There are fewer golfers this year but the goal remains the same—raising money for leukemia and cancer research.
The Danny Thompson Memorial golf tournament is back at the Sun Valley Resort, having shot over the $10 million fundraising mark last year.
Georgie Fenton of Ketchum, tournament director for 15 years, said she expects about 175 golfers, down from last year's 220 participants.
But there's a fresh new addition to the tourney lineup.
Don Felder, one of the original five band members and lead guitarist for the Eagles for 27 years, will give a benefit concert for the Danny Thompson Memorial leukemia fund.
It's called "An Evening at the Hotel California." It will be staged tonight, Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the Sun Valley Pavilion.
The concert will be the kickoff event for the four-day, 33rd annual Danny Thompson festivities that include the 36-hole golf tournament Aug. 21-22 and an auction gala Friday, Aug. 21.
In 32 years, the Thompson Memorial has raised $10.1 million for cancer research, split between University of Minnesota Leukemia Research Foundation ($5.1 million) and Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) of Boise ($4.9 million).
Last year's proceeds were $710,000. Since MSTI opened its doors in 1969, it has become Idaho's largest provider of cancer care services. Funds are leveraged through matching grant programs up to three times their value on an annual basis, bring the actual income to over $1 million each year.
The tournament is named for Danny Thompson. He was a Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers infielder who died of leukemia in 1976 at 29. Co-founder of the tournament is Idaho's Harmon Killebrew, a Hall of Fame slugger who was Thompson's teammate.
Killebrew, Brooks Robinson and Bobby Grich are among celebrity participants in the 2009 Thompson. The tournament has been played exclusively at Sun Valley since originating here in 1977.
Other well-known figures expected are baseball players Eddie Robinson, Jim Nettles and Duke Sims; ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman; comic actor Arte Johnson; football greats Jerry Kramer, Ed Marinaro and Joe Washington; actor Kevin Sorbo; and musicians Muzzie Braun and Don Felder.
Called "a tournament with a heart," the Sun Valley clambake is done for a good cause.
Fenton said, "When the Danny Thompson Memorial began, the chances of recovery from leukemia were low. Today, the recovery rate is almost 70 percent, with even great hopes for the future."
Major League Baseball remains as an important Silver Sponsor of the Thompson.
Other Silver Sponsors are Corbett Industries, J.R. Simplot Co. and Washington Companies. The highest-level Diamond Sponsor is US Bank. The Gold Sponsor is Delta Air Lines. Other categories are Premier, Super, Major and Patron sponsors.
A highlight is the 16th annual Thompson Memorial live and silent auction Friday in the Limelight Room of Sun Valley Inn. Auctioneer is Larry Flynn. Items run the gamut on the live- or silent-auction lists. They include trips to the Ryder Cup golf tournament, Kentucky Derby and foreign visits plus jewelry of the first order.
For the first time, a Toyota Prius automobile will be auctioned, compliments of Steve's Hometown Toyota of Boise.
"The auction has become our biggest single moneymaker," Fenton said.
This year's celebrity list is dotted with athletes, legislators and entertainers.
Thompson politicians expected include the 21st Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio).
Others due are Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers (R-Ky.); Gov. Butch Otter (R-Id.); Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Id.); Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Id.); Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.); Rep. Joe Baca (D-Ca.); and Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.). First-time tourney guests are Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) and Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.).
Details about the celebrities
Making his second Sun Valley appearance is Eddie Robinson, 88, a native of Paris, Texas, who played for seven of the eight American League teams then in existence during a 13-year major league career starting in 1942 and ending in 1957.
Robinson (.268 career batting average, 172 homers, All-Star from 1949-53 as a first baseman) played his final big league game for the Baltimore Orioles in 1957, 52 years ago.
Brooks Robinson, 72, of Little Rock, Ark., was called the "Human Vacuum Cleaner," for his defensive play. Baseball's all-time greatest third baseman was named to the Hall of Fame in 1983 after a matchless 23-year career with the Baltimore Orioles. He played his final game in August 1977, the same month that the Thompson Memorial originated.
The friendly 6-1, 190-pounder had numerous major league fielding records, including a .971 fielding average, best ever for a third sacker. He batted .267 with 2,848 hits in 2,896 games from 1955-77, all with the Baltimore Orioles—a major league record. Robinson currently serves as president of the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA), an organization that assists players and fans to interact off the field.
The 18-time All Star won the Golden Glove each year from 1960-75 and was baseball's Most Valuable Player in 1964 with career-best .317 with 28 homers and 118 RBI. He starred on the four-time AL pennant-winning Oriole teams that won World Series titles in 1966 and 1970, losing only one game.
Bobby Grich, 60, a Michigan native, came out of Wilson High School in Long Beach, Calif. He played 17 American League seasons for Baltimore and the California Angels from 1970-86 and logged a .266 career batting average in 2,008 games. The 6-2, 190-pounder was a six-time All-Star and four-time Golden Glove winner at second base.
Salt Lake City's Duke Sims, 67, played 11 seasons as a catcher with Cleveland and four other teams. He batted .239 in 843 games. Sims is known for catching the final game and hitting the final home run in 1973 in the "old" Yankee Stadium before it was remodeled.
Big Apple native Ed Marinaro, 59, was one of college football's greatest running backs, playing for Cornell University back in 1971. He also was the first rookie to start for Minnesota Viking head coach Bud Grant in the National Football League. Marinaro went on to a career in television and movies.
Joe Washington, 55, a native of Crockett, Texas, was a two-time All-American running back at the University of Oklahoma, a program that won national titles in 1974-75 with Washington doing this thing. He had a successful National Football League career and won a Super Bowl title with the Washington Redskins.
A first-time Thompson guest is Jim Nettles, 62, of San Diego, younger brother of New York Yankees third sacker Graig Nettles. Lefty Jim Nettles played for the Minnesota Twins from 1970-72 and ended its six-year major league career with Oakland in 1981. He played in Japan and Mexico and managed in the minor leagues from 1983-96.
Spectators are welcome
Spectators are invited to watch and, when appropriate, ask for autographs. Check the pairing sheets at the golf pro shops to see where your favorite golfer is playing.
The tournament format is four-man two-best ball over two days.
Here is the tournament schedule:
Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 19-20: Registration from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on the Sun Valley Inn Limelight Room terrace and promenade. Practice rounds all day, each day, on the Sun Valley and Elkhorn golf courses.
Thursday, Aug. 20: Western-style welcome barbecue at 6 p.m. on the Trail Creek Cabin grounds. Tournament pairings distributed there. Practice rounds all day.
Friday, Aug. 21: First 18-hole round of the Thompson Memorial, featuring 9 a.m. shotgun starts at Sun Valley and Elkhorn. Non-golfers have a guided hike, luncheon and fashion show today at 11 a.m.
Cocktails and auction dinner at 6 p.m. in the Limelight Room of Sun Valley Inn. The 24th annual Chairman's Award will be revealed.
Saturday, Aug. 22: Final 18-hole round of the Thompson Memorial, with 9 a.m. shotgun starts on the Elkhorn and Sun Valley courses. Awards reception at 5:30 p.m. at the new Sun Valley Golf Course clubhouse. The ladies hold a nine-hole scramble golf tournament today at 10 a.m. at Bigwood Golf Course.
Their combined ages are 301, but this foursome featuring three major league baseball players and one NFL football great acted more like frisky colts during last year’s Thompson Memorial golf tournament. They are, from left, Eddie Robinson, 88, from Texas, Brooks Robinson, Pocatello’s Duke Sims and famed Green Bay Packers right guard Jerry Kramer from Eagle.
Photo by David N. Seelig
