Welcome to the Press Thornton Future Masters Golf Tournament,
one of the most traditionally rich junior tournaments
in the world. The Future Masters has become the proving ground for future PGA Champions From its inception in 1950, an idea
of the late Press Thornton has become a proving ground
for golf's brightest junior stars, as well as home
for sportsmanship, the thrill of competition and the
love for the game of golf. It was for those reasons
the Dothan Country Club first served as host for the
tournament. The tournament committee salutes the membership
and staff of the club for their years of faithful
dedication to the tournament. The 2002 Future Masters
was played at Highland Oaks, while the DCC course
was redesigned by Bill Bergin Golf Designs. 2003 welcomed
the Future Masters contestants home to the new course,
a par of 70, new challenges, new victories and disappointments,
and a new chapter of history. After giving careful
consideration to the tournament's format, the needs
of the contestants and their families, in 2004, the
Tournament Board of Directors made the decision to
play the 14 and under division on Sunday, Monday and
Tuesday of tournament week with the 15-18 division
playing Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Dothan Country Club has had only seven
club professionals in the 56 year history of the tournament.
Telfair Ghioto, who helped organize the first Future
Masters, remained in Dothan until 1964. Telfair's
son Teddy won the 1956 Tournament. Fred Settle came
to the club in the summer of 1964 and enthusiastically
worked with the tournament committee until he moved
to Kentucky in 1973. King Thornton married Fred's
daughter Stephanie in 2000. Denton Scott, and his
wife Suzanne, worked tirelessly with Future Masters
from 1974 until 1981 when they moved to Birmingham.
Andy Inman, a native of Augusta, Georgia, home of
the Masters, was DCC Pro from 1981 - 1984 when Buddy
Davis accepted the position. During Buddy's years,
Future Masters was a family affair. His parents always
came from Moultrie, Georgia to help out in the pro
shop. In 1992, Brad Snider came to the Dothan Country
Club. Brad's organizational skills and computer knowledge
were valuable assets to the efficiency of the tournament.
In 2004, Kevin Klein experienced his first Future
Masters, and with great enthusiasm has stepped to
the tee and is set to swing through another terrific
tournament. An impressive list of golfing greats who have competed in the tournament continues to grow and includes past U.S. Open Champions Hubert Green and Jerry Pate, Masters Winner Larry Mize, PGA Champions Bob Tway, Mark Brooks, and Shawn Micheel, British Open Winner Ben Curtis, along with Tour Stars Andy Bean, Bruce Leitzke, Bill Rogers, Allen Miller, Mac McClendon, Buddy Gardner, Eddie Pierce, Steve Melnyk, Joey Hager, Wayne Player, Phil Hancock, Gary Koch, Hal Sutton, Chris Couch, David Jackson, Chip Beck, Curtis Strange, Steve Lowery, David Duval, Vance Veazey, Stewart Cink, Birney Baird, Robert Floyd, Bubba Dickerson, Charles Howell III, and Casey Whittenburg. In 1996 Press Thornton, Sr. and the
Future Masters were inducted into the Wiregrass Sports
Hall of Fame. The Future Masters is staffed by approximately
125 volunteers, many who have performed their duties
for decades. The club membership gives up the use
of their course and facilities, the club staff works
extended hours to accommodate our visitors, and the
City of Dothan welcomes the participants and their
families with open arms and Southern Hospitality. Future Masters is not, nor has it ever
been, only about golf, it is about the spirit of competition,
friendships made, sportsmanship on the course, and
the challenge of preserving over a half-century of
growing golf - Mr. Thornton's dream realized.A Look Back
A Look Back
History of the Future Masters
