Furry, Szklarek set to renew rivalry in 98th Annual Greater South Bend Men's Golf Metro

SOUTH BEND – For most of his young golf career, Bazil Furry has played second fiddle to his former Penn High School teammate Ben Szklarek.

But when the 98^th Greater South Bend Men’s Metro golf championships begin Saturday morning at Elbel Park, the 21-year-old Furry will be holding the baton.

A year ago, Furry, who graduated from Penn in 2020 two years after Szklarek, captured his first title with a 6-over 290 total, beating Szklarek, the 2018 and ’19 champion, by two strokes.

Last year:Furry stumbles on 18th hole but wins first Men’s Metro by two over Szklarek

“Winning last year has given me more confidence,” said Furry, a summer intern at First Source Bank who will be a junior this fall at the University of Dayton where he plays on the club team. “You have more trust in what you are doing, that if you play your game, you have a chance to win.”

Last July, Furry trailed Szklarek, a 2018 graduate of Penn and recent graduate of Notre Dame, after the Metro’s first weekend of play, shooting rounds of 72 (at Elbel Park) and 71 (at Knollwood East) for a 1-under 143, one stroke behind Szklarek, who opened with rounds of 68 and 74.

But Szklarek soared to a 7-over 77 in the third round at Erskine Park while Furry managed a 73, and the two-time champion couldn’t make up the deficit in the final round at Erskine after he compounded his problems with a quadruple bogey 9 at the par-5 uphill fifth hole. It gave Furry enough breathing room to survive a double bogey finish on the 18^th hole where he inexplicably topped his tee shot.

“That’s something I didn’t want to do,” Furry chuckled. “By that point, it (the tournament) was over. Fortunately, I didn’t make a ton of big numbers and I played solid golf.”

Furry, who will be co-president of Dayton’s club program this coming year, hasn’t had much time to practice on his game because of his summer job.

“I haven’t been able to practice much because I work from 8 to 5, and when I get out of work I’d rather go play than hit golf balls,” Furry said earlier this week. “I play in the First Source League at Erskine, and I play when I can at Blackthorn (in a group that includes Szklarek) and Knollwood. We’re planning to play Elbel (the site of this year’s first two rounds) this Thursday.”

Szklarek is spending some of his summer caddying at The Dunes Club in New Buffalo before he leaves next month for a general contractor position in Chicago. Furry, too, has carried clubs at The Dunes on weekends.

There were 21 players registered to play in championship flight, and that list includes Tyler Ham, a 27-year-old left-hander who played high school golf at Adams and college golf at Grace. Ham’s titles in 2017 and 2020 bookend Szklarek’s two championships. Also in the field is Stan Gebo, who won his first title in 1963 and his fifth in 2008. And Sam Dales, who finished third last year at 9-over 293, also is entered.

Furry, Szklarek and Dales will tee off Saturday’s first round on the 10^th hole at 9 a.m. following the threesome of Ham, Doug Fedore and Gebo at 8:50. On Sunday, Furry, Szklarek and Dales are the last group off the No. 1 tee at 10 a.m., 10 minutes following Fedore, Ham and Gebo.

This year’s tournament again will be played on the final two Saturdays and Sundays of this month. This weekend’s first two rounds are scheduled for Elbel Park. The third round July 30 will be played at Knollwood Country Club in Granger with the champion being crowned after the final round July 31 at Erskine Park.

98^th GREATER SOUTH BEND MEN’S METRO GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS TEE TIMES

Both rounds Saturday and Sunday will be played at Elbel Park Golf Club. The tee and time in parentheses is for Sunday’s round.

No. 1 tee (No. 10 tee)

8 a.m. (9 a.m.): David Fulcher, Blair Zentz, Mike Robinson

8:10 (9:10): Jason Quimby, Jim Van Fleit Sr., Reid Spitaels

8:20 (9:20): Kevin Swartz, Andrew Williams, Brian Carver

8:30 (9:30): Andy Vavul, Kenny Bishop, Matt Potter

8:40 (9:40): Nicholas Mark, Craig Eggers, David Krizman

8:50 (9:50): Alan Smith, Charles Superczynski, Carl Daniels

9 a.m. (10 a.m.): Walt Kroll, Todd Plonski, Carlos Loaiza

9:10 (8 a.m.): Ricky Entzian, Jerry Barnette, Jeff Barouska

9:20 (8:10): Nick Muraya, John Parakowski, Gary May

9:30 (8:20): Zachary Bishop, James Parker, Scott Tafelski, Andrew Sarratore

9:40 (8:30): Roger Moreno, Joe Bradley, Geoff Davidson, Peter Vavul

No. 10 tee (No. 1 tee)

8 a.m. (9 a.m.): Frank Hagemann, Campbell Jones, Brandon Gerlach

8:10 (9:10): Samuel Byers, Brandon Thomas, Austin Dance

8:20 (9:20): Sean Egan, Matthew Egan, Davis Longyear

8:30 (9:30): John Stack, Ryan Szklarek, Austin Christner

8:40 (9:40): Josh Barcus, Chris Shaw, Zachary Hale

8:50 (9:50): Tyler Ham, Doug Fedore, Stan Gebo

9 a.m. (10 a.m.): Bazil Furry, Ben Szklarek, Sam Dales

9:10 (8 a.m.): Owen Kleppe, Nick Liskey, Randy Moreno

9:20 (8:10): Tyler Huyvaert, Joseph Kasko, Robert Rogers III

9:30 (8:20): Drew Kowalewski, Kevin Kowalski, Jeff Oltmanns

9:40 (8:30): Joel Fox, Jim Shaw, Mark Colpaert, Evan Smith

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend golf: Furry, Szklarek renew Greater Men’s Metro rivalry