LUMBERTON — Brothers Clif and Drew Bullard had a lot of help on Thursday as they honored their father, a former Lumberton mayor, and raised money for one of his longtime loves, Robeson Community College and its foundation.
The 34th annual Clifford Bullard Memorial Tournament, which was played at Pinecrest Country Club, was blessed with nice fall weather, plenty of good eats from the Bullards’ Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q restaurants, and about 100 golfers willing to tee it up for an effort that would raise $25,000 for the foundation this year, building the total to about $300,000 over the tournament’s lifetime.
Helping out were Bruce Mullis, the tournament director; Rebekah Revels Lowry, the foundation’s executive director; and several of Clif’s fraternity brothers from Pi Kappa Alpa at the University of North Carolina.
But the headliners were Phil Ford and Al Wood, all-American basketball players at UNC; Billy Carter and Lumberton native Woody Coley, who also played for Dean Smith’s basketball teams; and Scott Smith, the legendary coach’s son. Ford was the second pick in the NBA draft in 1978, and Wood the fourth pick in 1981.
They spent the time leading up to the start of play sharing smiles and shaking hands with people who wanted to meet them, including at least a couple of golfers attired in N.C. State red.
Ford and Wood, who both played in NCAA championship games, were happy to chase a smaller ball for a good cause.
“My dad grew up in Marietta so I have a lot of family in Lumberton, Fairmont, Marietta,” said Ford, UNC’s second all-time leading scorer and famous for running Smith’s famed Four Corners, “and I remember coming down here as a child for family reunions and funerals. Any time I have a chance to come down here and help someone, especially this area, I see it as an honor.
“It’s a perfect opportunity to lend a helping hand to fellow Americans. As Christians, this is what we are supposed to do, is not do what we can do for ourselves, but what we can do for others. This is a perfect example of that.”
Wood, who knows his way around the golf course as he plays to a single-digit handicap, was happy for a reunion. He roomed with Carter while they were at UNC.
“It’s always good to see my former teammates, and it’s always good to do something for the community,” said Wood, who is a church pastor in Charlotte. “When I was in high school and my home burned down, and a lot of people came out to help us, and that meant a lot for us. This means a lot to the people here and we are glad to be here for a small part.”
Carter had the same sharing spirit.
“I grew up here in North Carolina, Phil grew up here and Al is a transplant, but any time we can do something to help out people in North Carolina we try to do it,” he said. “We’re good friends with Clif Bullard and we understand the devastation the flood brought, and if we can bring attention to help raise some money, I’d be glad to do it.”
Johnny McKee, a Lumberton native whose recently deceased father was a longtime Pinecrest CC member and a member of the golf team at UNC in the late 1950s, helped deliver the all-star team. McKee, a UNC grad, now lives in Greensboro, where Carter lives.
The four played together in the superball event, and carded an 8-under-par 64, far behind the winning score of 18-under-par, which was posted by Donnie Beck, Larry McNeill, Trey Martin and Ronnie Hunt. After Wood and Ford finished, they lingered to shake some more hands and share some stories.
More than once the question was heard, “Is that Phil Ford?” The question was followed quickly with a handshake and a cellphone photo.
Money was raised in a variety of manners, including a raffle, 50-50 drawing, and the auctioning of a Carolina basketball with Ford’s signature.
Lowry, a former Miss North Carolina, said the money raised will be put to good use.
”We’re so grateful to the Bullard family for their continued and generous support,” she said. “The money they help us raise has helped and will continue to help many students in Robeson County.”
Mullis is the longtime director of the tournament, and does the work to bring it together.
”We are thankful to our golfing community and friends of RCC for another successful golf tournament allowing us to assist our students with scholarship support,” he said.
Clif said he and his brother Drew are committed to helping the college, but also Lumberton and Robeson County, where they both were raised. They were were winners, playing on separate teams that each carded a 57, with Drew’s team winning in a card playoff.
“My dad loved RCC,” Clif said. “We just wanted to help the community and college with some scholarships when he started the tournament out at Cliffwood. Drew and I wanted to help out Robeson County and Lumberton because this is home and it will always be home.”
