2007 Lake Blackshear “Inaugural BIG Champion Larry Alligood”

Year One of the BIG included Founding Members Chris Graham, Rick Marshall, Mike O’Meara, Tony Vaughn and proudly welcomed in (its initial class of stellar newbies) Charter Members Larry Alligood, Fred Evans and Charles “Shakey Earl” Griffin. Also joining the initial BIG roster were former members Rick Hart and Stevie Ray Scarborough along with two of his Maryland friends, Wayne and Mike.

The tournament format was decided to simply be three daily 18-hole official rounds of individual stroke play utilizing a “modified stableford” points system that awarded bonus points for birds and eagles (which has since been amended to a points system that more accurately reflects actual score shot). Since no one really knew what a true GHIN was, points were assigned via a best guess handicap honor system. In other words, if you weren’t lying, you weren’t trying. This “honor system” resulted in pretty much everyone pulling well over their allotment of assigned points, as one would expect when trusting a bunch of drunk liars to profess their “real” handicaps. Once the dust cleared on day 3’s final round, it was clear to the rest of us mere mortals that one Professor Larry “the Lair-bear” Alligood schooled all of us on how to sell a sad handicap story.

Highlight of the tournament had to be the third day of competition. Brother Rick Marshall teed up his ball on the first tee, addressed it (with the obligatory “hello ball”) and reared back, taking as mighty a swing as he could muster and duck hooking the ball into a clump of trees off the left side of the fairway. A short search ensued and Crissy found Rick’s ball in the woods with an opening between two trees towards the green (could have been four trees, after all we WERE drinking). After validating his opinion with Cuz and Fred, Crissy turned to ol’ Ricky boy and said “Yo cuz n law, you GOT this shot“. Taking out his trusty 3-wood and pulling a long draw off of his cheap Tampa Nugget, the Rickster looked at the opening and declared “Dang right, I can do this, I got this!” Cuz and Freddy echoed his declaration with a couple of encouraging dang rights of their own!

Rick dropped his stogey, set up to the ball and took as mighty a swing as he could muster. Unfortunately, the ball hit one of the ten, could have been twelve, trees in front of him quite squarely and the golf ball ricocheted 180 degrees straight back, striking poor Ricky in the center of the forehead and apparently killing him instantly. As he traveled thru the light and approached the pearly gates of Heaven, good ol Saint Pete saw his golf attire and asked Rick “Are you a good golfer?” Ol Ricky, never at a loss for words, quipped, “Hell, Got here in two, didn’t I?” Saint Pete said “heaven ain’t ready for you just yet, son” and immediately sent him back to earth.

He awoke to the sound of his 3 playing partners in heated discussion and drawing straws to see who had to give poor Rick mouth to mouth to revive him. Cuz, Chris and Fred were going to do a first one to draw the short straw 501 times out of 1000 had to save Rick, so it could have taken a while. To his credit Rick quickly jumped up and insisted on finishing up the first hole without holding his playing group up for too long. Ol’ Cuz told him “don’t worry about it Rick, its Tony’s group is in front of us, we’ll catch em on the next teebox” so with that, Rick took his time, waited for the dizziness and bleeding to stop, and calmly finished the hole. If memory serves me right, I think he made one heck of a bogey and saved that ever allusive point!

But sincerely, the Day 3 highlight had to be seeing Larry stand atop the BIG podium that year! Dat boi’ had been thru so many life shattering challenges the year preceding, it was great to share in his long overdue joy. Congrats to our inaugural winner of the BIG Stogey – Larry “Lair-bear” Alligood, a worthy champion and friend for life.

If you look closely in that presentation picture of Larry and Chris, you will see the original BIG CIGAR, the same one that has been masterfully preserved in the trophy Tony Vaughn later created. I’m just glad Larry wasn’t a smoker! If Rick had won – up in smoke comes to mind…bye-bye El’ Grande cigar in year 1.

(NOTE: To learn about the history behind the BIG Stogey Trophy please visit the 2008 BIG page).