Texarkana Open

Tournament a great event for a great cause

Next week Texarkana residents will have the chance to see some fine golf being played for the benefit of children in our area.

Starting Wednesday and continuing through Saturday, Texarkana Children Charities Open will be played at Texarkana Country Club and Northridge Country Club.

The event, part of the All Pro Tour, is expected to attract about 150 professional golfers competing for a guaranteed minimum top prize of $20,000 with a total purse expected to be more than $130,000. The APT conducts tournaments in conjunction with nonprofits in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. The APT gives aspiring professional golfers a chance to gain experience in their quest to make the PGA tour while helping charities raise money for worthy causes.

The Texarkana Open benefits Runnin’ WJ Ranch, a Christian nonprofit with more than 400 volunteers that offers therapeutic riding classes to children with physical, cognitive or emotional disabilities.

There is a nine-hole shootout on Monday and a party for Tuesday’s Pro-Am Tournament that evening.

But the main pro event gets under way Wednesday at 8 a.m., and the public is invited to watch. There is no admission charge.

Play will kick off at 8 a.m. each day afterward. The finale is the awards ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday at Texarkana Country Club.

It’s a great event for a great cause that the whole family can enjoy.