Tradition raises more than $1M

The Regions Tradition announced recently that the annual PGA Tour Champions major championship raised more than $1.1 million for local charities throughout Alabama from this year’s event.

Additionally, the Regions Tradition received the significant “Pillars of the Community” award for raising more than $1 million for Children’s of Alabama hospital, its primary charitable beneficiary.

Current Alabama men’s golf coach Jay Seawell and former Alabama men’s and women’s golf coach Dick Spybey were two of six individuals who were inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) 2016 Hall of Fame class.

Four others were inducted alongside Seawell and Spybey, including former Alabama assistant coach and current Baylor coach Mike McGraw, Vince Clark, Tim Poe and Mike Small.

Named Alabama’s head men’s golf coach on July 26, 2002, Seawell led the Crimson Tide to back-to-back national championships in 2013 and 2014, while his teams have captured a total of four SEC championships.

His golfers at Alabama have been nominated for the sport’s highest national awards, including the Ben Hogan Award, the Jack Nicklaus Award, the Fred Haskins Award, the Phil Mickelson Award and the Byron Nelson Award.

Spybey served as Alabama’s women’s head coach from 1985-88 and its men’s head coach from 1988-2002.

He was named Dave Williams National Coach of the Year Award recipient in 1992 and was time recognized as GCAA District 3 South Coach of the Year.

He earned SEC Coach of the Year Awards as both a men’s and women’s coach, the only individual to win both honors.