Mentor, Lake Catholic to honor coach’s friend

Mark McGarry, the new boys golf coach at Lake Catholic, had three goals in mind when he took the job on Aug. 1.

He wanted to upgrade the school’s golf program, get neighboring Mentor High School back on his team’s schedule and find some way to honor the memory of his late friend, Jack Steinicke.

S t ein icke , a st a ndout golfer at Mentor and Ohio State University who played professionally on various tours, died in June 2009 at age 43 after a long battle with cancer.

McGarry is in the early stages of pursuing that first goal, but with help from Mentor boys golf coach Eric Vinborg, has realized the other two.

On Aug. 29, at Black Brook Golf and Practice Center, the boys teams from Lake Catholic and Mentor will meet in a friendly match using the Ryder Cup format.

The Steinicke Cup competition will begin at 2:30 p.m. Matches will cover nine holes. To the winning team will go a trophy named in honor of Steinicke.

“I can’t think of a batter way to honor Jack,” McGarry said.

McGarry said boys golf teams are allowed to play one non-official match during the fall season. He also said he and Vinborg hope to make this match an annual event.

Steinicke grew up in Mentor. He was a 1986 Mentor graduate and 1989 graduate of OSU, where he played for legendary coach Jim Brown on teams that won three Big Ten titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1989.

“In my opinion, Jack was the best player ever to come out of Lake County,” McGarry said.

McGarry, 49, said he got to know Steinicke when both were part of a group of talented young players who got together to play skins games at area courses.

Earlier this summer, McGarry caddied for former Mayfield Country Club assistant professional Brad Rollinson in the Senior PGA Championship.