Phil Wells Memorial Golf Tournament set for September 8 at Moraga Country Club

Aggie football fundraiser honors one of UC Davis' all-time greats

I received a letter the other day from former Aggie football superstar John Silverfoote, inviting me - and you and your next door neighbor - to the 10th Annual Phil Wells Golf Outing.

Every year in early September, you see, a dedicated group of folks who love UC Davis football plan a round of golf to remember a special teammate, the late, great Phil Wells.

Once everything is in order, they send me the details of this benefit tournament for a great cause that also turns out to be all sorts of fun. So, I'm here today to remind all Aggies and all golfers and all Aggie golfers that the date for the 10th annual Phil Wells Memorial Golf Tournament has been set for Monday, September 8, at the stunning Moraga Country Club.

But here's the best part.

Money raised at the tournament goes to an endowment that provides UC Davis scholarship support for a football player who is a leader on and off the field and, like Phil Wells, exhibits a love for the game and a love for life. The tournament, which had its largest turnout last year, concludes with a buffet dinner and includes prizes for such things as closest-to-the-pin, a hole-in-one and the longest drive. (At one recent tournament I drove all the way from Davis but did not win the longest-drive prize.)

There is also a dinner-only option for those who will not be able to attend the tournament itself or who would simply rather eat than golf.

I was one of those at a recent tournament who exercised the dinner-only option because the last time I played golf I didn't realize you weren't supposed to drive the golf cart right up to the flagstick to retrieve your ball.

As a result, I am now allowed to play only miniature golf, but I can still attend after-golf dinners for a good cause. If I buy a ticket.

I will say this. As one who has covered Aggie football for a number of decades, it is great to see some of the players who were teammates of Phil Wells, and it was also great to get to talk with members of Phil Wells' wonderful family.

So, if you can't play golf or if you don't have Monday, Sept. 8 off, you can still come for the dinner and come for the fun.

According to Silverfoote, there are some incredible hole-in-one prizes including $10,000 cash, a golf trip to St. Andrews in Scotland, a Hawaii trip, and a journey to the Masters in Augusta, Georgia next April. There's also a new Toyota Tacoma on the prize list.

I may have to play golf after all.

For those unfamiliar with UC Davis football lore, Phil Wells was one of those guys who exemplified what has become known as Aggie Pride. Sadly, he died just over 10 years ago at the age of 63 after a courageous battle with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

He is fondly remembered by his teammates and the thousands of Aggie fans who followed his stellar career. As I noted after his death in 2015, Phil was one of those key players who helped kick-start the Aggie dynasty under Jim Sochor in the old Far Western Conference.

Phil was a three-year letterman (1972-74) and an All-American who participated on three consecutive conference championship teams that compiled a 14-1 FWC record.

Said Bob Foster, UCD's defensive guru at the time who later went on to serve as head coach, "Phil was what you'd call a contradiction. He was one of those top notch guys, so nice, gentle, positive and kind. Just a great, great kid. But put him on a football field and look out."

Indeed, Wells was a force to be reckoned with behind that disarming smile that seemed to be perpetually planted on his handsome face.

A first-team all-Far Western Conference selection, FWC Defensive Player of the Year and team captain in 1974, Wells shared that season's Most Valuable and Inspirational Player Award with tight end Rick Fortner. Wells was later honored with the Colby E. "Babe" Slater Award as the UC Davis male athlete of the year for all sports. Last year he was inducted into the Cal Aggie Athletic Hall of Fame.

"He was the kind of guy you loved to coach," said Foster of Wells.

"He was always all about the team. On the field he was very smart, tenacious and aggressive. And off the field, he was just a wonderful young man."

Noted Silverfoote, who was one of Wells' teammates and himself an Aggie team captain and all-conference performer, "As always, we greatly appreciate donations of all types: auction items, hole sponsorships and monetary donations."

For more information or to sign up for the tournament, contact Silverfoote at foot24@comcast.net.

Reach Bob Dunning at bobdunning@thewaryone.com