Mad Anthonys Tournament History Page

Mission Statement:

To raise maximum dollars for charity, provide topnotch golfing entertainment for our community, and continue to bring positive
national recognition to the great City of Fort Wayne and the State of Indiana.

Who Are the Mad Anthonys?

The mere mention of the name often causes puzzled looks, laughter, and sometime simple frustration. So, for clarification purposes, the Mad Anthonys is a charitable organization whose membership consist of 275 business and professional people in northern Indiana.

Our History:

During the early 1950's, the Fort Wayne Jaycees established a regular PGA Tour stop known as the Fort Wayne Open. The Open was a fixture for seven straight years before being moved to Indianapolis. As Rodger Nelson, one of the founders, described.... "it was festive but futile, and chocked full of memories." At the last minute and just prior to the 1956 Open, a group of business leaders and sports enthusiasts threw together a pro-am on Wednesday. The tournament committee had ribbons on their golf sleeves for identity and became known as the "Sleevers." This group was later formally organized as the Mad Anthonys and came back two years later in 1958 to host a pro-am known as the "Hoosier Celebrities." The dream and civic pride of a handful of business leaders has become an established tradition and an event still considered one of the premier one-day golf classics in the United States.

Our Guests:

Throughout our 50-year history, we've hosted "the best" of sports and entertainment worlds. Pros like Arnold Palmer (who collected his first PGA check in Fort Wayne), Jack Nicklaus, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Gary Player, Sam Snead, Kathy Whitworth, Joyce Ziske, Tony Lema, Lee Trevino, Ben Hogan, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Don January, John Mahaffey, Andy North, Curtis Strange, Sandra Post, Tammie Green, Cindy Rarick, Cathy Gerring, Billy Kratzert III, Gary McCord, Hubert Green, Fred Couples, Juli Inkster, Tom Lehman, Jo Ann Carner, Mark Brooks, Dottie Pepper, John Daly, Jan Stephenson, Doug Tewell, Blaine McCallister, Peter Jacobsen, Fuzzy Zoeller, Jim Gallagher, Jr.....just to name a few. Those joining them reflect a rich history of Indiana.....Tony Hulman, Weeb Ewbank, Chris Schenkel, The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame, Roone Arledge, Carl Erskine, Johnny Wooden, Hank Stram, Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan, Charlie Finley, Hoagy Carmichael, Bobby Knight, Forrest Tucker, Karl Malden, Claude Akins, Dan Devine, Gene Keady, Phil Harris, Dan Quayle, Leslie Nielsen, Otto Graham, Bob Griese, Tom Harmon, Johnny Unitas, Paul Hornung, Janie Fricke, Phyllis Diller, George Yardley, Drake Hogestyn, B.J. Thomas, Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, Rod Woodson, Jim Harbaugh, Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Kroft, Tommy John, Dan Coats, Rush Limbaugh, Jason Fabini, Austin Carr, and Trent Green. The list can go on and on....

Our Goals:

Total dollars generated for local charities during the past twenty-one years have exceeded $3.5 million. The Mad Anthonys remain concerned for our communities children, committed to excellence, and challenged to make a difference!