Juniors vie for scholarships in Toski golf showcase
As golfing legend Bob Toskiwas about to present a scholarship check to Pembroke Pines’ Tyler Pham, he was told to hold off because of a last-minute a change in the amount.
Ron Gallatin, the golf chair at Saint Andrews Country Club where the fifth annual Toski Junior GolfTournamentwas taking place, approached Donna Serino, vice president of the Toski Junior Golf Foundation, and asked what the amount of the second scholarshipwas.
When Serino told him it was$3,000, Gallatin decided to match that figure which upped the scholarship to $6,000.
“Iwas crying,” Serino said of the generosity. “I couldn’t believe he did it.”
The 90-year-old Toski takes great pride in giving back to the game, and his annual event in Boca Raton featured a record field of 72 youth hitting the fairways in a bid for the scholarship awards.
Toski, who was the leading money-winner on the PGA Tour in 1954 and is a Hall of Fame golf instructor, said he’s always wanted to run a tournament with juniors.
“When I was their age, I didn’t play in any tournaments like this,” Toski said. “We didn’t have any tournaments. The only tournaments we had were caddy tournaments. This is my passion.”
Toski loves the fact that the tournament invigorates him every year, and it is something he always circles on his calendar.
“The best thing about this is I am a kid again,” Toski added. “I am a junior. I am 90, but I feel like a junior.”
Jacqueline Fenton, who lives inBocaRaton, whowas given the largest scholarship in tournament history at $12,000, with Pham awarded the next highest scholarship at $6,000. The previous record was $8,000 handed out to Boca Raton’s Jaci Cruz, whoattendsNova SoutheasternUniversity.
“Itwill help out a lotwith funds for school next year,” said Pham, 17 and entering his senior year at Sagemont School inWeston. The overall winner in last year’s tournament, Pham plans to study computer science in college.
DePaul University or Franklyn & Marshall College are the frontrunners on Pham’s list of collegiate destinations.
“This is pretty big. This is my first time winning scholarship money,” he said.
Tamarac’s Jillian Bourdage was the overall winner in the girls division, while Lake Worth’s Tyler Stachkunas was the overall winner on the boys side. Grant Horvat won the closest to the pin contest and received two tickets to the 2018Masters Par 3 Contest.
It was Bourdage’s first time playing in the tournament.
“This is really cool,” said the 15-year-old Bourdage, who will be a sophomore at American Heritage School in Plantation. “They run the event so well and everyone here is so nice. It is great to be able to go out and play with friends andhave a good time. The course is beautiful.”
Weston’s Todd Hinesley was the parent winner and earned two tickets for a oneday pass to 2018 US Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in South Hampton, N.Y. He helped expand the tournament field by spreading the word among the Broward County junior golfers.
Serino said Hinelsey, a Junior Golf Association of Broward County board member, rallied the association’smembersto play inthe tournament.