Local golfers happy to see Dixie Classic return to Brickyard
The first day of the Dixie Classic scheduled for Friday was not looking good the entire week because of heavy rain, but a rain-free Thursday allowed the course to be cut and ready for play Friday morning.
Threatening weather in the morning turned into sunny skies by Friday afternoon, allowing all 64 teams to play their rounds.
“I have been hoping for some good days so we could get the course ready for the tournament, and thankfully some of the rain dances I did to clear the skies helped out,” said a smiling Zac Tilton, who took over as the head golf professional at the Brickyard at Riverside midway through July. “It was very important for us to be able to have this course in as good as condition as possible for the return of the Dixie Classic, and hopefully, the rain will stay away for the rest of the weekend.”
The Dixie Classic was a staple in Macon for 25 years, but it has not been played since 2003. But with a strong turnout this year, the tournament is primed once again to be considered one of Macon’s top amateur tournaments.
“I think everyone is glad to see it back,” said Coleman Tidwell, a member at the Brickyard who finished second in the tournament in 2003 and is playing with Matthew Myers this weekend. “It was always a great tournament, and I can definitely see it becoming as popular as it was many years ago. The field this year is very strong, and the winners will have to put together three great rounds of golf.”
Former Dixie Classic winners Keith Holmes and Allen Peake were back at the tournament this year and hoped to reclaim their old magic on a course where they have had success.
“First of all, I just like to play golf with Allen because we always have a good time playing together,” said Holmes, who teamed with Peake to win the Dixie Classic in the late 1990s. “When we heard the tournament was going to be played again, we knew we had to play it as a team, and I am sure it will be a lot of fun.”
Holmes and Peake were among the final groups to get out on the course Friday and were optimistic about a good weekend.
“I am going to ride my horse as long as I can,” Peake about Holmes. “I think we would have to play our very best to be in the tournament with a chance to win, but if we can play well at the beginning, anything can happen.”
Play continues at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, and the final round will be played Sunday.
Dixie Classic First-Round Scores
Shawn Hodge Jon David Kennedy 62
Tommy Molony Jason Churchwell 65
David Steed Taylor Floyd 66
Travis Steed Stan Gann 66
Gay McMichael Michael Standard 66
Phil Pavoni Tommy Reid 68
Wilson Andress John Walker 68
Rusty Strawn Chris Hall 68
James Mitchell Hayes Rule 69
Victor Andress Robert Parel 70
Bubba Blalock Stephen Young 70
Jason Hutcheson Tommy Spinks 70
Billy Wade Bert Barnes 71
Matthew Myers Cole Tidwell 71
Lee Higgins Brandon Spainhour 72
Hal Johnson Phil Hardin 72
Andy Bacchus Adam Meade 73
Chan Becham Keith Johnson 73
Mike Johnson Wyatt Shows 73
George McCanless Benny Justice 73
Carl Stanley Dennis Smith 73
Will Martin Chris Trocchio 73
Jackson Henderson Herb Rust 74
Jason Russ Jody Epps 74
Wade Turner Trey Manley 74
Joel Garrett Tracy Stephens 75
Kelly Yielding Ted Randall 75
Kem Stuart Lee Smith 75
John Thigpin Tom Walker 75
Jim Stuart Michael McCrory 75
Jon Heard Chris Robinson 75
Rusty Bailey Michael Barkley 76
Steve Veal Scott Dorton 76
Ed Snow Lee Culpepper 76
Pat O'brien Rusty Wynn 77
Charles Cook Mike Burns 77
Farren Elliott Bernie Fry 77
Alex Thigpin David Wynn 77
Brandon Easom Tony Rojas 77
Martin Herndon Ricky Tucker 78
Richard Mixon Rick Mixon 78
Curtis Massey Will Dodson 78
Dean Shuford Paul Cable 78
Chris Black Michael Kitchens 78
David Johnson Bill Williams 79
Keith Harper Britt Thames 79
John Meadows Jay Buchanan 79
Barry Bloodworth Dennis Doucet 80
Everett Dover Ken Yeomans 80
Hoyt Stanfield Clay Balkcom 80
Michael Bates Brooks Keisler 80
Richard McCann Jackson McCann 80
Bryan Sappe Craig Westbrook 81
Ron Richardson Miki Folsom 81
BJ Fischer Dewayne Moore 81
Bruce Johnson Tommy Beatty 82
Conrad Massey Scott Park 82
Steve Gurley John Sink 82
Stan Dominy Greg Ennis 84
Ron Hutcheson Justin Towers 87
Tim Pryor Jody Tyson 88
Randy Wright David Lanier 84
Mitch Haulik James Dominy 93
This story was originally published August 11, 2017 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Local golfers happy to see Dixie Classic return to Brickyard."