CLEARWATER, Florida(Tampa Bay Sports 10),
February 20, 2008:
Nine holes a week with his wife, Pat, in their Cove Cay Twilighter's League is all Leo Fiyalko needs. He plays golf for fun. That's why, even at 92, scoring his first hole in one January 10th is no big deal.
Leo Fiyalko: "It didn't excite me, I don't know. Old age I guess. Not even a woo hoo." So he still can't understand why it mattered to the rest of the world.
Bill Armstrong, Cove Cay PGA Pro: "The story ran in the London Times, the New York Post, the Daily News, we were keeping the news clippings but the book is full."
Add Sports Illustrated. Golf Digest. They turned down Good Morning America. And then Jay Leno.
Leo Fiyalko: "I said, 'Forget about him, if you want Jay Leno to talk to me, send him down to me.'"
Pat Fiyalko, Leo's Wife: "I think he's settled down now. He didn't want to take any long trips because of our age." Leo adds understandably, "I didn't want to fly."
To top it off Leo hit the hole in one on number five, the toughest par three on the Cove Cay course. And yes, the story gets even more amazing. He couldn't even see it, because he's legally blind.
For the past 10 years, Leo's had macular degeneration. He has no vision in his left eye and only peripheral vision in his right.
Leo Fiyalko: "When I get up to the green, I can barely see the ball, I'm just trying to hit the damn ball. I'm lucky to hit it."
Bill Armstrong, Club PGA Pro: "We actually have to line him up, that's how bad his vision is. We line him up for where he's going, and he swings away."
Weeks later, he's finally warming up to all that attention.
Sue Rogan, Fellow Twilighter: "It was just one of those wonderful, wonderful things that happened. It's really great."
Who knows? Maybe there's another ace in the cards.
Leo: "It'll be lucky. It'll be luck."
He's got plenty of that.
By Angela Jacobs, Tampa Bay's 10 Sports
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