The annual Armed Forces Cup started with an homage to the military, Tuesday morning, covered by Fox Sports, by an organization devoted to sportsmanship and solidarity.
Champions Retreat Golf Club is hosting the Veteran Golfers Association’s (VGA) yearly competition for the second year in a row, with players and spectators having arrived by 8 a.m.
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The event began at 8:20 a.m. with an opening ceremony highlighting the branches of the armed forces. Players, representing the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard, stood in formation, behind their team captains, each team flanked by the flag of their respective branches.
A guard of Fort Eisenhower service members from each force presented the colors. A violinist played the Star-Spangled Banner. A video presentation played the Armed Forces Medley — comprised of each branches’ official march song.
Still at attention, many of the players sang along.
The ceremony concluded with an airborne demonstration: three paratroopers jumped from a plane that had been circling overhead, streaming flags and landing on the green before the spectators.
“I never thought it would get to 20,000-plus members,” said Joe Caley, a local retired Army lieutenant and a co-founder of VGA. Caley’s interest in golf began in 2010, after the Wounded Warriors Project invited him to that year’s Masters Tournament. A year before that, Caley had been sent home from Iraq after a traumatic injury.
He and current CEO Josh Peyton launched the non-profit in 2014 to support wounded vets and their families. The nonprofit hosts some 1,300 tournaments nationwide.
The Armed Forces Cup is a Ryder-cup styled championship competition between service branch teams, representing the top point-earners in each region.
The VGA, and events such as the Armed Forces Cup, provides the camaraderie and sense of cooperation vets experienced while serving in the military, explains Bob Peele, chairman of its board of directors.
“All these guys know that 22 veterans commit suicide every day… and that’s a negative motivation, but it’s the facts,” said Peele, noting that strong connections forged between team members throughout its various competitions. “It gives them a sense of purpose and direction, and happiness.”
The Armed Forces Cup will continue at Champions Retreat through Wednesday. For more information on the VGA, visit www.vgagolf.org.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
