No thanks at all to Mother Nature, the Bryan Jackson Benefit Golf Tournament was a success far beyond what the organizers anticipated when they gathered for the first time a little over than two months ago.
With some funds still trickling in, it appears the amount raised to help offset Jackson’s rising medical expenses for treatment of breast cancer will top $30,000. Jackson, who was able to attend both the Friday night auction and the Saturday tournament was pretty much blown away by what he saw.
“It’s the most impressive thing I’ve ever been associated with,” he said in a trembling voice. “I would never have dreamed so many people cared about me that much. To see that many people out there on that kind of day was overwhelming. It tells you how many good, caring people we have in Southeast Texas.
“One of my vows after Saturday is to do anything I can in a situation like this to help somebody else out. For now, I can’t say ‘thank you’ enough.”
For those who may have been vacationing in a tropical paradise, the high on Saturday was 40 degrees. Factor in a north wind blowing around 15 mph, and it was a much better day for polar bears than for golfers. Remarkably, however, more than 95 percent of the entrants showed up.
My hat’s off to everybody who played and I’ll give a double doff to former major league pitchers Larry Dierker and David Clyde. Neither one on them knew Jackson from the man in the moon, but both drove over from Houston at the behest of Lamar baseball coach Jim Gilligan. Gilligan, incidentally, went out of his way to assist the tournament.
“Jim told me it was a great cause,” said Dierker, “and that was enough to me. But the next time you do one of these let’s shoot for warmer weather.”
Also making a lot of friends were the top five players on Lamar’s golf team. Two of them — Kevin Hesbois and Hugues Joannes — helped their teams finish in the money. All five generated positive feedback from the guys were paired with. Other LU players on hand were Pierre Roland, M.J. Daffue and Xavier Feyaerts.
Chris Stroud, naturally, was a big hit, at the auction, on the golf course and after the tournament when he answered questions from kids in the local First Tee chapter. Stroud, who is be back on the PGA Tour this week in Los Angeles, came early and stayed late at the auction, made it seem like there was nowhere else he’d rather be and left no doubt he was committed to the Jackson’s cause.
First thing Stroud did when his group reached its starting hole was to play Santa Claus. He gave each of the other four players a dozen Titleists, a Ping cap and a Titleist cap and hand warmers. It was appropriate that Stroud was so thoughtful toward the Winnie based Paradise Golf foursome of Bobby Stringer, David Hoelzer, Mike Schmidt and Keith Zahar.
For starters, they provided 40 plus golf carts free of charge to supplement Belle Oaks’ limited fleet. That was a major savings to the tournament. Second, they were the high bidders for Stroud at the player auction, paying $1,500 to have him as their captain.
Two others deserving of a pat on the back are the men who own Belle Oaks golf club — Jerry Braxton and Bryan Phelps. They offset a major expense by agreeing to provide the golf course free of charge. Having both the golf and carts donated was a boon for the bottom line.
As for the tournament itself, scores were nowhere what you would expect in a five-man scramble. Especially when some of the players were pros or top amateurs. A typical scramble at Belle Oaks would produce a winning score in the 55-to-57 range. On this frigid day, the best anybody could muster was a 60.
Two teams — the one captained by Arnaud and the one led by Games People Play instructor Kurt Picard — finished at 60. The overall champion was decided by a shootout on the par 3, 15th hole. George Jones won it for Arnaud’s team, which also included Mark Roccaforte and Craig Geoffroy.
Picard’s second place team consisted of Mitch Dunan, Wally Istre, Mike Hebert and Reid Guidry.
Four teams tied for third at 61. After the shootout, Kevin Hesbois’s group of Lance Barnett, Mike Barnett, Mike Brown and Jim Brown was third. Fourth went to Lamar’s Joannes and his team of Bill Hammond, Jason Lynch, Shannon Wilson and John Wilson.
Closest to the pin winners were Eric Harris (No. 3), Kevin Hesbois (No. 8) and Mike Lansford (No. 12).
Stroud’s team, by the way, finished at 65, which he mostly attributed to not making putts that you have to make to win a scramble.
Biggest loser in the shootout was Babe Zaharias assistant Reid Guidry. After much jaw flapping among contestants in the shootout, Guidry promptly dunked his shot in pond fronting the 15th tee. It will take him a while to live it down.
Meanwhile, there are so many to thank for how well the event came off. The guy at the top of that list is Babe Zaharias head pro Ed Campbell. Campbell put many hours into doing a little bit of everything, including selling lottery tickets, but his major contribution was a well-organized, efficiently-run tournament.
Other members of the committee also deserve mention. The committee included Art Lecoq, Larry Guidry, Twyman Ash, Mike Barnett, Barry Stelley, Bill Hanley and Sheldon Arnand. Also filling an invaluable role was Port Arthur’s Aurora Sertoma Club.
CHIP SHOTS: Steve Picou of Fannett authored a hole in one in last week’s DogFight at Bayou Din. Picou used a 9-iron from 147-yards on the No. 3 hole on the links course. The shot was witnessed by Larry Johnson, Steve Richard and Cecil Norris . . . Picou’s ace earned his above-named witnesses a share of a three-way tie for first place at 15&3. The team of Bill Hammond, Dale Parmley, John House and Gary Wagner finished 15&4, while the foursome of Ricky Bruner, Dennis Frazier, Ed Hetzel and Gary Anderson was 15&3 . . . The Babe Zaharias DogFight saw four teams tie for first. Troy Touchet, Jim Mercer, Gary Anderson and Harold Wilkinson was 15&5; the foursome of Buddy Sepeda, Ed Hetzel, Buddy Silcox and Robert Lynch was 15&4; the team of Bob Briggs, Rick Pritchett, Gene Harrison and Paul Duplantis was 15-3; the foursome of Tony Trevino, Dave Colton, Tommy Ray and Don Varing was 15&2. Closest to the pin winners were George Hawkins (No. 2), Dave Colton (No. 7), Mike Lansford (No 12) and Cap Hollier (No. 15).
Bob West is the Port Arthur Sport Editor.
Bryan Jackson
offers thanks
for golf benefit
Dear Friends,
Words cannot express the gratitude I feel towards the kindness and generosity of all of you. I am overwhelmed by the gifts, prayers, and time that so many of you have given to me at my greatest hour of need. It has been said that friendship is defined by others' willingness to give of themselves in order to be a blessing to others. I now know more than ever that I have many friends, and these friends have been a true blessing to me.
The sight of so many friends at the fundraiser was remarkable. It was great time of fellowship as many old friends gathered to help me. The gifts given to benefit me will always be appreciated. The organizational efforts of my great friend, Mr. Bob West, was overwhelming. The bids for gifts at the auction blew me away. I will never forget it.
The efforts made by so many at the golf tournament touched my heart to no end. Despite a day that would have been better for all to be indoors, everyone turned out for me. I had a great time watching others, and I felt those who played and helped had a great time as well. To all who played, and to all who helped organize the event, thank you.
As a final note, I know that from this time forward I will always answer the call for help. Many folks answered the call for help for me. If I don't get a chance to thank some of you soon personally, know that I am eternally grateful to you. May God richly bless those of you who have blessed me so much.
Bryan Jackson
Belle Oaks head pro/superintendent
