John Watkins Memorial Optimist Golf Tournament

Bright sunshine and hot temperatures greeted 128 golfers, plus workers and family on July 21 for the 1st annual John Watkins Memorial Optimist Golf Tournament. The afternoon began with a lunch at Turkey Creek Golf Course. Krehbiel’s Meat Market and Deli provided and grilled the hamburgers and brats for lunch. The golfers teed off at 1:15 with a shotgun start. Sixty-two businesses and friends sponsored holes for the tournament. Many other businesses provided the prizes for the first three places in each of the four flights and 10 different hole prizes. Over $8,800 was raised for the McPherson Optimist John Watkins Memorial Fund that will be endowed at the McPherson County Community Foundation. The Optimist Club also has received Memorials and other donations to make the initial deposit into the endowment fund over $10,500. The club will annually give a gift or grant to a youth project from the earnings of the fund.

There was some terrific golf played during the afternoon as two teams turned in a score of 16 under par 54. Several former co-workers for John’s also had great shots as Merlin Dresher made a hole in one on the tough par 3 6th hole and Zack Loch also just missed a hole in one by inches on the 2nd hole. The Optimist Club would like to give a special thanks to Farmers Alliance Insurance Companies for their generous donation to cover most of the expenses of the tournament. John was employed at Farmers Alliance for about 30 years. We also want to thank Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk & Loyd, CPAs for the donation of 3 rounds of golf at Prairie Dunes Country Club. A special contest for those rounds was held on hole 15 and raised over $900 for the endowment fund. Here is the complete list of winning teams and hole prize winners.

Championship flight	1st place	Steve Sell, Troy Short, Kurt Kinnamon, Craig Corrigan
	2nd place	Keith Razak, Mark Wash, Zack Loch, Mike Liebl
	3rd place	Steve Hilgers, Jason Hilgers, Joshua Hilgers, Peter Petrovski
First flight	1st place	Rod Buchman, Chet Buchman, Jerry French, Zach Hoppes
	2nd place	John Klenda, Chris Costello, John Reber, Brett Reber
	3rd place	Danny Glidewell, Jeff Griffin, Randy Cox, Max Morales
Second Flight	1st place	Neil Colle, Pete Flemming, Gary Walker, Kent Stiawalt
	2nd place	Jack Rader, Tom Goldsmith, Mike Neiman, Gabe Prescott
	3rd place	Dave Chartier, Richard Baldwin, Eric Norstrom, Brian Williams
Third Flight	1st place	Lowell Schmidt, Dick Foulke, Laird MacGregor, Merlin Dresher
	2nd place	Jerry Meng, Jim Hess, Chris Wallace, Bill Gately
	3rd place	Marty Redstone, Josh Redstone, Scott Barkley, Rich Blubaugh
Hole number 2 Closet to pin: Zack Lock
Hole number 5 Longest putt: Jack Rader
Hole number 6 Closest to pin: Merlin Dresher (Hole in One)
Hole number 9 Longest putt: Steve Sell
Hole number 12 Closest to pin: Randy Cox
Hole number 13 Closes to pin 2nd shot: John Reber
Hole number 15 Closest to pin: Mark Lysell
Hole number 16 Closest to pin 2nd shot: Tony Fawl
Hole number 18 Ladies longest drive: Laura Bruce
Hole number 18 Mens longest drive: Mike Liebl
Special contest-3 closest to pin on 15 for round of golf at Prairie Dunes
	Nic Nixon, Kurt Kinnamon, Mark Lysell