Youth, veterans make for an interesting Fayette County Open
After a look at what the future may hold in the 84 Lumber Fayette County Open in 2003, the local golf event went back to an old standby last year. John Kingora claimed his eighth tournament championship in 2004, holding off a young gun by the name of Brian Galica by one stroke. Galica had won it the previous year in a memorable playoff with then defending champion Pat Calvaresi.
Galica won’t be in the field this year, but Kingora and Calvaresi have returned with a slew of younger golfers hoping to knock off the more established stars.
“With do have a lot of younger guys in it this year, which is good,” said Bernie Wydo, co-director of the tournament along with Bill Kerr. “It’s nice to have a new wave of high school and college students to keep the interest going.”
The 17th edition of the tournament will have the same format as last year with today’s opening round at Uniontown Country Club, Friday’s second round at Pleasant Valley Country Club and the final two rounds at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa. Thirty-five golfers will compete for this year’s crown, teeing off at 11 a.m. today and Friday, and then at 7 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday on The Links course.
Wydo is happy to have the last two rounds at Nemacolin Woodlands.
“They take care of us up there and they encourage us to come, and we appreciate that,” Wydo said. “I’d really like to thank (Nemacolin Woodlands president and owner) Maggie Hardy (Magerko) and (Nemacolin Woodlands director of golf) Dennis Clark for all their help.”
While Kingora and Calvaresi are formidable past champions in the field, Wydo has claimed the Fayette Open title himself, winning the event in 2001.
He isn’t about to make any brash predictions of winning No. 2 this week, though.
“I usually go into this with no expectations,” Wydo said. “I just try to play steady golf and try not to do anything crazy and then if I can hang in there into the final day, I’ll have a shot.”
Before Kingora’s victory last year, five different golfers had won the five previous tournaments.