Trumbull Porters met Mahoning Porters

A few years back, Michael Porter stopped by the check-in table at our Greatest Golfer juniors event. The 13-year-old was polite, patient and proper. He very much resembled another Valley golfing Michael Porter – the legend playing out of Tippecanoe Country Club and our first Pete Mollica Men’s Open Greatest Champ in 2010. I asked the obvious to young Michael: “So how are you related to the other Michael Porter?” He said he was not, but he knew of him. I assumed they had to be related given the shared sport, our small community, and their character similarities. It was about to get more similar. Michael’s dad was there. His name is Tim — the same name of the other Michael’s dad. I laughed and asked Tim if he’d ever met the “other” Tim Porter. Tim, who’s athletic director at Mineral Ridge High School, said no. The other Tim Porter of Tippecanoe – a past Greatest champ of his own in Men’s Senior – is also a huge fan of junior golf. He follows Greatest junior golf and is often seen walking the treelines and crouching in his folding chair watching action when we play Mill Creek. The one thing more true about Tim besides his love of all golf is his gentlemanly nature. There are great gents I’ve met in Greatest, and he is among the tops. While the two Porter camps had never met, they always wanted to. This past summer, a fluke chance finally happened: Tim of Tippe was at our Mill Creek juniors event where Michael was competing and papa Tim was watching. Tippe Tim was just leaving the site and I had stopped my cart to say goodbye. I asked if he’d met the other Porters? He said no, he couldn’t sort out who he was, and alas, his day was done and he was departing. I resumed my travels. On the other side of the clubhouse, I spotted the other Porters. I excitedly said “Michael – the other Mr. Porter is here. Jump in the cart and let’s go meet him.” We raced a couple hundred yards around the clubhouse and found Tim near the parking lot. “Michael Porter, meet Mr. Tim Porter.” The elder Porter was possibly more thrilled than young Michael – now a 16-year-old at McDonald High School and as polite and professional as you’d want a son. Tim had a host of compliments and congratulations for Michael’s career. Just as eager to meet Tippe Tim Porter was the other Tim. He must have jogged behind my cart as he was seemingly right there. He too was smiles and accolades to Tippe Tim. I drove off to let the Porters be Porters. A few minutes later, McDonald Tim Porter came up to me with a big grin and a simple comment. “That was cool.” To us at Greatest HQ, that’s what makes Greatest cool.