Correspondent photos / Robert Hayes ABOVE: Max Vitale of Neshannock (PA) tees off during the final round of the Greatest Golfer U17 tournament at Avalon Lakes in Howland.

WARREN — Max Vitale has only seriously been playing golf for the past 2-3 years.

The Neshannock (Pa.) 17-year-old previously had just a casual interest in the sport. He’d do some junior events and play every few months with his father, but that was it.

Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened, and Vitale’s passion for the game blossomed.

“COVID made me really pick up a club,” Vitale said. “I decided to really go out and grind because I figured out that I loved this game. I never looked back after that.”

As Vitale’s love for the game grew, so did his skill level. He began competing all the time, just like he has this summer as part of the Greatest Golfer Junior Championships series.

On Saturday, Vitale competed in the 13th annual Greatest Golfer Junior finals, a culmination of the best-of-the-best from the summer series of tournaments. After a back-and-forth battle down the closing stretch of the back-nine with Warren JFK’s Andrew Fredenburg during Saturday’s final round at Avalon Lakes, Vitale came out on top, winning the Greatest Golfer U17 Junior boys championship by three shots with a 7-over 151 (75-76).

“Starting off at Squaw Creek (in the first round) was super tough,” Vitale said. “The tee shots are super tight. I shot 75, and I felt like I shot in the 60s. It’s a really hard course. Then at (Avalon Lakes) it’s a little bit easier. I don’t think I played as well (Saturday), but it was enough to get me through, and I’m definitely excited to win.”

Vitale came into Saturday’s final round with a two-shot lead over Fredenburg and Badger’s Austin Mariani. After a surge at the turn, Fredenburg briefly took the lead for a few holes on the back-nine, but then gave Vitale back the lead heading to the 17th hole.

Fredenburg trailed Vitale by one on 18, but put his approach shot into the pond behind the green. He finished with a double-bogey, while Vitale closed out with a par to secure the three-shot victory.

“On 14, he hit a crazy drive and I kind of laid up a little bit — I wish I would have hit a three-wood and got it up closer, then I hit a couple bad approach shots on the last couple holes,” Fredenburg said. “Other than that, I feel like I played pretty well on the day. …On both days, I feel like I got myself in bad positions and fought back, so I’m proud of that. It’s just an experience thing this year. Of course, I wanted to win, but now coming into next year, I know what I have to do.”

Vitale started off the summer by winning the series’ first tournament at The Lake Club back on May 7. Players accumulate points throughout the 10 summer tournaments at some of the top courses in the area, and those that either won one of the tournaments or had the highest point totals are entered into the finals.

“This was a record year for us,” said Greatest Golfer organizer Todd Franko. “(A total of) 175 kids played in Greatest Golfer and the best 50 were out there (in the finals). We’ve become a place where kids want to play, so kids are finding us. … I think what’s cool about Greatest is we’re a casual competition, so the kids are having fun, while also chalking up birdies, pars and more. We’ve achieved a good mix of competition and camaraderie. Our sponsors are really supportive and it’s a great mix of community out there as they compete.”

The U17 finals consisted of 21 boys and 13 girls, while the U14 finals had 10 boys and nine girls. Poland’s Matthew Morrone won the U14 boys title with a 2-over 74, while Canfield’s Alex Conley won the U14 girls title with a 10-over 82.

West Middlesex’s Kate Sowers ran away with the U17 girls championship, winning by 14 shots.

Sowers opened with a 6-over 78 at Squaw Creek on Friday, which gave her a three-shot lead heading into Saturday’s final round. But, at Avalon Lakes, she tore up the course — firing a 3-under 69. Sowers was the only player, boys or girls, in either age division to shoot a round in the 60s during the finals.

“It feels great (to win),” Sowers said. “A lot of hard work is paying off and it’s a good push for the rest of my tournaments for the rest of the season.”

After reaching the green in two, Sowers drilled a 15-footer for birdie on the 18th green to card her 69.

“I putted really well and I was confident with where my ball was going,” Sowers said. “I was patient and I had confidence.”

The Greatest Golfer 54-hole adults tournament will take place Aug. 11-13, with the final round concluding at The Lake Club in Youngstown.