by GREG WISE
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – “The Woody” – Tad Moore’s 2024 Southern Hickory Four-Ball Championship – was played at the Highland Park Golf Course in Birmingham, Alabama, April 18-20. A practice round on the 18th and then the 2-Championship rounds on the 19th and 20th.
Highland Park was established in 1903 as the Birmingham Country Club and the first golf course in Alabama. It was the site of one of Bobby Jones’ first victories and has proven a delight to play over the years. The course went through a multimillion-dollar reconstruction in 2019, but the character of the course remains and you will walk away thinking how a 5,818-yard golf course could, earn so much respect and give you so many problems.
Since 1963, Tad Moore has been designing custom golf clubs for amateur and professional golfers. We know him through his hickory golf club designs and through his popular Southern 4-Ball Hickory Championship. What many don’t know is that Tad is recognized around the world as a premier club designer.
Tad was one of the founders of the Society of Hickory Golfers and has won many hickory championships across the USA. He is a respected authority in the equipment and game and currently serves on the SoHG’s executive committee.
“This is the 22nd annual event, originally started in Selma, Alabama, headquarters to Tad Moore Golf, one amazing fact is that we have never had a round of golf rained out,” said Moore during his closing remarks of the 2024 edition. “One year we had a tornado delay… but, that soon passed and we were back to play and finished.”
“The Woody,” is played in two, two-player team divisions. The OPEN Division (Scratch) is a Best Ball no-handicap event. The STABLEFORD Division uses the TEAM Total handicap – and BOTH players’ points are totaled together to make the Team Score.
The 2024 STABLEFORD Division was won by: Max and Chris Hollon, 7-points ahead of second place finishers Barb Kobec and Tad Moore.
The 2024 OPEN Division was won by the father and son team of Ed and Taylor Jones of Birmingham, Alabama with a 134 Total, one stroke ahead of Ted Kopec and Peter Flory at 135.
Accepting the Trophy, Taylor made some comments about the win. “I have won this event before. I’m looking quickly on this trophy and see my winning partner in 2018, Andrew von Lossow and my loss last year got me thinking I need to win this with my dad.” Starting to choke up for just a second… he responded… “This is a happy day for me… when dreams do come true.”
If you plan to play in next year’s event, it is very important to establish a “Hickory Handicap.” Visit The Society of Hickory Golfers, join the Society and you can establish yourself as a Hickory Golfer with a handicap and experience the history of golf – and make a lot of new friends along the way.
https://www.hickorygolfers.com/
(Greg Wise is Publisher of eSouthernGolf www.esoutherngolf.com. He can be reached at okwiseguy@gmail.com)
PHOTOS: Beverly Wise
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