Wade Phillips used to come to Beaumont to play in the Babe Didrikson Zaharias golf tournament way back when he was an assistant coach with the Houston Oilers in the late 1970s. He’ll be coming back next weekend as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

And he’ll be bringing a football that he will sign and personalize for whoever buys it in the sports auction that’s been the lifeblood of what is now the 31st annual Babe Didrikson Zaharias/Holiday Inn Beaumont Plaza tourney at Brentwood County Club.

Phillips’ confirmation that he’ll attend and participate in the golf tournament was one of two positive enhancements event chairman W.L. Pate Jr., has received in recent weeks. The other was that Valero is contributing $10,000, with $5,000 earmarked for women’s athletics at Lamar-Beaumont and the other $5,000 going to the women’s program at Lamar State College-Port Arthur.

The tournament, over the years, has raised close to a million dollars for the Babe Zaharias Foundation, with much of that going to endowed scholarships for women’s golf program at Lamar. A portion of this year’s contribution is also headed to scholarships for fifth-year athletes and for summer school expenses for female athletes.

Phillips football is one of many auction auctions that will be up for grabs Saturday night, May 24, at the Beaumont Plaza Holiday Inn. There will be golf packages for the Four Seasons at Las Colinas, the Redstone Tournament Course in Houston and South Padre Island, among others.

Also up for bid is a package to the World Golf Hall of Fame, four tickets to next year’s U.S. Open, a Titleist 3-wood used in competition by Senior PGA Tour pro Bruce Lietzke, packages to Astros games, casino weekends and numerous other trips.

The tournament, which features a women’s flight and up to five men’s flights, is played in a partnership format, with best ball competition on Saturday and scramble on Sunday. Entry fee is $350 per team, and includes a shirt, a Hawaiian Luau for two on Friday night, cocktails and dinner for two, along with the auction on Saturday night, and a Sunday night cocktails and dinner for two at a Sunday night awards ceremony.

Golfers can enter by going to www.babedidriksonzahrias.org and following the prompts. Any questions should be directed to Pate at 833-4514.

CHIP SHOTS: Chris Stroud broke out of his recent slump long enough to get through U.S. Open local qualifying at Marietta Country Club in Kennesaw, Ga on Monday. Stroud shot a one-over par 71, wound up in a 5-way playoff for four places and birdied the first hole. He now advances to the Sectional Qualifier the first week in June in Memphis. The former Lamar All-America is playing in this week’s PGA AT&T Classic in Duluth, Ga . . . I’ve received word of holes in one made by Jimmy Fetters (No. 7) and Tom Lawton (No. 8) but no details. Anybody who can provide the club used and witnesses, please e-mail me at rdwest@usa.net . . . Norm Shannon holed a 56-degree wedge on the par 4, 6th and went on to shoot a net 64 to win the Monday Seniors at Belle Oaks Golf Club. Gene Harrison was second at 67 and Norm Pasche third with a 68. Jim Silvernail (No. 8) and Pasche (15) were closest to the hole winners . . . The Senior Game at The Patch was played in a two-ball format and won at minus 7 by the team of Gerald Huebel, Gary Tompkins, Adam Noel and Allen Suire. Second place at minus 6 went to the team of Jimmy Fetters, Don MacNeil, Ron Theriot and Paul Duplantis . . . The Senior 65 Plus Game at Babe Zaharias was played in a Florida Scramble Format, with the team of Art Lecoq, Tommy Holland, Curtis Lee and Paul Brown winning at minus 11. The foursome of Jim Burden, George Besse, Harold Wilkinson and Charlie Macha placed second at minus 9. Third at minus 8 was the team of John Fong, Bob French, Paul Bourgeois and Tommy Linder. Closest to the pin winners were Fong (No. 7, No. 15) and Gary Wagner (No. 2) . . . Roger Baumer shot a net 66 to edge Butch Strange by two strokes in The Palms at Pleasure Island Wednesday Senior Tournament. Frank Assunto and Joe Bennett tied for third with 71s. Closest to the pin winners were Bennett (No. 11) and Strange (No. 14) . . . Reggie Bunyard fired a net 62 to win the Friday Seniors at Belle Oaks. Norm Pasche and Robert Bunyard tied for third with 67s. Pasche was closest to the hole winner on No. 15 . . . Clint Landry and Jeremy Grant teamed for a 60 to win The Palms Men’s Golf Association 2-man best ball event played with full handicap. Roy Martinez-George Broussard finished second at 61. Three was a three-way tie at 64 between Butch Strange-Mark Lee, Ray Trahan-Joe Landry and Joe Lunceford-Hollis Whorton. Closest to the hole winners were Grant (No. 2), Martinez (No. 7), Strange (No. 11) and Trahan (No. 14) . . . The Babe Zaharias DogFight was played in a two-man scramble format. John Williams-Rick Pritchett won first flight with a 63, David Arnaud-Kenneth Belaire prevailed in second flight with a 69, Ross Kressman-Buddy Silcox took third flight with a 70 and Jimmy Thompson-Rick Overstreet claimed fourth flight with a 76. Closest to the hole winners were Gary Fontenot (No. 2), Larry Johnson (No. 7), Thompson (No. 12) and Jim Cooper (No. 15) . . . The Belle Oaks DogFight was won by the team of Richard Briggs, Tom Lawton, Gary Fontenot and Roger Baumer at 18&7. Second at 17&4 was the team of Hilario Padia, Larry Thompson, Gene Harrison and Charlie Huckaby. Closest to the pin winners were Richard Briggs (No. 8) and Scotty Ray (No. 15) . . . The team of Timmy Abshire, Jim Burden, Arvie Young and Tom Sterling won the Bayou Din DogFight at 21&10. Second at 18&5 was the foursome of Lou Huebel, Pete Reobroi, Red Brown and Jobie Irvine.

Golf news should be faxed to 724-6854 or e-mailed to rdwest@usa.net