BOB WEST
BEAUMONT — Professional golf will be returning to Southeast Texas Aug. 19-22 when Beaumont Country Club hosts the Adams Golf Beaumont Open.
The Adams Tour has been trying to schedule an event in this area for the last few years, and at one point had Wal-Mart lined up to sponsor a tournament at The Palms at Pleasure Island. Hurricane Rita blew through, however, and it never came about.
Over the years, various pro tours, including the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, the Adams Tour, the Ninfa’s Tour and the Tight Lies Tour have rolled through Beaumont. The PGA Tour had a stop in the early 1960s at Tyrrell Park and the LPGA held an event at Bayou Din in the late 1960s.
There figures to be some familiar faces on hand when the Adams Tour makes it stop at BCC. Lamar exes Dawie Van Der Walt and Casey Clendenon are ranked No. 4 and No. 7, respectively, on the Adams Money list. Orange’s Michael Arnaud is No. 32 and Kelly ex Anthony Broussard is No. 42.
Beaumont Country Club, when underwent an extensive renovation under the direction of Baxter Spann in 2004, figures to present an interesting test for a tour made up mostly of younger players looking to move up in the competitive world of professional golf. Spann toughened the short, tight BCC layout with mounds, fairway bunkers and severely undulating greens.
BCC serves as the home course for a Lamar University teams that have made their presence felt on the national level in recent years. Despite a lack of overall length, Cardinal golf coach Bryan White doesn’t think the golf course will be overwhelmed.
“Really, it depends on how they set it up,” he said. “If they get the greens as fast as they can, grow the rough and do a good job setting the pins, I would think something around 13 under would probably win. I think it’s great for area golf for us to have a pro tour coming to Beaumont. There are some terrific players on that Adams Tour.”
The 72-hole tourney will be preceded by a Tuesday pro-am. Designated charity for the event is the American Cancer Society/Beaumont Area. The field will consist of 120 players. Included in events leading up to the tournament will be a junior clinic.
Former Cardinal great Chris Stroud holds the course record of 62 on the revised layout.
CHIP SHOTS: When is a hole in one better than a hole in one? When it’s on a par 4? Rhett Roccaforte joined a very limited group of golfers to have aced a par 4 when he sank his tee shot on the 288-yard, No. 4 hole at Iron Oaks in Beaumont. Roccaforte, 23, used his driver for the history-making shot that was witnessed by his dad, Wayne Roccaforte, Keith Mullins and Joshua Mullins. They were playing in the Valero Port Arthur Employees Tournament. The double eagle helped the Roccaforte duo to a winning scoring of 56. Placing second at 59 was the team of John Cervold-Steven Erickson. Closest to the pin winners were Beau White (No. 2) and Jeff Rinehart (No. 16) . . . Tom Lawton of Groves scored a more conventional hole in one while playing in the Senior Game at Babe Zaharias, sinking an 8-iron on the 120-yard, 7th. The shot was witnessed by Carl Hudman, Sheldon Arnaud and Tommy Linder . . . Orlando De Frates of Port Arthur, playing from the gold tees, posted his best ever round of 76 last Wednesday at Babe Zaharias. Bernie Johnson was his playing companion . . . The CUNA Mutual Fund team of Steve Liberto, Dennis Roper, Ramsey Ellis and Kevin Brenek posted a 56 to win the Sabine Neches Credit Union Scramble at Belle Oaks . . . There was a strong area flavor in the Gray Plantation Ladies Invitational last week in Lake Charles. Iris Marquardt of Beaumont and former Lamar golf coach Pat Park finished one-two in the tournament Shootout. Marquardt teamed for Bertha Hebert to win overall low net with a 55, and also won closest to the pin on No. 6. The duo of Charlene Noble-Melnee Grant won Second flight with a net 55 and the team of Julie Dreyer-Karen Cutrer placed second in Third Flight with a 59 . . . The team of Richard McClelland, Jobie Irvine, Jim Stroud and Dusty Abshire finished plus 14 to win the Babe Zaharias Senior Game. Second at plus six was the team of Jim Jordan, Ray Kerwin, Bob Frazier and Dwain Morrison. Closest to the hole winners were Jim Jordan (No. 2), Tom Lawton (No. 7), Bernie Johnson (No. 12) and Ron Overstreet (No. 15) . . . There was a two-way tie for first in the Babe Zaharias DogFight. The team of Butch Cross, Wayne Roccaforte, Gary Fontenot and Cecil Bourgeois finished 19&9 while the foursome of Cole Lee, Kyle Mehl, Wayne Mathews and George Hawkins was 19&5. Closest to the hole winners were Billy Hatfield (No. 2), Pat Radcliff (No. 7), John Mercer (No. 12) and John Fong (No. 15) . . . Bill Taylor fired a net 59 to run away with the Monday Seniors at Belle Oaks. Charlie Huckaby was second with a 67 and Barry Jackson third at 68. Mike Barnett was the closest to the pin winner on No. 15 . . . The team of Larry Stansbury, Wayne Roccaforte — he’s everywhere —, Gene Harrison and Dave Sturgall finished 18&5 to win the Belle Oaks DogFight. Tying for second was the team of Derrick Wolf, Bill Hatfield, John House and Leonard Hendrickson (15&4) and the team of Tim Turner, Dave English and Cap Hollier (15&2). Closest to the pin winners were Tom Stirling (No. 8) and Gene Harrison (No. 15) . . . Junior golfers are reminded the Southern Texas PGA Junior Tour cranks up for Little Linksters, the Junior Links Tour and the Junior Tour next Monday at Sunset Grove Country Club in Orange. Players who haven’t signed up should go to the web site www.stpga.com or call Ed Campbell at 722-8286 . . . The Port Arthur Police Benefit Association’s 2nd annual Father’s Day Golf Tournament is set for June at Babe Zaharias, with an 8 a.m. shotgun start. Entry fee is $200 per team for the four person scramble. For more information, contact Darren Washburn at 289-2049 or Brenda Swan at 474-0309 . . . Invitations have gone out for the Neches River Four Ball set for July 18-19 at Beaumont County. Entry fee is $550 per team for two days of best ball competition, plus a practice round. Also included in each contestant’s entry fee is an Adidas/Taylor Made shirt, 1 dozen Taylor Made golf balls and a pair of Adidas Golf Shoes. Teams will be flighted by the low handicap player. No college players or professionals may enter. Anyone with questions about the tournament should call BCC head pro Andy Ternes at 898-7011.
Golf news should be e-mailed to rdwest@usa.net or faxed to 724-6854.
