Juniors gear up for fourth qualifier

June 25, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

hermitage, pa.

Wednesday morning marks the fourth qualifying event for The Vindicator’s Greatest Golfer of the Valley juniors competition presented by Farmers National Bank.

Tam O’ Shanter of Pennsylvania and its co-owner, John Kerins, will play host to the competition for the second-straight year.

“I think it’s a lot of self- satisfaction,” he said of hosting. “My staff likes it, and the community likes reading about it and it does create excitement for the kids.

“Watching the kids compete and the nice nature of the sportsmanship involved with all the players, that’s what makes it worthwhile.”

Kerins, a graduate of Kennedy Catholic and its head golf coach of 30 years, has spent much of his life on the course. He’s competed and won at the college and club professional levels while growing the course’s business ventures in instruction and the pro shop experience.

Tam O’Shanter, located just off of Interstate 80 and barely five miles from the Ohio border, has been a family affair for the Kerins family since his mother and father purchased the facility in 1948. The family home resided above the original pro shop, on what is now the beautifully landscaped putting green.

“I was born and raised in the business. My brother, Rick, is my partner and we have a pretty nice place,” Kerins said. “We’ve expanded a couple times. We built this building; the old clubhouse we tore down in 1981 or 1982. … We’ve modernized.”

Kerins and his staff host high school events, junior outings and a Summer youth clinic that stresses the fundamentals of the golf swing and course strategy.

The course’s length is not imposing, but rewards driving accuracy and disciplined short games around greens that are tightly enclosed by wooded areas.

Narrow fairways lined with natural hardwoods and tall pines present the most obvious obstacles for big hitters.

Then there is the signature hole known as “Death Valley,” which has even stymied an 18-year-old Arnold Palmer. A great, vegetated gorge separates players on the No. 14 tee box from the deceptively large, plateau green 110 yards away.

At the Pittsburgh Senior Classic 15 years ago, Kerins and Palmer shared a laugh over the tale of the golf legend taking an eight on the hole after arriving there 7 under par for his round.

“He shook his head, took a step away and came back and said, ‘That was the Tam O’Shanter Open, wasn’t it?’” Kerins detailed. “How much golf has Arnold Palmer ever played in his life and he still remembered that score?”

Wednesday’s round will begin at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start. All boys and girls from The Vindicator’s five- county coverage area are eligible to compete. Golfers with one of the two lowest rounds in the 12-14 and 15-17 age groups will qualify for the tournament’s final round, to be played at Trumbull Country Club on July 21.

For more tournament information, see vindy.com/golf and follow on Twitter@vindygreatest.