Doug Quagliaroli of Hampden is excited as the Bud & Barbara Leavitt Memorial Golf Classic prepares for this year’s edition.
“We’ve had a lot of positive responses [for teams],” said Quagliaroli, who with his wife Linda led the tournament’s revival last year.
“Sponsors are coming on stronger, and the auction will be as strong as it’s ever been,” he added.
The Leavitt Classic is named in honor of former Bangor Daily News Executive Sports Editor Bud Leavitt and his wife Barbara, who both died of cancer, and benefits the Jimmy Fund, the fundraising arm of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
It’s scheduled for Aug. 3 at Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono. Registration will start at 11 a.m., and the shotgun start for the scramble teams will be 12:30 p.m.
“We’re pretty well ahead of the curve” compared to last year, said Quagliaroli, and he gives credit to the tournament committee.
“Last year it was just me [handling the details] and it hit me harder than the cancer. This year we have about 10 people,” he said.
The goal is to raise $30,000, and Quagliaroli believes they can attract enough players and sponsors to do it.
“Our goal is to try to get between 24 and 30 teams,” he said.
He has already signed up a few.
“The checks have started to come in, which is always a good sign,” he said.
The entry fee is $115 for an individual and, until July 20, $430 for a four-person team. After July 20, the team price will rise to $460.
For that, Quagliaroli and his committee are planning some special attractions.
One is the dinner, which will be a lobster bake after the golf. Also, there will be some special items in the silent and live auctions.
“There are trips to the coast of Maine, a weekend at Point Lookout [in Camden], dinners in Bangor and on the coast and some very, very nice jewelry. And hopefully people will bid accordingly,” said Quagliaroli with a chuckle.
He also said members of the Leavitt family from southern Maine will come up.
The tournament has a Web site, www.jimmyfundbangor.com, which will be updated regularly with more information, according to Quagliaroli.
People can also call Quagliaroli direct at 990-3220, ext. 11
“It’s a tournament where people can have fun, good food and prizes,” said Quagliaroli.
And raise money for a good cause.
“I’m extremely encouraged,” he added.
Tight group
An interesting exchange came after the Maine Amateur was concluded Friday in Auburn when the parents of Ryan Gay congratulated Jesse Speirs on his victory.
Both are players who came up through the Maine State Golf Association’s junior program, although because of their age differences, they didn’t compete head-to-head.
T.K. tribute
Nancy Storey, executive director of the MSGA, pointed out during the awards ceremony of the Amateur, that Tom “T.K.” Kimball would have been proud of both Speirs and Gay.
Kimball died unexpectedly in March.
Speirs dedicated his title to Kimball, who helped guide Speirs’ tournament schedule when Speirs first entered the junior program.
This birdie was a turkey
As the final group played down the 16th hole of the Amateur, a turkey came out of the woods to the right and ran onto the fairway about 10-15 yards in front of Ricky Jones.
He held up on his approach shot until the turkey flew about 80-100 yards over to the far side of the 17th hole, out of harm’s way.
That was one birdie the players decided to pass up.
Rocky Knoll’s new nine to open
The grand opening for the new nine holes at Rocky Knoll Country Club will be held Sunday at noon in Orrington.