It was going to be interesting to see if Augustans had long or short memories when the opportunity finally arose to support the Paine College golf team.

Many in the community said they would have contributed money in spring 2008 when it was discovered (too late, as it turned out) that the college wasn't financially able to send the Lions to the PGA Minority Golf Championship in Florida.

Instead, the team sat home.

Fifteen months later, but true to its word, the community has stepped forward to ensure something like that doesn't happen again.

Players and sponsors have thrown themselves behind the inaugural Paine College Golf Tournament, a fund-raiser for the golf team.

The Captain's Choice tournament, scheduled Aug. 31 at Jones Creek Golf Club in Evans, is ahead of schedule in players and contributions. Extra golf carts even had to be ordered.

All that despite the fact the tournament didn't land a title sponsor.

It did land Augusta native and 12-time Champions Tour winner Jim Dent to be the honorary chairperson of the tournament.

He will be given the key to the city the day of the tournament by mayor Deke Copenhaver.

"The tournament is going very well," said Frances Wimberly, who came up with the idea.

Wimberly, the assistant vice-president of institutional development at Paine, knew nothing about golf when this started.

So she called on top amateur golfer Kenny Larry, who used his contacts to put the right people in place on a 12-person tournament committee. The committee, which is broken down into three subcommittees (tournament, sponsorship and fund-raising), held its first meeting Jan. 26, and has been meeting regularly on Monday nights ever since.

From the start, Larry told the committee that "it's all right to disagree. But when we leave the room, we will all be agreeable."

Because of the committee, the tournament is on target to meet its goals, but would welcome more support. For more information on the tournament, call Wimberly or Jennifer Davis at (706) 821-8233.

The latest meeting took place Monday night. Paine golf coach Hoover Johnson sat in as an advisor as the group started to put the finishing touches on the preparations.

"It's awesome," Johnson said of the committee, which has also brought up the idea of creating a booster club for the golf team. "The group is so organized. You can't help but give them kudos. I love to sit back and watch them do their thing."

Johnson personally thanked the group -- all of whom volunteered their time and talents -- for what they've done.

"I've been around a lot of people doing tournaments, and this is first class," Johnson said.

Johnson, who has had a strong recruiting year, told the group that "you don't know how much this means to me."

It has already been decided that the tournament will be an annual affair. Larry has agreed to be the chairperson again next year, then will step aside.

But there is still work to do this year.

Wimberly, Larry and other members of the committee are going to Jones Creek on Thursday for a walk through with head pro Gregg Hemann, who has been a tremendous help to the cause, Larry said.

"We want to be organized up to the end of the tournament so we can give a good impression of our first event," Larry said. "We want to maintain our professionalism."