No matter where his career as a professional golfer takes Andrew Landry,
thoughts of cancer stricken Austyn Halter won’t be far behind.

Landry’s finest hour as a pro, when he led the U.S. Open after the opening
round in 2016, and hung in until the final day, is forever intertwined with
the now 4-year old little girl from Groves.

He’d met Austyn for the first time the week prior to the Open at St. Jude’s
Children’s Hospital in Memphis, signed over his first endorsement check of
$10,000 from Moonshine Sweet Tea to her and helped start a GoFundMe page that raised almost $17,000 more. His golf bag is adorned with #Austyn Halter.

So it was pretty much a no-brainer for Andrew to get involved with Tyler
Blount and the folks at Neches Brewery on a July 15 benefit in Port Neches
for Halter. Among the fundraising activities planned are a golf cart poker run, a washer tournament, an Open Classic Car Show and a silent auction.

“Anytime I can do anything to help Austyn, you don’t have to ask twice,”
said Landry, from his home in Austin. “They wanted me to come up with some golf-related memorabilia for the silent auction and I am working on it. I should be able to provide some pretty good stuff.”

One of the greatest testimonials for the PGA Tour is its charitable arm,
and Landry is hoping to tap into it on Austyn’s behalf. For those not familiar
with PGA Charities, it dispersed over $166 million to worthy causes last
year.

Landry is working to convince Web.com Tour commissioner Dan Glod that
Austyn is among the worthiest of causes. He says Glod was familiar with his well-publicized efforts on her behalf last year and is checking to see what he can do to assist.

Halter’s unfortunate story certainly tears at the heart. Diagnosed with
acute megakaryoblastic leukemia, or AML-M7, on Aug. 17, 2015 at age 2, she
has been in and out of hospitals in Houston and Memphis in search of a miracle.

It looked like that might happen after a stem cell transplant from her
mother last June. The cancer went into remission but six months later she
relapsed. About the only constant for the beleaguered family, which relocated to Memphis to be near St. Jude’s, is the unending stream of medical bills.

To that end, Brittany Blount, wife of Neches Brewery president Tyler
Blount, wanted the business to be front and center for a fundraiser. The Blounts have a healthy 2-year-old daughter and Brittany couldn’t stop thinking how blessed they were.

With Chelsea Fountain, the Marketing and Event Director for the brewery
heading up the project, planning began for a multi-purpose fundraiser that
has a little something for everybody. There will be vendors, food trucks, a disc jockey and, of course, lots of cold beer.

Among the silent auction items are rounds of golf for four with carts at
Babe Zaharias and Bayou Din, four Houston Astros tickets to two different
games, a Denver Broncos Super Bowl 50 football signed by Wade Phillips,
numerous gift cards and whatever Landry and the Web.com Tour come up with.

Anyone interested in volunteering, making a donation or providing an
auction item should call 790-4169.

Landry, who is currently No. 3 on the Web.com Tour money list, and has
earned his way back to the PGA Tour for next season, won’t be able to attend.

He will be competing in a tournament that weekend, but he will be in Port
Neches in spirit.

It would surely be a neat time for him to win again.

CHIP SHOTS

Port Neches-Groves ex Braden Bailey, who had been struggling with his game of late, came on strong after a slow start to finish tied for 24th in the
Northeast Amateur in Rhode Island.

Bailey shot rounds of 74-69-66-71 on the par 69 course for a 72-hole total of 280. The highlight was playing the 12th through 16th holes 5-under during the third round …

Andrew Landry shot rounds of 70-66-70-69 for a 275 total that was good for
a 28th-place tie in the Web.com Tour’s Lincoln Land Charity Classic. He collected $3,726 and remains third on the money list. The Port Neches-Groves ex is taking the next two weeks off …

Jack Burke of Orange and Miller Harris of Carthage shot even par 72s
Tuesday to tie for first in Boys 15-18 in the Southern Texas PGA Junior Tour
stop at Beaumont Country Club. Burke won the playoff.

Nick Beausoleil of Liberty was a shot back in third place.

Other winners were Micah Depew of Kountze (77 in Boys 13-14) and Elizabeth Townsend of Kountze (83 in Girls 15-18) …

Brendan Marley of Nederland shot 75 to win Boys Gold in the Golden
Triangle Beltway Junior Tour tournament played at Wildwood Golf Club last wek. Marley edged Timothy Feemster of Port Neches-Groves by three strokes. Preston Ricks of Lumberton fired an 83 to clip Micah Depew by one stroke in Boys Silver.

In the Super Saturday Senior two-ball game at Babe Zaharias, the team of
Joey Alexander, Harrell Guidry, Harry Green and Jay Hampson, the team of James Musgrove, Adam Noel, Pete Reobroi and Gene Rountree and the team of Bill Hanley, Cap Hollier and Bill Hammond all shot minus-1 on the front.

On the back, the Alexander team and the Musgrove team tied at minus-1.

The Friday Senior two-ball at Zaharias saw a tie at minus 2 on the front
between the team of Bim Morrow, Gene Jones, Larry Foster and Art Miller and the foursome of Tony Trevino, Gerald Huebel, Roger Baumer and Chandler.    On the back, the team of Larry Thompson, Hollier, Raymond Darbonne and a ghost player won with minus 3.

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Golf news should be emailed to rdwest@usa.net.