By By Marty Stamper
Sept. 18, 2001
Ty Tryon is wanting to boldly go where almost no one like him has gone before … the PGA Tour.
Yes, there are, and have been, a lot of golfers on the PGA Tour, but can you name the ones that did it when they were 17 years old?
Tryon, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is skipping his final two years of high school golf eligibility to play professionally.
Tryon won a berth into the Honda Classic back in the spring through a qualifying tournament. He went on to become the second-youngest player in history to make a cut in a PGA event. Not only did he make the cut, he finished in a tie for 39th place after shooting a first round 67.
In the B.C. Open this summer, he received a sponsor's exemption, made the cut, and tied for 37th place after shooting an opening-round 65.
Now he's ready to play as a pro and give up his amateur status, or so he says. In response, the PGA Tour Policy Board is expected to limit membership to golfers 18 and older beginning in November.
Reckon the PGA is headed back to the courts like in the Casey Martin case?
Yikes!
EMCC/Old Waverly Classic set: The sixth-annual EMCC/Old Waverly Golf Classic will be held Sept. 24 at West Point's Old Waverly Golf and Country Club.
The fund-raising event, sponsored by the Bull Sullivan Memorial Division of the East Mississippi Community College Development Foundation, has raised over $107,000 in the last six years. The fundraiser has paid for the football stadium entrance at Scooba. Future funds will be evenly divided between athletics and instructional programs.
Entry fee is $130 per person ($520 for a four-man team). The scramble format tournament will begin with registration at 10 a.m. with a 1 p.m. tee time. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams, longest drive, and closest to the pin. Four hole-in-one prizes will also be available.
For more information, contact Mrs. D.D. Bryan at 662-476-5060.
St. Jude Benefit: Roadway Express of Meridian is sponsoring a golf tournament to benefit St. Jude Children's Hospital on Oct. 6 at Lakeview Golf Course.
Entry fee for the four-man scramble is $50 per person. There will be a shotgun start at 8 a.m.
For more information, contact Leon Olczak or Ann Brewer at 601-483-5251.
Frankie Wagner Benefit set for Sept. 21: A benefit tournament for Frankie Wagner will be held Friday at Briarwood Country Club.
Entry fee for the four-person scramble is $400 per team. Entry fee includes dinner and the opportunity for door prizes.
The first 25 teams to enter will be accepted.
Checks may be made payable to: Frankie Wagner Cancer Fund and mailed to Briarwood Country Club, Box 3250, Meridian, MS 39303 or turned in at the pro shop at Briarwood. Donations can be made at any Citizens National Bank.
For more information, contact Robert Sanford at 485-0688, Jack Combest at 482-1220, Anna Thompson at 679-1323, or Ken Flynt at 681-4201.
Just around the corner: Beaver Creek Country Club near Newton will host a ladies tournament on Saturday.
Also on Saturday, the fourth-annual Dancing Rabbit Festival three-person scramble at Zach Brooks Golf Club at Macon will take place. Entry fee is $40 per person for the 27-hole event. For more information, call 662-726-4456.
The annual Hog Tournament at Decatur Country Club is slated for Sept. 29-30.
Newton Country Club will host a four-person scramble on Oct. 6-7. Entry fee is $25 per person. For more information, contact Joel Nelson at 601-683-3770 or 3101, Clay Chapman at 601-683-3422 or 3351, or Tommy Harthcock at 601-683-6936 or 2311.
The sixth-annual NAMI Mississippi tournament is slated for Oct. 11 at Ponta Creek Golf Course at NAS Meridian. Entry fee for the four-man scramble is $50 per person. For more information, call 601-679-2526 or 601-679-2129. Proceeds benefit NAMI Mississippi, the state's voice on mental illness.
Those who would like to have their tournaments, holes-in-one, club champions, or other golf information listed in this space should fax that info to 601-485-1275, attention Marty Stamper.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. Call him at 693-1551 ext. 3234 or e-mail him at stamper@themeridianstar.com.