Group marks 20 years of giving with golf tourney

Much can be accomplished on the golf course when a community comes together for a great cause and that's what happened at the 20th Annual Chapel Hill Lions Club Benefit Golf Tournament on Saturday.

"It was a great day, the weather turned out to be nice and we had a full tournament for the first time," tournament director David Delk said. "We doubled our corporate sponsorship, so it was just a great event."

Thirty-six teams teed it up at the Buford Ellington Golf Course in Henry Horton State Park and the duffers played their hearts out for our fallen heroes' children and to help with the eyesight of children.

"We have two great causes here with the golf tournament--Operation Kidsight which is a Lions Club charity at Vanderbilt University to help with children eyesight disabilities," said Delk. "And a new partnership we added this year is Soldiers Chile Foundation out of Murfreesboro that does tremendous work to help children who have lost a parent on active duty."

They were shooting for the flags of freedom and patriotism to benefit A Soldier's Child Foundation (ASC), founded in honor of Lewisburg native Staff Sgt. Marc Golczynski, who was killed in Iraq in 2007.

We all remember the iconic photo of Golczynski's son Christian being presented the American Flag at his father's funeral and not long after, Golczynski's father's neighbor in Murfreesboro, Daryl Mackin founded the organization to honor the birthdays of the children of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.

"Bringing the ASC on and having them a part of this and their involvement and just the energy they bring, the excitement they bring is something that touches all of us and is very, very special."

On hand at the tournament on Saturday was four-year-old Landon Carpenter and his mom Chrissie Carpenter, wife of Columbia native LCPL Andrew P. Carpenter, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2011.

"Whenever Landon was born Daryl reached out to me and ever since then, they have been family to us," Chrissie Carpenter said. "It means a lot because they help keep Andy alive every year on Landon's birthday whenever he can't have his dad there to celebrate with him."

After the conclusion of the tournament, Landon was presented with birthday gifts by Mackin and Lions Club president Clint Bowman.

"Landon knows who is father is and he is a hero and he knows why Daryl is doing this for his dad and other children, so I do think he knows what's going on," Carpenter said. "If Andy was alive he would be overwhelmed with joy and to know his legacy lives on and as well Landon being taking care of every year on his birthday, he would support this and it would be very close to his heart.'

Landon was the big winner on the day and the winners of the tournament was the "You Wit Me" team captained by Marshall Tribune Sports Editor Anthony S. Puca, Forrest athletic director Scott Delk, Brantley Gilbert tour manager Jeff Gossett and Marshall County Sheriff's deputy Straley Holton.

"Landon's dad is a hero to all of us that he will never get to see, so it is so worthwhile to support an effort like that," Delk said. "The tragedy is there and it is something they have to live through every day of their lives. Life is hard enough as it is and being dealt another extra challenge is really, really hard, so those folks need and absolutely deserve our help."

The foursome fired a slick 16-under par 56 on the 7,060-yard tract, carding 16 birdies and two pars to win the event by five strokes over the Big G Express team of Tim Tipps, TJ Tipps, Andy Blackwell and Luke Vanwinkle.

Championship Flight

First place (56)-"You Wit Me"; Anthony S. Puca, Scott Delk, Jeff Gossett, Straley Holton.

Second place (61)-Big G Express; Tim Tipps, TJ Tipps, Andy Blackwell, Luke Vanwinkle.

Third place (61)-Brentwood Jewelry; Richard Emamalie, Brandon Emamalie, B. Emamalie.

Fourth place (62)-First Commerce Bank; Dean Delk, Bill Marsh, Eddie Wiles, Joey Morefield.

First Flight

First place (64)-Town of Chapel Hill; Mark Graves, Jackie King, Stacey Cothran, Dustin Davis.

Second place (64)-Team Daughrity; Phillip Daughrity, Randy Daughrity, Stephen Walls, Nathan Conley.

Third place (64)-Team Cooper; Carl Cooper, Sam Smith, Mike Waggoner, David Barnes.

Fourth place (65)-Team Tillbolt; Zack Seabolt, Tyler Tillman, Davis Musgrave, Jimmy Scott.

Second Flight

First place (67)-Chapel Hill Lions Club; Randy Perryman, Drew Perryman, Phil Manners, Jay Gaskin.

Second place (67)-Chapel Hill Touchdown Association; Randy Hollingsworth, Logan Hollingsworth, Tooter Paul, Greg Grogan.

Third place (67)-Team Snand; JD Snand, John Snand, Ryan Grigsby, Virgil Showalter.

Fourth place (68)-Sundrop Bottling; Jeff Jordan, Randall Manning, Jared Miller, Skylar Jordan.

Putting contest-Anthony S. Puca

Closet to the pin, hole No. 2-TJ Tipps

Closet to the pin, hole No.8-Brian Borton

Closet to the pin, hole No. 14-Tyler Tillman

Closet to the pin, hole No. 16-Dustin Davis

Longest drive women, hole No. 7-Stacey Cothran

Longest drive men, hole No. 18-Nate Conley

Longest drive senior men, hole No. 6-Earl Haynes