Stonehenge Charity Classic Put On Hold
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
A Labor Day tradition is not to be this year, with its future still uncertain.
The Stonehenge Pro-Am Charity Golf Classic, a fixture of eights and a time for Stonehenge members and the public to golf with and interact with PGA tour players, will not be held this year. And when and if No. 9 happens is still a question mark.
Two reasons have led to the temporary demise of the tournament.
First, the impending sale of both Stonehenge golf courses has taken longer than expected and organizers are waiting to talk to the new owner to see if the Charity Classic is wanted. The golf course was sold by Ray Harroff to a man out of Cleveland, but the completion of the sale was not done in time to get the classic taken care of.
Second, the main organizer of the event, Stonehenge pro Denny Hepler, has taken on new duties this year that would have made it almost impossible for him to do the same job for the classic that he has done the past eight years.
Hepler basically has moved across Pierceton Road from the main Stonehenge course to take over running the Stonehenge Executive course. This makes Hepler a full-time golf pro with responsibilities of keeping the course and the range in condition as well as running 12 leagues.
"This is all that I can handle now," Helpler said. "There are a lot of odds and ends you have to do with that thing (Charity Classic). If I had the Charity Classic this year, it would be impossible. It has been a relief for me. I get to be a golf pro this year."
"Spring is the time I need to be getting golf pros committed and sponsorship," he said. "With me being on this side of the road, I don't see the people who own the companies. Now it is too late. We are in a transition year."
Hepler said if the new owner wants to bring the Charity Classic back, it could return but probably in a scaled-down version. Where several professional golfers would make an appearance before, it would be more like four in a skins game-type event. Apparently the novelty of seeing pro golfers wore off.
"We will see with the new owners if they want do whatever," Hepler said. "We could certainly pull off a skins game and get four good pros in here.
"I don't think it will ever have that many pros coming in," he said. "It is too much to handle. We will probably keep it simple."
Over its eight-year period, the Charity Classic raised over $100,000 for 16 charities in Kosciusko County.
Senior Series Coming To Fort Wayne
The Nitro Senior Series Golf Tournament is coming to Fort Wayne Sept. 1-6.
The Senior Series is to the Senior PGA tour what the Nike Tour is to the regular PGA tour. It was invented to give senior (ages 50 and over) golfers more of a chance to play professional golf.
The tournament will be played at Chestnut Hills Golf Club, located on Ind. 14. Chestnut Hills is one of the newest golf courses to the Fort Wayne area and hosted the boys golf regional in the spring.
Some of the names on the Senior Series tour are Jim Stefanich, Chuck "Hollywood" Montalbano, Dan Eakin, Robert Landers Jr., Ralph Terry, Jim Hart, Bob Zimerman, Randy Glover, Bill Johnson, Walter Hall, Benny Passons, Tony Perla and Dana Quigley.
Terry and Hart might be two of the more recognizable ones of the bunch. Terry was a World Series MVP pitcher with the New York Yankees, and Hart is a former NFL quarterback with the St. Louis Cardinals and is now the athletic director at Southern Illinois University.
Many of the other players are former members of the Senior PGA tour and regular PGA tour. The tournament will include 144 players.
The tourney will be on national television as seen on over 700 cable outlets.
Things get under way on Sept. 1 with a pro-am, and then the 3-day, 54-hole tournament gets started Sept. 2. More than $300,000 in prize money will be up for grabs.
Women's Open Championship
Three local golfers took place in the 1997 Indiana PGA Women's Open Championship July 17-18 at the Honeywell Golf Course in Wabash.
Chris LaLonde of Warsaw finished in the 23rd position with two rounds of 81 and 85 and a 166 total. Also, Marilyn Homme of Warsaw and Gretchen Goshert of Ligonier each shot a 178 total. Homme's rounds were 84 and 94, while Goshert had 82 and 86.
Katy Wilkinson of South Bend won the tourney with a one-over par 143.
Stonehenge Executive Junior League
The junior league at Stonehenge Executive reached the halfway point. The first part of the season consisted of five stroke-play rounds. The second part of the season will be five more rounds, but this time of match play.
The top five in each of the three divisions received awards.
The top five appear below.
10-11 - 1. Ben Broadhead, 2. Jake Broadhead, 3. Kenton Shepherd, 4. Shane Wallen, 5. Andrew Sawyer
12-13 - 1. Adam Johnson, 2. Brad Simmons, 3. Greg Clay, 4. Derek Howell, 5. Chris Clay
14-and-up - 1. Ryan Slone, 2. Kyle Lundy, 3. Shafiq Abduirahim, 4. Phillip Boggs, 5. Kerri Wrobel
IGA Match Play Championship
Warsaw's Michael Walls finished in a tie for 37th in the ninth annual IGA Match Play Championship at Bear Slide GC July 21.
The cutoff to continue playing was six-over par. Walls finished at seven-over with a group of six other golfers. Walls shot a 79 with rounds of 38 and 41. Randy Nichols of Connersville was leading with a three-under 69.
Girls State Championship
Syracuse's Kari Wortinger finished in a tie for 42nd place with a 175 in the 47th IGA/PGA Girls State Championship July 21-25 at the Legends of Indiana GC. Wortinger shot rounds of 87 and 88 to finish at 31-over par.
The top 16 golfers qualified for the Championship Flight. The winner of that flight will be crowned the girls state champion. [[In-content Ad]]
A Labor Day tradition is not to be this year, with its future still uncertain.
The Stonehenge Pro-Am Charity Golf Classic, a fixture of eights and a time for Stonehenge members and the public to golf with and interact with PGA tour players, will not be held this year. And when and if No. 9 happens is still a question mark.
Two reasons have led to the temporary demise of the tournament.
First, the impending sale of both Stonehenge golf courses has taken longer than expected and organizers are waiting to talk to the new owner to see if the Charity Classic is wanted. The golf course was sold by Ray Harroff to a man out of Cleveland, but the completion of the sale was not done in time to get the classic taken care of.
Second, the main organizer of the event, Stonehenge pro Denny Hepler, has taken on new duties this year that would have made it almost impossible for him to do the same job for the classic that he has done the past eight years.
Hepler basically has moved across Pierceton Road from the main Stonehenge course to take over running the Stonehenge Executive course. This makes Hepler a full-time golf pro with responsibilities of keeping the course and the range in condition as well as running 12 leagues.
"This is all that I can handle now," Helpler said. "There are a lot of odds and ends you have to do with that thing (Charity Classic). If I had the Charity Classic this year, it would be impossible. It has been a relief for me. I get to be a golf pro this year."
"Spring is the time I need to be getting golf pros committed and sponsorship," he said. "With me being on this side of the road, I don't see the people who own the companies. Now it is too late. We are in a transition year."
Hepler said if the new owner wants to bring the Charity Classic back, it could return but probably in a scaled-down version. Where several professional golfers would make an appearance before, it would be more like four in a skins game-type event. Apparently the novelty of seeing pro golfers wore off.
"We will see with the new owners if they want do whatever," Hepler said. "We could certainly pull off a skins game and get four good pros in here.
"I don't think it will ever have that many pros coming in," he said. "It is too much to handle. We will probably keep it simple."
Over its eight-year period, the Charity Classic raised over $100,000 for 16 charities in Kosciusko County.
Senior Series Coming To Fort Wayne
The Nitro Senior Series Golf Tournament is coming to Fort Wayne Sept. 1-6.
The Senior Series is to the Senior PGA tour what the Nike Tour is to the regular PGA tour. It was invented to give senior (ages 50 and over) golfers more of a chance to play professional golf.
The tournament will be played at Chestnut Hills Golf Club, located on Ind. 14. Chestnut Hills is one of the newest golf courses to the Fort Wayne area and hosted the boys golf regional in the spring.
Some of the names on the Senior Series tour are Jim Stefanich, Chuck "Hollywood" Montalbano, Dan Eakin, Robert Landers Jr., Ralph Terry, Jim Hart, Bob Zimerman, Randy Glover, Bill Johnson, Walter Hall, Benny Passons, Tony Perla and Dana Quigley.
Terry and Hart might be two of the more recognizable ones of the bunch. Terry was a World Series MVP pitcher with the New York Yankees, and Hart is a former NFL quarterback with the St. Louis Cardinals and is now the athletic director at Southern Illinois University.
Many of the other players are former members of the Senior PGA tour and regular PGA tour. The tournament will include 144 players.
The tourney will be on national television as seen on over 700 cable outlets.
Things get under way on Sept. 1 with a pro-am, and then the 3-day, 54-hole tournament gets started Sept. 2. More than $300,000 in prize money will be up for grabs.
Women's Open Championship
Three local golfers took place in the 1997 Indiana PGA Women's Open Championship July 17-18 at the Honeywell Golf Course in Wabash.
Chris LaLonde of Warsaw finished in the 23rd position with two rounds of 81 and 85 and a 166 total. Also, Marilyn Homme of Warsaw and Gretchen Goshert of Ligonier each shot a 178 total. Homme's rounds were 84 and 94, while Goshert had 82 and 86.
Katy Wilkinson of South Bend won the tourney with a one-over par 143.
Stonehenge Executive Junior League
The junior league at Stonehenge Executive reached the halfway point. The first part of the season consisted of five stroke-play rounds. The second part of the season will be five more rounds, but this time of match play.
The top five in each of the three divisions received awards.
The top five appear below.
10-11 - 1. Ben Broadhead, 2. Jake Broadhead, 3. Kenton Shepherd, 4. Shane Wallen, 5. Andrew Sawyer
12-13 - 1. Adam Johnson, 2. Brad Simmons, 3. Greg Clay, 4. Derek Howell, 5. Chris Clay
14-and-up - 1. Ryan Slone, 2. Kyle Lundy, 3. Shafiq Abduirahim, 4. Phillip Boggs, 5. Kerri Wrobel
IGA Match Play Championship
Warsaw's Michael Walls finished in a tie for 37th in the ninth annual IGA Match Play Championship at Bear Slide GC July 21.
The cutoff to continue playing was six-over par. Walls finished at seven-over with a group of six other golfers. Walls shot a 79 with rounds of 38 and 41. Randy Nichols of Connersville was leading with a three-under 69.
Girls State Championship
Syracuse's Kari Wortinger finished in a tie for 42nd place with a 175 in the 47th IGA/PGA Girls State Championship July 21-25 at the Legends of Indiana GC. Wortinger shot rounds of 87 and 88 to finish at 31-over par.
The top 16 golfers qualified for the Championship Flight. The winner of that flight will be crowned the girls state champion. [[In-content Ad]]