Chris Walker was hurt last summer and couldn't play in the Pat Summerall Memorial Celebrity Golf Tournament, but he entered a team, rode around with them and when they were finished made a remark that became the unofficial slogan for the 15th annual tournament.
"I had too much fun today," he said. "I will be back."
As days went by that was the general analysis of the tournament, that it was just fun. It is as competitive as anyone wants it to be, but mostly it is a time to laugh and enjoy golf and good company.
There is no reason to believe this summer's tournament won't be the same or even better when the event, hosted by the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and sponsored by Deltic Timber, is held June 15 at beautiful Chenal Country Club.
The tournament includes lunch and hors d'oeuvres and wraps up with Talking Sports, which will feature a special guest speaker. The entry fee is $1,600 for a team or $400 for individuals, and that includes the whole day and a chance at winning numerous prizes, including items from the Dallas Cowboys, Arkansas Razorbacks, Arkansas State and the University of Central Arkansas.
Every team is paired with a celebrity and a Hall of Fame member, and from start to finish it will be a day to remember.
To enter a team call Zack Vint at (501) 663-4328.
Tom Mitchell, a Hall of Fame Board member, is the golf chairman and anyone who has ever played in one of his tournaments knows it will be well run and more fun than night baseball.
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On a personal note, John Bailey, who is on the board of directors for the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and a marketing director for Wilson Sporting Goods, is going through a bout with an illness and is in our thoughts and prayers.
Bailey is truly one of the good guys in this world.
He is a loyal resident of Conway and a tireless worker who always gives but wants no recognition. The contact list in his cellphone is a who's who of sports, not just in Arkansas but across the nation. Yet you would never know it because he is so unassuming.
I've been blessed to call him a friend for 25 years.
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Speaking of Conway, legendary Hendrix basketball coach and athletic director Cliff Garrison was honored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches at the 2015 NCAA Final Four.
Garrison, who is retired and a past inductee of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, received the Guardians of the Game award in education. The award is based on a coach's core values of education, advocacy, leadership and service.
The first coach to ever receive the honor was John Wooden.
Among the ways Garrison has made a difference is by helping start the Arkansas High School Basketball Coaches Association, which holds an annual clinic to further the education and development of the state's high school coaches, and he helped create and coordinates the annual Bob Courtway Memorial/FCE Breakfast that raises money for scholarships for young people in Faulkner County.
It's an honor well deserved for Garrison, a role model and mentor for thousands during his career.
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West Memphis Coach Billy Elmore was part of a two-day clinic in South Korea where he and six other football coaches from around the country conducted clinics.
Elmore was selected by the USA Football's Heads Up Football program for his hard work and ethics.
USA Football trains high school and youth coaches with advanced coaching education and player development for safer and more positive experiences.
The clinic was May 2-3 at at Camp Humphries and was open to the children of all servicemen on active duty in Korea.
Sports on 05/07/2015