Can’t beat the fun at HOF golf tournament

Greg Hatcher was visiting with Justin Acri and Wess Moore on KABZ-FM, 103.7, The Buzz.

Hatcher, as the first vice president, was chairman of Monday’s Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame golf tournament, and he didn’t just put the time and energy, and that of his staff, into the tournament — the Hatcher Agency was also the presenting sponsor.

Terri Johnson, the executive director of the ASHOF, was so intent on getting all the prizes sorted and awarded at one of the Chenal Country Club dining tables that she didn’t hear a good morning, but that was OK.

It was a busy day for her. Kevin Kelley was teeing off on the 10th hole, driving it down the middle. Kelley is on

the voting list for the hall of fame, and he took just a moment to visit while waiting on his group to catch up.

Kelley deserved a morning of golf after his Pulaski Academy Bruins beat Life Christian Academy of Virginia 31-20 on Friday.

Life Christian is a prep school for future college football players and had 14 D-1 recruits starting.

Kelley was one of 190 golfers and celebrities who participated in the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame tournament at covid-19-conscious Chenal, which insisted on a morning and afternoon flight to cut down on how many golfers would be on the course at a time and offered golfers their own cart.

It was the golfer’s choice whether to share a cart or drive solo.

The annual tournament was moved to Monday from June because of the virus.

It lost none of its fun or competitiveness.

You can’t throw that many hall of famers and golfers together and not expect most to want to win.

That is one of the things that makes the tournament, which is like a yearly reunion, special, but it is also heavy in prizes.

Fairway and Greene provides every golfer with a shirt, and the company is one of the industry’s leaders in making top quality garments. It has even moved its operations to Little Rock, including its manufacturing.

Wilson Sporting Goods supplies tons of prizes, including golf bags for the winners of both flights.

Wilson has long been involved with the tournament in honor of John Bailey, a former hall of fame board member and long-time Wilson employee.

That’s just the beginning. Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, Farm Bureau, PotlatchDeltic, Crain Automotive and Greg and Dora Flesher are always involved.

Flesher is the current president, Hatcher follows him and Rodney Peel will be the president after Hatcher.

Having been involved since 1988 as a board member and inductee, the organization has evolved over the years without losing the focus of honoring the greatest athletes, coaches and administrators in the history of the state.

Yet, it has also grown to include giving 10 college scholarships every year, and there is no shortage of applicants.

The Arkansas Sports Hall of fame is a diverse group and has an open membership.

All members can nominate people for the hall of fame and vote on the annual induction.

Information, including the complete list of this year’s voting list, can be found at Arksportshalloffame.com.

Past inductees have come from every college in Arkansas as well as a ton of high schools.

Guys like Billy Joe Murray, who starred for Morrilton High before becoming a high school coach and winning seven state championships are on the voting list.

As for Monday’s tournament, it was a huge success, as usual, both on the course and off.

People came from all over the state to play, socialize and compete.

Most went home with a prize or two.