Nov 22
Aug 09, 2019
The 29th annual Bud Cooper Memorial Golf Classic in support of Lake Superior State University men’s basketball team was held on August 4 at the Sault Ste. Marie Country Club. Participation this year was close to 100 players.
“The Bud Cooper Classic continues to have an immense impact on our program,“ notes LSSU men’s basketball Head Coach Steven Hettinga. “The tournament has grown each and every year. It has been a great opportunity for us to raise money, but more than that, the Bud Cooper Memorial Golf Classic has served as a great community event.”
Participant Tom Boothby not only attained his long-time bucket list item of landing a hole-in-one, but this achievement also led to him taking home top prizes of a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer from Rodenroth Motors and a 2019 Ram 1500 from O’Connor’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep. As both dealerships had insured hole #3, and no other golfer shot a hole-in-one on it, Tom took home both vehicles.
“After my disappointing pre-work, we headed over to hole #3,” an elated Boothby recalled. “With no thought or practice swings, I just grip-it-and-rip-it. The ball took a beautiful flight path that ended in two hops onto the green and disappeared.” Moments later, #3 hole witnesses, LSSU men’s basketball players Xander Okerlund and Ashton Sherrell, raised the goal post sign indicating Tom had indeed landed a hole-in-one!
Tom attributes this win to his son and number one caddy, Oliver, and his “good luck hug”. While his dad was preparing to shoot, Oliver exclaimed, “Daddy I forgot to give you a good luck hug!” In the end, Tom was glad his son was able to experience the day with him. “I am just glad that Oliver was able to be a part of it and that I got that good luck hug. Without it, I would probably have put it in the pond.”
The Bud Cooper Memorial Golf Classic is named in honor of Ronald “Bud” Cooper, the late Laker student-athlete, coach, and athletic director. Cooper devoted hours of his time since retirement in 1986 to raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to support athletics, scholarships, and renovation initiatives at Lake State. Bud’s spirit continues to stay alive and benefit LSSU, its programs, and the surrounding community year after year.
Lake Superior State University is Michigan’s most affordable public university with One-Rate at Lake State tuition for all. Surrounded by three Great Lakes, LSSU is an unsurpassed location for research, focusing on real-world experiences. Well known for programs such as business, fisheries and wildlife management, engineering, nursing, criminal justice, and fire science; Lake State is also leading the way with innovative new programs, including cannabis chemistry and cannabis business. For more information, visit LSSU.edu.