GOLF: Wilson Classic goes down to wire
shot a 57. Members of the winning net score team included Wil Blackshear, Roy
Blackshear, Rick Campbell, Jerry Phelps, Tommy Ogle, Stephen Gamble, Mitch
Ashley and Jay Kent. (Photo by Ray Jackson)
They play it for fun and to raise money for a worthy cause, but each year it seems the Darren Wilson Golf Classic comes down to the wire. This year was no different as one shot separated the first- and second-place teams in the net score competition, while the second place in the gross score had to go to a sudden-death playoff to claim its honor.
Twelve teams and more than 72 golfers participated in the 19th Annual Wilson Classic at the Center Country Club on Saturday, with the money raised going into a scholarship fund in the name of the late Darren Wilson.
There was also a silent auction and other competitions at the one-day tournament.
In the net score competition, the winning team recorded a score of 57. The victorious team was made up of Wil Blackshear, Roy Blackshear, Rick Campbell, Jerry Phelps, Tommy Ogle, Stephen Gamble, Mitch Ashley and Jay Kent.
The second-place team was just one shot off the pace with a one-day total of 58 in the six-man scramble.
The runner-up team was made up of Ricky Wilkenfeld, Rick Wilkenfeld, Don West, Cory West, Collin Matthews and Murray Matthews.
In the gross score competition, a score of 53 captured top honors, which was three strokes ahead of the second-place team. Members of the winning team included J.B. Raymond, Joe Anderson, Shane Russ, J.R. Teshe, Justin Riggs and Jason Sample.
The runners-up in the gross score were in a tie and had to start at the 11th hold and play until the tie was broken. The team finished with a 56 to secure second place.
Members of the second-place team were Joe Whittlesey, Kyle Bush, Roy Crump, Tonner Peace, Jay Harbison and Roy Peace.
Members of the winning teams in the net and gross competitions and were presented with blue coolers with the name of the tournament inscribed on them. The second-place team members received red coolers.
The competitors battled in the longest drive and closest-to-the-hole competition, but those results were not readily available after the tournament.
According to players in the tournament, the youngest competitor was Camden Cordray.
A new wrinkle this year was the throw shot, which team was allowed to do. A member of each team was allowed to throw a shot instead of hitting it. It was just another way of making the tournament interesting for competitors.
Money raised from the tournament will go into the Darren Wilson Scholarship Fund, where scholarships are presented to students throughout Shelby County each year.