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Greatest Golfer junior season begins
Cole Christman moves up to U-17
By STEVE WILAJ
Sunday marks the second straight year The Vindicator Greatest Golfer of the Valley juniors season begins at Avalon at Squaw Creek in Vienna. And for the second straight year, Squaw Creek club professional Cory Pagliarini is excited for his course to host round one of the seven-round spring/summer tournament.
“It’s always fun seeing the kids go out there and compete,” Pagliarini said. “We have some good players in the area and we look forward to seeing them play again this year.
“Just being part of the event is important. It’s a good event for the valley. It shows off our property and it gives the kids a chance to play at some courses that they’ll play in high school and hopefully in college.”
Play begins on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Flynn Automotive Group Junior Greatest Golfer of the Valley tournament. The summer–long Greatest program serves more than 3,000 golfers up to age 80. It is also presented by Farmers National Bank, Superior Beverage, and Covelli Enterprises. Check out www.vindy.com/golf for all events. Registration for Sunday's event closes at 2 p.m. today.
The boys U-17 division features 25 golfers, while the girls U-17 is a field of 12 golfers. Three more will compete in the boys U-14 division and two will play in the girls U-14.
Cole Christman, a freshman at Boardman, won the boys U-14 division a year ago and is stepping into the U-17 class in 2016.
“It’s exciting, I’m looking forward to it,” Christman said. “It was a pretty good end to the high school season going to state. So this is going to be an important year for me.
“There’s gonna be challenges. You’re going up against older kids, the courses are longer and you’re playing against more people.”
Christman was part of the Spartans 2015 golf team that finished in seventh place at the state tournament. He said he has been working hard to improve his game’s weakest aspect.
“My chipping and my wedge game is better,” Christman said. “I have this completely new method, so now I’m chipping a lot better. Now if I miss a green, I can actually make par instead of missing the green by a foot and making bogey.”
Poland junior Zach Jacobson — entering his sixth and final season in the tournament — will be one of Christman’s main competitors. While Jacobson is a regular in the top finishers each year, he’ll try to get over the hump and win a championship in 2016.
“It’s the same thing every year that hinders me — my putting,” he said. “I’ve always been a pretty good ball-striker and by the time summer comes around every year, I hit a lot of balls that hit a lot of greens. But the putting always holds me back from making enough birdies or pars. So I’m just going to shoot low and try to get a title.”
Like Christman, Canfield freshman Hannah Keffler is a 2015 U-14 champion making her jump to the U-17 Division.
“I’m really excited. I practiced a lot over the winter,” said Keffler, who added that she focused on improving her short-game. “I’ve been trying to get ready for the spring and just been working my hardest. “I’ll have to have a lot of confidence in myself because I know it’s probably gonna be a little harder for me with the longer distances. So I’ll just have to remember that it’s the short game that’s really gonna help me.”
Both divisions will play 18 holes — the U-17 division teeing off first, followed by the U-14’s.
Pagliarini said the course is in “fantastic” shape.
“The greens are really fast and it’s pretty dried out for the weather we’ve had,” he said. “It’ll be a really good test for the youngsters, we’ll see how they can handle it.”