Three-way team finish highlights Ralph Tournament

The 19th annual Ralph Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament, aka The Ralph was held Friday, August 30, at The Ridges at Village Creek State Park and ended in a three-way tie for first place.

The Allen Perry and Friends Team, the Thompson Foundation and the Wyneebased Van Baker and Co.

Each of the three teams carded a 15 under par round of 56 in the four-man scramble format played at the 27-hole course, only the second time the tournament has been played at a course other than the Forrest City Country Club. The tournament was played one year at West Memphis.

Perry's team was given the first place nod following a card off to break the three-way tie with Thompson Foundation finishing second and the Van Baker team third.

The tournament drew 10, four man teams, not as many as the 2019 tournament drew but still managed to garner the attention of those in attendance to watch the tournament.

The tournament was not held in 2020 due to the Covid 19 virus precautions.

This year's tournament did not use the Net and Gross scoring method, which in the past has produced a first place tournament team in each of those two scoring formats.

Additionally this year there was not a state tournament berth at stake for the winning teams.

The tournament is named in honor of Ralph Thompson, the father of John Thompson, and has been played each year to raise money to benefit the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) as well as other organizations.

"It is really about the FCA and people coming together and being able to do something positive for the local youth," Thompson, a Forrest City native now living in the Atlanta area, said during a recent interview. "We want to do what we can to give the youth a positive direction for what lies ahead of them. Many people, including local coaches, have joined in this endeavor to make this work. And those people return each year to work this tournament. 100 percent of the money raised from this tournament goes directly to FCA."