ALEXANDER CITY, AL (August 26, 2019) – The Second Annual Foundation Classic Presented by Willow Point Golf & Country Club, a fundraising golf tournament conducted by the Alabama-NW Florida PGA for the benefit of the Alabama-NW Florida Golf Foundation, was held on August 26, 2019 at Willow Point Golf & Country Club.
This year’s event raised over $44,000 for the Alabama-NW Florida Golf Foundation.
The Second Annual Foundation Classic featured twenty-two teams consisting of amateurs and PGA Professionals from every corner of the Section. It was the team of PGA Professional, Paul Reid, and amateurs Andrew Hudson, Billy Reel and Heyward Gould who took the title with a team score of 20-under par in the Two Net Best Ball format.
The Second Annual Foundation Classic also served the Section by providing a platform to celebrate successes and showcase progress made in the wake of the Foundation’s rebranding overhaul from early 2018.
The day started with a breakfast and short presentation taking place in the main ball room at Willow Point. “As the Foundation continues to widen the scope of its outreach and programming, developing our Junior Golf programming continues to be on the forefront of our mission,” says AL-NW FL PGA Honorary President, Eric Eshleman. This is evident as the Section saw almost a 50% increase (year-over-year) in Junior Golf participation in 2019! “We still have to crawl before we can run, but there are a lot of exciting times ahead,” Eshleman concluded.
Eshleman, who also received the PGA of America’s National Award for Professional of the Year in 2019, has headed the fundraising program for the Alabama-NW Florida Golf Foundation beginning back when the Section underwent a name change in November 2017. Since then over $179,000 has been poured in to the Foundation.
The day then continued with silent and live auctions featuring over 25 items up for grabs. During play, participants were treated to on-course catering from the Lake Martin Pizza Company, Blanco’s Taco Truck, Moe’s Barbeque-Montgomery and Kowaliga Restaurant. Additionally, there were three par-three’s featuring contests for both amateurs and PGA Professionals for the chance to take home prizes like a Yamaha or Club Car golf car.
The Section would like to extend its warmest gratitude and thanks to all of those who participated in the Second Annual Foundation Classic and for their support of the Alabama-NW Florida Golf Foundation and its mission.
Finally, a big thank you to PGA Director of Golf, Matt Sheppard, and the rest of the staff at Willow Point Golf & Country Club for being a tremendous host for this event.
To learn more about the Alabama-NW Florida Golf Foundation and how you can get involved visit our Foundation Page or contact the Section office.
ABOUT THE ALABAMA-NW FLORIDA GOLF FOUNDATION
The mission of the Alabama – NW Florida Golf Foundation is to positively impact the lives of those who reside in the state of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through community outreaches, programs and initiatives the game of golf provides. The Foundation has three (3) main areas it will focus its programming and outreach on. These include engaging youth, military /veteran and diverse populations within the PGA Section. Our dream: create life-changing opportunities through the game of golf.
ABOUT THE ALABAMA-NW FLORIDA PGA
The Alabama – NW Florida PGA is one of 41 Sections that make up the PGA of America. Our Section is headquartered in the Birmingham suburb of Pelham, Alabama at Ballantrae Golf Club. Established in 1969, the Section consists of over 400 Members and Associates in the state of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The Section exists to support its Members who are the driving force to growing the sport and business of golf.