Show of faith keeps Rock Barn on tour schedule

When the 2010 Champions Tour schedule was released Tuesday afternoon, the first thing I looked for was to see if the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn was on the list.

It is and it was a nice surprise.

There's no guarantee the tournament in Conover will be played next fall but the fact the tour put it on the schedule in late September/early October is a show of faith that Don Beaver, Jim Correll and the others who run the event will resolve the sponsorship issue that threatens the event's future.

"We are so close," Correll, the tournament's executive director, said. "It's one of those things where until we dot the final Is and cross the final Ts we're not quite there. But we're extremely optimistic."

There are bigger Champions Tour events played in larger markets but there's a nice feel to the Rock Barn event. It's comfortable, the players enjoy it and it celebrates the tour.

It's not trying to be the Quail Hollow Championship. It's succeeding in being a good place for the Champions Tour to spend a week each year, tell some stories, sign some autographs and play some golf.

It's a good thing to continue.