Dallas Cowboys coach Wade Phillips proved to be a big hit, as well as providing a financial boost to the 31st annual Babe Didrikson Zaharias/Holiday Inn Beaumont Plaza golf tournament at Brentwood Country Club in Beaumont over the Memorial Day weekend.

Phillips signed scores of autographs on footballs and photographs, seemingly posed for a picture with every golfer and Cowboy fan at the social functions, donated to the sports auction and wound up being the event’s big spender when he paid $2,300 for a golf/hotel package to the Four Seasons at Las Colinas.

He also spent $700 on a Lamar University Red Room Party at the Montagne Center, which includes 20 tickets to a Lamar men’s and women’s basketball game, with drinks and hors d’oeuveres before the game, personalized a Cowboys football for a buyer who paid $500 and gave four tickets to the Cowboys-Redskins game at FedExField to tie in to a Washington D.C. golf package.

And, despite having played golf only once in the past year, the son of a Bum hit several good shots, made some putts and teamed with Grayson West to finish sixth in First Flight. But it was left up to his wife, Laurie, to deliver the funniest moment of the weekend.

Tournament chairman W.L. Pate, leading up to the auction, was talking about how he’d played against Wade’s Port Neches-Groves team when he was a quarterback at French High School in Beaumont. “I was just wondering if anybody else in this room besides me has been tackled by Wade?” Pate said.

As necks twisted to look around the room and see, one arm shot up in the air. It belonged to the former Laurie Nunez.

“I can’t say enough about what Wade did for our tournament just by being here,” said Pate, who later would make a check presentation of $21,000 to the Babe Zaharias Foundation. The bulk of the money, and Pate said he’s anticipating as much as $9,000 more, is earmaked for women’s scholarships at Lamar University.

Phillips, by the way, was the not only football coach playing in the tournament. New Lamar boss Ray Woodard also participated as Pate’s partner. He, too, made a lot of friends with his outgoing personality and sense of humor.

CHIPS SHOTS: Ralph Childress of Taylor Landing shot down one of the rarest big birds in golf Monday afternoon when he bagged a double eagle at Belle Oaks. Childress, who was playing from the senior tees, sank a 210-yard, 3-wood on his second shot on the par 5 hole. His timing was impeccable, too, since one of his witnesses was the author of this column. The other witness was Don Duplant. Nobody saw the ball go in the hole and Childress spent a couple of minutes looking for it in the rough behind the No. 2 green. Finally he walked up and looked into the cup and there it was . . . Another memorable shot was authored by 10-year-old Colin Johnson of Port Neches. Johnson holed a 9-iron from 120 yards for an eagle 2 on the par 4, 9th hole . . . The team of Lance Matthews-Michael Weatherly teamed for a 36-hole score of 129 to win Championship Flight in the 31st annual Babe Didrikson Zaharias/Beaumont Plaza Holiday Inn Invitational. The teams of John Robins-Steve Johnson and Steve Martin-Walt Voightman tied for second at 130. In First Flight, Ronnie Wardwell-Clade Cleveland won with 134, edging Frank Grisanti-Ray Nelson by a stroke. Second Flight finished in a two-way tie at 140 between Kent Broussard-James Mullen and Jimmy Fertitta-R.T. Fertitta. In Fourth Flight, Wayne Johnson-Jim Rushworth won with 141, besting Larry Tidwell-Jan Outlaw by two. Fifth Flight went to Dick Burris-Tom Bilodeau at 152. They finished a shot clear of Ronnie Laccasin-Logan Landgraves . . . Joe Bennett shot a net 60 to win the Wednesay Senior Game at at The Palms at Pleasure Island. Ray Trahan and David English tied for second with net 67s. Jim Castille (No. 7) and Joe Bennett (No. 11) were closest to the pin winners . . . The Babe Zaharias Senior 65 Plus Game was played in a 2-man scramble format. The duo of Red Brown-Jim Malcolm won First Flight at minus 7. There was a tie for second at minus 2 between Art Lecoq-Homer Taylor and Tommy Trahan-Tommy Holman. In Second Flight, Gary Wagner-Jess Stelly won at minus 4. Joe Duplantis-L.J. Hardy and Guy Van Cleve-John Culbertson tied for second at minus 1. There was a tie for first in Third Flight between Ned Cole-Dwain Morrison and Ken Fabre-Leo Bacon. Both teams were at plus 5. Closest to the pin winners were Johnny Walker (No. 2), Bill Allen (No. 7) and Tommy Linder (No. 15) . . . Charlie Huckaby shot a net 65 to win the Monday Seniors at Belle Oaks. Jim Robinson and Norm Pasche tied for second at 68. Barry Jackson was closest to the pin winner on No. 8 . . . Ralph Childress prepared for his double eagle by winning the Friday Seniors at Belle Oaks by shooting a net 61. Buddy Silcox was second with a 66 and Jim Brown third at 69. Norm Pasche (No. 8) and Silcox (No. 15) were closest to the pin winners . . . The Patch weekly game was played in a 3-ball format. The team of Tommy Prejean, Benny Epperson, Ron Theriot and Malcolm Clark won at plus 2. Second at plus 3 was the foursome of David Girouard, Don MacNeal, Bob Barnes and Charles Huckaby. Golfers are advised the old Tuesday game at The Patch is being restarted. Cutoff time is 12:30 p.m., with play beginning at 1 p.m. . . . There was a two-way tie in the Babe Zaharias DogFight, with both teams posting 17&4. One team was made up of Vernon Drummond, R.C. Russell, Hervis Allen, Dave Sturgal and Ed Campbell. The other team included Butch Landry, Troy Guidry, Ed Watson and Cap Hollier. Closest to the hole winners were Dave Campbell (No. 2), Gary Fontenot (No. 7), Jobie Irvin (No. 12) and David Evans (No. 15) . . . The Bayou Din DogFight was won by the team of Ricky Brunner, Tom O’Grady, Melvin Dyes and Tim Sterling. They finished 16&5. There was a tie for second between the team of Darrel Dugas, Jack Pittman, John Alaniz and Rusty Harrell (16&5) and the team of Bill Hatfield, Tom Lawton, Butch Cross and Carl Hudman (16&4) . . . Hunter Huff and Carl Stamey shot 23s to pace the STPGA Little Linksters Qualifying at Babe Zaharias. Avery LeBlanc was a stroke back at 24 and Conner Guillot and Chance Davis shot 25s.

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