Harold Funston golf preview
10/9/2010 8:01:00 PM | Men's Golf
"Kids back then were on their own," Funston said. "No one was there to help high school and college golfers improve their games. Now there are great golf programs like the one here at Sam Houston State and I'm proud to be part of it."
An endowed golf scholarship at Sam Houston has been set up at the university to honor Funston and now the university's annual fall golf tournaments for both men and women are named in his honor.
The Harold Funston Men's and Women's Golf Championship tournaments begin Monday morning with 8 a.m. shot gun starts.
Fourteen men's teams will compete in the 54-hole tournament on the par 71, 6,943-yard course at Raven Nest Golf Club Monday and Tuesday.
Eight women's squads will be battling in a similar 54-hole event on the par 71, 6,007-yard course at Elkins Lake Country Club. Both the men and women will play 36 holes on Monday and the final 18 on Tuesday.
"In my 80 years of playing golf, there have been so many memorable moments," Funston said. "Playing with Jack Nicklaus was one. Being around these talented young golfers at this tournament is another.
"That's why I love golf so much. Playing football or basketball, you have great memories, too, but they're mostly when you were young. I've played in tournaments when I was 50 or 60 and gotten a thrill. Golf is a lifetime sport and I happy to be part of this event."
Sam Houston has hosted a local fall men's golf event 26 seasons in the 50 year history of the program. The past two fall events have been played at Elkins Lake with the Bearkats winning in 2008 and Stephen F. Austin taking a rain-shortened tournament last year.
This is the eighth year at least one fall tournament has hosted in Huntsville by the SHSU women's golf program. Last October, Central Arkansas won the fall event.
Men's teams competing in the Harold Funston Invitational at Raven Nest include Alabama State, Centenary Houston-Victoria, Houston Baptist, McNeese State, Nicholls, Northeast Oklahoma State, Oklahoma Christian, Oklahoma City, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Texas Southern, Texas-Pan American and Tyler Junior College. The University of Texas will enter several individual medalist competitors.
Women's squads in the hunt for the Harold Funston Invitational trophy at Elkins Lake include Alabama State, Centenary, Houston, Redlands, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Texas-Pan American and Tyler Junior College.
At a meeting with news media for the tournament held Thursday afternoon at the Raven Nest pro shop, Funston gave members of both the Sam Houston men's and women's teams some advice.
"Enjoy the moment. That's what I tell these fine young people who represent this great university," Funston said. "When you get older, especially at my age, that's one of the joys is looking back on all the great moments."
