By MARC PRUITT
Some of the biggest names on the Champions Tour are lining up to lend a hand to promote and develop an interest in junior golf in the Triad with fellow competitor and Reidsville native Mike Goodes once again.
The Mike Goodes & Friends Charity Classic Pro-Am will be held at Bryan Park Champions Course on Monday, Oct. 13.
The event will be a five-player best ball format, where four amateurs are matched up with one of the pros for a shotgun start at 11 a.m.
There will also be a clinic hosted by Goodes and Fred Funk from 9-10 a.m. before the tournament begins.
In addition to Funk, Champions Tour players who have already committed to attend are Bob Gilder, Peter Senior, Esteban Toledo and Willie Wood, with more players expected to join the mix as the event draws closer.
Goodes, who has been a member of the Champions Tour since 2007, had a decorated amateur career in North Carolina before pursuing his dream of turning professional.
He has one win on Tour – the 2009 Allianz Championship – and ranks near the top 30 on this year’s money list.
Goodes decided to partner with Triad Youth Golf Foundations to help younger players who demonstrate a passion in wanting to develop their skills. The Mike Goodes Scholarship will provide opportunities for youth in every state of their development.
Since its inception, the Mike Goodes Scholarship has granted more than $40,000 in scholarships to area youth. The ultimate goal is to raise more than $250,000 to benefit the program.
“Mike’s game and personality is embodied in the Goodes Scholarship Fund,” TYGF President Chris Haarlow said in a statement on the TYGF website. “His hard work accompanied with focus and a greater purpose for doing all he does makes him an ideal role model for the young people of the Greensboro community. Our Foundation is greatly honored to have Mr. Goodes on the team and we believe it will continue to further create and enhance innovative programs for the growth of junior golf in the Carolinas and beyond. Certainly, the TYGF mission is enhanced and expanded with Mike’s presence and generosity.”
There are four types of scholarships available and each requires an application process.
Equipment grants are available for players interested in taking up the game but who may not have the financial means to purchase their own.
Game development scholarships up to $500 are available to help individuals enter programs that will help develop their games.
Tournament access scholarships up to $500 are available to help offset the cost of entering tournaments.
College Aid Scholarships of $1,000 are also awarded to one male and one female junior player each year, which recognize participation in TYGF programs, accomplishments on the course, and their academic and civic accomplishments.
