Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Generous donors lift Thompson to new record

Auction raises big bucks at cancer benefit

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Enjoying his Killebrew-Thompson Memorial tour Saturday is first-time participant Tom Weiskopf. A rangy 6-3 ball striker from Ohio State University, Weiskopf turned pro in 1964 and amassed 16 PGA Tour wins. He won the British Open at Royal Troon in 1973 and was a four-time Masters runner-up. Photo by Willy Cook

Georgie Fenton of Ketchum, tournament director for 18 years, had a big announcement Saturday during the awards reception of the 36th annual Killebrew-Thompson Memorial golf tournament on the outside deck at Sun Valley Club.

Fenton told guests and tournament participants that Friday night’s 18th annual live and silent auction in the Sun Valley Inn’s Limelight Room grossed a total of $658,000 for cancer and leukemia research.

“That total exceeded what we raised last year, which was then a tournament record,” said Fenton. The tournament auction is the single largest component for funds raised each year and has a significant impact on research dollars.

Among the 15 live auction items were vacations at Pebble Beach/Monterey, Ca. and also to the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Vallarta and Maui; a trip to the 2013 Kentucky Derby; a Harley-Davidson Dyna Switchback motorcycle; a Beretta shotgun; jewelry; and prized Napa Valley wine.

The 71 silent auction items included a Harmon Killebrew lithograph; signed baseballs by Albert Pujols, Torii Hunter and Mike Trout; a signed Billy Butler baseball jersey; Sun Valley Resort winter ski package; and two tickets to a University of Oklahoma football game.

In 35 previous tournaments, all at Sun Valley, the Thompson Memorial raised over $12 million for cancer research, split between University of Minnesota Cancer Research Center in Minneapolis and St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) of Boise.

Net proceeds for leukemia research from last year’s tournament were $700,000. Since MSTI opened in 1969, it has become Idaho’s largest provider of cancer care services. The Thompson golf tournament has become an integral part of MSTI’s fundraising operation.

The tournament committee led by Board of Directors chairman Joseph Otting and Fenton generally announces the final net proceeds amount in the months after the event.

Once again, Fenton was ably assisted in making the four-day event a success by tournament and auction coordinator Michelle Kreczkowski and volunteer coordinator Debbie Exley.

In all, there were 42 foursomes or 168 players in the 36-hole tournament Friday and–Saturday on the Sun Valley and Elkhorn golf courses. Format was four-person two-best ball.

Men’s gross stroke winner was Craig Johnson 69-69 for 138 followed by Jeff Sanders 71-71 for 142 and Mike Goode 72-77 for 149. Men’s net winner was Dave Pyle 62-69 for 131.

Women’s gross stroke winner was Gail Nelles 89-89 for 178 followed by Carol Aholt 94-88 for 182. Women’s net winner was Gail Nelles 69-69 for 138.

Placing first in the team category was the foursome of Brad Rich, Kevin Simmons, Wade Steel and Eric Woodward 122-116 for 238.

In second place at 123-119 for 242 were Marvin May, Dan Sandy, Paul Krause and Joe Porto. Third-place winners were Norm Ellis, Duane Ellis, Gail Nelles and Mike Sweeney 123-120 for 243.

Long drive winners were Garret Henson, Carol Aholt, Craig May, Bonnie Otting, Cory Jackson and Jeff Rutherford. Closest-to-the-pin winners were Mike Goode, Gail Nelles, Grant Ahearn, Jeff Cilek and Kevin Madden.

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