CRESSON - Chris Perry and Mike Macionsky are youngsters when it comes to area two-man best-ball tournaments, but they played like wily veterans over the weekend to win the Summit Country Club's 19th annual classic.
Perry, 22, from Altoona, and Hollidaysburg's Macionsky, 20, won the championship flight Sunday, finishing with a two-day total of 132.
Anthony DeGol and Bernie DiLoreto finished second, one stroke back at 133, while Artie Fink and Todd Homan were third, two shots off the pace at 134.
"We played well," Perry said, downplaying the duo's accomplishment. "Mike putted very well - he made a lot of big putts - and that's how we got to 12 under.
"He made a huge putt on 16 - about a 30-footer for birdie - and that was key and kept the momentum going."
Macionsky and Perry first met during a high school sectional golf tournament at Sinking Valley when Macionsky was a sophomore and Perry was a senior.
"He helped me out a little bit and kind of mentored me," Macionsky said. "I remembered that and figured he'd be a good guy to play with in tournaments.
"It's always fun playing with Chris because he's such a solid partner," Macionsky said. "I can go out there and relax and have fun."
Perry, a Penn State Altoona grad, and Macionsky, a junior at UPJ, played together earlier in the summer at Park Hills. This was their first pairing at the Summit. They weren't considered among the favorites, but they weren't intimidated by the field, either.
"It was a great field, and a lot of fun, too," Macionsky said. "Everybody in the championship flight can win, that's why it's the championship flight.
"We just go out and play golf, and whatever happens, happens. We just give it our all, and if we happen to win, great; if not, we tried our hardest."
"We played pretty consistent," Perry said of the team's two rounds. "All we did was hit greens and fairways. If one of us missed, the other one made par."
The two-man best-ball events are over, but Perry said they'll play in the Sinking Valley Invitational.
"That's an individual event," Perry said, "so I guess this was our last hurrah."
Fink and Homan, who finished third, played with Perry and Macionsky on Sunday.
"We were nip and tuck with them through 15 holes," Fink said, "then they went birdie, birdie and put us down and pretty much put an end to it."
Fink praised the young champs.
"Chris is a good friend and good player," said Fink, noting he and Perry both play at Sinking Valley. "He hits it a mile. He's got a lot of talent."
Both Fink and Perry were baseball players in their younger days.
"Like me, he kind of took up golf late, and is really coming on strong," Fink said of Perry. "He's a good kid, too. You can't say anything bad about him.
"It's hard to do anything but root for him, and Mike's the same way. Both good kids and it's a good win for them. They deserved it."
Tourney notes: Summit pro Randy Repko noted there were 90 teams in the field ... "This is the first time I ever remember there were no scores over par in either round of the championship flight," Repko said.
Championship flight: 1. Chris Perry/Mike Macionsky: 67-65-132; 2. Anthony DeGol/Bernie DiLoreto: 69-64-133; 3. Artie Fink/Todd Homan: 67-67-134.
First flight: 1. Rick Slebodnik/Nick Filak: 68-70-138 (won on 2nd playoff hole).
Second flight: 1. Andy Lubert/Brian Dolney: 73-70-143 (won on 3rd playoff hole).
Third flight: Dan Thomas/Brian Lobick: 77-68-145.
Fourth flight: Tony McNelis/Tim Marlett: 72-76-148.
Fifth flight: Tim Noye/Rob Hippo: 76-79-155.
