Earning Their Rookie Stripes: Stadler, Tournament

While the inaugural Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn has come and gone, no one can forget what a special week it truly was. Legends of the game graced the Jones Course at Rock Barn Golf & Spa, generating the "big league golf in our own backyard" buzz that radiated well beyond Conover, N.C.

With an estimated attendance of more than 90,000 - exceptional support for a first-year Champions Tour event -- the tournament wowed spectators and players alike. From jam-packed pro-ams to three rounds of competitive play with some of the most revered names in golf, among them Lee Trevino, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Gary Player, Fuzzy Zoeller, Craig Stadler and Hale Irwin, the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn left an indelible impression on our region.

What was initially a one-time event now seems destined to become a tradition. The second edition of the PGA Champions Tour golf tournament takes place this year from August 16 to 22. Like last year's event, the 2004 Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn will involve much more than championship golf. There will be plenty to see and do the second time around, including a furniture pavilion, clinics, a NASCAR-themed golf shootout, a tournament expo, concession stands, hospitality and plenty of souvenir merchandise.

Many familiar faces are also expected to return. They will include defending winner Craig Stadler, who this year continues to pull double-duty by playing both the regular PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. In last year's final round, Stadler overcame a two-stroke deficit to post a 15-under-par winning score, two strokes ahead of runner-up Larry Nelson. Nelson, who led both the Friday and Saturday rounds, was joined by Bruce Fleisher, Bob Gilder, and Joe Inman as strong early contenders. Outstanding third rounds by Jim Thorpe, Tom Jenkins, and Morris Hatalsky earned them top-five finishes.

It wasn't just the competition that made this inaugural tournament noteworthy. Several area charities benefited from the event. They included the Catawba County United Way, the Hickory Jaycees, American Legion Baseball and the Hickory Metro Sports Commission. More than 1,000 volunteers contributed their time and energy to help staff the event and ensure its success.

As the only Champions Tour event in Western North Carolina, the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn has helped positively define our region on the national stage. With several hours of live and promotional programming on the Golf Channel, where the event reached more than 60 million homes in the U.S., Canada and Japan, the tournament showed our region in a most favorable light.
You can't get any better buzz than that.

For tickets and information for this year's tournament, call 1-866-ROCKBARN.

by Amy McCauley