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Editorial

With $500 pinned to the ground by a golf tee, a young golfer stepped up to the golf ball on the tee box of the 17th hole with as much pressure as he had ever faced in his life.

“If you hit the green, I’ll give you $500,” professional golfer John Daly said to the kid there representing a special charity.

Daly then pinned five $100 bills to the ground right next to the golf ball.

The young athlete took the shot, and while it had the distance, the ball trickled off to the right to miss the green by a few yards.

Of course, Daly gave him the $500 regardless.

Then, he walked down to the green and did the same with another young person in a putting challenge, and it was the same outcome.

A narrow missed put, but another $500 out of his pocket.

It’s a sight that never gets old at the Regions Tradition Celebrity Pro-Am held at Greystone Golf & Country Club each year ahead of the PGA TOUR Champions first major championship of the year.

This year’s event, held on Wednesday, May 11, featured its share of charitable donations and plenty of entertainment, creating memorable moments for all involved.

Daly, a celebrity in his own right as a popular professional golfer, was just one of many to dish out money for a cause during the event.

The tournament itself is a charity-driven event, with the five-day event, lasting from Wednesday until Sunday, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities, including more than $1,000,000 last year alone.

That doesn’t even include what the professional golfers and celebrities did during the pro-am on May 11.

Not only did Daly dish out $1,000 on one hole, but Taylor Hicks and Bo Jackson paid a hefty price for lemonade from a stand of local girls selling the sugary drink along the ninth fairway.

Others, including Nick Saban, Charles Barkley, Kirby Smart and Brian Harsin also interacted with fans and ambassadors from different charities throughout the day, including Children’s of Alabama, while country-music star Riley Green played an impromptu song on the 14th tee box before almost hitting a hole-in-one.

The entire day is full of unique experiences that many will never forget.

It allows us to see those normally in the spotlight in a laid-back setting, while it allows others the opportunity to meet role models and live out a dream.

It’s a tradition that continues to make a difference, and one we hope has no end in sight.