Thursday, August 21, 2014
YOUNGSTOWN
Most golf tournaments are lost on the final day, not won.
Poland’s Hank Morris found that out the hard way.
Three years ago, Morris was making his Vindicator Greatest Golfer of the Valley debut and it couldn’t have been going any better than expected. He had a five-shot lead heading into Sunday’s final round in the men’s 10-14 handicap division.
That was until the pressure got to him.
“I caved,” said Morris on Wednesday, reflecting on his past experience.
“What I wish I knew then is what I know now and that’s that you don’t have to shoot a low number on the last day to win.
“I pressed after getting a few bogies and just kind of fell apart.”
Morris shot a 94 that day to finish sixth in his division — a disappointing end to a event that had so much promise. But it was the chills Morris felt standing on the tee box on Sunday, hearing his name announced as the leader, that keeps bringing him back.
Morris, along with 299 other area golfers, will be in search of that feeling once again beginning Friday as the 5th annual Greatest Golfer of the Valley sponsored by Farmers National Bank gets under way at Mill Creek Golf Course.
For Morris, he’ll be in the comfortable surroundings of his home course.
“This is a really fun event and you just get hooked,” he said. “I’ve been playing on the final day two years in a row.
“I’d love to finish first, so that just keeps motivating you to improve.”
With a new year comes new challenges. Morris has moved up a division to the men’s 5-9 handicap after when he called a roller coaster first three years.
“I still haven’t won the 10-14 division, so I figured why not move up,” Morris said with a laugh. “But no, I have been practicing two-three times a day and worked on parts of my game to the point where my scores have come down some.”
He won’t be the only one pushing himself this weekend. Mike Guerreri of Canfield also moved from the 10-14 handicap to the 5-9 division for this year.
A participant since year two, Guerreri has finished second in each of the past two Greatest Golfer tournaments.
“At 5-9, you’re going to have guys who are obviously good golfers, competitive golfers who are there to win,” Guerreri said. “It’s such a great event because it’s such a big market area for the sport.
“Plus it’s fun to compete against players of similar skill.”
The biggest thing Guerreri had to get used to: the crowds. A member at Tippecanoe Country Club in Canfield, he said it’s a whole different atmosphere when you have people lining the fairways down the stretch.
I was definitely nervous,” Guerreri said. “I played in a relatively competitive game, so I was used to playing under a lot of stress.
“When your family’s there you want to perform the way you’re capable of just so you don’t have to hear it.”
The first round is Friday at Mill Creek, where all 300 golfers will compete at either the North or South course. On Saturday, the golfers will be divided between Trumbull Country Club in Warren, Youngstown Country Club, Tippecanoe and Oak Tree Country Club in West Middlesex, Pa.
It all culminates in championship on Sunday, when the top 100 golfers compete for the title of Greatest Golfer at The Lake Club in Poland.