2012 Classic - Delayed Golfing Gratification

More than 130 golfers were looking forward to May 14, 2012 for another beautiful day playing a round of golf on one of America's most prestigious courses.

And then came May 13, and about four inches of rain.

That set in motion a change of events the forced the first postponement of the Classic in its 14 history.  The amount of rain dumped on the course that Sunday before the tournament made conditions near impossible to play for the following morning.  

But despite the delay, the event went off without a hitch on its new date - July 30.  It was a beautiful, and remarkably temperate, summer day for the Scenic City, which led to some great competition out on the links.    

Another Ace!

The delayed date was magic for a longtime tournament committee member and United Way supporter.  Gary Davis, a few months short of retiring as General Manager from Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling Company, was rewarded by the golf gods for his dedication by scoring a hole-in-one on #16.  The feat netted Gary a prize of $500, sponsored by Kelly Auto Group.  Always understated, Gary joked he can use his financial windfall to pad his retirement fund.  This was the second ace scored in the 15 year history of the tournament.

Good Results

For the second straight year, the tournament netted more than $100,000 for United Way of Chattanooga, dollars that will help support impact in the areas of education, family stability and support for those most vulnerable. The final total raised for 2012 was $102,756.

Tournament Chairman Mike Jenkins was thrilled with the outcome, noting that it definitely takes a team effort to make this tournament not just successful, but one of the premiere tournaments in the region.  He thanked Club Professional Henrik Simonsen and the staff at The Honors for their tremendous professionalism and especially for their willingness to accommodate the tournament with a rain date.

Additionally, he thanked the tournament committee for their help in organizing -- then re-organizing -- the event, so that everyone got the full benefit of their time on the course.  The tournament committee members in 2012 were:

• Mickey McCamish
• Gary Davis and Ryan May from Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling Company
• Bill Webb
• Tanya Williamson of the Chattanooga Times Free Press
• Tom White of Unum 

Sponsors from the tournament were The Chattanooga Times Free Press, Coca-Cola, Bi-Lo, and the Hamico Foundation, as well as Budweiser of Chattanooga and Kelly Auto Group. 

Click here to view photos from the 2012 tournament. Be sure to stay tuned for details about the 2013 tournament!