20th annual Ralph FCA Classic set for Monday at the Ridges

The 20th annual East Arkansas FCA Golf Classic, the Ralph Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament, aka The Ralph will be played Monday, July 25, returning to The Ridges at Village Creek State Park for a second consecutive year.

Last year's Ralph raised enough money for FCA to send 20 youths to FCA camps and tournament organizers are hoping to duplicate that effort again on Monday.

"We are looking for another big tournament and big year this time as well," said Johnny Thompson, son of Ralph Thompson.

The tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid 19 precautions but rebounded a year ago taking to the Ridges Course at Wynne, only the second time the tournament had been played somewhere other than Forrest City Country Club. The only other Ralph tournament played outside of Forrest City was held at West Memphis.

As of Thursday, 24 teams had signed up for the four-man scramble format, which features a morning session with teams teeing off at 8 a.m. and an afternoon session beginning at 1 p.m. Last year's field drew just 10 teams.

"With the heat that we are expecting Monday, we are very pleased with this number of teams," Wes Roberts, the MultiArea Director for North Central, Northeast and East Arkansas, which encompasses 27 counties, returns to the tournament this season after leaving in 2014 for other pursuits said. "We were able to send a ton of kids this year to FCA camps based on proceeds from the tournament. I'm really excited about this tournament, and I hope by moving the tournament, which had its beginnings in Forrest City at the Forrest City Country Club, will continue to be one of the area's premier golf tournaments. I know Tommy (Hanner) has been a vital part of this tournament to keep it running."

The Ralph provides money for local scholarships, and enables FCA to work in the schools, to provide materials and send students to the colleges of their choice.

The inaugural Ralph, played for the first time on July 1, 2002, honors the legacy of the late Ralph Thompson, a Forrest City native and father of wellrespected college football coach Johnny Thompson, and drew 40 teams.

The inaugural tournament raised more than $8,000 for FCA and was backed by then corporate sponsors Nimocks Oil, Exxon and Pepsi America.

The team of Woody Harrelson, Jim and Bryce Goad and Jared Woodard won that year's morning flight finishing with an 18-under 53 for the round. Mallory Nimocks, David Baldwin and Bill Baxter finished second with a 13-under 58.

The afternoon flight was won by the team of Bill Little, Willie Little, Stephen Cox and Jeff Redden, all of Jonesboro with a round of 16-under 55.

Besides Roberts, Forrest City's Tommy Hanner, who has been with the tournament since its beginnings, returns to the tournament following health issues earlier this year.

Hanner noted there are nine teams signed up for the morning session.

"We've never had that many teams for the morning part of this tournament," Hanner added. "We do have room for any other teams who have not signed up yet who may want too. We do not have a limit for the number of teams and as far as I know, we never will. So, the registration remains open for the tournament, even on Monday morning which begins at 6:45 and for the noon session at 12 noon. I know we are getting a good turn out from Wynne, which we've never had before, and we have Perry's team back in the mix as well as Clint Merrill."

Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m. for the teams.

The Ralph FCA Golf Classic will use a four-person scramble format, awarding the top three teams for flights.

The tournament purpose each year is to raise money to benefit the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) as well as other organizations.

"It is absolutely about FCA and people coming together and being able to do something positive for the local youth," John Thompson, a Forrest City native now living in the Atlanta area, said in a recent tournament interview. "We want to be able to do what we can to give youth a positive direction for what lies ahead of them. Many people, including local coaches, have joined in the endeavor to make this work. Those are the people who return to work this tournament each year."

The Allen Perry and Friends team was among three teams ending in a tie for the 2021 tournament and was given the first-place nod following a card off to break the three-team tie.

Each of the three teams carded a 15 under par round of 56 in the four-man scramble format played at the 27-hole course, only the second time the tournament has been played at a course other than the Forrest City Country Club. The tournament was played one year at West Memphis.

Perry's team was given the first-place nod following a card off to break the three-way tie with Thompson Foundation finishing second and the Van Baker team third.

The tournament drew 10, four-man teams, not as many as the 2019 tournament drew but still managed to garner the attention of those in attendance to watch the tournament.

The First National Bank of Wynne team took top honors in the 2018 Ralph, which drew 17 four-man teams.

This year's Ralph is scheduled for Monday, July 25, but no longer serves as a qualifier for a state final or national final.

For further information, contact Wes Roberts at 501-8272105.