The Bishops’ Celebrity Golf Classic, conducted each year by The Tablet, has grown in leaps and bounds. This year’s list of celebrities was one of our best, thanks to our co-chairmen Joe Pignatano, the former New York Met and Brooklyn Dodger, and his wife, Nancy
“Piggy” calls upon his many friends in the sports world to lend their presence to our event that was held this year on Aug. 14 at North Hills Country Club in Manhassett, L.I., (see centerfold of photos). And Nancy holds Joe to his commitments. Some of the celebs play with one of our foursomes. Others come by and mingle with the crowd.

Pignatano and former Dodger hurler Ralph Branca are two of our regulars. While the nickname Old Reliable may have belonged to a Yankee pitcher, these two former pros never fail to show and amaze at our outing.

Branca played 18 holes while Joe carved out his spot on the third hole for his Beat the Pro competition. Joe takes the first shot on this par three hole and each player attempts to hit his/her ball closer to the pin than Joe’s. Up for grabs were chances in a raffle for a GPS system for the car. It was won by John Lavin of Belle Harbor.

For the second year in a row, former Mets shortstop and manager Bud Harrelson played a full round and in fact hung around the club for the entire program. Buddy currently is one of the owners and manager of the Long Island Ducks, an independent professional baseball team that frequently features the skills of former Major League Baseball players.

Another former Met, Ed Kranepool, showed up for the morning greeting but passed on playing this time.

Baseball Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, who still holds some Yankee pitching records, came by during the day and took a spin around the course in a cart accompanied by Tablet sportswriter Bernie Beglane, who memorialized the conversation in his Tablet column last week.

A newcomer to the Classic was Chuck Schilling (no relation to Curt) who played second base for the Boston Red Sox in the 1960s. A native of the Brooklyn Diocese, Schilling was born in Jamaica and grew up and still resides in Notre Dame parish, New Hyde Park, L.I. Though it was his first time at our event, Chuck told us he was very familiar with The Tablet from his days of selling it on the steps of Notre Dame Church.
This year’s winning foursome was sponsored by Clavin Funeral Home of Bay Ridge and contained the considerable talents of young Stephen Clavin, son of Peter, proprietor of the Home. Playing with Stephen was his sister, Amy, as well as Fred Cambria, former Pittsburgh Pirate, and Pat Gambaro.

The second place team, the Long and DeLosa Construction foursome, was made up of Brian Long, Glenn Malysz, William Guarinello and Howard Feuer. “It was the best game I have ever played,” Long said.

I had the honor of playing in a foursome sponsored by ING. We were led by Tablet artist John McAlinden of St. Therese of Lisieux parish, East Flatbush, who was the winner of the closest to the pin competition by planting his drive five feet and six inches away from the flag on the 12th hole.

The winners of the longest drive competition were Fred Cambria for the men and Nancy Pignatano for the women.

Another first timer to the Classic was New York Times Pulitzer Prize winning sportswriter Dave Anderson, who also was quite familiar with The Tablet since his days at Our Lady of Angels parish, Bay Ridge. He comes from the Flagg Court apartment complex on Ridge Blvd. Now a resident of New Jersey, he said he admires the way the old neighborhood has maintained its beauty and real estate value.

Other celebrities who made our day were Maurice DuBois, Tony Veteri, Emerson Boozer, Gil Bassetti, Mike Hordy, Paul Mirabella, Steve Rogers, and Wally Rooney.

The day was topped off by visits from retired Bishop Thomas V. Daily and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio who handed out the awards and thanked all those present for their support of The Tablet. The bishop noted that The Tablet had some ingenious ways to surviving, the Bishops’ Celebrity Golf Classic being one of them.

Every year there is some surprise awaiting competitors. It had been five years to the day that we played through the blackout that blanketed the Northeast. This year, play was abbreviated by a tremendous downpour of hail and rain. Most foursomes got in 16 holes while a few actually completed all 18.

Regardless of the weather and the conditions, the one constant has been the camaraderie that has existed among those associated with the Classic. Our thanks to all who participated and especially to the dedicated members of our golf committee who make it happen year after year.