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SHAMBLE OPENS GREATEST YEAR 10
Links at Firestone Farms hosts season-opening event
By Corey Crisan
COLUMBIANA
A tournament largely consisting of previous champions kicked off the 10th season of the Greatest Golfer of the Valley series at The Links at Firestone Farms on Friday.
A limited field of previous winners of the various Greatest Golfer divisions plus runners-up from 2018 congregated for the first two-player “shamble” event, recording the best score of the team. Joey Cilone and Brian Myer turned in the lowest gross score of 62. Phil Eubank and Hank Morris earned lowest net round honors with a score of 56.
The 44-team field featured champions from all years of the event, dating to 2010, and a partner of their choosing.
Five players in Friday’s field — Josh Zarlenga, Brad Koch, Paul Marovich, Don Sicafuse, and inaugural senior champion Bob Leonard — have never missed a year of Greatest Golfer.
“The field has gotten a lot deeper,” Zarlenga said. “The first couple years we played, there weren’t as many in the scratch division as there are now. In all the divisions, there are a lot more people playing.”
Jonah Karzmer and Shawn Wire earned the second-lowest gross score of 63, while Frank Santisi and Joey Santisi were awarded third place via scorecard playoff.
The second- and third-place net scores were determined by a scorecard playoff.
The team of Josh Randolph and A.J. Myers took home second-place honors while J.T. Gorman and Lee Stoneburner earned third place as each team turned in a 58 net score.
“It’s such a friendly environment,” third-year player Leah Benson said. “You meet a lot of people, and you have a lot of fun. We played Avalon Lakes, that has become my favorite course.”
Greatest Golfer of the Valley will return with The Waypoint Group/Morgan Stanley Greatest 2019 Juniors tournament on June 11 at Pine Lakes in Hubbard.
The juniors championship is scheduled for July 19 at Squaw Creek for the U17 division, and on July 20 at Avalon Lakes for the U14 and U17 divisions.
The Greatest Week in the Valley by Covelli Enterprises begins Aug. 12 with the Coors Light Greatest Scramble Championship at the Lake Club.
The Phantom Fireworks two-player Championship will follow on Aug. 14 at Trumbull Country Club.
The HBK Long Drive & Par 3 Shootout is introduced as an event on Aug. 14. Players can enter to go long or keep it short under the lights at Tippecanoe Country Club.
The Greatest Golfer of the Valley ends with the Farmers National Bank 54-Hole Individual Stroke Play Tournament and the Farmers National Greatest Golfer Championship presented by The Lake Club, beginning Aug. 16.