Hanover -- For its 31st renewal at Hanover Country Club the Tommy Keane Invitational golf tournament this year debuted an award in the name of the late Jerry Daly for the team that finishes as medalist during Friday’s 18-hole qualifying in the Four Ball event.
That New London’s Jim Jankowski earned the honor along with partner Doug Lantz after combining for a 4-under-par 67 was only fitting.
“Jerry and I were good friends,” Jankowski said of the four-time Dartmouth All-American who won the inaugural TKI in 1975. “For seven or eight years we'd hook up on the Friday after Thanksgiving and play early in the morning at Kittansett. He was a special person and his son Jeremiah has become a good friend.
“It's absolutely special to win it this first year. He is someone I really looked up to. He was about five years ahead of me here at Dartmouth. It will mean a lot for me to have my name on that trophy along with his.”
In addition to having his name engraved in hardware, Jankowski (with Lantz) earned the No. 1 seed in the Championship Flight heading into Saturday morning’s matches. The twosome will face No. 16. Tony Pippin and Ted Byrne, who shot 72, in their first match.
The No. 2 seed went to six-time champions Scott and Mike Peters after carding a 68. They will face No. 15 Jay Leonard and Tom Monahan, who came in at 72.
Jankowski and Lantz won’t have to take on the Peters brothers until the Sunday afternoon championship match -- if both teams get that far. But Jankowski, a former Dartmouth hockey player, knows better than to look that far ahead.
“I'm just going to worry about our first match tomorrow,” he said. “It was nice to finish where we did.”
And nice to play in a tournament that honors former longtime Hanover pro and Dartmouth coach Tommy Keane.
“This is a great event,” said Jankowski. “I've been part of it since about '79 with a few years off and it's something I look forward to every summer. It's a special get-together for a lot of good people and it’s some very good golf.”
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