Berry Memorial returns this weekend with larger, more accomplished field

This weekend, the Richard J. Berry Memorial returns to Pine Hills in Ottawa and The Eastwood in Streator.

After a year missing the venerable local golf showcase, so are many of its top players.

While a same-weekend wedding removed multiple top contenders from last year’s field, Jeremy DeBernardi’s four-stroke Championship Flight victory came with a two-day score of 137 that would put him in the conversation for the big trophy more years than not, no matter the field.

DeBernardi is back to defend his title in the 42nd edition of the Berry Memorial. So are four more of last summer’s top six finishers: runner-up Rick Krumscheid (2005 champion), third-place finisher Patrick Guilfoyle, fifth-placer Tony Muscato, who was last year’s Senior Division winner and also serves as the Berry’s tournament director, and last year’s sixth-place golfer, Chad Wahl.

Add to that the returning former champions who missed last year’s event – namely, four-time champion Josh Gass (2014, 2016, 2019, 2020), three-time winners Baley Lehr (2015, 2017, 2018), and Brian Lehr (2009, 2010, 2013) and the always-in-the-hunt Rick Lehr – as well as 2021 Championship II Flight winner J.D. Joanis, tournament mainstay and 2020 final-foursome member Larry Keith and a dark horse amateur standout, Brett Blakemore, and it looks as if an exciting weekend is teed up and ready to rip.

“Championship Flight is a little more back to normal,” Muscato said. “We have a pretty full flight, with 12 guys in Championship I and 13 guys in Championship II.”

Championship Flight II will include Brandon Cinotto, John Cinotto, J.J. Cravatta, Joe Cravatta, Keith McAlpine, Corky Pflibsen, Eric Phillis, Al Retoff, defending A Flight champion Paul Snook, Jake Strabala, Brent Tkach, Brandon Urbance and Jacob Ursua.

Across all flights, there are currently 92 entrants.

“That’s 10 more than last year, and we’ll probably pick up a few more,” Muscato said. “Hopefully we’ll get to 95.”

Unlike years past, players no longer will be flighted and/or reflighted after the opening round of play. That means Championship II, A, B, C, D and Legends flight designations are locked in heading into the opening hole at Pine Hills. Sunday’s tee times at The Eastwood, however, still will be determined based upon Saturday’s results, giving golfers the opportunity to play with the leader they are chasing or the contenders who are chasing them.

The Legends Flight field – for veterans over the age of 65 playing from closer tees – has grown to eight participants, including defending champion Charlie Monroe.

What hasn’t changed is the two-day, two-course, one-weekend format, relatively new to the tournament that formerly served as Streator’s city championship.

Pine Hills was added to replace the recently closed Twin Creeks in 2017, maintaining the tournament’s traditional three-day, three-course, two-weekend schedule. The easing of COVID-19 restrictions allowed the 2020 Berry to take place, albeit later in the year and in a scaled-back form. Anderson Fields was removed and the tournament was held on consecutive days over one weekend at Pine Hills and The Eastwood. That format was continued in 2021 and now 2022.

“We did have some discussion about making it a three-day tournament again, but the committee landed on keeping it two days,” Muscato said. “I think we’ve found our format.”

With the addition of Pine Hills, the Berry Memorial opened the field to those outside of Streator’s 61364 ZIP code to include all of The Times’ circulation area. The Times, a longtime title sponsor of the event, continues as co-sponsor alongside Star Ford, with Ottawa Savings Bank taking over the $10,000 Hole-In-One sponsorship rewarding aces on Pine Hills’ No. 8 and The Eastwood’s No. 12.

New to the Berry this year is the move to live scoring using BlueGolf software, allowing the tournament to be scored and followed in live time at the BlueGolf website or through the BlueGolf app.

Scattered thunderstorms look possible both days in current forecasts, although chances as of Wednesday afternoon were listed below 50%.

Action tees off at Pine Hills at 7 a.m. Saturday.

—

Richard J. Berry Memorial Championships

Saturday’s tee times

At Pine Hills, Ottawa

7 a.m. — Chuck Muscato, Charlie Grako, David Pinney, George Pavlik

7:10 a.m. — John Kern, Dustin Masley, William Missel, Scott Limberg

7:20 a.m. — Jim Riordan, Corky Pflibsen, Brett Blakemore, Charlie Monroe

7:30 a.m. — Jake Strabala, Joe Cravatta, J.J. Cravatta, Josh Gass

7:40 a.m. — Brian Watson, John Cinotto, Larry Keith, Rick Krumscheid

7:50 a.m. — Cooper Spears, Jaydon Nambo, Jake Hanlon

8 a.m. — Donald Sluis, Mike VanDuzer, Tom Karalis, Steve Duggan

8:10 a.m. — Baley Lehr, Paul Snook, Patrick Guilfoyle, J.D. Joanis

8:20 a.m. — Jeremy DeBernardi, Jeremiah Pike, Michael Sipula III, Keith McAlpine

8:30 a.m. — Walt Garrison, Jake Ferrantino, Doug Snell

8:40 a.m. — Brandon Cinotto, Austin Cinotto, Kylan Krasnican

8:50 a.m. — Dan Sabol, Al Retoff, Tyler Sabol, Tony Muscato

9 a.m. — Steve Trzepacz, Chris Donnelly, Damion Nambo

Noon — Jesus Arambula, Eric Arambula, Jeff Harcar, Marcos Torres

12:10 p.m. — Cole Park, Dave Durgach, Matthew Jonland, Jeff Kusnerick

12:20 p.m. — Christian Benning, Mitch Vickers, Adam Brown, Dakota Limberg

12:30 p.m. — Bud Dilley, Dave Edwall, Stewart Spencer, Rod Lowery

12:40 p.m. — Chris Dye, Kevin Erschen, Justin Stillwell

12:50 p.m. — Mike Renner, Mike Renner, Nolan Sokol, Don Phillis Jr.

1 p.m. — Brandon Urbance, Jacob Ursua, Eric Phillis, Josh Eplin

1:10 p.m. — Andrew Barton, Mitch Barton, Chuck Limberg

1:20 p.m. — Aaron Biagioni, Brian Lehr, Pete Sutton, Rick Lehr

1:30 p.m. — Jeff DeMoss, Chuck DeMoss, Jimmy DeMoss, Mike Burnett

1:40 p.m. — Dean Foster, Wayne Hanlon, Dustin White

1:50 p.m. — Brent Tkach, Collin VanDuzer, Chad Wahl, Tommy Chalkey