Golfers from across the region gathered at Lakeside Country Club on Thursday, May 21, for the 7th annual Samuel Lander Golf Classic. The tournament was sponsored by Self Regional Healthcare and hosted by Lander University’s Division of University Advancement and The Lander Foundation.
Teeing off with a shotgun start, teams competed across the 18-hole course to raise support funds for the Dr. Samuel Lander Endowed Scholarship, a subsidy that supports Lander undergraduate students who demonstrate academic promise and extracurricular campus involvement. In total, the event raised over $33,000 in support of this scholarship.
Steve Wohlwend, a member of The Lander Foundation of Directors and Alumni Association Board of Directors, noted that the annual tournament represented more than another round of golf – the true purpose being to make a Lander education accessible to a growing number of scholarship recipients each year.
Still, the setting for the occasion left little to be desired. “It’s a great day,” said Wohlwend, a member of Lander’s Class of 1981. “The sun is out, and we’re with friends.”
Meanwhile, Steve Bolton, a member of Lander’s Class of 1969 and chair of The Lander Foundation Board of Directors, reminded participants that there has been no greater time to be a Lander Bearcat, from record-breaking enrollment growth to athletic accomplishments in the classroom and on the court.
“Most importantly, the entire athletic department has a 3.0 [GPA] or higher,” added Bolton, who was an inaugural member of the men’s tennis team while at Lander. The Bolton Tennis Court is named in his honor.
Taking home first place in this year's tournament was the Lloyd Roofing team featuring Sloan Lloyd, Joseph Lloyd, Corey Lloyd ’12 and Charlie Lloyd. Second place went to the Metromont team of Theo Lane, Justin Oswald, Spence Oswald and Rusty Ramsey, while The Lander Foundation team of Taylor Cook, Ben Owings, Jeff Owings ’84 and Will Cook finished third.
Individual contest winners included Kyle Davis for Closest to the Pin, Frankie Hodges for Longest Drive and Spence Oswald for the Putting Green Contest.
To learn more about The Lander Foundation, call (864) 388-8350 or visit lander.edu/foundation.