The Magnolia Manor golf team consisting of Ty Kinslow, Steven Avant and Chandler Studdard captured first place and “Red Jackets” with a score of 46 at the 11th annual South Georgia Technical College Jets Booster Club Sparky Reeves Golf Classic Tournament at the Griffin Bell Golf and Conference Center in Americus, Georgia. Magnolia Manor finished second last year.
There was a two-way tie for first place with identical 46 scores but a regression tie scoring option on Hole 18 allowed Magnolia Manor to capture the win. Synovus finished in second place with 46 and their team members included: Emory Parker, Greg Downs, and Chad Denham.
The Oakbridge Insurance team of Kevin Brown, Bray Bishop, and Devin Gordon shot a 47 to capture third place. Wade Trawick and Allen House both captured “Closest to Pin” awards. Trawick won for hole 6 and House captured the title on hole 9. Leslie Padley and Bray Bishop won the “longest drive” awards. Padley won on hole 3 and Bishop on hole 6.
A total of thirty teams participated this year and there were 43 hole sponsors. The tournament was a three-person scramble which featured a shotgun start and special “Sparky” rules.
SGTC Athletic Director Jason Carpenter kicked off the tournament by welcoming everyone to the tournament and thanking them for their support of the Jets and Lady Jets basketball teams and the athletic program.
Dr. John Watford, President of South Georgia Technical College, followed and talked about the legacy that former SGTC President Sparky Reeves had left on the college, the community, and the athletic program and thanked everyone for their support. “We all appreciate what Sparky Reeves has done for South Georgia Tech and this community and this is a great way to support and give back to the Jets and Lady Jets basketball teams. We appreciate each of you for what you mean to the athletic program and to the college.”
Kevin L. Reeves, son of SGTC President Emeritus Sparky Reeves, also thanked everyone for participating. “On behalf of Dad and our entire family, we thank you for your support today and over the past years. Many of you have played here all 11 years. Dad loved our family, South Georgia Technical College and the Jets and Lady Jets intercollegiate athletic teams. This golf tournament was his way of giving back to the SGTC athletic program,” said Reeves.
The first tournament was held in 2015 and was planned to honor retiring President Sparky Reeves. He had been a driving force behind the success of the nationally recognized intercollegiate Jets and Lady Jets basketball program during his 11-year tenure as President of the prestigious two-year institution. The tournament was named in his honor in recognition of his leadership and support of athletics at South Georgia Technical College. This was the 11th annual tournament and nearly $120,000 has been raised to support the Jets and Lady Jets Athletic teams. This year, the tournament raised nearly $13,000 in support of the athletic program.
Even though President Reeves has passed own, his spirit, enthusiasm, and love was felt as individuals quoted some of his favorite sayings such as “Big Time,” “Every Day is Special,” and “Sparky Strong.” In addition to Kevin Reeves and his wife Jenny; Sparky and Allene Reeves’ daughter and son-in-law, Mandy and Ryan Young, were all present at the tournament to thank individuals for the support.
The teams that signed up for the tournament this year included 16 BIG TIME Package sponsors. Those were: the Sparky Reeves Team; Magnolia Manor, Dan Torbert team; Lumature Wealth Partners, Parker’s Heating and Air, GSW Foundation, Sumter Broadcasting, South Georgia Technical College Foundation and Dr. John Watford’s team, Pineland Communications, Phoebe Sumter Hospital, Brandon Horne with McNaughton-McKay Electric team, First Methodist Church of Americus, Mitsubishi Electric, Synovus, Citizen’s Bank, and Imerys. Other teams participating included: Sam Hunter Team, Ginger Starlin State Farm, Martha Arrington, Alfa Insurance, Stone River Spa, JW Werling, Jimmy Windham, Tree toppers, Miller, House & Gregory, Oakbridge Insurance – Kevin Brown, Perry Brothers Oil Company, The Fore Fathers, Mike Donnelly Team, Accelerated Physical Therapy, Georgia Power, Century 21, and Austin Urethane.
This was the 11th annual Sparky Reeves Golf Classic Tournament. Last year, The Ginger Starlin State Farm golf team consisting of Payne, Jarrod and Peyton Sells captured first place and “Red Jackets” with a score of 45. In 2023, the “Sparky Reeves team” of Kevin Reeves, Brian Simmons and Stan Gann won. The Magnolia Manor team of Ty Kinslow, Steven Avant, and Bradley Kitchens won the tournament in 2022 and the Peterson team of Chandler Studdard, Corey Stallings, and Bray Bishop won the 2021 tournament. The Synovus team led by Buddy Guth, Jason Evans, and Jodie Hayes won the 2020 tournament and TSG took first place in the 2019 tournament with Brandon Horne, Kory Hobbs and Gatewood Ledbetter. The Georgia Southwestern State University Foundation was the 2018 tournament champion. Karl Booker and the Harrod Tree team won in 2017 and 2016 and the Hooks Agency was the winner in the inaugural tournament in 2015.
In addition to the teams who participated in the tournament, the hole sponsors that supported the event included: Dan Torbert, Magnolia Manor, Riccardi General Dentistry, Sharad Patel family, Randy Jones family, Perry Brothers Oil Company, Barry and Tami Blount, Lumature Wealth Partners, Parker’s Heating & Air, Easterlin Pecan Company, The Baldwin Agency, Janis Webb, Mike Cheokas; Gatewood, Skiipper, Rambo & Moore, PC; GSW Foundation, Sumter Broadcasting, Sparky Reeves Team, Imerys, Sherrell Bailey, Parker’s Heating and Air, South Georgia Technical College, Pineland Communication, Accelerated Physical Therapy, Citizens Bank, Tree toppers, Synovus Bank, Mitsubishi Electric, Clinic Drug Store, Kinnebrew company, Ellis and Linnie Gilliam; Brothers & Little Sisters of Pi Kappa Phi – Dick and Brenda Robbins; Austin Urethane, Phoebe Sumter, McNaughton-McKay Electric, Horne Pecan Company, Pickle Constrction, Sumter EMC, First Methodist Church of Americus, James Frey, and Café Campesino.