Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, July 28, 1993 TAG: 9307280004
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"I had mixed emotions," Willis said, "because a few years ago we thought we had a guy signed to come in for our tournament, . . . then the guy won the Masters and said he was too busy. I said, `Oh, my God, please don't let Fuzzy win.' "
Zoeller lost. And Willis and Roanoke won.
Zoeller, whose 10 PGA Tour victories include the 1979 Masters and 1984 U.S. Open, will be the featured guest for the 12th annual benefit golf tournament to be held Sept. 21 at Hunting Hills.
Willis, whose connections have been able to lure Chi Chi Rodriguez, Curtis Strange, Tom Kite, Johnny Miller, Peter Jacobsen and Ken Venturi to Hunting Hills the past six years, admitted it was a coup to land Zoeller.
"We've been usually drawing from 300 to 500 people for the clinic," Willis said. "With Fuzzy coming, we hope to maybe have as many as 1,000 this year.
"I've always had in the back of my mind that Fuzzy might come here one year. I talked to him four or five years ago about it, but we couldn't get a date to suit him."
Willis got some help this time through Jim Dowdle, the brother of Hunting Hills club president Jerry Dowdle.
"My brother used to be the chairman of the J.C. Penney mixed event," Jerry Dowdle said. "They gave Fuzzy an exemption into the tournament one year before he was in the limelight. So Fuzzy owed Jim one. But we couldn't collect on it until now."
Zoeller should pay off. Not only can the 42-year-old Indiana native play, but he's one of the game's gallery favorites.
"Fuzzy is the type of guy who will talk to everybody," Willis said. "I really don't know how you could do any better than Fuzzy for an event like this."
After a morning brunch with tournament players and sponsors, Zoeller will tee off at 10:45 a.m. to play 18 holes with champions from 10 area clubs. He will play six holes with each group of champions.
At approximately 5 p.m., Zoeller will conduct what promises to be an entertaining clinic for players, sponsors and spectators.
The tournament, sponsored by the Carilion Health System, will benefit the Virginia Affiliate of the National Society to Prevent Blindness. Proceeds have exceeded $170,000 for the event's first 11 years. Entry fee is $125 per player, $500 per team. A field of 100 players will shoot for some $3,000 in prizes.
Tickets for the tournament and clinic will be $5 in advance, $7.50 at the gate.
by CNB