With no disrespect intended to anyone, there’s no denying that this year’s Men’s County Open will be as much about who isn’t competing in it as who is.

When the 57th annual tournament tees off with a 7 a.m. shotgun start Friday at Maplecrest Country Club (and continues Saturday at Twin Lakes Country Club and Sunday at The Club at Strawberry Creek), two familiar faces at opposite ends of the age spectrum won’t be among those playing in the 25-player Championship Flight.

One is 21-year-old Jordan Elsen, the tournament runner-up the last two years who is vying to win his first Wisconsin State Amateur title today at Merrill Hills Country Club in Waukesha. Elsen will be volunteering with many of his University of Wisconsin teammates at a junior golf camp this weekend in Madison.

The second no-show will be the man synonymous with the Men’s County Open — record seven-time winner Mike Smolinski. The 70-year-old has competed in 52 of the 56 previous tournaments and has missed only one since his first in 1956, when he was a 17-year-old fresh off graduating from Bradford High School.

Rheumatoid arthritis in his left hand and right elbow has limited Smolinski to playing only nine rounds this season. So even though he’d like to play, Smolinski said in a phone interview Wednesday that his County Open career is likely over.

“I love to compete and I still have the competitive juices but I also have a reality check when it comes to can I grip the club properly like I want to,” said Smolinski, the champion in 1959, 1970, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1989 and 1991. “Quite frankly, you never say never, but I can’t see myself at my age going and playing a heck of a lot more golf next year unless something miraculous happens.

“It’s sad but it’s certainly not devastating because I can still play in senior tournaments,” like the Senior County Open and WSGA Senior Bestball). “In the County Open, I just can’t compete against these guys who are playing all the time.”

If this is indeed the end of a local golf era, Smolinski said he leaves proud of his accomplishments over the last five-plus decades.

“There’s a lot of times that I think I held the lead and won when I should have and perhaps a couple times I should have won and I didn’t, but hey that’s golf,” he said. “That’s what makes the game great. You’re always competing against yourself and the other guys on the golf course, so that’s super. I can’t complain.”

Like millions across the world, Smolinski said he felt rejuvenated watching 59-year-old Tom Watson come within an 8-foot putt of winning the British Open last Sunday.

But he’s also more than willing, like Jack Nicklaus has to Tiger Woods, to pass the proverbial torch in the County Open to six-time winner Todd Schaap. Smolinski tabbed Schaap and defending champion Travis Engle as the pre-tournament favorites.

“If Todd does it, what’s the old cliche, ‘Records are made to be broken?’ ” Smolinski said. “So yeah, there’s a lit bit of sadness but again, I think reality triumphs over the disappointment.”

Engle, who moved to the Kenosha area in late 2007 from Kansas, made his County Open debut memorable last year when he finished with a 6-under 208 total (70-66-72), two shots better than the runner-up Elsen. Engle is one of five former champions entered, along with Schaap, Chad Cantwell, Dave Wente and Jamie Young.

Jared Elsen, Jordan’s brother and a recent St. Joseph High School graduate, is also moving up to Championship Flight. He won the 2008 A-Flight title with a 232 (79-73-80). J.R. Litkey, last year’s B-Flight winner, was not entered as of Wednesday night.

The top 20 and ties in the 38-player A/B Flight after Saturday’s second round will form the A-Flight, with the remaining group to be placed in B-Flight for Sunday’s final round.