From where I
SIT By Tom Wheeler
L
arry Sims of Du Quoin was the “overall” champion of the 2009 Southern Illinois Seniors Golf Association tournament at Jackson County Country club this year. _____________________ Have you found that life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes? First you hit Social Security, then before you turn around and you’re on Medicare. Recently I found out there are some advantages with these “ s e n i o r ” minutes. Golf at Rend Lake on MondaysThursdays, discount at some fast foods restaurants (but I still get upset when they tell me I am a senior, couldn’t they DuQuoin’s ask?) I came across a great organization for all senior golfers in Southern Illinois called the Southern Illinois Seniors Golf Association. Good friend Bob Williams, the secretary-treasure, has been aware of the organization since its beginning in 1960. The organization celebrated its 50th year this summer at Jackson County Country Club in Murphysboro.
Bobby gives credit for the group to its founder Clyde Webb. In 1964 Bobby became golf pro at Jackson and was hooked on the senior group. Bobby commented, “When Clyde moved to Florida I became an officer and have served in different capacities ever since. In fact, it looks like my son Rob will carry the “Williams” torch in the association and take my place in possibly a year.” Bob added, “At one time we had over 100 members, had them from all over, from Hillsboro to Carmi. We had the four Edmonds brothers, Lanzel, JR, George and “Snookie” from Mc Leansboro for years, from Eldorado we had the ”H”team Hathaway, Hall, Hoffman and Hatton’ When asked about the oldest guys in this years tournament Bob answered “Bob Hocking of Olney won the class 1AA (gross) and he is 81 while the net winner of the same division was Harold Helvey , 82, of Pinckneyville.” The intriguing thing about this group was there are plenty of winners. Using the net and gross scores there are seven classes (ages 50-??) plus an overall champion. They play in five events, with different formats and move the tournaments around to most Southern Illinois golf courses. The top dozen scores come back a second day for 18 more holes in their pursuit of the “Overall Champion” won this year by Du Quoin’s Larry Sims in a exciting win over Don Sherwood and Benton’s Murphy Hart (who was going for three in a row). In the early 70’s the association developed a Hall of Fame whose members include such notables as Bill Blewett, Carlos Carello, Bob Goably, Phil Heckel, Pursie Pipes and Tom Wargo.
Larry Sims
Checking the overall winners since 1960 I noticed Laurin Wood won five championships (won his age group 18 times) Christopher Hall of fame football coach Max McDonald won in 1997, 2001 and 2002 and was runner up in 1999. Eldorado’s Harold Finnie, (who did his student teaching in McLeansboro my senior year and had a son Mark who was a great athlete) was runner up in 1992. Other runner-ups include exBenton golf coach Dave Perkins in 2003 and ex- fast pitch softball opponent Kirk Provart in 2005.
Some other names that I am familiar with who are members of the association include: Frankfort Redbird announcer Rick Westermier, ex-Johnston city lineman Walt Wear (who had trouble blocking Carl Mauck his senior year)Union University Hall of Fame basketball player Jeff Richey, ex-Centralia golf coach John Sallee and ex-Marion coach Jim Reid. It is good to know there is a place where seniors, make that “mature,” guys can play regardless if our handicaps are 5, 15 or 20. They say wine gets better with age, why then doesn’t my golf game get better with age? That’s the way it looks From Where I Sit this September 2009.
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