3rd annual Chief Tim Molnes Scholarship golf tournament raises funds

By BRITTANY FHOLER

Cove Leader-Press

Nearly 60 golfers turned out to play in the third annual Chief Tim Molnes Scholarship Golf Tournament held Saturday morning at the Hills of Cove Golf Course.

The tournament was started three years ago as a way to honor the late police chief while raising money for a good cause.

Molnes joined the Copperas Cove Police Department on January 7, 1980 and reached the position of Chief of Police by July 1999, where he dedicated his life to Copperas Cove until his death following his battle with cancer on May 30, 2016.

“We were trying to think of ways where we could try and continue his legacy, all the great things that he did for the community, and we thought what better way than to tie it into a scholarship because, you know, he really did things that were programmed towards our youth in the community,” said Chief of Police Eddie Wilson.

Molnes started the Law Enforcement Explorer Program, which is one of the CCPD’s most successful programs in the city.

The first year of the tournament, in 2017, saw about 20 teams, as did the second year, Wilson said. The first round of scholarships was handed out in 2018, when the Chief Tim Molnes Scholarship Fund awarded four $1,000 and two $500 scholarships to McKenna Miller, Stefani Vassar, Marcus Ortiz, Addison Cook, Noah Luna and Ariana Wilson. Ortiz joined Chief Wilson, Alex Wilson and Elle Fox on the Clear Creek Meadows II team for the tournament Saturday morning.

The second tournament, held in 2018, raised money for seven $1,000 scholarships awarded in 2019 to Kristen Wasiak, Abbie Wardlow, Elaine Armstrong, Connor Hayes, Dylan Orr, Steele Straley and Alyssa Moncada.  

“It’s going to give them a really great head start, and it looks like we’re going to be able to at least equal that this upcoming year for the seniors that will be graduating next year,” Wilson said to the players before the tournament started. “And it’s all due to you guys coming out, playing and supporting us. All the businesses that contributed through sponsorships- the outpouring of support has been phenomenal as always. It’s our third year and every year we seem to do a little bit better.”

Sponsors of the tournament included Clear Creek Meadows, VFW Post 8577 and BSP Engineers. 

Saturday’s tournament saw 15 teams with four players per team for a four-person scramble.

Men 59 years old and younger played from the white tee, ages 60-74 played from the green tee, 75 and older could play from the red tee but were not required to, and women played from the red tees as well. Saturday’s game saw a two-putt rule and double bogey max to help with pace of play.

Hole prizes included closest to the pin on holes 5 and 17, a long drive on hole 1 and hole in one challenge hole on hole 10- winner gets a set of irons.

Tickets for the tournament were $100 per player. Each player received a Bridgestone gap wedge golf club plus breakfast provided by Chick-fil-A and lunch provided by C&H Hawaiian Grill. A portion of the entry fee and 100 percent of the raffle ticket proceeds will go towards the scholarship fund for next year.

Several teams were sponsored by local businesses, with two Clear Creek Meadows teams, the Jimmy Clark Homes team, which included Morgan Rogers, Martin Ruiz, Bryan Ruiz and Coryell County Commissioner Precinct 4 Ray Ashby and the Autocar team with Interim City Manager Ryan Haverlah, Todd Fox, Jamie Duncan and John Chastang. Deputy Chief Jeff Stoddard, his wife Trish Stoddard and Deputy Chief Brian Wyers were on the Endeavor team with Rick Counter. Chong Crawford was on the C&C Sports team with Jee Yong Shim, Kyong Eagan and Meoh McNally, with all of the women wearing coordinating red and white outfits. From the National Mounted Warfare Foundation, Bob Crouch and Clarence Enochs joined Copperas Cove Public Information Officer Kevin Keller and Patrick Reed. Other teams included Team Hattaway, Team Schultz, Team Essenberg, Team Dunlap, Team Hare, Team Schwausch, Team BSP 1 and Team BSP 2.

Wilson estimated approximately 58 people showed up to participate in this year’s tournament.

“This is the real fun part because we get to see the fruits of our labor, but this has been about a four- or five-month process getting to this point,” Wilson said. “So, this is special seeing the people come out and be a part of this, but what’s really special is the front end when you’re reaching out to different organizations and different businesses and just the overwhelming support that they give to the police department and the scholarship program.”

Raffle prizes included bottles of wine, pocket knives, travel cups, gift certificates to Whataburger, McAlister’s Deli, Altitude Trampoline Park, Domino’s, Pacific Tanning, a Chick-fil-A gift basket complete with golf balls, a Cinergy Cinemas gift basket, a Tito’s Vodka gift basket, Hank’s Tire Pros shirts and gift certificates, three certificates for complimentary tire rotation and balance at Discount Tire, a bucket full of auto detailing accessories from Autocar and a basket of little bottles of wine.

The more sought after raffle prizes included certificates for rounds of golf from the Sun City Texas Golf Club near Georgetown, the Vaaler Creek Golf Club in Blanco, Trophy Club Country Club in Trophy Club, Wildflower Country Club in Temple, Cottonwood Creek Golf Course in Waco, Blackhawk Golf Club in Pflugerville, Riverchase Golf Club in Coppell, Hancock Park Golf Course in Lampasas and the Hills of Cove Golf Course in Copperas Cove, as well as a one night stay at the Horseshoe Bay Resort in Horseshoe Bay with one round of golf at any of the three Robert Trent Jones Sr. golf courses.

Raffle tickets were $5 each or five for $20.

The total amount of money raised through Saturday’s tournament was not available at press time.