WHITTINGTON – The Tippy Team, which came together just before the start of the 24th Annual Rend Lake College Foundation Open Golf Tournament, put it all together Thursday afternoon to claim Championship Flight honors in the waterlogged scramble event at Rend Lake Golf Course.
The fund-raiser in support of the RLC Foundation and student scholarships was shortened to nine holes for the 135-plus who braved rain and cold weather from start to finish. An original field of 186 was expected.
Winning with a score of nine under par was the combined team of Captain Roger Tippy (West Frankfort), Roberta Sentel (Benton) and Tod VanTrease (Zeigler), original team members, along with Sabrina Wheatley (Mulkeytown), Paul Verschueren (West Frankfort) and Rend Lake College Freshman Golfer Lucas Cromeenes (Metropolis / Massac County High School).
The winners received golf tour bags compliments of PowerBilt and Rend Lake College Foundation Open co-sponsors, the RLC Golf Outlet and the RLC MarketPlace in Mt. Vernon.
Second-place in Championship Flight, at seven-under par 29, was Team Reidelberger, captained by Jim Reidelberger and his son, former Warrior golfer Jeremy Reidelberger of St. Charles, MO. Other Championship Flight runner-up players representing Bogey Hills Country Club in St. Charles were Bruce Fox, Rusty Nelson, Kevin Schreirer and Boone Tindall.
Two teams tied for first-place recognition in “A” Flight.
One was the local contingent headed by Jim Neal. Teammates on his Benton squad included Richard Glover, Greg Kimmel, Dennis Parker, RLC Trustee William “Bill” Simpson and former Trustee Dr. Richard “Dick” Simpson. Their five-under total for nine holes was matched by the Bill Harpole team from Hillsboro. It included Harpole, Larry Ackermon, Harland Schreiber, Don Miller and Salem contributors John Cavaletto and Brian Kolmer.
“B” Flight honors were shared by two teams featuring Rend Lake College personnel, both at four-under par. Star Transport, captained by RLC Truck Driver Training Instructor Russ Clendenin, also included David Davis (Mt. Vernon), Bob Thomason (Dahlgren), RLC English Professor Mike Mullen (Benton), Eric Harbargh (Springfield) and Star Transport rep Gene Ozella. The other “B” Flight winner featured another David Davis (Thompsonville), who is Supervisor of Maintenance for the college; RLC Police Officer Jim Kertz (Mt. Vernon); RLC Custodian Gregg Minor (West Frankfort); Mark Hefner (Mt. Vernon), Jason Head (Edwardsville) and Don Henley (Jackson, MO).
The top two teams in all three flights received various styles of PowerBilt bags.
Recipients of special golf shirts for lasting the longest on the course under difficult conditions was Team Wilce, comprised of Pete Wilce (West Frankfort), Chris Wilce (West Frankfort), Mike Fletcher (Zeigler) and Brad Woolard (West Frankfort).