The most popular golf tournament in York County for 45 years has a new name. Formerly the Tri-City Classic, it is now the Tom Winston Memorial Tri-City Classic.

Winston, who died last April at 93, was one of the founders of the tournament and its leading proponent.

The tournament’s charity (scholarships for high school students going on to college) will now be called the Tom Winston Memorial Scholarship Fund. For many years after the tournament’s inception, Winston played every year and didn’t stop playing until he was into his 70s. The tournament was in its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s and was played over two weekends. The list of winners reads like a who’s who of York County golfers.

“Mr. Winston promoted golf and the tournament every chance he could,” said Bouchard.

“He did a lot of things for the City of Saco. He was a moving force for Saco to have a Parks and Recreation Department. He was president of Saco Little League and he did radio broadcasts for Thornton Academy football and basketball for years.”

This year’s tournament will open Sept. 6 at Dunegrass Country Club in Old Orchard Beach. Then it’s on to Dutch Elm Golf Course in Arundel the next day for the second round, with the windup at Biddeford-Saco Country Club on Sunday. Four courses are used on a rotating basis — the other is Deep Brook in Saco. The 54-hole tournament has A, B and C divisions, along with seniors and juniors.

Members of the four courses, as well as residents of Arundel, Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach and surrounding towns are eligible to play. Entry fee is $80 for members of the participating courses and $100 for non-members. The deadline to enter is Sept. 1. For more information, call tournament director John Bouchard at 229-0255 or go to sacobayrotary.org.

SHAWN WARREN, 28, of Portland gained another state open title last week with a win at the Rhode Island Open. Warren shot rounds of 68, 69 and 68. His 11-under 205 total beat Rhode Island pros Billy Andrade and Eddie Kirby by two shots. Andrade, 49, was a four-time winner on the PGA Tour. Warren won the Maine Open as an amateur in 2004 and the Greater Bangor Open as a pro a few years later.

“It feels pretty nice,” said Warren, who was on the lesson tee Friday. “I’m been playing pretty well this summer and it came down to getting going with the putter. The greens were fast and in great condition. I made my share of putts.”

Warren opened the first round with four straight birdies and birdied the first two holes of the third round.

Warren, a teaching pro at Nonesuch River Golf Club and Dunegrass Country Club, had one eagle, 14 birdies, 34 pars and five bogeys over the 54 holes. He won $4,700.

Warren heads back down to Rhode Island for the New England PGA Championship beginning Monday. He plans on playing in the first stage of PGA Tour qualifying school in October in Lakeland, Fla.

TEE TO GREEN: The deadline to enter the Maine Seniors Championship is today. The tournament will be played Aug. 27-28 at Dunegrass. The Portland Country Club will be hosting the New England Seniors Championship Sept. 17-18.

Staff Writer Tom Chard can be reached at 791-6419 or at:

tchard@pressherald.com

Twitter: TomChardPPH