A free golf lesson with Chad Alibozek
Throughout the world, golf is played by people of all abilities and skills, but for some reason it seems that when four players get together on a regular basis their skills are comparable.
Translation : choppers play with other choppers, decent players compete with players with similar talents while the “varsity” players usually stick together.
It is always an experience when a chopper/decent player gets to see the big boys in action up close and personal.
Your Beacon scribe, with partner Kim Phillips of Southwick, was paired with a team composed of former Hoosac Valley High School legend Chad Alibozek and Bruce “Gino” Gelinas of Adams in a recent event at Worthington Golf Club.
I knew of Alibozeks’ accomplishments since he came on to the scholastic scene. He went from a kid, who wasn’t as big as his golf bag, playing in the dark at Forest Park to the top high schooler in Berkshire County. He dominated his matches as a senior, when he was medalist in all 16 events, and went on to win the Berkshire Classic in three of his four years.
On the practice green I said to my partner “watch this kid hit it.”
Well, that is basically what we both did every time he took out his driver, making sure that Chad’s drives didn’t hit the group ahead of us (often when they were on the green).
As good of a player as Chad Alibozek is, he is a better young man. I found him to be a gentleman who is always focused on the task at hand. He not only overpowered the Worthington layout – he dissected it. His shots were planned 30 yards before he got to his ball and he wasted no time pulling the trigger.
He also was very patient with the shortcomings of his playing partners. I chatted it up with him as we carried our bags around the scenic grounds and he would go from conversation to business at hand back to chatter without a problem.
I said a lot of things to Chad during our round but I was smart enough not to say the two words,”we press.”
Chad will be heading off to Kieser College of Golf in Port St Lucie Florida Oct. 28. His friends at Forest Park Country Club will miss him, but now someone else will have a chance to win the Club Championship. This summer he carded scores of 66-69-75 to win by 18 shots. His lowest score at “The Rock” was a 62 and he posted many 63s also.
He credits his grandmother Stacy Ordina for kick starting his golf career. “When I was 11 she would take me with her to play at Stamford Valley in VT and I just took to the game,” he recalled. The first time he stood on the first hole, a par 4, at Stamford it must have looked a mile long to him, but when he plays it now he hits 5 iron on the green.
Chad recently learned that he was named to the All State High School team for Massachusetts and may qualify for a trip to Australia.
For now, it is off to carve up the links at PGA Village, his school’s home course. Maybe he can find some other older folks to showcase his talents to. If he does, they are in for a treat, but his opponents are in trouble!
Posted by Dick Syriac
on September 19, 2013. Filed under Berkshire Sports Guy,Sports.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry