PITTSBORO - Area golfers hit a hole-in-one on behalf of educational opportunity with the first Central Carolina Community College Foundation Chatham Golf Classic.

The April 16 event, held at The Preserve at Jordan Lake Golf Club, attracted 50 golfers who combined fun with the serious goal of fundraising. Approximately $10,000 was raised, which will be used by the Foundation primarily for scholarships to assist CCCC students who need financial help in paying for their college education.

"The first CCCC Chatham tournament was an enjoyable event - even for those of us who are not good golfers," said George Lucier, Foundation board member and tournament chair. "We are enthusiastic about making it an annual event. We thank all those who participated and we look forward to even more participation next year. The Preserve was a great host for the tournament and we also thank [all those] that made the event a success."

Since 1989, the Foundation has hosted an annual Golf Classic in Lee County, raising funds for scholarships and other financial assistance. During that time, more than $500,000 has been raised and hundreds of students assisted.

In 2014, for the first time, the Foundation is hosting three Golf Classics, one in each of the counties in the college's service area: Chatham, Harnett and Lee. The Harnett Golf Classic was held March 29 and also raised approximately $10,000. The Lee County Golf Classic will be held in September.

The Chatham Golf Classic was a four-person team Captain's Choice Flighted competition, with players flighted based on their handicaps.

The winners, team scores, and sponsors were:

First Flight

First place: 60 - Kevin Pearson, Brad Wicker and Jonathan Hockaday, all of Lee County, sponsored by Chatham Park Investors;

Second Place: 61 - Josh Lee, Mark McBee, Jerry Kidd and Ken Kendra, all of Chatham County, sponsored by Moody, Williams, Roper, and Lee Attorneys;

Third Place: 62 - John Pridgen, Bud Hare, Steve Carter and Deane Hundley, all of Lee County, sponsored by Welford Harris.

Second Flight:

First Place: 68 - Pat Cochran, Jason Crabtree, Fred Flowers and Ken Edins, all of Chatham County, sponsored by Pat Cochran;

Second Place: 71 - Bill Millholen, Terry Andrews, Steve Palmer and Henry Smith, all of Chatham County, sponsored by Basic Machinery;

Third Place: 72 - C.K. Mowry, Clyde Miller, Charlie Rausch and Mike Johnson, all of Chatham County, sponsored by State Farm agent Sara Donaldson.

John Pridgen took the prize for the longest drive on hole 9 and Josh Lee won the putting contest. Jeff Baker won closest to the pin on hole 17, just 2 inches from the hole.

The CCCC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization affiliated with, but independent of, the college. It receives donations of money and equipment on behalf of CCCC and uses them to promote the educational mission of the college and assist students through scholarships and grants.

For information about the Foundation, donating to it, establishing a scholarship, or other fund-raising events, contact Emily Hare, director of the CCCC Foundation and Development Office, 919-718-7230, or ehare@cccc.edu; or Jonathan Hockaday, 919-718-7231 or jhockaday@cccc.edu. Information is also available at the CCCC Foundation website, www.cccc.edu/foundation.