By Ken Love

For the Mirror

The PGA Tour’s C.T. Pan may have set a new record when he used a total of four caddies to complete his final round at the Canadian Open last Sunday in Hamilton, Ontario.

Pan’s regular caddie, veteran Mike “Fluff” Cowan, suffered an unfortunate fall on the fourth hole and was fortunate to be relieved by Paul Emerson, a willing fan who volunteered his services on a moment’s notice.

Emerson was a good samaritan who quickly slipped under the ropes and was handed a caddie bib before carrying Pan’s bag for the remainder of the fourth hole.

Shortly thereafter, local caddie Michael Campbell took over and finished the front nine, while veteran tour caddie Al Riddell finished the job over the final nine holes.

Pan didn’t seem fazed by seeing four different faces toting his bag on Sunday. He eventually finished his round at 1-under par, 69, to finish the tournament in a tie for 37th.

While it might seem glamorous to carry the bag of a PGA tour player, I don’t envy any of Pan’s “fill-in’s” last week. A pro’s bag can weigh up to three or four times more than the one you and I just place on the back of a cart.

Central Counties

The Central Counties individual and team championship was held last weekend at Nittany Country Club, and Sinking Valley’s Artie Fink Jr. took home the top prize after besting Quintin Dziabo on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.

Fink and Dziabo finished regulation play at 2-under par, 142, while Sinking Valley’s Andrew Ferguson finished just one shot back at 143. Park Hills’ Todd Homan posted 144 to finish fourth.

The team competition was won by Sinking Valley, which finished 16 shots ahead of host club Nittany. Iron Masters Country Club was third, 32 strokes back.

Dziabo & family

I was fortunate to recently meet Melissa Dziabo, a Cresson native and Bishop Carroll graduate who currently works as a teaching professional at the world-renowned Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey.

While talking with her, I was impressed not only by her accomplishments in the game of golf, but also by those of several family members.

Melissa’s niece, Jennifer Dziabo Toe, was an accomplished college golfer who later worked as a teaching professional herself, while nephew Mike Dziabo currently serves as director of golf at a club in western N.Y. (brother John and nephew Quintin Dziabo are also past club champions at nearby Summit Country Club).

It was so interesting talking with Melissa, someone who has a tremendous depth and knowledge of the golf swing. The members of Baltusrol are fortunate to have such a talented teaching professional on-site. (Note: Baltusrol is scheduled to host the PGA Championship in 2029).

55 years ago

During the first week of June in 1969, Norm Davis captured the spring championship at Sinking Valley Country Club.

Davis scored rounds of 78 and 79 to finish four strokes ahead of runner-up Jack Merck.

Ken Love covers local golf for the Mirror. He can be reached at GLTR777@atlanticbb.net.