The Foundation’s Executive Committee is now comprised of the following individuals:

• Chairman: Steve Mull, civic      leader
• Honorary Chairman: Ned      Jarrett
• President: Jim Correll, Executive      Tournament Director, Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn
• Vice President: Moore      Patton, Marketing Manager, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company
• Secretary/Treasurer: Jim      TenKate, retired
• Don Beaver: Chief Executive      Officer & President, Rock Barn Golf & Spa
• Danny Hearn: President,      Catawba County Chamber of Commerce
• Scott Millar: President,      Catawba County Economic Development Corporation
• Bill Schrum: Director, municipal      contracting, Republic Services of NC

• Mark Sinclair: Director of Corporate Gifts, SALT Block

The full board includes business and community leaders from throughout Catawba and surrounding counties.  A complete list of Greater Hickory Classic Foundation board members is below.

“We continue to be extremely proud of the fantastic community involvement that makes the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn possible,” Greater Hickory Classic Foundation Chairman Steve Mull said.  “This new board is charged not only with planning and implementing this year’s 10^th anniversary tournament but also helping secure the future of our Champions Tour event and helping the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn become a self-sufficient, community-driven event.  The sheer economic benefit of this tournament to our region is reason enough for all of us to get involved.”

“As in previous years, we have appointed a board of directors that represents the entire Greater Hickory Metro area,” Executive Tournament Director and Greater Hickory Classic Foundation Board President Jim Correll said.  “The Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn presented by Kia Motors is major sporting event that creates incredible national visibility for our region of North Carolina, and it provides unique opportunities for business and community growth.  On behalf of the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn staff, we look forward to working with the new board as we celebrate the 10^th anniversary of our community’s Champions Tour event.”

In addition, NASCAR Legend Ned Jarrett returns to the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn as the honorary chairman; it will be Jarrett’s third stint as this position.  The NASCAR Hall of Fame member and two-time NASCAR champion will serve as the tournament’s “goodwill ambassador” in addition to working with the rest of the board to secure the tournament’s long-term history and implement this major-league sporting event.

Greater Hickory Classic Foundation Board Members

(in alphabetical order)

Deborah Ashley, President, Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce

Barbara Beatty, Catawba County Commissioner

Don Beaver, CEO & President, Rock Barn Golf & Spa

Larry Bowman, Bowman Investments, Inc.

Jennie Connor, Executive Director, Catawba County United Way

Jim Correll, Executive Tournament Director, Ensure Classic at Rock Barn

Mike Genovese, Senior Vice President, Corning Cable Systems

Dr. George Glisan, Distinguished Professor – Department of Technology, Appalachian State University

Danny Hearn, President, Catawba County Chamber of Commerce

John Hemmings, President, Rock Barn Realty

Steve Hunt, CEO, Market Basket, Inc.

Ned Jarrett, Jarrett Enterprises

Leroy Lail, Chairman & CEO, Hickory Furniture Mart/The Lail Group

Deborah Beaver Looper, President of Property Development, Rock Barn Golf & Spa

Bebe Leitch, Executive Director, Hickory/Conover TDA

Scott Millar, President, Catawba County Economic Development Corporation

Lee Moritz, Mayor of Conover; Sales Manager, Iomax

Steve Mull, Civic Leader

Robin Nicholson, Manager, Business and Customer Relations, Duke Energy

Bill Parrish, Director, SBTDC, Appalachian State University

Moore Patton, Marketing Manager, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company

Bill Schrum, Director of Municipal Contracting, Republic Services of NC

Mark Sinclair, SALT Block – Director of Corporate Gifts

Jim TenKate, Retired

Mike Watts, Principal, Real Living Carolina Property

Rudy Wright, Mayor of Hickory; CEO, A SignCo

Burk Wyatt, Senior Vice President/General Counsel and Secretary, CommScope

Benny Yount, President & CEO, Paramount Kia

The 10^th annual Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn presented by Kia Motors is set for Oct. 8-14 at Rock Barn Golf & Spa in Conover, N.C.  The event features a week of special events and attractions, including exhibitions, pro-ams and three days of Champions Tour competition among some of the greatest legends in golf.  Operated by the Greater Hickory Classic Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the tournament donates all net proceeds to charities throughout the Greater Hickory Metro area each year. For more information, please call (828) 459-4000 or visit www.greaterhickoryclassic.com.

# # #

Photo Caption: Newly-elected members of the Greater Hickory Classic Foundation Board gather at Rock Barn Golf & Spa. Pictured left to right are: Front Row: Don Beaver, Jim Correll, Steve Mull, Bill Schrum, Robin Nicholson.  Second Row: Barbara Beatty, Jennie Connor, Bill Parrish, Moore Patton.

Third Row: Burk Wyatt, Deborah Ashley Smith, Danny Hearn, Leroy Lail, Scott Millar

Back Row: Benny Yount, Jim Ten Kate, George Glisan, Bebe Leitch.  Photo Courtesy: Glenn Fox

Volunteer Applications Being Accepted for 2012 Greater Hickory Classic

CONOVER, N.C. – With a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame in town, what better way to unofficially kick off the 10^th anniversary of the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn presented by Kia Motors?  The popular annual Champions Tour event is set for October 8-14 on the Jones Course at Rock Barn Golf & Spa.

Lee Trevino was at Rock Barn last night for an appearance at the Hickory Sportsman’s Club’s semi-annual meeting with some 300 sports enthusiasts in attendance.  With 29 Champions Tour victories and 29 PGA TOUR victories, Trevino played the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn five times. Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981, Trevino is a two-time winner of the U.S. Open, a two-time winner of the British Open and a two-time winner of the PGA Championship.  In addition, he won four majors on the Champions Tour. However, with the exception of the occasional special event, Trevino’s days of playing competitive golf are over.

“I’ve had a good career; it’s not over yet, I still do stuff off the golf course, but as far as playing golf, I’ve retired,” Trevino said.  “I’ve had enough.  What brings you to that decision is really when you can’t wait to get to a tournament, and when you drive in, you think ‘what am I doing here’ and you can’t wait to leave.  I don’t care about competing anymore.  When you drive into that golf course, you want to have a chance of winning, and that has to be inside of you. If there’s any doubt in there that you can win, it’s time to quit; it’s time to hang it up.

“I love this golf course.  The course is very competitive; it’s great for the gallery, they can see a lot of it, but it’s got some long holes on it, and I can’t compete.  This course has two or three tough holes for me, but I enjoyed it.  They did a great design here.”

With the 10^th annual Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn set for Oct. 8-14, the Champions Tour event is now accepting volunteer applications.  Volunteers can download the application form by clicking on http://www.greaterhickoryclassic.com/volunteers/volunteer-application/.

“It is truly hard to believe this year’s tournament will be our 10^th, but we are doing everything we can to make it the best Greater Hickory Classic yet,” Greater Hickory Classic executive tournament director Jim Correll said.  “With our late-season tournament, the Greater Hickory Classic will be the second-to-last event before the Charles Schwab Cup Championship so we are almost assured of having an excellent field as golfers battle to make the top 30 and get into the championship tournament.  We could have our best field ever with so much on the line late in the season.”

Many popular tournament-week events will return this October including the Great Grand Champions, the Greater Hickory High School Classic as well as the Dale Jarrett Celebrity Shootout.  Details about all tournament-week events will be available closer to the tournament.

The 10^th annual Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn presented by Kia Motors is set for Oct. 8-14 at Rock Barn Golf & Spa in Conover, N.C.  The event features a week of special events and attractions, including exhibitions, pro-ams and three days of Champions Tour competition among some of the greatest legends in golf.  Operated by the Greater Hickory Classic Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the tournament donates all net proceeds to charities throughout the Greater Hickory Metro area each year. For more information, please call (828) 459-4000 or visit www.greaterhickoryclassic.com.

The Champions Tour is idle for a week before heading to the Insperity Championship presented by UnitedHealthcare at The Woodlands CC (Tournament Course) in The Woodlands (Houston), TX, April 30-May 6. The purse is $1,700,000 with the winner receiving $255,000 and 255 Charles Schwab Cup points. Last year, Brad Faxon won his first Champions Tour event when he prevailed by one stroke over Tommy Armour III in 36 holes when the final round was cancelled.

RECENTLY

Michael Allen and teammate David Frost played near-flawless golf and it led to a one-stroke victory in the Legends Division of the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf over John Cook and Joey Sindelar. Allen and Frost finished with a 54-hole, bogey-free total of 29-under-par 187. The key shot of the day came at No. 14 when Frost chipped in from 40 feet for eagle on the par-4 hole which gave them a lead they never relinquished.

Michael Allen claimed his second consecutive title (Encompass Insurance Pro-Am of Tampa Bay, Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf), making him the first Champions Tour player to post back-to-back wins since John Cook won the 2010 Charles Schwab Cup and the 2011 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.

The team of Michael Allen/David Frost have now played 108 consecutive holes without a bogey at the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf dating back to last year when they finished T3. They have posted 53 birdies and 1 eagle during that span.

With his T13 finish at the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf with teammate Kenny Perry and check for $27,150, Russ Cochran went over the $10 million mark in all-time earnings. He now has won $10,024,654 in his career.

Des Smyth/Mark James defended their Raphael Division title at the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf with an exciting one-stroke victory over the teams of Denis Watson/Steve Jones and Mark McCumber/Wayne Grady. James led his team to the win when he drained a 45-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole. It came moments after Jones had made an eagle from the fairway on the par-4, 18th hole to get his team into a three-way tie for the lead.

The team of J.C. Snead and Gibby Gilbert defended their Demaret Division title at the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf when Snead sank a six-inch birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat the team of Larry Ziegler and Frank Beard. The two teams had finished tied at 21-under-par 123 at the conclusion of the 36-hole, two-day event.

Kirk Triplett, who finished T8 in his Champions Tour debut at the Encompass Insurance Pro-Am of Tampa Bay two weeks ago, missed the cut at the Valero Texas Open on the PGA TOUR.

The House has voted to bestow the Congressional Gold medal on Jack Nicklaus. The Congressional Gold medal is awarded to prominent military leaders, public servants, athletes and artists. Arnold Palmer received the award in 2009. The legislation now goes to the Senate for a vote.

Dave Stockton has been named the 2012 recipient of the PGA Distinguished Service Award.Stockton, 70, will receive the Association’s highest annual honor in conjunction with the 94th PGA Championship at The Ocean Course onKiawah Island,S.C. The PGA Distinguished Service Award, inaugurated in 1988, honors outstanding individuals who display leadership and humanitarian qualities, including integrity, sportsmanship and enthusiasm for the game of golf.

The USGA recently announced Scioto Country Club, inColumbus,Ohio, as the host site of the 2016 U.S. Senior Open Championship. This will be the fourth USGA championship held at Scioto Country Club, which will celebrate its centennial in 2016 as the first 18-hole course in centralOhio. The dates of the championship are Aug. 11-14.

COMING UP

Insperity Championship patrons will see Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Lee Trevino compete in a special competition Saturday afternoon of tournament week at The Woodlands Tournament Course. The tournament has created a Greats of Golf competition that will include the ‘Big Four‘ along with Don January, Miller Barber, Gene Littler, David Graham and Dave Stockton. They will follow the last tee time of the official competition and play an 18-hole scramble format. This group includes five World Golf Hall of Fame members, has a combined total of 256 PGA TOUR wins, 46 major championship titles and 141 Champions Tour wins.

Several Champions Tour professionals will tee it up on Hilton Head Island following last week’s Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf as Wexford Plantation hosts the first Fellowship of Christian Athletes Golf Champions Tour Pro-Am. Andy Bean, Brad Bryant, Fred Funk, Morris Hatalsky, Larry Mize, Larry Nelson, Kenny Perry, Tom Pernice Jr., Loren Roberts and Scott Simpson are among the professionals in the field. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the FCA Golf Ministry and the South Coastal FCA organization. FCA is a nonprofit, interdenominational sports ministry focused on athletes and coaches from the youth to the professional level.

CHARLES SCHWAB CUP

David Frost and Michael Allen each earned 230 Charles Schwab Cup points for their win at the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf. Allen’s 230 points in the Charles Schwab Cup race increased his margin to 350 points over Bernhard Langer in the season-long race. Allen now has 850 points to Langer’s 500. Corey Pavin is now third with 423 points and is followed by Kenny Perry (381) and Fred Couples (346).

NUMBERS

339,100 – The number of dollars Michael Allen leads Bernhard Langer by on the 2012 Champions Tour money list.

DID YOU KNOW?

Michael Allen, winner with David Frost at the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf last week inSavannah, proposed to his wife Cynthia in the city 21 years ago when she was a resident there while working for the Hershey Company.

ON THIS DATE

4/25/04 – When Hale Irwin wins the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, he wins at least one event for 10 straight years, breaking his tie with Miller Barber for most consecutive years with at least one win.

QUOTES TO NOTE

“I was lucky I was so good at Q-School, I never would have had a job.” – Michael Allen shares his thoughts after his recent win at the Encompass Insurance Pro-Am of Tampa Bay. Allen has never won in 368 starts on the PGA TOUR but successfully made it through Q-School nine times in 13 attempts during his career and made it two consecutive wins. Allen followed his win in Tampa with another victory at the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf with teammate David Frost.

“Does a large saddle fit on you, can you take spurs, and he said yes, and I said, please.” – Brad Bryant explains how he asked Tom Purtzer to be his partner at last week’s Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf. The pair held the first-round lead and finished T3.

“I was doing that before Bubba was born.” – Joey Sindelar refers to Bubba Watson, the Masters champion, after his teammate John Cook described Sindelar’s ‘pretty little low draw squeeze shot’ in a post-round interview. The Sindelar/Cook team finished runner-up at the Liberty Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

Tom Lehman ‏ @TomLehman2011 Why is it I get in the tweeting mode whenever I go out to practice??? Maybe it’s an avoidance thing–!!!

Matthews has pulled “double-duty” throughout the years serving as a walking scorer along with the transportation and player registration committees.  She was presented with a Waterford crystal trophy – a small-scale replica of the tournament champion’s trophy – during an Aug. 18 awards ceremony ­­­­­­­­­­­­­at Rock Barn Golf & Spa.

“Taking it upon herself to work several different roles throughout the tournament is exactly what makes Ella Rae Matthews an outstanding volunteer,” Greater Hickory Classic executive tournament director Jim Correll said.  “Her exemplary service as a volunteer is definitely worthy of being honored as our volunteer of the year.

“Ella Rae sets forth a complimentary presence in any task she accepts. With her always positive attitude Ella Rae is a joy to be around while she works diligently on several different committees. On behalf of our board of directors, tournament staff and all of our volunteers, we are proud to name Ella Rae our volunteer of the year and to show our gratitude for her dedication and hard work.”

Other nominees for the award, also recognized during the event, were Jerry Campbell of Gastonia, N.C. (transportation volunteer since 2008), Barry Henline of Statesville, N.C. (first year as carts & shuttle volunteer), Jim Turner of Hickory, N.C. (first year as media center volunteer) and Phyllis Yount of Conover, N.C. (uniforms committee since 2004).

All nominees have been inducted into the tournament’s Volunteer Hall of Fame, which recognizes volunteers who have made exceptional efforts during the nine-year history of the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn.  A complete list of the Volunteer Halls of Fame follows below.

In addition to its Volunteer Hall of Fame, the Greater Hickory Classic also honors its volunteer chairmen, volunteers who, in addition to donating their time, take on the additional responsibility of recruiting, scheduling and training other volunteers for the tournaments various volunteer committees.  A complete list of the Chairman Hall of Fame follows below.

The following volunteer chairmen were inducted into the Chairman Hall of Fame on Aug. 18:  Tom Devlin of Hickory, N.C. (hole marshal since 2006), Dick Henchey of Conover, N.C. (admissions/will call since 2007), Paula Hollar of Conover, N.C. (player registration since 2003), Mike Rozea of Hickory, N.C. (hole marshal since 2006) and Frank Willis of Hickory, N.C. (hole marshal since 2003).

“We are very fortunate to have outstanding volunteers at the Greater Hickory Classic,” Correll said.  “We owe much of the tournaments success to our volunteer chairmen. They are a vital part in training the new volunteers, scheduling the volunteers hours, and overseeing their individual committee. We value all of them because we truly could not present the Greater Hickory Classic without them, but our volunteer chairmen are necessary for our tournament operations. We appreciate all they do for our event; we couldn’t do it without them.”

The annual Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn presented by Kia Motors event features a week of special events and attractions, including exhibitions, pro-ams and three days of Champions Tour competition among some of the greatest legends in golf.  Operated by the Greater Hickory Classic Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the tournament donates all net proceeds to charities throughout the Greater Hickory Metro area each year. For more information, please call (828) 459-4000 or visit www.greaterhickoryclassic.com.

# # #

Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn Presented by Kia Motors

Volunteer Hall of Fame

2011 Volunteer Hall of Fame

Jerry Campbell (Transportation)

Barry Henline (Carts & Shuttles)

Ella Rae Matthews (Player Registration, Transportation, Walking Scorers)*

Jim Turner (Media Center)

Phyllis Yount (Uniforms)

2010 Volunteer Hall of Fame

Tommy Hedrick (Walking Scorer & Transportation)*

Shirley Key (Admissions/Will Call)

Bill LePage (Marshal)

Timothy “Blue” Pittman (Standard Bearer)

Charlene Shumate (Uniforms, Driving Range and Office Administration)

2009 Volunteer Hall of Fame

Tom Boesman of Hickory (volunteer services)

Pete Lail of Newton (transportation)

Allen Payne of Statesville (standard bearer)*

Flo Stines of Morganton (hole marshal)

2008 Volunteer Hall of Fame

Mike Iduni of Conover (transportation)

Earl & Freida Jackson of Taylorsville (marshals)

Janet Mitchell of Hickory (office administration)

Harold Shook of Hickory (carts and shuttles)*

Rodney Teague of Taylorsville (marshal)

2007 Volunteer Hall of Fame

Mitch Atkinson of Granite Falls (marshal)

Larry Isenhour of Hickory (walking acorer)

Tom Johnston of Catawba (support committees)

Pat Rice of Conover (transportation)*

2006 Volunteer Hall of Fame

Alice Averitt of Vale (distribution committee and

coordinator, Greater Hickory High School Classic)

Frank Azzarita of Hickory (marshal)*

Teresa Foster of Hickory (transportation)

Craig Howes of Granite Falls (standard bearer)

Sylvia Sigmon of Conover (uniforms & volunteer services)

2005 Volunteer Hall of Fame

Joel Carroll of Hudson (walking scorer)

Gary Delp of Valdese (marshal)

Frank Garriga of Hickory (marshal)

Tony Godinho (transportation)*

Paula Hollar of Claremont (player registration)

Jim & Sharon Pennington of Sherrills Ford (uniforms, volunteer services and marshals)

Gary Stone of North Wilkesboro (volunteer services)

2004 Volunteer Hall of Fame

Alan Bohler of Newton (marshal)

Kim Bolick of Conover (office administration)*

Dan Huene of Hickory (finance)

Dan Marshburn of Hickory (carts and shuttles)

Butch McSwain of Morganton (marshal)

Eric Shook of Newton (carts and shuttles)

Bill Wilson of Morganton (marshal)

2003 Volunteer Hall of Fame

Elaine Godinho of Conover (volunteers)

Jim Green of Granite Falls (hole captain)

Jean Hampton of Conover (transportation)*

Dale Sherrill of Claremont (marshal)

Jim Thompson of Lenoir (walking Scorer)

*Denotes Volunteer of the Year

Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn Presented by Kia Motors

Chairman Hall of Fame

2011 Chairman Hall of Fame

Tom Devlin (hole no. 7 co-chair)

Dick Henchey (admissions/ will call)

Paula Hollar (player registration)

Mike Rozea (hole 12)

Frank Willis (hole No. 7 co-chair)

2010 Chairman Hall of Fame

Gary Delp (marshal)

Tony Godinho (transportation)

Larry Isenhour (walking scorers)

Sandy Johnson

Steve Jones (volunteer services/pool)

Tom Lilly (marshal)

2009 Chairman Hall of Fame

David Daly of Hickory (standard bearers)

Elaine Godinho of Conover (volunteer services)

Steve Graff of Newton (hole No. 14 marshals)

Dick Jessee of Hickory (hole No. 4 marshals)

Jim Powers of Hickory (transportation)

2008 Chairman Hall of Fame

David Bloom of Hickory (hole captain)

Don Brittain of Hickory (co-chair, transportation)

Angela Dean of Claremont (co-chair, admissions/will call)

Larry Hale of Connelly Springs and Tom Rykaceski of Hickory (co-captains, hole No. 5)

Sandy Hardin of Claremont and Susan Knowles of Hickory (co-chairs, driving range)

2007 Chairman Hall of Fame

Marlene Cruise of Conover (player registration)

Richard Dickey of Hickory (front nine marshals)

Keith Garland of Conover (caddy support committee)

Bob & Nancy Meek of Hickory (back-nine marshals)

Tom Neff of Claremont (television)

2006 Chairman Hall of Fame

Nancy Hilderbran of Conover (support, uniforms)

Norm Lefort of Mooresville (marshals)

Bob Patrick of Conover (marshals)

Eric Shook of Newton (carts and shuttles committee)

Jim TenKate of Conover (finance committee)

LAST WEEK

Fred Couples made a three-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole to defeat John Cook to win the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship, his first senior major championship.

The Fred Couples/John Cook playoff was the longest in the history of the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship. All three of the other playoffs at this event went only one hole.

Fred Couples joined Jack Nicklaus and Raymond Floyd as just the third player to claim both a PLAYERS Championship title and a Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship crown. Couples’ win also earns a return trip to the 2012 PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

Fred Couples earned 810 Charles Schwab Cup points and moved into 11^th place in the season-long standings (880 total points). His check for $405,000 allowed him to jump from 66^th to 22nd on the 2011 money list — $522,032.

John Cook is now 0-20 in major championships on the Champions Tour. On the PGA TOUR, Cook was 0-62 with his best finishes being a T2 at the 1992 British Open and second at the 1992 PGA Championship.

Peter Senior’s third-place finish at the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship made him the only player to finish among the top-10 in four of the Champions Tour’s five majors this year. Senior lost in a playoff at the Regions Tradition, was T5 at the Senior PGA Championship and was sixth at the U.S. Senior Open. He was T31 at the Senior British Open.

Barry Lane was eligible but decided not to compete in last week’s Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship. Instead, Lane defended his Scottish Senior Open title on the European Senior Tour, producing an eagle on the final hole to defeat NBC announcer and Champions Tour professional Gary Koch by two strokes.

Champions Tour professional Tom Pernice, Jr. missed the cut at the final PGA TOUR regular season event, the Wyndham Championship. Pernice finished No. 163 in the standings and missed the Playoffs for the FedExCup. He is currently No. 137 on the PGA TOUR money list and No. 31 on the Champions Tour money list.

CHARLES SCHWAB CUP

At the start of July, Tom Lehman enjoyed a 480-point lead over Nick Price. Before last week’s final major championship of the season, Lehman had four players within 500 points of his 1,661 total. With his fourth-place finish at the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship, Lehman continues to lead with 1,985 points, 566 points in front of Peter Senior (1,419). U.S. Senior Open winner Olin Browne is third with 1,370 points (615 behind) followed by John Cook (1,344) and Mark Calcavecchia (1,278). The winner of this week’s Boeing Classic will receive 300 points.

Player                          Events              Points              Pts. Behind      Wins    Top-10s

Tom Lehman 15                     1,985                -                       3          9

Peter Senior 16                     1,419                566                               9

Olin Browne 17 1,370                615                   1          7

John Cook 17                     1,344                641                   3          5

Mark Calcavecchia 16 1,278                707                               9

Here’s a past history of how the Charles Schwab Cup race has stood the week after the last major championship has been played and how it’s ended up. Tom Watson made up the most ground after the last major to eventually win (2005) while Loren Roberts made up the most ground prior to the last major (2007).  In 2003, Watson also enjoyed the biggest lead ever after the last major.

COMING UP

Tom Lehman will be making his first start in the Boeing Classic. The current leading money winner and the point’s leader in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup race, Lehman is bidding to make history this year. Lehman has won Player of the Year honors on both the Nationwide Tour (1991) and PGA TOUR (1996). Should he go on to earn similar honors on the Champions Tour, he would become the first player in history to accomplish that feat.

This year’s Boeing Classic includes 27 of last year’s top 30 money winners. The only players missing are Fred Funk, who finished 6^th on the final 2010 list, Corey Pavin, who was 17^th, and Tom Watson, who was 23rd. Funk is sidelined with a thumb and knee injuries.

In the six-year history of the Boeing Classic, no first-round leaders/co-leaders have gone on to win.

The seven-man playoff in 2007, won by Denis Watson, was the largest ever in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned tournament.

Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. 1^st Class Leroy Petry will participate in the Boeing Classic’s first Military Appreciation Day on Sunday. During the tournament’s final round, Petry will walk with the leaders in the final group and will participate in the ceremony when the champion is awarded the trophy. Petry is the second living Medal of Honor recipient from Afghanistan and is currently stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Nick Price was the most recent Champions Tout professional to join the field for the Umpqua Bank Challenge, a best-ball team event to be played August 29-30 at Portland Golf Club in Oregon. Price joins tournament host Peter Jacobsen, along with Arnold Palmer, John Cook, Ben Crenshaw, Jay Haas, Bernhard Langer, Tom Lehman, Mark O’Meara and Fuzzy Zoeller. Two more players, from the PGA TOUR, will be announced this week.

NUMBERS

11 – The number of bogey-free rounds Peter Senior has recorded in 50 rounds on the 2011 Champions Tour (through the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship).

DID YOU KNOW?

Five players who won major championships on the PGA TOUR are set to become eligible for the Champions Tour in the next four years – Steve Elkington and Vijay Singh in 2013, Davis Love III and Lee Janzen in 2014 and Todd Hamilton in 2015.

ON THIS DATE

8/23/98 – Just two months shy of his 63^rd birthday, Gary Player became the second-oldest winner on the Champions Tour at the Northville Long Island Classic (Mike Fetchick remains the Tour’s oldest winner. His 1985 Hilton Head Seniors Invitational victory occurred on his 63^rd birthday).

8/27/89 – David Frost claims the NEC World Series of Golf and earns a 10-year exemption into all PGA TOUR co-sponsored events.

8/28/83 – Nick Price wins the first of 18 PGA TOUR victories when he goes wire-to-wire to beat Jack Nicklaus by two strokes for the World Series of Golf crown in Akron, OH.

8/28/88 – Mike Reid makes par on the first extra hole to defeat Tom Watson at the NEC World Series of Golf. Reid’s win earned him a 10-year exemption on the PGA TOUR.

QUOTES TO NOTE

“That’s great. I get to play with the studs – or try to.” – Fred Couples’ comment when he discovers his Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship victory earns him a spot in the 2012 PLAYERS Championship.

“I’m the captain, and he wants to be on the team. This is my chance to hold my rank above him one time.” – Fred Couples, the Presidents Cup U.S. Team Captain speaks about the possibility of using one of his two captain’s picks on Tiger Woods.

“The game is strong. Without Tiger, you’ve got a whole new lineup now that you have to talk about. Phil’s in the mix but you’ve got a lot of kids who have been just waiting for their opportunities and they’re taking them now.” – Tom Watson talks about the present state of the professional game.

“I used to putt with it on my chin. Then I forgot which chin to put it on.” – Peter Senior jokes why he went from resting a 46-inch long putter on his chin in 1989 to a 45-inch long putter on his chest nowadays.

“If I hadn’t gone to Germany, I wouldn’t be playing right now. So that’s basically why I’m here after going there.” – Fred Couples explains how he played last week’s Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship virtually pain-free after traveling to Germany for treatment on his back a couple of months earlier.

“Split down the middle with the buns grilled.” – Tom Watson describes the hot dogs at Westchester CC, which he says are the best in the world.

#  #  #

Two-Time Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn “Champ” Jay Haas birdied the final hole to post a one-stroke victory over Kenny Perry, Peter Senior and local favorite Tom Lehman at the 3M Championship.

The win at the 3M Championship was Jay Haas’ 15^th career victory, tying him with Bernhard Langer on the all-time list for Champions Tour victories. The pair is tied for 16^th on the list.

Jay Haas made an opening-round ace at the 3M Championship and became the first player since Jeff Sluman to make an ace and go on to win the event. Sluman did so at the 2009 Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.

Kenny Perry had his best individual showing in a Champions Tour event with his T2 finish at the 3M Championship.

Hale Irwin matched his age for the second consecutive week and the third time in his career when he fired a 6-under-par 66 in the final round of the 3M Championship. Irwin also added another top-10 finish (T8) to his record career total and now has 205 for his career.

Champions Tour professional Tom Pernice, Jr. finished T21 at the Reno-Tahoe Open on the PGA TOUR.

Russ Cochran was the Champions Tour Player of the Month for July. The left-hander was out of action for the two previous months with a wrist injury and also missed the Montreal Championship in the first week of July before returning with a T10 at the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Two weeks later he captured his first major championship, winning the Senior British Open by two strokes at Walton Heath. He followed up the victory with a T17 finish at the U.S. Senior Open at Inverness Club.

In a contest conducted via Facebook, the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open was determined the winner of the 2011 Fan Favorite Champions Tour Event.

World Golf Hall of Fame Member Nick Price received the 2011 Ambassador of Golf Award last week at Firestone Country Club. The Ambassador of Golf Award is presented annually to a person or persons who have fostered the ideals of the game on an international level and whose concern for others extends beyond the golf course.

World Golf Hall of Fame member Tom Watson was guest speaker at last week’s Junior PGA Championship. Watson addressed more than 400 people including Junior PGA Championship participants, parents, volunteers and Fort Wayne residents. Established in 1976, the Junior PGA Championship brings together the best junior golfers from around the country to compete for the Jack Nicklaus Trophy in the Boys’ division and the Patty Berg Trophy in the Girls’ division.

Curt and Tom Byrum will be inducted into the South Dakota Golf Hall of Fame during a ceremony on August 8 in Sioux Falls. The brothers become the 40th and 41st members of the South Dakota Golf Hall of Fame, which was established in 1977. Curt Byrum is currently a Golf Channel analyst covering the Nationwide Tour, PGA TOUR and Champions Tour. Tom Byrum has played three Champions Tour events this year, most recently posting a T23 finish at the Senior British Open. They won one PGA TOUR event each in 1989 – within 50 days of each other.

COMING UP

World Golf Hall of Fame member Larry Nelson will receive the highest honor accorded by the PGA of America when he will be awarded the Distinguished Service Award in a ceremony on August 10 in conjunction with the 93^rd PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club. The award coincides with the 30^th anniversary of Nelson’s first major championship win at the same venue. Mark Brooks, the 1996 PGA Championship winner, will join Nelson as the two Champions Tour professionals in the field at this week’s championship.

The Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship is the fourth-oldest event on the Champions Tour, being contested for the 29^th consecutive season this year. Only the Senior PGA Championship (72 years), Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (34 years) and the U.S. Senior Open (32 years) are older.

With 10 top-10 finishes in 15 appearances, including a win in 1999, Hale Irwin has earned more money at the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship than any other player in tournament history — $1,544,435.

Last year’s playoff between Michael Allen and Mark O’Meara was just the third overtime session in the previous 28 Constellation Energy Senior Players Championships. Ironically, all three playoffs have ended quickly with each going only one extra hole.

Mark O’Meara will attempt to become the second player in event history to repeat as Constellation Energy Senior Players champion. Arnold Palmer was the first player with consecutive Senior Players in 1984-85.

There has not been a hole-in-one at the Constellation Senior Players Championship since 2006.

NUMBERS

70.333 – The scoring average for the field at last week’s 3M Championship, the same exact average as in the 2010 3M Championship.

104 – The number of rounds in the 60s at last week’s 3M Championship, the same number as in the 2010 3M Championship.

3 – The number of aces on the Champions Tour this season (Olin Browne/Allianz Championship, D.A. Weibring/U.S. Senior Open & Jay Haas/3M Championship). Last year, five aces were recorded on the Champions Tour, including two by Bob Tway.

DID YOU KNOW?

No player has ever won the Senior British Open and Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship in the same season. Russ Cochran is the 2011 Senior British Open champion.

A head cover shaped like a cartoon bomb with a flaming wick and the words “Time Bomb,” was made available to the public last week. The head cover was developed to commemorate Champions Tour rookie Steve Pate‘s 50^th birthday (his birth date, 05:26, is in red numerals replicating a clock counting down). It can be purchased for $25 at www.abgolfdesigns.com. Pate’s nickname throughout his career was “Volcano” due to his temper.

ON THIS DATE

8/9/81 – Larry Nelson is a four-stroke winner at the PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club.

8/9/87 – Larry Nelson added his second PGA Championship to his resume when he came from three strokes off the pace to earn a spot in a playoff with Lanny Wadkins at PGA National GC. Nelson became the 15th multiple winner of the event when he makes par on the first extra hole to defeat Wadkins.

8/10/86 – Bob Tway holes a bunker shot on the final hole to win the PGA Championship at Inverness after a tense duel with Greg Norman. Tway’s major championship is his fourth title of the season and he goes on to be named the PGA Player of the Year.

8/14/77 – For the first time ever, a major championship was decided in sudden death when Lanny Wadkins made a six-foot par putt to defeat Gene Littler on the third extra hole at the PGA Championship at Pebble Beach.

QUOTES TO NOTE

“I just feel like it’s a matter of time but when you get to our age, time is important. It’s of the essence.” – Corey Pavin, who has yet to win on the Champions Tour after 15 victories in his PGA TOUR career, shares his thoughts on the possibility of capturing his first win. Pavin has finished T4-T3-T7 and T17 in his last four starts on the Champions Tour.

“They ask me why my hair is so long, I ask them why they don’t have any.” – Newcomer Brad Faxon’s response to his peers’ ribbing upon joining the Champions Tour. Faxon missed 17 consecutive cuts on the PGA TOUR before making his debut at the 3M Championship last week where he finished T53 with rounds of 68-72-74.

“We can still make a heck of a lot (money) playing at a later age in life. All other sports, all other athletes, there is no such arena.” – Tom Watson agrees that the Champions Tour is the greatest ‘mulligan’ in life.

“I had a nun in first grade who called me Frank, and I never answered. Nobody called me Frank. In second grade, I figured it out.” – Frank Urban Zoeller (aka Fuzzy) thinks his life may have been different if he went by Frank instead of Fuzzy.

LAST WEEK

Olin Browne birdied the 72^nd hole for a three-stroke win over Mark O’Meara in the U.S. Senior Open. It was Browne’s first Champions Tour victory.

Olin Browne set a U.S. Senior Open 9-hole scoring record with a 5-under-par 29 on the back nine in Round 3. Browne’s 29 broke the 9-hole scoring record of 30 which was set in 1983 by Richard King and was matched 15 times, most recently by Browne on the front nine in last year’s final round at Sahalee CC.

Olin Browne’s 54-hole total of 198 is the best 54-hole total in U.S. Senior Open history, breaking Simon Hobday’s mark of 199 in 1994.

Olin Browne has now won at least one event on the Nationwide Tour, PGA TOUR and Champions Tour, joining Ron Streck, Keith Fergus, Tom Lehman and Gary Hallberg with that honor.

Hale Irwin became the Champions Tour’s all-time leader in top-10 finishes with his T4 at the U.S. Senior Open. It was the 204^th of his career, one more than Bob Charles. Irwin also fired a 5-under-par 66 in Round 3, matching his age for the second time in his career. He posted a 65 at last year’s AT&T Championship in San Antonio.

D. A. Weibring made the 18^th ace in U.S. Senior Open history and the first since 2007 when he made one at No. 3 on Friday. Weibring used a 6-iron on the 170-yard hole.

Mark Calcavecchia (3^rd) was the only player in the U.S. Senior Open field who posted four consecutive rounds in the 60s.

Defending champion Bernhard Langer finished T9 in defense of his U.S. Senior Open title while Tom Lehman, the current Charles Schwab Cup leader and the leading money winner finished T23.

Champions Tour professional Tom Watson played with Phil Mickelson and Stuart Appleby in the featured pairing during the first two rounds of The Greenbrier Classic. All three players failed to make the cut. The other two Champions Tour professionals in the field had more success – Kenny Perry finished T39 and Tom Pernice, Jr. was T49.

Peter Jacobsen, a two-time winner on the Champions Tour (both majors), has been awarded the Old Tom Morris Award, the highest honor given by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. The award is given annually to a person who “through a continuing lifetime commitment to the game of golf has helped to mold the welfare of the game in a manner and style exemplified by Old Tom Morris.” Jacobsen, who has designed several golf courses with Jim Hardy, will be the 30^th recipient of the Award.

Current Champions Tour professional Mark Mouland will compete in the British Par 3 Championship in Warwickshire beginning August 9 along with celebrities and other golf professionals including Tony Jacklin, Larry Laoretti and Doug Sanders.

The Boeing Classic, a Champions Tour event held annually at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge in Seattle, WA, was recently highlighted as the newest member of the Green Sports Alliance, a non-profit organization with a mission to reduce the environmental impact of professional sports and to inspire fans to join in these efforts. The Boeing Classic is the first and only professional golf tournament in this group which includes an unprecedented collaboration of six different professional sports leagues. The founding Alliance members include teams from the NHL, WNBA, MLB, NFL, NBA and MLS.

CHARLES SCHWAB CUP

Double Charles Schwab Cup points were awarded at last week’s U.S. Senior Open and Olin Browne’s victory earned him 1,000 points. He now has 1,330 points and jumped from 23^rd to second behind Tom Lehman, who leads with 1,533 points. Mark Calcavecchia is now third with 1,238 points and Nick Price is fourth with 1,181. Mark O’Meara, runner-up to Browne last week, jumped from 34^th to 10^th in the standings.

Player                          Events              Points              Pts. Behind      Wins    Top-10s

Tom Lehman 13                     1,533                -                       3          7

Olin Browne 15 1,330                203                   1          6

Mark Calcavecchia 14 1,238                295                               8

Nick Price 14                     1,181                352                   1          9

Russ Cochran 10                     1,163                370                   1          7

COMING UP

Eight-time PGA TOUR winner Brad Faxon turned 50 on August 1 and is scheduled to make his Champions Tour debut at the 3M Championship. Nationwide Tour veteran Ben Bates will also make his first appearance on the Champions Tour via a sponsor exemption. Bates has made 409 starts for two wins on the Nationwide Tour. He has also played in 122 PGA TOUR events.

Minnesota native Tom Lehman will make his first appearance in the 3M Championship. Lehman is the current Champions Tour point’s leader in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup race and sits atop the money list as well. He also served as a co-designer of the TPC Twin Cities with Arnold Palmer.

Fred Couples is scheduled to make his first appearance in a PGA TOUR or Champions Tour event since June 3^rd when he missed the cut at the Memorial Tournament. He has been sidelined with injuries.

The 3M Championship continues to be among the leaders on the Champions Tour in terms of charitable contributions. In the previous 18 years, the tournament has donated $17.5 million to Minnesota area charities, helping impact the lives of countless people in the Twin Cities area.

The Greats of Golf Challenge presented by Post-It Brand Products will take place on Saturday and Sunday at TPC Twin Cities during the 3M Championship. Four teams of three players will compete in the better-ball exhibition. Those scheduled to play include;

Arnold Palmer* , Billy Casper* , Lee Trevino* , Gene Littler* , Miller Barber, Don January , Chi Chi Rodriquez* , Dave Stockton, Al Geiberger , David Graham, Charles Coody, & Andy North

* denotes World Golf Hall of Fame member.

This year’s Orion Classic in Sioux Falls – formerly known as the Hot Stuff Foods Challenge – will be a pro-am event as opposed to a ‘shootout’. The classic has raised more than $3.5 million for the Children’s Home Society, with Champions Tour veteran Graham Marsh attending every year. Marsh, 67, will be joined again this year by Onida, SD natives Tom and Curt Byrum along with Senior British Open champion Russ Cochran, Morris Hatalsky, Bruce Fleisher, and David Peoples. The event takes place August 8, followed by a free kid’s golf clinic with the First Tee program.

Former Masters champion and Cedar Rapids native, Zach Johnson, is headed to Elmcrest Country Club with a few of his friends, including his caddie, Damon Green, who just completed playing back-to-back Champions Tour majors with a T70 at the Senior British Open and a T13 at the U.S. Senior Open. The August 1 Pro-Am will support a pilot program, Kids on Course, designed by the Zach Johnson Foundation in concert with the United Way of East Central Iowa and the Cedar Rapids Community School District.

NUMBERS

2233 – The number of official rounds Brad Faxon played as a professional on the PGA TOUR in his 29-year career before joining the Champions Tour this week.

2,303 – The number of dollars separating Hale Irwin and Kenny Perry on the all-time money leader’s list. Irwin’s T4 at the U.S. Senior Open earned a check of $117,077 to move him just ahead of Perry as the ‘all time money leader’. Irwin has $32,032,585 while Perry, who earned $25,200 for his T39 at last week’s Greenbrier Classic has $32,030,282.

DID YOU KNOW?

In the 18-year history of the 3M Championship, no player has managed to defend his title at this event.

Hale Irwin was the closest, tying for second in 2000.

CONOVER, N.C. – The Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn presented by Kia Motors and the Kiwanis Clubs of Catawba County raised $10,000 through the “Birdies for Zahra” program during the annual Champions Tour event to help build Zahra Baker’s All Children’s Playground, it was announced today.

In the fall of last year, two-time cancer survivor Zahra Baker, a 10-year-old Australian girl who had moved to Hickory with her Australian father and her stepmother, was murdered.   Through its partnership with the Kiwanis Clubs, the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn raised funds to help build a playground suitable for all children in Baker’s memory through the “Birdies for Zahra” program.

The Kiwanis Clubs in Catawba County, including the Kiwanis Clubs of Newton, Western Catawba and Hickory and the Catawba County Golden K Club in conjunction with the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn created the program. Its sole purpose was to raise money for the playground by asking fans and local businesses to pledge money for each birdie made in the 2011 Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn Champions Tour event June 10-12.

Through the first eight years of the event, Champions Tour professionals made approximately 900 birdies during the three rounds of official tournament play.  However, due to course conditions during this year’s event, professional golfers set a Champions Tour record for birdies during an official event with 1,147 birdies recorded.

It was perfect timing for the Birdies for Zahra program as more than $7,000 was raised through per-birdie pledges and contributions.  With the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn contributing its $3,000 matching donation, the tournament and Kiwanis Clubs made a $10,000 donation today to help build the playground.  Multiple Champions Tour players and staff members made donations.

“In Kiwanis, our motto is ‘Serving the Children of the World,’” said Hickory Kiwanis Club member and Kiwanis district governor Bill Wiggs who also serves on the Zahra Baker All Children’s Playground committee.  “The Greater Hickory Classic, the Champions Tour, volunteers, contributors and PGA fans helped make ‘Birdies for Zahra’ a success.  Because of the generous support from golf fans and the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn, we will be able to build a park in memory of Zahra Baker.  Children of all abilities from Catawba County and beyond will be able to enjoy this state-of-the-art playground in her memory.”

“All Champions Tour events are focused on raising money for local charities because it’s at the heart of what we do,” Greater Hickory Classic executive tournament director Jim Correll said.  “But when the cause is something so close to all of our hearts like Zahra’s playground, it is especially rewarding to see our community rally behind such an important cause.  Nothing can ever bring Zahra Baker back, but the playground will at least bring something positive out of this tragedy.  We are proud to have played a small role in making this donation possible, and we appreciate everyone who participated in this significant effort.”

For more information about the Zahra Baker All Children’s Playground or to make a contribution to the playground project,   please visit www.playgroundforzahra.org.

The ninth annual Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn presented by Kia Motors was played June 6-12, 2011 at Rock Barn Golf & Spa in Conover, N.C.  The event featured a week of special events and attractions, including exhibitions, pro-ams and three days of Champions Tour competition among some of the greatest legends in golf.  Operated by the Greater Hickory Classic Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the tournament donates all net proceeds to charities throughout the Greater Hickory Metro area each year. For more information, please call (828) 459-4000 or visit www.greaterhickoryclassic.com.

Final round times.

All times are local.