Success, albeit on the golf course or in a wire and cable plant, depends on planning and execution, and the organizers of Southeast Chapter’s 22nd annual golf tournament did a commendable job to ensure that its 22nd annual tournament (the date had to be changed) was a success.

A total of 83 players took part at the Sept. 12 event, held at the Rock Barn Golf & Spa in Conover, North Carolina. The tournament—called the Vannais Outing in memory of the late Stephen Vannais, who was a founding member and president of the chapter—saw a tie between two teams.

The 2023 Vannais Outing winning team was Travis Card, William Godwin, Andrew Godwin and Paul Godwin, all of Technical Development Corp., who finished 14 under par. Coming in second, with the same score, was the team of CommScope’s Eric Ellwanger, Jimmy Lail and Trev Raymond, and Sikora’s Todd Hudson. The course golf pro determined the winner by comparing the scorecards consistent with PGA rules.

Those same rules were applied in determining the third-place winners of Tim McElhany of Process Controls and CommScope’s Jason Marrow, David Cabe and Ricky Rudisill.

One skills test winner who deserves singling out was the winner of the Most Accurate Drive, sponsored by Sikora on Hole 7 on the Jackson Course. Chapter President John Dognazzi said that Kendal Deep of Sonoco Reels will go down in WAI Chapter lore for achieving what is believed to be the first ever hole-in-one at a Southeast Chapter golf tourney. There was no doubt that Deep’s mighty swing would not soon be forgotten.

“Kendal was low key about his hole-in-one, but his foursome and the field knew it was something special in that it was a par four,” Dognazzi said. “Yes, a par four hole 7 on the Jackson Course, that was playing at 262 yards. It put an exclamation point on the fun day and a new standard for the long-standing Sikora most accurate drive contest.”

Fetteroll praised the Southeast Chapter’s Board of Directors for their commitment to the event. He also thanked Tim McElhany (now retired from Process Controls), who he said has been a guiding force for the Chapter since its formation.

Dognazzi and McElhaney both thanked all the sponsors who helped make the event possible. Those include Carris Reels Inc., Charter Steel, Commission Brokers Inc., Gateway Recovery Inc., Gem Gravure Co. Inc., GEON, Henderson Sales & Service Inc., LS Cable & System, M. Holland, Magnum Mfg. LLC, The MGS Group, Sikora, Sonoco Reels, Sonoco Plastics, Specialty Cable Corp, Teknikor, Traxit North America LLC, Windak Group and Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp.

The sponsorships are a key contributor to the chapter’s scholarship program.