What You Missed at the Dallas Chapter’s 2013 Get Teed Off at OU Classic
With a shot from Smokey the Cannon, the Dallas Chapter’s 26th-annual Get Teed Off at OU Golf Classic kicked off bright and early yesterday at Firewheel Golf Park in Garland, Texas. The event—one of the chapter’s largest fundraisers—marks the start of the Texas-OU Red River Rivalry weekend in Dallas and draws nearly 400 Texas Exes to the course each year. This year’s tournament was no exception, with a nearly sold-out crowd of 370 golfers all ready to help raise money for Texas Exes scholarships.
“Our goal is twofold,” explains tournament chair Matt Garcia, BBA ’04, Life Member. “We want to raise money for the Dallas Chapter’s scholarship fund, but it’s also an opportunity for fans across the state to come into Dallas a few days early. It’s a mini-reunion for a lot of people, coming together with alumni and friends from college.”
From appearances by Longhorn great Vince Young, BS ’13, Life Member, to BMW giveaways, here’s a look at what you missed at this year’s Get Teed Off at OU Classic.
Playing with UT celebrities
This year’s list of event attendees read like a Who’s Who of Longhorn legends. Co-captain of the championship-winning 1963 football team and former UT head coach David McWilliams, BA ’64, Life Member, traded a pigskin for a golf club at yesterday’s tournament. He was joined by fellow UT football alums Roy Williams, Sloan Thomas, and B.J. Johnson (all pictured above).
Recent grad and Rose Bowl-winning quarterback Vince Young also made the trip to Dallas for the event, where he happily posed for pictures with avid Texas fans like Ryan Ellis, BS ’03, JD ’07 (right).
Winning awesome prizes
From flights on American Airlines to bottles of Johnny Walker Blue Label whiskey and a set of Nike Irons, the day’s winners were treated to quite the haul. Even a brand-new BMW was up for grabs, though no one managed to hit the hole-in-one needed to walk away with the keys. Golfers were rewarded for longest drive, straightest drive, closest to the pin, and more. Raffle and scratch-off tickets came in handy for those whose play that day was less than award-worthy. There was also one not-so-awesome prize, however: the unfortunate last-place team walked away with “the Dead @$$ Last Award,” a bobblehead donkey trophy. (We won’t tell you which part was doing the bobbling.)
Former Dallas Cowboy and CBS 11 news anchor Babe Laufenberg returned for another year as emcee of the closing ceremony, announcing the award winners over the noise of the rowdy crowd. Though he couldn’t quite manage to quiet the excited group of Texas Exes, Laufenberg deserves credit for managing to make it through the evening without breaking a glass trophy; We can’t say the same about last year.
Honoring Texas’ finest
Each year, the Get Teed Off at OU tournament names one former UT great as honorary chairman. Longhorns including Darrell K Royal, Tom Landry, and last year’s recipient DeLoss Dodds have all been given the honor. This year’s award went to former UT head coach Fred Akers, Life Member, who led the Texas football team from 1977-1986 after Royal retired. Under Akers’ direction, the Longhorns had two undefeated seasons, and Earl Campbell earned the coveted Heisman Trophy.
“There’s a lot to your will,” Akers (pictured above with members of the Dallas Chapter) said to the crowd of golfers before hitting the course himself. “The will to win will disappear without support. Let’s make sure we’re behind all of our players and coaches when we hit the field out there.”
Get Teed Off at OU founder Ken Capps, BJ ’82, Life Member, presented Akers with a vintage Red River Rivalry poster (right) from Texas’ win over Oklahoma in 1977—a game that Akers coached.
“This has been a great experience for me,” Akers said.
Giving back to UT through scholarships
“Over the past 26 years, we’ve raised well over a million dollars, thanks to all of you coming out year after year,” Dallas Chapter president Matt Enzler, BBA ’02, Life Member, announced at the tournament’s opening ceremony. Last year’s event raised about $75,000, making it the chapter’s largest scholarship revenue generator behind its annual Scholarship Dinner. Tournament proceeds from entry fees, raffle tickets, scratch-offs, and donations all contribute to the Dallas Chapter’s scholarship fund.
This year’s proceeds will go toward the final installment of the chapter’s Forty Acres Scholarships, which will provide full rides to two UT students.
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