Correction: A full field of 120 people participated in the Arkansas State Golf Association’s Stroke Play Championship in May. An incorrect total was reported in this article.
People are taking notice of the Maumelle Classic.
The tournament - viewed as the “fourth major” on the Arkansas State Golf Association schedule - will tee off at 7:30 a.m. today at Maumelle Country Club with a total of 140 golfers competing, including 2012 champion Matt Mabrey of Little Rock. Nine states will be represented in the field, which Maumelle Country Club professional Cary Maddox said is indicative of the tournament’s growing reputation.
“I think the word is spreading that we host a very good tournament,” Maddox said. “Our members love and support it, and we think we give everyone their money’s worth.”
The numbers certainly seem to back that up.
Maddox said the 140-man field represents the highest total for the tournament since he returned to the club three years ago, and it easily surpasses the number of entrants for the two ASGA majors that already have been played this season. The Fourth of July Classic drew 81 golfers at War Memorial Golf Course in Little Rock, while the ASGA Stroke Play Championship drew a field of 62 in early June at Hardscrabble Country Club in Fort Smith.
The other major, the ASGA Match Play Championship, will be played in August at The Greens at North Hills in Sherwood.
Maddox said the addition of a sponsor, Metro Appliances and More, has added to the overall quality of the Maumelle Classic, and noted that a number of college golfers entered the tournament this year after being told about it by Mabrey, a junior who plays golf for Tulsa.
“The players are treated well,” Maddox said. “Matt Mabrey invited some college players to play, so we feel we have a real competitive field this year. These college guys are pretty good.”
The championship division includes White Hall’s Wes McNulty, who won the ASGA Stroke Play Championship; former UALR golfer LukeBakke of Seattle, last year’s Maumelle Classic runner-up and the 2006 champion; Abilene Christian golfer Adam Carpenter of Little Rock and Austin Eoff of Benton.
Maddox said course superintendent Jason Baker has done an excellent job preparing the course, working around the heat earlier in the month and this week’s rain.
“The course is in great shape thanks to Jason and those guys,” Maddox said. “We’ve had a lot of dry weather that is always tough to work around, but we got caught upon the rain this week. So, all in all, I think it’s set up for an outstanding tournament.”
Golfers will compete in championship, mid-senior, senior and super senior divisions over three days, with the final round scheduled for Sunday.
At a glance
WHEN Today-Sunday WHERE Maumelle Country Club
DEFENDING CHAMPION Matt Mabrey DIVISIONS Championship, mid-senior, senior and super senior FORMAT 54-hole stroke play
Today’s tee times at Maumelle Country Club, par 72, 7,492 yards
7:30 A.M. John Mayes, Little Rock; David Watkins, Little Rock 7:39 A.M. Steve Carlson, Little Rock; Tom Stephens, Bella Vista 7:48 A.M. Ernest Waddell, Maumelle; Jim Finley, Maumelle; Joe Rogers, Maumelle 7:57 A.M. Fred Roberson, North Little Rock; Cecil McGee, Maumelle; Mickey Hargett, Little Rock
8:06 A.M. Glen Talbert, Sheridan; Sam McAllister, Bryant; Ed Hardison, Cherokee Village 8:15 A.M. Guy Bradford, Benton, La.; Oscar Taylor, Hot Springs Village; Glenn Hickey, Little Rock 8:33 A.M. Jim Smith, Sherwood; Bobby Baker, Little Rock Sid Moore, Magnolia 8:42 A.M. Ogugua Uchendu, Little Rock; Mark Lowery, Maumelle; Kevin O’Malley, Little Rock 8:51 A.M. Robert Green, Warren; Mark Brugner, Heber Springs; Clark Fitts, Little Rock
9 A.M. Paul Jensen, Conway; Mark Stitch, Conway; Alan Ramsey, Conway 9:09 A.M. Doug Farr, Monroe, La.; Stan Lee, Tumbling Shoals; Chuck Kaiser, Maumelle 9:18 A.M. Bob Brooks, Bella Vista; Keith Browning, Bryant; Ron Richard, Fort Smith 9:27 A.M. Ronnie Johnson, Hot Springs; Bruce Dickey, Paragould; Jim Balch, Maumelle 9:45 A.M. Richard Akel, Little Rock; Jim Moser, Pine Bluff 9:54 A.M. Scott Pinney, Conway; Mike Pickens, Maumelle; Jim Hansard, North Little Rock
10:03 A.M. Brett Swenson, Cabot; Todd Martin, Cabot; Chuck Holiman, Russellville 10:12 A.M. Mark Brailey, Albuquerque, N.M.; Calvin Sparrow, Jonesboro; Todd Holcomb, Maumelle 10:21 A.M. Rick Coatney, Fort Smith; Jason Palecek, Little Rock; Brad Frederiksen, Maumelle 10:30 A.M. Brad Tabor, Conway; Bryan Pfeiffer, Maumelle; Scott Bowen, Little Rock 10:39 A.M. Joe Ingram, Maumelle; Todd Bourdo, Maumelle; Craig Reynolds, Maumelle 10:48 A.M. Austin Franks, Little Rock; Billy Blackburn, El Dorado; Ken Guinn, Fort Smith 10:57 A.M. Travis Douglas, Conway; John Tetens, Conway; Greg Carper, Little Rock
11:06 A.M. Bill Burkhalter, Ward; Todd Krauser, Maumelle; Dennis Boroto, North Little Rock 11:24 A.M. Steve Creekmore IV, Little Rock; Rob Cummings, Springdale11:33 A.M. Baxter Woosley, Little Rock; Kory Waller, Magnolia; Josh Tomlinson, Lavaca 11:42 A.M. Ethan King, Conway; Ben Weisbecker, Little Rock; Wade Thompson, Cabot 11:51 A.M. Michael Deeter, Little Rock; Conner Smith, Hideaway, Texas; Winston Sizemore, Pine Bluff
NOON Phil Farrell, Maumelle; Bill Jett, Maumelle; Johnny Runnells, North Little Rock 12:09 P.M. David Shumate, Maumelle; John Ussery, Maumelle; Steve Jones, Little Rock 12:18 P.M. Bill Dennis, Maumelle; David Bunting, Maumelle; Steve Creekmore, Fort Smith 12:36 P.M. Jens Talbert, Little Rock; Connor Murphy, Searcy; Alex Hewitt, Maumelle 12:45 P.M. Hayes Riser, Little Rock; Christopher Reinert, Parkville, Mo.; Tyler Reynolds, Little Rock 12:54 P.M. Cole Pangburn, Maumelle; Dalton Frost, Fort Smith; Zach Leisenring, Rogers
1:03 P.M. Ben Davis, Texarkana; Jacob Calhoon, Jonesboro; Drew Comer, Fort Smith 1:12 P.M. Ronny Ocker II, Fort Smith; Chris Houston, Cordova, Tenn.; Chris Worrell, Tulsa 1:21 P.M. Jeff Boyer, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Jordan Haugen, Athens, Tenn.; Matt Mabrey, Little Rock 1:30 P.M. Jade Scott, Daingerfield, Texas; Adam Peterson, Baytown, Texas; Wes McNulty, White Hall 1:39 P.M. Matthew Loiacano, Jonesboro; Austin Moix, Conway; Johann Voss, Little Rock 1:48 P.M. James Godwin, Poplar Bluff, Mo.; Luke Bakke, Seattle, Wash.; Eddie Craven, Maumelle
2:06 P.M. Rowdy Garrett, Fouke; Zachary Coats, Springdale; Adam Carpenter, Little Rock 2:15 P.M. Matt Malham, Cabot; Nick Holder, Maumelle; Robert Neighbors, Little Rock 2:24 P.M. Brian Pope, Nashville; Mark Bartlett, Little Rock; Stan Payne, Little Rock 2:33 P.M. Blayne Northern, Austin; Tracy Harris, Little Rock; Rob Walters, Cabot 2:42 P.M. Landon Hearnes, Mayflower; Carson Roberts, Conway; Ryan Ennis, Benton 2:51 P.M. Lincoln Hill, Conway; Connor Olsen, Maumelle; Luke Carpenter, Little Rock
3 P.M. Drew Greenwood, Hot Springs; Austin Eoff, Benton; Bryon Shumate, Fort Smith 3:09 P.M. Brad Lynch, Farmington; Colin Osment, Little Rock; Jason Purdy, Farmington 3:18 P.M. Keith Harris, Maumelle; Jamie Barker, LouAnn; Austin Harmon, Benton
Sports, Pages 26 on 07/26/2013