Photo by Jim Ridolphi
Mankin’s Dominic Sauter lines up a shot during last week’s Bill Vaughn Optimist Golf Tournament at The Crossings.

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For area golfers, it was a chance to up their game to the next level and take a shot at a free trip to Florida to complete nationally on a PGA course. For the local Optimist Club, it was another way of helping America’s youth and lending a helping hand.

  Last week, more than 50 golfers, age 10-18, gathered at The Crossings for the Bill Vaughn-Optimist Junior Golf Classic, an event that serves as a qualifier for the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships later this month in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

  “The Optimists do some wonderful things and they are a great organization,” said tournament official and VCU golf coach Matt Ball. “I’m happy to lend a helping hand.”

  For Atlee sophomore Thomas Moore, the tournament requires just the right combination to gain a victory. “You have to concentrate and not make any mistakes,” he said.

  Moore said the event sometimes brings out his best. “I step up and seem to play better in these tournaments because the competition is so good.” Moore felt he held an advantage because he plays at The Crossings daily.

  Manakin resident and Collegiate graduate Dominic Sauter, 18, worked on his drive before he teed off and entered the tournament with a clear-cut goal. “I want to get my name out here and it’s a good place to do that if you play well,” he said.

  Sauter is headed to James Madison University in the fall and hopes to walk on the golf team in Harrisonburg.

  The Capital Virginia District of Optimist International will send 11 golfers to Florida this year picking up the tab for lodging and expenses. Tournament director Gail Headley said it’s an effort that begins early and doesn’t end.

  “We had great support from other clubs in the area, and our sponsors made the whole thing possible,” she said. “It’s an important project and the public support has been great,” she added.

  The tournament’s namesake, Bill Vaughn, funded the event until his death last year. This year, Giovanni’s Restaurant is the main sponsor but many contributed to this year’s effort.

  For Headley the hard work is well worth it, and the participants in the Florida tournament gain a valuable experience.

  “We have kids competing from over 30 countries, so it gives them a chance to form some unique friendships,” she said. “Many form life time relationships with people they would not ordinarily meet.”

  The competition also allows golfers a chance to compete in a world-class event at no cost. “Many of these kids would not get the chance to play in a tournament like this if it wasn’t for the Optimists,” Headley said. “That’s our mission, to give back to kids and bring out their best.”

  Goochlander Massey Bartolini said the tournament allows him the chance “to play well and have some fun. I’ve played in a few of these so I’m getting used to it, and the course is in great shape.”

  Midlothian golfer Kevin Clark won his second consecutive Bill Vaughn Classic with a score of 70.

  Final results from this year’s Bill Vaughn-Optimist Tournament were:

  Boys 10-11: Robert Hollembaek shot an 80 to take first place and qualified to move on to compete in the championships.

  Boys 12-13: Fitz Woodrow IV came in first with a score of 79. Alex Zakrzeski shot an 80 to take second place, while Grant Gonzalez placed third with a score of 85.Woodrow and Zakrzewski qualified to move on to compete in the International Tournament.

  Boys 14-15: Mikey Cantor came in first with a score of 78. Andrew Coll shot a 79 to take second place, while Luke Malanchuk and Edric Wung tied for third with 81. Coll and Malanchuk advanced to the championship.

Boys 16-18: Kevin Clarke came in first with a score of 70. Josh Neal shot a 73 to take second place, while Andrew Kowal placed third with a 74. Clarke, Neal and Kowal all advance to the International tournament.

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