We made more Greatest spots


July 17, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

We made more Greatest spots

The demand for spots in the 2011 Greatest Golfer of the Valley tourney (Aug. 26-28) filled our initial budget for the divisions playing at Mill Creek and Youngstown Country Club. So on Monday, we had to close registrations for the Open, 6-10 and 11-15 handicapped divisions.

As we watched the waiting list grow to 10 players by Wednesday with four weeks of registrations still to come, we adjusted our budgets, and on Friday, reopened the closed divisions.

The Greatest is about celebrating golf, and we want it open to as many as possible.

The overall golfer total through Friday was above 150 golfers. We originally budgeted for 160 golfers spread over two courses for each of the two days of qualifiers. But with the adjustments, we’re looking to host 180 golfers.

Introducing ‘The Mollica’

Valley golf lost a great friend this week when retired Vindy sportswriter Pete Mollica passed away after a battle with cancer.

Pete was a fan of the Greatest event, and one of the first to help us shape it, writing all the stories for the inaugural 2010 tourney.

The best of the Greatest compete in the Open Division, and The Vindicator is naming that division in memory of Pete.

Read more about this on today’s Page A2.

Calling hours for Pete are today from 2-5 p.m. at Rossi Brothers Funeral Home on Robbins Avenue in Niles. The funeral is Monday at 9:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, also in Niles.

Juniors make the turn

Two of our three qualifier tourneys are down, and one remains this week — Thursday at Tam O’Shanter. (Still time to enter)

Diamond Back in Canfield and Tamer Win in Cortland were ideal hosts for our first two qualifiers in the inaugural Greatest juniors.

Advancing from those two events are:

BOYS: Brandon Pluchinsky, Dominic Carano, Max Pikunas, Joe Benson, Dominic Patella, James LaPolla, Joey Canann and Bart Wyss.

GIRLS: Jacinta Pikunas, Christina Cooper, Kelly Fleming, Annie McGlone, Kelsey Teaberry, Giana DiBenedetto, Lianna Tucci and Gina DePasquale.

Four more boys and girls will be added to the field after this week’s. They will all compete July 31 at Trumbull Country Club for the title of Greatest Junior Golfer of the Valley.