2024 Fripp Island “BIG Champion of the Year Darrell Vaughn”

The 2024 BIG show returned to it’s adopted home courses at the always beautiful Fripp Island Resort. The highlight of this BIG for me was that we were able to secure two very large homes with 10 participants lodging in each house. Outside of the layout that made room assignments a little bit of a challenge in our house, the plus side of having everyone together allowed a lot more time post-golf socializing and interacting among my BIG brothers. It seems we rarely get to see as much of each other during the year and at most of the BIG events the available lodging usually results in smaller groups scattered in 4 or 5 different properties. I thought it was great to be able to hang with so many brothers at this year’s event. The time passes much too quickly these days!

Moving along to tournament news: Day 1 of the BIG was all about last year’s $1Toilet Bowl champ Fred Evans, who came out all guns a’blazin with a masterful +12 performance at the challenging Ocean Creek layout. Not too far behind was two-time BIG champ Lair-bear Alligood at +7.

Day 2 saw both first round leaders fade back into the pack at the impeccable Ocean Point course. Some hot playing by the brotha combo of Paul (+7) and Crissy (+6) saw them vault to feature group status, tallying 2-day totals of +9 and +8 respectively. Rounding out the feature pairing with steady-eddy play were TonyLo (+7) and Sir Robert Chance. (+6).

With more than a handful of players within 4 points of the lead, Day 3 promised to be a thrilling finish. And indeed, it was quite the final round. Several players made runs at the leaders but the hardest charge came from way back in the pack. Darrell Vaughn, trailing by 8 points entering this final round, lit up the course with an incredible +11 single day performance, sending him to the top of the leaderboard with a 3-day total of +12. Meanwhile out on the course a herculean effort in the battle for superiority of the feature group was taking shape between 2nd day leader Paul Graham and early charger Tony Locascio. The battle came down to the final hole on the challenging Par 5 18th at the Ocean Creek course, with Paul staving off TonyLo’s rally by a single point. Unfortunately for these two battle scarred warriors it was not to be as Darrell’s personal best record BIG round led to a startling 1-point victory! This was Darrell’s first BIG Stogey title and what a well-deserved victory it was! Congrats Darrell, no one minds losing to stellar play, very well done! To Paul and TLo, you boys gave it all you had, BobC and I certainly enjoyed the front row seats to the show you boys put on. Any other year it would probably have been enough.

The 2024 BIG welcomed in newbies Paul “DOC” Belliveau and the first legitimate son of Rick Marshall, Richard “Rich” Marshall. Both new players brought stout golf games along with great attitudes, it is a pleasure to have them join us. They both sported the pink teddy with grace and eloquence expected of first time BIGs in drag! Well done boys, welcome to the brotherhood! Also taking part in the 2024 event were BobC, BobbyM, KK, Paula, BrianH, Woody, Ryan, Rick, William, Scott, TonyV, Freddy, Larry, BrianS, TLo, Chrissy, Cuz and champ Darrell.

At the awards celebration 2023 Griffin Cup holder Ryan Marshall surprised a shocked Bob “the mugmaker” Chance by presenting him the 2024 Spirit of the Big – Griffin Cup. I’m sure most will agree there is no bigger gentleman in our special brotherhood. Congrats Bob.

In the final presentation of the evening Fred surrendered the $1 Dead Prez Toilet Bowl trophy to the defending champ from 2023, Ryan Marshall.
A special thank you went out to the incredible job the Food Czar KK and his minions William and Ryan (and certainly everyone else who pitched in) did in making sure the group was well fed. The 2024 event had to be one of the smoothest runs ever. Thanks K.

And in a separate presentation, Rick and Ryan provided TonyLo a brand spanking new, very cool black and silver UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA shirt to wear this year as his red ones I have been providing him for the previous 7 years were looking a little ragged. Dress like a champ, play like a champ TLo. Looking good in the Red n Black, my friend!