AJGA stay is uncertain

Mary Alice Murphy has played in the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic three times. She tied for sixth in the event earlier this month.

It may have been her last local American Junior Golf Association event.

The future of the AJGA open event at WindStone Golf Club is in limbo because of economic conditions that are hampering the Ringgold Telephone Co. and other tournament sponsors.

"I'd be sad to see it go," said Murphy, a rising senior at GPS who is in the college recruiting process. "The people have always been wonderful, and they make you feel right at home. It's nice to have a tournament this close to home."

The AJGA and RTC had one-year contracts the past four years after an initial three-year agreement. They are considering a contract for June 2010, but a decision may not be finalized for months.

"We haven't said we definitely are having it, but we haven't said we definitely won't have it," said RTC executive vice president Phil Erli. "We all love it, and I've wondered why somebody in Chattanooga hasn't reached out to help.

"We've got a nationally recognized tour, a volunteer base that's loyal and a course that's one of the highest rated on the AJGA."

The average cost of a title sponsorship for an AJGA event like the Ringgold Telephone Company Junior Classic is about $35,000, according to AJGA Southeast regional director Preston Etheridge, who oversees tournaments in an eight-state area.

Tournaments are able to recoup some expenses through junior-am tourneys or special events such as the Summerset Concert held for the first time this year.

"It's to the point where it costs us more because we do things above and beyond the basics," Erli said. "For a company our size and the situation of everybody, it's just tough.

"We've got employees that we have to worry about, and that comes before something that's a luxury for us."

The RTC Junior Classic has become a staple on the AJGA schedule due to the strong community support from company employees -- who often work the tournament -- and other Ringgold residents.

"You can bank on them every year," Etheridge said. "It's a community deal. Everybody knows why they're doing it, and it's for the right reasons.

"It's a pretty solid tournament."

WindStone officials love having the tournament each year. General manager Tim Gilbert said it's too early to see if the course made a profit from hosting the tournament. But having a restaurant and grill available for the first time couldn't have hurt. Customers gobbled more than 160 pounds of chicken wings on all-you-can-eat Wednesday.

"Leading up to the event, it's almost like a little bit of a rush," Gilbert said. "You're building and building -- like a kid going on vacation to Florida who can't sleep for a few days leading up to it."

The tournament may need a little more financial support to ensure its future in 2010 and beyond. Erli said he has a handshake agreement with the AJGA to get things worked out for next year, but there's no guarantee.

"They have certain requirements and I have limited resources, which is what it comes down to," Erli said. "I have suggested to them that they need to help us locate either another title sponsor or a co-title, so we can afford to do it.

"It's all up in the air."