OUR COUSIN VINNY

Vinny Giles is no stranger to competitive golf, having won the 1972 U.S. Amateur. He is also quite familiar with the pressure of championship golf, having represented the likes of Davis Love III for many years. This smooth-talking Virginian finds himself, at the ripe old age of 66, in the finals of the USGA Senior Amateur at Beverly CC.

John Grace, Giles' very worthy opponent, is no stranger to competitive golf, either. He was Giles' teammate on the Walker Cup back in the 70's on a squad that included Craig Stadler, Jay Haas and two-time U.S. Open winner Curtis Strange. Grace is a reinstated amateur, having tried his professional luck in Europe some years back. He made it to the final match in the 1974 U.S. Amateur where he was defeated by Jerry Pate.

In a scene that exemplifies the "friends and family" vibe of this Senior Amateur Championship, Giles and Grace and their wives are sitting at a "four-top" in the Main Dining room at Beverly enjoying breakfast. The chatter has been lively and full of laughter. This is a feel-good pairing if ever I saw one.

Giles and Grace have made it to this grand stage for the first time. The winner will achieve a signature milestone in his amateur golfing career. For Giles, it would end a 37 year "dry spell" in between USGA championships. For Grace, it would give him a chance to "even up" in USGA final matches.

As for Beverly CC, it's a win-win. We couldn't have asked for a better final match.

Look for media coverage in many outlets, including a nice article in today's Southtown. The Golf Channel is covering the match today, for later broadcast, and Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune will be on hand to cover the final match.

We'd love to see all of you for the trophy presentation, which should occur sometime around 12:30.

Terry Lavin