The years have flown by since Bo Jackson won the 1985 Heisman Trophy. But that doesn’t mean the former two-way star has lost an iota of aura.
Crowds surround him as Jackson dials up his tee shot on the 10th hole, providing a wide array of well-wishers, autograph seekers and memory makers the chance to catch a glimpse, a snapshot or a word from the former Auburn Tigers legend.
Elsewhere on the course, basketball legend Charles Barkley welcomes second-year Alabama football coach Kalen DeBoer to his state in a sincere moment caught on camera. Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze posed for selfies in between shots and questions about how good his team will be this fall.
On the back patio of the Greystone Golf and Country Club, the SEC Network set up a live television set for its daily programming centerpiece, “The Paul Finebaum Show.” With interviews set up throughout the live 4-hour window, Finebaum welcomed Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats, fresh off back-to-back Elite Eight appearances, for a lively start to the day.
Officially, the events at Greystone Wednesday were part of the annual Drummond Company Celebrity Pro-Am, the first of five days of golf at the Regions Tradition, the first major event on the PGA TOUR Champions schedule.
But to folks at the Tradition and to fans who attend, the celebrity pro-am is much, much more than an exhibition.
In SEC country, this is the end to a molasses-slow offseason. Two months from now, the league will hold its annual media days event, a news-palooza, followed by the start of college football camp mere weeks later.
But that’s what’s down the road.
Wednesday, the legends of the Champions tour took a backseat to the coaches and legendary athletes. But time was well spent for the pros. They got to re-learn the course and practice on as the crowds follow their big-name partners (and amateurs, too).
Starting today, they play four rounds for money. BIG money, and Regions Tradition history.
Just remember, there are now only 107 days left until college football season.
