45th Mad Anthonys ready to tee off

                                              By Justin A. Cohn

                                             The Journal Gazette

                                              Mon, Jun. 17, 2002

The Mad Anthonys Celebrity Pro-Am is coming home, so to speak.

The 45th installment of the charity tournament takes place today at Fort

Wayne Country Club, the site that hosted the tournament until 1982.

The Pro-Am was last at Fort Wayne Country Club in 1999.

"The average Fort Wayne golf fan and celebrity-watcher has few opportunities to go to this course and walk it," said Tim Borne, director of public

relations for the Mad Anthonys. "It's a rare opportunity to see one of the

great golf courses in Fort Wayne."

The Pro-Am has had many incarnations since its inception in 1958. The

tournament began to fill a void left by the departure of Fort Wayne's PGA

Tour event.

The Pro-Am first featured LPGA players, but from 1961-1977 it centered on two- or three-player exhibitions with players like Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan

and Gary Player.

The Mad Anthonys derive their name from Gen. Anthony Wayne, who fought

in the Revolutionary War. The Mad Anthonys are an exclusive group of 250 local

businesspeople. They have a waiting list of roughly five years, as spots only

open if a member resigns, moves or dies.

"We exist for one single purpose, and that's to sponsor and put on the Mad

Anthonys Celebrity Pro-Am," Borne said.

The Pro-Am raised $140,628 last year. The bulk of this year's earnings will

go to the Lifetime Sports Academy, which teaches kids golf, tennis and

swimming free of charge. The majority of the money is being used to create

the Mad Anthonys Threes, a par-3 course designed for kids at Macmillan Park.

Tee times for today's tournament run from 7 a.m. to 1:50 p.m.

"I think it's a great lineup because there's some fresh talent," Borne said.

Included in this year's tournament are former Eagles band member Don Felder, Noter Dame basketball coach Mike Brey, Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady and former NFL great Gale Sayers.

Among the professional golfers competing are Matt Kuchar, Robert Gamez and recent Buick Open winner Chris Smith of the PGA Tour, and Laurie

Rinker-Graham and Dale Eggeling of the LPGA.

Several of the celebrities competing are from this area, including Indiana

Pacers center Brad Miller, San Francisco 49ers punter Jason Baker and

long-drive champion John Justice.

The field is expected to include 245 competitors, with 61 celebrities from

the worlds of sports and entertainment.

Tickets purchased at the gate are $15.

"For $15 a ticket, where else can you see as good a golf as you'll see

(today)?" said Jan Van Til, tournament coordinator. "If you see a pro

tournament, you're paying $25 a ticket for one round. Here, you'll see good

PGA and LPGA players, if you're a golf fan, and a lot of celebrities."

Free parking for the Pro-Am will be available at Summit Middle School, 4312 Homestead Road, with a free shuttle running to and from the course between 6:45 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

For those planning to attend the event, here are some hints to assist you:

Arrive early if you want a prime location. The most popular areas are the

ninth and 18th greens.

Bring a permanent marker or ball-point pen for autographs, and bring more

than one. Also, have something for them to sign. Anything from paper to a cap

to a basketball will do. The best time to ask for autographs is between holes.

Have a camera. Most of the celebrities will be willing to pose for pictures,

especially around the clubhouse and between holes.

Depending on the weather, you'll need anything from sunscreen to an umbrella.

Coolers are allowed, but plenty of concession stands will be at the course.