Although he would never say it, because he is truly committed to a humanitarian cause helping those whose lives were turned upside down by Hurricane Harvey flooding, Chris Stroud’s play on the fall portion of the PGA Tour suffered because golf was shoved to the back burner.

“I have been running around like crazy,” admits Stroud, as the Dec. 12
Hurricane Harvey Pro-Am he’s helping organize draws near. “I’ve been
constantly on the phone, writing letters, sending e-mails, doing anything Ipossibly can to help make this a huge success.”

One week out, the event looks like it will be everything Stroud and his
committee hoped it would be. With teams selling for $50,000 (presenting sponsor) and $25,000 (playing sponsor), more than a half-million dollars is already in the bank.

Draw-party sponsorships ($10,000), an auction with some spectacular items and donations should push total revenue over $1 million. Stroud’s goal is to be able to send out 40 checks for $25,000 to hard-hit folks who didn’t have flood insurance or who came up short with FEMA.

One of the points he wants to drive home with those reading this column is that, while the pro-am is basically a Houston-area project, residents of Jefferson County are eligible. Applications can be found by going to www.harveyreliefproam.org/

“Absolutely, people in Jefferson County can apply,” Stroud said. “I am well aware of how much damage and suffering has gone on there. “We want to get checks in the hands of people who need help the most.”

Stroud will be totally immersed in that area, too. He plans to be completely hands on in going over the applications and helping decide where the money goes. The final decision will be made by a committee of seven.

“We want people to go on the web site and tell us their story,” he said. “What did you lose? Was there an insurance problem? Did you get denied by FEMA? An applicant’s income will factor in. We want to do the right thing.”

The Hurricane Harvey Relief Pro-Am will be played next Tuesday at Bluejack National, a Tiger Woods design 50 miles north of Houston in Montgomery.

Twenty-six PGA, LPGA and Champions Tour players, most of them from Texas, have signed up.

Among those in the field are Patrick Reed, Ben Crenshaw, Fuzzy Zoeller,
Jimmy Walker, Hal Sutton, Hale Irwin and Lamar exes Stroud, Shawn Stefani and Dawie van der Walt. Van der Walt, incidentally, was one of thousands in the Houston area whose home was ravaged by the flooding.

A handful of bigger name stars could have been brought in for the pro-am, but relying on players who live within driving distance was essential in keeping expenses down. This event is all about the bottom line.

The pro-am was the brain child of Stroud and Texas A&M ex Bobby Gates. It got wings quickly, thanks to the Bluejack duo of Casey Paulson and Josh Governale.

“It was amazing how things started coming together so quickly,” Stroud said. “Bobby and I sort of had a light bulb go off at the same time about putting together a pro-am. When I called him, he was at Bluejack. He went to Casey and Josh and they were all in.”

Because of all the details involved, a pro-am on the scale of this one would normally take several months to put together. Stroud and Gates wanted to make it happen before Christmas, so they had less than three months.

They have been able to speed up the process thanks to considerable help
from the Houston Golf Association and an army of volunteers who wanted to be a part of project that would help Harvey victims.

“It has been amazing how many people called and said, ‘What can I do?'” Stroud noted. “We have even had offers to assist from people who are still putting their own lives back together. I am not the first to say it, but Houstonians have a big heart.

“I have to give special thanks to Steve Timms and Amanda Hansen from the HGA. They built our web site. Their experience in putting on the Houston Open and the pro-am for it has been invaluable. They keeping pointing us in the right direction.”

So does Stroud see the Hurricane Harvey Pro-Am becoming an annual event?

“It’s on the table for after this year, and we’re going to get help with that from another ex Lamar golfer,” Stroud said. “Kelly Gibson has been running a Hurricane Katrina pro-am fundraiser for years in New Orleans. He’s volunteered to come over and give us pointers.

“We will just have to see where we stand after this year. I have some
ideas. If we can’t do one every year, maybe every other year. Maybe we can partner with Astros owner Jim Crane or J.J. Watt. There are a lot of
possibilities.”

Meanwhile, Stroud is overjoyed to experience the satisfaction of being
able to use his position in life to give back and help others rebuild their
lives. Years from now he will reflect back on 2017 not only as the year he won his first PGA tournament, but also as when he became much more than a champion.

He knows there is plenty of time to get serious about his golf game again.

CHIP SHOTS

In the Monday Senior 50 Plus 2 ball at Babe Zaharias, the team of Kenny Robbins, Ray Darbonne, Dillard Darbonne and Larry Foster won the front with minus-5. On the back, the fivesome of Benny Sharpe, Bill Jones, Tony Trevino, Pete Reobroi and Paul Duplantis prevailed with minus-4.

The Saturday Super Senior two-ball at Zaharias saw the front end in a
two-way tie at minus 2. Posting that number was the foursome of Mike
Lansford, Harrell Guidry, Foster and Charlie Perez and the fivesome of Craig Fontenot, Gary Fontenot, Gene Jones, Reobroi and John Ramsey.

Taking the back in minus-4 was the team of Craig Geoffory, Bob Briggs, Don MacNeil and Charles Leard.

Winning the front with even par in the Friday Senior two-ball at Zaharias was the team of John Williams, Harry Green, Gary Fontenot and a ghost player.

Five-under was the winning number on the back for the team of Paul Flores, Ray Darbonne, Dillard Darbonne and Reobroi.

Format for the Thursday Senior Game at Zaharias was two-man teams playing best ball on the front and scramble on the back. Bob West-Cap Hollier won First Flight with a 66, beating Adam Noel-Rick Pritchett by three strokes.

Second Flight ended in a tie at 69 between Guidry-Jeff Rinehart and Gary Fontenot-Scotty Ray. Bob Barnes-Ben Thornton took Third Flight with a 76, besting John LeBlanc-Art Miller by three strokes.

Closest to the pin winners were Rinehart (No. 7), Ray (No. 12) and Hollier (No. 15).

The Wednesday Zaharias DogFight was won with 18 points by the team of Robbins, Cricket Owen, Don Duplan and Duplantis. Second with 17 points was the foursome of Pritchett, LeTourneau, Jones and Richard Menchaca.

Closest to the pin winners were LeTourneau (No. 2, No. 15), Pritchett (No. 7), Doug LeBlanc (No. 12).
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