Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes Struthers senior Chaz Ekoniak eyes the hole on the green Saturday afternoon at the Squaw Creek Golf Course. He won the 17U title for the Greatest Golfer event after carding a 155.

VIENNA — In the world of golf, one mistake could make or break your whole tournament.

On the surface, there appears to be plenty of room to potentially have a bad shot or two. When you miss the cut for state by a stroke, you don’t leave anything on the table.

Struthers senior Chaz Ekoniak wrapped up the Greatest Golfer 17U circuit in a victorious fashion Saturday afternoon, carding a 155 following the two-day event at Squaw Creek.

Following such a close call last fall, this summer and the proceeding senior campaign are causing the Wildcats senior to bring a little extra to the course every match.

“I remember that moment vividly in my head, and that’s something that I’m looking forward to this year,” Ekoniak said about heading into the season. “I definitely hit the range a lot more this year, just worked harder than I did last year, and I guess it gave me that mental edge that I needed.”

Ekoniak began golfing competitively around the age of nine, then dropped it following his freshman year, eyeing it more as an outlet for fun. After sitting out of the circuit for a year, the drive to return hit him, pushing him to return in 2021, realizing that golf was his true passion.

Over the weekend, he faced off against some of the best 17U golfers in the area, hailing from McDonald, Austintown Fitch, Niles, Ursuline, Warren John F. Kennedy and so on.

Taking a three-stroke lead into Saturday over Urusline’s Thomas Pesa, Ekoniak tuned out the score and just worried about “winning the day,” crediting his short game for his success after not hitting some drives the way he may have liked.

“Usually I struggle with my frustrations, but my caddy and my dad (Greg), kept me in it today, just didn’t let myself get too frustrated because I knew that I had a conformable lead and that I didn’t need to force anything, and I could just play the safe shot all day,” Ekoniak explained. “(Greg) did a great job of calming me down, maybe taking this club out of my hand and make me play a safer shot; he helped me a lot today.”

On the 10th hole, a rainstorm blew through the area, temporarily halting play while sinking the temperatures.

In some sports, a stoppage of play can pause momentum. For Ekoniak, Mother Nature provided an opportunity to relax. Instead of putting, the saturated green forced the Struthers senior to take a chip shot on 10, a situation that kept playing out for the rest of the match.

“You could definitely get more aggressive with your approach shot, and I think I did a pretty good job of that on the par fives. I think I played an even par, the saturation of the course kind of played to my favor today,” he commented.

Ekoniak is also preparing for his final season on the gridiron as a wide receiver, but his ultimate objective is to play golf at the next level.

There is something football taught the inner golfer inside him however.

“Football is a highly competitive sport, it definitely plays a factor with my competitiveness when I play golf.”

Ursuline’s Nolak Froelich took second with 160, John F. Kennedy’s Luke Pupeka followed behind with 162.

LEGACY

Going into Saturday after scoring an outstanding 71 on Friday, Wilmington Area junior Kaitlyn Hoover placed herself to claim the girl’s 17U title.

With a final card of 155, Hoover’s win wasn’t just for her. She knew there’s tradition to carry on; her older sister Erika won the 17U Greatest Golfer title sometime ago.

“Honestly, it feels really, really great to continue a legacy, especially with Greatest, and how well this tournament and the courses we play,” Hoover said. “It’s just a really great juniors tournament.”

Hoover began her career around the age of three, starting to play competitively when she was 10. When tournament play started, she realized that she wasn’t just good at golf, she was great, and understands the sport is something that impacts her for the rest of her life.

“You honestly have to bring a very positive (mindset), a calm, cool and collected mindset, lots of positivity even after some of the tougher shots,” Hoover explained. “With the downpour we got, it was definitely harder to put your mindset back, and put your mind back in the game, and continue playing the way I’ve been playing. It just takes a lot of mental work.

“It means a lot, just with how well I played yesterday going into today. I was pretty confident.”

Hoover is not stranger to the course, her family owned a membership to Avalon for many years, leaving her in familiar territory after playing the venue many times with her older sister.

At the end of the day, despite being from Pennsylvania, she feels at home in a pool chalked full of Ohio talent.

“The people and how open they are to newcomers, so it’s very important to feel welcomed and at home here.” Hoover said.

United’s Matilyn Zines and Canfield’s Jocelyn Zhao both carded a 162, both a tie-breaker gave Zines the second play finish, with Zhao in third. On the 18th and final hole, Zines sent a shot two feet behind the hole, but a backspin on he ball caused it to trickle in, accounting for the first hole-in-one in Greatest Golfer 17U history.

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