Tournaments Hit a Home Run for Master's Men

by Ken Akers

It was great to be in Nashville, August 2-4, for the annual Master’s Men National Golf and Softball Tournaments. The weatherman called for temperatures in the mid-to-upper 90s, and he was almost right. He also called for a 60% chance of rain on Friday and a 50% chance on Saturday. Again, he was almost right.

Waiting for the Shotgun

Fifty golfers gathered Thursday, August 2, at Windtree Golf Course in Mt. Juliet for the annual tournament. While temperatures were hot as predicted, it was not as hot as the last two years, and a slight breeze kept it tolerable. With a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start, golfers got in several holes before the sun began to warm things up.

But the sun wasn’t the only thing heating up the course. The winning team of Ronnie Dunn and Paul Ballard (pictured above) shot a blistering 10-under-par for an 18-hole total of 62, finishing just ahead of Clint Morgan and Jeff Nichols who scored a respectable eight-under-par score of 64. Other winners included Cliff Donoho and Chad Donoho (First Flight) and Keith Burden and William Smith (Second Flight).

Going Deep

On Friday and Saturday, teams gathered in Cane Ridge Park for the two-day National Softball Tournament. The radio reported heavy rain in nearby Nashville, storms to the north and the south. But Cane Ridge stayed dry, and the cloud cover helped keep temperatures down.

Twenty-three teams from eight states pursued the championship trophy. With a “round robin” styled tournament, every team played at least four games. After preliminary rounds on Friday, brackets were set for the championship and consolation rounds on Saturday.

The morning of the championship began with heavy cloud cover, but it melted away quickly. Then, in early afternoon, park officials informed us that radar indicated a large band of heavy storms headed our way. Thankfully, the strong winds came and left just as quickly. No games were halted, and no storm came.

When the dust settled, Northridge FWB Church (OH) captured the title in the consolation tournament and Cookeville FWB Church (TN) took second. In the championship bracket, Mt. Olive FWB Church (AL) finished fourth, and Lebanon FWB Church (SC) finished third.

The championship game featured perennial contender Kirby FWB Church (MI) and Zion Hill Orange (GA) competing for the top spot. Zion Hil (pictured above)l completed a perfect weekend, with no losses on their way to the tournament championship.

Master’s Men thanks all golfers and softball teams for supporting this year’s tournaments. These contests are more than just an opportunity for fun, competition, and fellowship. They are a vital part of the fund-raising efforts for Master’s Men and help underwrite disaster relief efforts, training for men, and much more. To learn more about the ministry of Master’s Men, visit www.fwbmastersmen.org.