University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Carpenter Tourney Adds More Celebrities
8/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Carpenter Tourney Adds More Celebrities
Hattiesburg, Miss. - The James Ray Carpenter Golf Endowment Tournament continues to add to an impressive array of celebrities, who will play in the Aug. 31 event at the nationally-acclaimed Timberton Golf Club with the announcement today that Buck Showalter and Tim Floyd will join former St. Louis Cardinal catcher Tom Pagnozzi and local sports legend Bobby Myrick, formerly of the New York Mets, and former LSU All-American Mike Anderson in the event.
Showalter is the former New York Yankee and American League ?Manager of the Year? and Floyd, currently the head coach of the Chicago Bulls, started his basketball career at Southern Miss and maintains close Hattiesburg ties.
After a very successful collegiate career, Tim was named the 13th head coach of the Chicago Bulls. Tim's father, the late Lee Floyd, was the head basketball coach at Southern Miss for 14 years. Thanks to his participation, the Bulls organization has donated valuable memorabilia that will be used to generate scholarship funds for our golf program during the tournament's silent auction on Thursday night, August 30.
Also, when the athletic department at the University of Southern Mississippi reached out to the Hattiesburg community to help in making Southern Miss, "South Mississippi?s home team", it signaled an opportunity for a group of Mississippi State letterman to show that the success of Southern Miss athletics betters the entire community.
Ken Lee, President of the Great Southern National Bank, and Mike Darby of A.G. Edwards in Hattiesburg, got some folks involved when he invited his friend, and avid golfer, Buck Showalter to play golf with a group of former Mississippi State players to support the local school. It didn?t matter that it wasn?t the Bulldogs who were benefiting from this foursome, but a group of former players from Southern Miss.
When asked why he was supporting the Black and Gold, Lee didn?t take long to answer. ?This is not only a chance to pay tribute to the great athletes that Southern Miss and the state of
Mississippi has produced, but to demonstrate our solidarity in supporting the concept that Southern Miss benefits everyone,? he stated. ?Although Showalter, Myrick, Russ Alrich, Mike and I all played at Mississippi State, and have no academic affiliation with The University of Southern Mississippi, we feel that all instate athletes are members of one big fraternity. In that regard, the success of all of our universities is critical to changing the way the American public views the State of Mississippi.
"Additionally, for those of us living and working in the Hattiesburg area, we know that the University means a great deal to this city. I?m not sure that the economic impact it has on this entire area can ever be fully measured, but I know that without it many of us wouldn?t stay in business very long. That?s why all of us in the business community need to support Southern Miss in every way we can, regardless of where we went to school.?
The afternoon portion of the Golf Tournament now has a lengthy waiting list to enter. Contact the Southern Miss Eagle Club at 601/266-5299 for more information on the silent auction or the tournament.
The list of items available at the Aug. 30 silent auction is both extensive and impressive. It includes:
1962 Masters photo of Jack and Arnie (autographed by both)
1963 Masters photo of Jack and Arnie (autographed by both)
1936 Gene Sarazen Silver Club miniature (autographed)
Ryder Cup poster (autographed by the team, including captain Dave Stockton and Payne Stewart)
Lee Trevino autographed Cap
Autographed Tom Watson?s Strategic Golf Book
Autographed 1958 Tommy Bolt U. S. Open black and white photo
Autographed Billy Casper ?golf card?
Autographed Allen Doyle 8X10 color photo (2)
Autographed Lee Trevino 8X10 black and white photo
1952 Bobby Jones/Sam Snead/Ben Hogan photo
Autographed Arnold Palmer photo (2)
Augusta National 10th Hole Lithograph
Augusta National 12th Hole Lithograph
Augusta National 16th Hole Lithograph
Augusta National Clubhouse Lithograph
Payne Stewart photo (2)
1951 Ben Hogan Masters photo
Sam Snead photo
Byron Nelson photo
Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan photo
Gene Sarazen photo
Tiger Woods photo (2)
Bobby Jones photo
Autographed Curtis Strange Ryder Cup hat
Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer photo
Never Compromise Putter autographed by Brett Favre
Chicago Bulls team autographed basketball Autographed color photos of Chicago Bulls Coach Tim Floyd
Autographed color photos of Tom Pagnozzi
Autographed Miller Barber photo
Autographed and mounted Tiger Woods picture
Golf for Dummies book (autographed by Gary McCord)
Southern Miss cap autographed by Arnold Palmer
New Orleans Saints autographed football (6 players)
Saints? Ricky Williams autographed hat
Allen Doyle's tour golf bag from his 2001 victory at the Ford Senior Player Championship.
