Larry Fleming: Cheatham assures return of Classic is a done deal

In 1994, Wake Forest’s Kevin Kemp shot a record-tying 64 and carded a 3 on 10 holes during a round of the Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic golf tournament at The Farm in Rocky Face. For the round, Kemp made 11 pars, six birdies and one eagle. But he didn’t win the tourney.

During the first round of the 1996 Classic, North Carolina State’s Tim Clark made five consecutive birdies, which came on holes 12 through 16. He shot 3-under 69 on the day, including a 32 on the back nine.

Tiger Woods played here in 1995. He didn’t win the individual title either. Stewart Cink of Georgia Tech did.

In the first round of the 2005 tourney, Georgia State’s Joel Sjoholm was perseverance personified. He made four bogeys and a double bogey during a front-nine 40, then regrouped with five birdies and an eagle on the back side for a nine-hole record 29.

However, Sjoholm didn’t win the tournament — but his teammate, Mark Haastrup, did.

In 2008, Tennessee’s Chris Paisley became the 20th player to record three 2s in one round with birdies on Nos. 8, 11 and 13. In the second round a day later, Alex Castro of Georgia State became the 21st player to accomplish the feat with 2s on Nos. 8, 11 and 13. But Clemson’s Kyle Stanley won the tournament.

In 2007, Alabama’s Matt Hughes was 1-over par through eight holes and did not make a par over the next 10 holes, notching eight birdies and two bogeys for a 5-under 67.

Those nine birdies tied the single-round record and helped Hughes, who is from Dalton, set a tournament record with 20 birdies over 54 holes. On the final day, Hughes birdied the first playoff hole against South Carolina, helping the Crimson Tide defend the team championship.

We’re revisiting a few of the tournament’s most interesting moments for a reason. As the 2009 Classic wound down and Tennessee was running away with the team title, there was speculation the tourney might have run its course and would not be held in 2010.

However, Deck Cheatham, The Farm’s director of golf, said the Classic will be played next fall.

“We’re definitely going to have the tournament,” Cheatham said. “It’s my guess it will be held around the same date, with the same type field. One or two teams might change, but it’s going to remain at 12 teams.”

Due to a serious downturn in the economy, tournament officials reduced the prestigious field from 18 teams to a dozen for the 2009 tourney. Frankly, a 12-team field is “more manageable,” Cheatham said.

“It’s also much easier,” Cheatham said, “from a budget standpoint.”

Traditionally, the tournament paid for hotels for the visiting teams. That money is not now in the budget, but could be only a one-year deletion if the fundraising improves. A pre-tournament banquet and food for participants for four days make up two big chunks of the budget.

The bottom line is there will be a 22nd Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic — and that’s good news for everyone involved with the event.

• Here’s a feel-good story in the GHSA state football playoffs. Greenville coach Jeremy Williams has been diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, but his team defeated Pelham 25-0 in Class 1A first-round action on Friday.

• When Southwest DeKalb whipped Northwest Whitfield 40-3 Friday night in the Class 4A playoffs, veteran Panthers coach Buck Godfrey won his 250th game, tying former Commerce coach Ray Lamb for 23rd among coaches in Georgia history.

Godfrey, the winningest black coach in state history, can surpass Lamb with a win over Clarke Central next week in a second-round matchup.

• At the same time Northwest’s season was coming to an end, Dalton’s Catamounts were losing 35-13 to Tucker, assuring that no area team would reach the second round this season.

Now, area prep football fans can jump on Calhoun’s Class 2A bandwagon. The No. 1-ranked Yellow Jackets, who opened the season with a 31-28 win over Dalton, routed Avondale 42-14 and moved into the second round against North Oconee, which beat Lamar County, 34-14.

Calhoun has won a region championship every year this decade and has 13 overall dating to 1950. The Yellow Jackets have won one state title, which they earned by beating Fort Valley 19-14 in 1952.

In that title game, Calhoun trailed 14-0 after three quarters but got touchdown runs of 5 and 4 yards from Robert Agee, who then tossed a game-winning 28-yard touchdown pass to Herschel Strickland in a sterling come-from-behind victory.

• Ridgeland’s Panthers held Flowery Branch, the state’s second-highest scoring team, 27 points below its average on Friday. But the Panthers still lost 17-14 in a Class 3A playoff game played at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga.

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