NORTH NORWICH – What kind of comeback heroics can we expect this year at Canasawacta Country Club’s men’s member-guest tournament?
Reaching its 50th incarnation, the golden anniversary event will be hard-pressed to upstage last year’s thrilling playoff win for two-time champions Tim Mirabito and guest Kenny Stewart. Mirabito and Stewart made up four shots over the final 18 holes to force the tournament’s first playoff. On the first hole, Mirabito sunk a downhill birdie putt in front of a large throng of fans and supporters to clinch his third overall championship
While last year’s tournament victory was unique, 2006 winners Tom and Matt Ryan pulled off perhaps the greatest comeback win in the tourney’s long history making up six shots for their title.
Mirabito and Stewart are one team out a 100 that began play with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. today. A second shotgun start is slated for 1:30 p.m., said C.C.C. head professional, David Branham. “This year is pretty special, and this has to be one of the most successful member-guests in Central York,” Branham said.
Bagpiper extraordinaire Steve Cady will provide a traditional golf feel marking the occasion with music at 7:40 a.m., and member-guest veterans John Kolbas, Frank Mirabito, George Denning, and Jim Rotundo will serve as honorary starters at 7:50 a.m..
“We tried to choose players (as starters) who are legends in this tournament,” Branham said, who noted Mirabito is among the alumni of champions, while Rotundo has played in more member-guest tourneys than any other player in history.
Mirabito and Stewart surely will rank among this year’s favorites, and only two other teams in this year’s field have paired to win the title. At the top of the list is nine-time champion Bob Branham, who won with his son Michael three years ago, while Doug Wilson and Joe Gutosky are on the champions’ plaque as well.
Perhaps the odds-on favorites this year – as they were last year – are Tim Carson and Scott Seiler. Carson and Seiler held the tournament lead until the latter stages of the back nine last year, and were also runners-up in 2006.
“Carson and Seiler have been really close, and I know Scotty knows how to win,” Branham said. “The thing about Tim and Ken is that they are a great team in the truest sense of the word (team). They aren’t the two best individual players, but they have great attitudes and they know how to close out a tournament.”
The most significant change in the tournament’s format is the trimming of the Masters (championship) Flight from 12 teams to eight. Branham said the bottom four teams were typically far off the pace and never had a chance to win. “This is a change we’ve been talking about for a few years,” Branham said of the eight-strong Masters division. “I think there are probably 12 teams capable of winning this tournament, so it should be interesting.”
Any ties at the bottom of the Masters Flight will be broken by a playoff until an eight-team flight is set. “The course is in great shape, and Dineen (Ziegler, course superintendent) has done a tremendous job,” Branham summed up. “The course is playing a little longer, and that will hurt some of the shorter hitters. But the greens are soft, and the tournament should bring out the best for the most consistent players.”
Tournament action resumes Friday with shotgun starts in the morning and afternoon. Pairings for Saturday’s final round will be posted Friday night.