Golf: Hopewell Junction brothers make U.S. Kids Golf world championships

Mario Vilardi is so good, the 8-year-old recently qualified for a third time to compete in the U.S. Kids Golf world championships.

So good, in fact, the kid nicknamed “Super Mario” placed third in the Penn State Invitational… with his mom caddying! (More on that later.)

The Hopewell Junction native has quickly established himself among the top junior golfers in his age group, racking up accolades and piling up medals.

But, while his younger brother acknowledges that he is pretty good, Charlie Vilardi isn’t so sure that Mario is better than him.

“I think I can beat him,” he said, with as much casual swagger as a 6-year-old can express. “I almost made a 50-foot putt one time!”

As Mario spoke about how proud he is of Charlie following in his footsteps and referred to him as “my little brother,” he was interrupted.

“You mean Angelo?” Charlie said, referring to their youngest brother, a 1-year-old. “What little brother?”

He drew a chorus of laughs with that quip, showing unintentional comedic timing. But Charlie won’t be playing the role of an overshadowed sidekick. A “Luigi” he is not.

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And certainly not after learning last month that he, too, qualified for the U.S. Kids Golf world championships.

The brothers will compete in different age-grouped brackets in Pinehurst, North Carolina from Aug. 1-3. The annual tournament is the largest international junior golf event, typically showcasing hundreds of standouts between ages 5 and 12.

“We’re incredibly proud of the boys,” their dad, David Vilardi said. “We have so much fun just practicing and competing, and to see them both accomplish this, it’s a great feeling. It’s excellent.”

This event will be even more of a family affair for the Vilardis than their previous trips to Pinehurst because they’ve enlisted Grandpa Mario to caddie for his namesake.

David Vilardi introduced his sons to the sport and has coached them, and he usually caddies for Mario. But, with the 9 and 6-year-old competitions running on separate courses at the world championships, he’ll be working with Charlie while his dad guides Mario.

“There’s nothing more meaningful to me than being able to spend time with my children and grandchildren; it’s a blessing,” said 74-year-old Mario Vilardi, who is an avid golfer. “Being able to caddie for Mario is special because I love competition and I love him, so it’s a win-win, regardless of our score.”

Mario finished 37th out of 102 competitors in the boys 8-year-old division last summer, an improvement of eight spots from his placement the year before.

Mario, who will turn 9 in July, said his driving has improved significantly since last year. “I’m more accurate and getting way better distance,” the Fishkill Plains Elementary School student said. Chipping, now, is an area of emphasis.

The level of difficulty is raised considerably at the 9-year-old threshold, as that group will play 18 holes on the 4,700-yard Pinehurst No. 1 course. The 6-and-under participants will compete on a 1,500-yard course.

Working with his grandfather “will be great,” Mario said. He was sure to make early mention that, with all that walking, they’ll have to load up on protein bars and water, which are Big Mario’s favorite snacks.

The world championship traditionally opens with a leisurely parent-child competition, which will be especially enjoyable for the Vilardi quartet. “I’m looking forward to seeing my son and my dad share that experience,” David Vilardi said. “It’ll be a cool thing to look back on.”

Really, this entire journey. Selection for the world championship is based on a points system that factors results of the past year. Charlie turned 6 in November, so his local tournament scores, including a low-round 42, were especially impressive as a 5-year-old.

David Vilardi had an inkling that Charlie had done enough to qualify, so he hinted at it for weeks. Louisa Vilardi said she wanted it to be a complete surprise for her son.

“But when it was official that he’d made it,” she said, “he was overjoyed.”

As part of the celebration, Charlie was treated to an ice cream cake with a decorative golf ball sitting atop.

The boys also are into basketball and soccer. But this is such a golf-centric family, Louisa Vilardi explained, that on their rest stops during the drives to North Carolina, they've sought out Topgolf locations for pastime activities. It seemed almost inevitable that Charlie would get into the sport. Angelo, Mario said, already is taking swings with his baby putter.

Charlie is following along his brother’s path but did have a bit of a head start, playing a full competitive season as a 5-year-old. At this age, the parents said, Charlie “is a little ahead” of where Mario was three years ago.

What he doesn’t have, though, is the ability to brag about shooting a 5-over 41 in the second round at Penn State Golf Course last August with his mom, a total golf novice, assisting him.

“It was eye-opening to witness my 8-year-old make decisions on his own that impacted his game,” said Louisa Vilardi, who was called on to caddie in a pinch. “He also guided me through elements of golf on the course that helped me make decisions as a caddy.”

In all fairness, she deserves some credit — even a little bit — for his third-place finish there.

And, with his grandfather, there already is an on-course synergy and the pair expect to jibe well. Big Mario described him as “talented” and “fearless.”

Mario said his goal for this tournament is to finish in the top 20, a reasonable aim. Lil’ bro was a tad more ambitious, though.

“I wanna win,” Charlie said. “I wanna be a world champion!”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Hopewell Junction's Vilardi bros make US Kids Golf world championship