Andy Bean watches his chip at the 18th green during the Greater Hickory Classic in 2006.   A chance for fans to get close to golf legends is most valuable commodity at the Greater Hickory Classic. Bruce Fleisher (left) kept the fans laughing at the 2003 tournament.   R.W. Eaks kisses the championship trophy after winning the Greater Hickory Classic golf tournament in 2007.

PGA Tour legend Curtis Strange stepped onto the first tee box at the 2007 Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn. His introduction was met with thunderous applause, partly due to his ties to Wake Forest University, and partly because one of his playing partners, Fred Funk, stood behind him and urged the crowd to cheer loudly for their very own “homegrown Carolina boy.”

Strange and Funk are just two of the great names in golf who regularly compete on the PGA Champions Tour, a competitive tour for professional golfers over the age of fifty. Other legends include Craig Stadler, Nick Price, Tom Kite and Lee Trevino. Champions Tour players compete in a full season of tournaments across the country beginning in Hawaii in January and ending in Florida in October. The Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn is the 25th stop on the tour this year and is one of only two tour stops in the Carolinas.

According to Executive Tournament Director Jim Correll, the Greater Hickory Classic is the largest sporting event in western North Carolina and is one of the most popular Champions Tour events. “The PGA Champion Tour players love two things,” he says. “They love to play in front of good crowds and they love a good, tough golf course. We are probably in the top five tournaments in terms of attendance, and the course speaks for itself. The golfers like the challenge and think the layout is fair and rewarding.”

Tournament Director Pete Fisch says that fans enjoy a uniquely personal opportunity to see some of golf’s greatest names compete in their backyard. “This is the major leagues for Hickory and Conover, and the word has gotten out across the entire states of North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. It’s a big deal when you have guys who have won tournaments like the Masters, U.S. Opens and PGA Championships playing within a short drive of your home,” he explains.

Fisch believes the fan-friendly environment at Rock Barn is second to none. “An entire city is built, and you are putting on a week-long party for 60,000 of your friends and neighbors,” he says. “What makes it even more special is that two and three generations of a family can come out together and watch golfers.”

The PGA Champions Tour events differ from PGA events in several ways. Champions Tour events are 54-hole, stroke-play events, which means there is no cut, and all players complete three rounds over three days. Seventy-eight players comprise the field for the 2008 tournament, and every player is guaranteed a share of the $1.7, million event purse. Defending champion, R.W. Eaks, collected $24,000 for his record-setting win.

“You really need to remember that these golfers compete for the love of the sport,” says Fisch. “The prize money is fantastic, but they are out here all week long playing in the Pro-Am, interacting with the fans and having fun. They don’t need to be out here—they want to be.”

Correll concludes, “The players tell us when they come to Rock Barn, they enjoy southern hospitality at its best. We take pride in extending so many of the same courtesies to the fans, too. You really get the chance to ‘get behind the ropes’ so to speak. It’s not that often in golf that you can compliment a player on a great shot and have him come right up and thank you right back.”

Want to go?
Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn Presented by Kia Motors
A PGA Champions Tour Event
Sept. 8– 14.
Rock Barn Golf & Spa in Conover, N.C.

The week-long event offers fun for all, including special events, attractions and three days of fierce competition among golf’s greatest legends!. Competitive play begins Friday and lasts through Sunday. Other highlights include the Greater Hickory High School Classic on Monday, the Dale Jarrett Shootout and a trick shot demonstration on Tuesday, the Official Pro-Am on Wednesday and a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony on the first tee on Thursday evening. The tournament will be televised on the Golf Channel. Visit www.greaterhickoryclassic.com for complete tournament information. A variety of individual and group ticket packages are available.