Santa's Open Golf Tournament Raises Money for Big Brothers Big Sisters

The event, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, raised over $8,600 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Eastern Shore and collected a variety of gifts for area children in need. This year marks the fifth consecutive year the Santa’s Open has been held at Ocean Pines.

 

Ocean Pines Golf Club PGA Director of Golf John Malinowski was instrumental in bringing the annual tournament to the course.

 

“I had worked with the Santa’s Open for several years prior to my coming to Ocean Pines and was excited to bring the event to this course,” Malinowski said. “I’m proud of how the Ocean Pines community has rallied around the tournament and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Eastern Shore year after year.”

 

Presented by title sponsor Delmarva Power, this year’s event saw close to 90 golfers and numerous area businesses participate. Four-person teams competed for first-, second- and third-place low gross; first-, second- and third-place low net and closest to the pin. Awards were presented at a reception ceremony at the Tern Grille at Ocean Pines Golf Club following the tournament.

The team of Ray Wankmiller, Mike Wankmiller, Tim McMahon and Daryl Griffith won first-place gross. Bobby Goroy, Brian Patey, David Bledsoe and Jimmy Sweet won second-place gross and Bill Mears, Jamie Neal, Randy Mears and Zeke Prygocki won third-place gross.

 

First-place net was won by Jay Graybill, Kenny Reed, Linwood Harmon and Matt Reed. Bryan Clark, George Vogelslang, Joe Sheehy and Neil Baker won second-place net. Third-place net was won by John Allen, Brandon Phillips, John Petito and Stan Botts.

 

The closest-to-the-pin contest was won by Steve Lennon, Ray Wankmiller, Tony Hughes and Stan Botts.

 

Tee sign sponsors for the event included Ayres, Jenkins, Gordy & Almand, PA; Canada Dry; The Delmarva Shorebirds; iHeart Radio; Mid-Atlantic Heating & Air Conditioning; the Bank of Delmarva; Eastern Shore Golf Magazine; Pepsi and Sonya Whited.

 

Other sponsors included breakfast sponsor PNC Bank and reception sponsor Real HVAC Services.

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Eastern Shore makes meaningful mentorship matches between adult volunteers (“bigs”) and children (“littles”) ages 6-18. The organization provides the necessary training, resources and support necessary for those matches to succeed through community-based mentoring and site-based programs.

 

For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Eastern Shore, visit www.shorebiglittle.org, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 410-543-2447.

 

For more information about the Ocean Pines community, contact Denise Sawyer, director of marketing and public relations for the Ocean Pines Association, at 410-641-7717 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..