Of the Big Three players of Valley golf legacy, George Bellino is one of them, if not the lead of them.
A local icon as the head golf professional at Henry Stambaugh Golf Course and then Tippecanoe Country Club, he also qualified for the U.S. Open three times; the PGA 11 times; the British Open at St. Andrews in 1970; the Canadian Open in 1971; the Senior PGA 14 times; and the United States Senior Open.
It is an honor for The Greatest Golfer to launch a high school scholarship program with the first gifts to honor George via a $2,000 contribution by the Bellino family.
Greatest Golfer has created the Greatest Golfer Footwedge Fund as a philanthropic venture with a primary mission to establish scholarships for Valley high school golfers who displayed sportsmanship and citizenship.
The Bellino family donation seeds the effort with this first $2,000 gift. Over the next year, Greatest will develop the program and honor graduates in next May’s graduating class. Application invites will got out in the fall.
Criteria is still being drafted, but requirements will include participation in high school golf and Greatest Golfer, and dedication to the game and to other people, as shown by Bellino.
Watch Valley golfers Rick Peduzzi and Mike Watson reflect on Bellino. Click here.
Greatest will also invite other golf scholarships to be created by families, businesses and golf groups to honor a relative or a buddy. Honoring them with benches, trees and rocks is awesome. We’re glad to create an additional path for honoring and serving.
“Have fun, work hard and play well,” said Peduzzi of Bellino’s mantra. Peduzzi works at Golf Headquarters retail store in Boardman and counts Bellino as his first-ever boss when he started working at Tippecanoe the day he graduated high school. (His commencement was in the afternoon. Bellino said “OK. Start at 7 and leave at Noon.” And Peduzzi did.)
Most key of Bellino’s traits he impressed upon Peduzzi:
“It comes from where we come from: Be a good human; a good person. Don’t be an idiot.”
Greatest Golfer opens this new scholarship program with an invite to the community to participate. Playing groups, businesses and families are invited to create gifts to be directed to the Valley’s high school golf community.
Contact Todd Franko at moc.l1725814644iamg@1725814644oknar1725814644fddot1725814644 for more information.
Greatest’s philanthropic work is handled through Friedman & Rummell Law Firm of Canfield.
Read more on George in this 2016 Vindy story and this 2015 Vindy story.