With the recent closure of the Stephen F. Austin Golf Course, the 36th annual T.J. Mills/Ricky Seals Memorial Golf Tournament needed to be played at a new venue but that made no hindrance on the participation or fundraising efforts.

About 74 golfers headed out to Legendary Oaks Golf Course in Hempstead and raised more than $9,000 for future Sealy High School scholarship winners on what was just another day at the office for booster club president Keith Novicke.

“It’s important to raise money for our school and to keep up the tradition of what (Mills and Seals) did for the programs and our school,” said Novicke. “Thirty-six years into it and we’re just trying to continue the tradition.”

Cortney Janicek, one of the daughters of the late T.J. Mills, also brought up the change in venue but noted the support never wavered.

“We had a successful tournament despite relocating this year and are extremely thankful to all of the hole sponsors, coaches, players and those that donated items and their time,” she said. “We hope to continue to be able to provide scholarships for our Tigers and support our Tiger Booster Club.”

Helping support the Tigers and the booster club were the golfers who competed for the top spot in gross and net totals in four-person groups.

Patricia Walters, Cole Walters, David Diestel and Robby Hollis compiled the best gross score with a 55 to take first prize. Paul Martinez, Bronson Pilcik, Shawn Bard and Johnny Ellis’s gross total of 56 earned them second overall.

For the net rankings, first- through eighth-place finishers were honored and the top spot was taken by Paul White, Lanny White, Stanley Barnes and Dave Alberts with a score of 49.

Brittney Whitehead, Tyler Reichardt, Ryan Moseley and Taurean Cloud was the group that came in second with a net score of 50.3.

Brad Burttschell, Bill Burttschell, Jackson Burttschell and Ryan Svoboda secured third with a 50.5 final net score and Brad Bozeman, Neal Diener, Nick Naida and Caleb Haidusek won fourth overall with a net total of 51.6.

The Norris clan, made up of Billy, Brooks, Brad and Amy, took home a fifth-place finish with a net score of 51.8 and behind them was the team made up of Keith Novicke, Jeff Kovar, Barry Wolf and Chris Carruthers who scored a net of 52 to come in sixth.

Dane Ellis, Dana Ellis, Pennee Hall and Dustin Wernecke compiled a score of 52.8 for seventh and Jared Janicek, Jillian Janicek, Kasey Mills and Justin Pickett rounded out the top eight with a total of 53.2.