’s final round. Dick Marlowe (Tippecanoe) registered the next closest score, a 149.

In Division 2, Michael Watson (Mill Creek) followed up Friday’s 71 with a Saturday-best 77. He leads Doug McMullin (Yankee Run) by three strokes headed into today’s finale. McMullin also shot a 77 Saturday. Robert Venrose shot a second-round 78 and is five shots out of first.

In Division 3, Rob Rule (Squaw Creek) made up for a less-than-stellar opening-round 85 by shooting a division-low 78 at Trumbull Country Club on Saturday. He leads Brian Myers (Links at Firestone Farms) by two strokes. Myers had vaulted to a six-stroke lead after shooting a 76 on Friday, but fell off-pace with his 89 Saturday.

The Division 4 leaderboard is spread out. Phillip Roudebush (Tippecanoe) heads in to today with a three-stroke advantage over James Dimuzio (Oak Tree), who shot a 171 during the first two rounds.

Katie Rogner (Tamer Win) followed up an impeccable first-round 68 with a division best 76 Saturday and leads Toni Notaro (Salem Golf Club) and Lori Bowden (Tippecanoe), who both posted a 157 two-day total, by 13 strokes.

Tom Walker (Pine Lakes) leads Bob Leonard (Kennsington) by seven strokes in the Senior Division. Walker shot a 73 Saturday for a two-round total of 142; Leonard also posted a 73 for a combined score of 149.

In the SuperSeniors Division, Ralph Roberts’ (Mill Creek) 152 is good enough to lead Edward Antonelli (Avalon Lakes) by two strokes.