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STILL SWINGING: Octogenarians chasing dreams on the links
By Greg Gulas
YOUNGSTOWN
With a field of 300 Valley golfers set for the 7th annual Farmers National Bank Greatest Golfer of the Valley, you can bet many golfers at Mill Creek’s North and South courses today will stand out because of superior play.
Whether they like it or not, two octogenarians — Victor Mauro, 85, of Goshen Township and George Repasky, 80, of Boardman — are sure to stand out for a variety of reasons, least of which is their age.
Both are capable of holding their own on the links.
Repasky, a former farmhand of the Cleveland Indians (1955-58), has played in five of six previous tournaments with a runner-up (2014) and third-place finish (2011) to his credit.
He returns after a one-year absence while Mauro, who retired in 1997 after spending his professional career as a bricklayer with the family business, Mauro Construction, is a rookie at age 85.
Both players, graduates of former City Series schools, can boast of regularly shooting their age.
“I started golfing at age 26 and when I got married in 1957, it was the only way that I could spend time with my brothers-in-law,” said Mauro, a 1950 Rayen School graduate. “My wife had five brothers and all were pretty good golfers, so I was just happy to join them for a friendly round of play.”
He calls Flying B his home course and for the past five years has also belonged to Berlin Lake Golf Club.
“Flying B to me is the ‘Gem of Goshen Township’ and I usually get to play three, sometimes four times a week,” he said. “I belong to two leagues, the Berlin Lake Golf Club League, which is a very challenging course, and the Royal Oaks League at Knoll Run Golf Course.”
Mauro, who usually shoots in the low to mid-40s, is still looking to record a coveted ace.
“I played at Knoll Run on Aug. 4 and came within three inches of the cup on the 18th hole,” Mauro said. “That is the closest that I have ever come to a hole-in-one.”
His goal remains to make it to Sunday, stating that even though he doesn’t drive the ball as far as some of the other players, he hits a straight tee shot and is usually in decent position for his second attempt.
“For me, I need to reach the greens in three for a chance at par or better,” Mauro said. “I might not hit it far, but it does go straight and then I have to rely on my putting, which is fairly decent.
“I’m really looking forward to the competition as I want to see if I can keep up with the other Super Seniors, as well as those that are a bit younger in my division.”
Repasky played four seasons in the Indians farm system and was a shortstop/second baseman who also lists the outfield on his playing resume.
During a 1958 game with Boston, he broke his leg sliding into second base. It didn’t heal correctly and marked the beginning of the end of his career.
Enter golf, which the 1955 South High School graduate calls a cruel game, yet a sport that he notes has allowed him to participate in for the past 50 years.
“I never took up the sport until I was in my mid-30s and still play several times a week,” he said. “Still, I have found it easier to hit a 90-mile-per-hour fastball than go up against this little dimpled ball,” he said.
Playing with friends has allowed him to keep his game sharp.
“Bill O’Horo has assembled a group of 16 guys and we play different local courses, also traveling to outlying courses to get in a good round,” Repasky said. “Most of the guys are a little younger than me, but on occasion I have been known to take their money.”
Repasky says his driver and irons are solid, but his short game needs some work.
“I also need to putt well in order to have a chance, but then again any good golfer, especially those on the pro circuit, will tell you that they have to putt well in order to win,” he said. “I don’t have any expectations, I just want to have fun and it all starts [today] at Mill Creek, whose South course is one of my very favorites.”
Greatest Golfer is in year seven and has engaged more than 3,000 golfers aged 12 to, well, 85 with Mauro.
The adult tourney starting today through Sunday is the capstone of the event. Read up on Greatest on vindy.com/golf.