*Mill Creek will offer free greens fees for all paid entries for 2009 Viking Tournament. Please make a tee time at the Pro Shop, 828-524-GOLF.

*Mill Creek will also have a Happy Hour beginning at 5:00pm with drink specials. We also plan to have the pairings ready to announce at this time. There are There are plans to have a live band this evening. For additional details, please contact Mill Creek.

October 17- Saturday Check-in opens at 9:00 am at Millhouse Restaurant

*Please check-in to pick up gift bag, rules sheet, mulligans, entry for door prizes, drink tickets and dinner tickets. A cash bar will be open with bloody mary’s margaritas, mimosas and coffee.

*At 9:45 we will have an invocation, introduction, questions, and rules review.

*Upon completion of the #9 hole, report directly to the putting green for the putting contest.

*After your round at approximately 3:00, turn in your scorecards to the clubhouse. Cash bar will be open and leaderboard will take shape.

*At approximately 4:00 pm, we will begin our dinner service. During the dinner service, we will announce some of the prizes for the day followed by the Calcutta auction.

October 18- Sunday Check-in opens at 9:00 am

*All shootout qualifiers from previous shootouts and Saturday qualifiers will gather at 9:20 for a trick shoot for the 50/50. This will be followed by two lucky participants who will take one shot each from 165 yards and a chance to win $ 100,000.00. Yes, One Hundred Thousand!

*At 10:00am we will have a shotgun start.

*Upon completion of the # 9 hole, please report to the putting green for the chipping contest.

*As you make the turn, please pick up your boxed lunch at the concession window.

*After the round, please proceed to the clubhouse and turn in your scorecard. We will have awards presentation and payout as soon as the field has completed the round. Cash bar will be open.

The memory of a local golfer will continue to live on, as the tournament held in his honor helps high school students with scholarships.

The Viking Tournament will be held for the fourth time next month, as it remembers former Franklin resident and avid golfer Arnfinn Sveen. The tournament will be held Oct. 17-18 at Mill Creek Country Club.

Tournament director Joe Culpepper started the Viking Tournament in 2006 in memory of Sveen, who was from Norway.

"The tournament is a lot of work. But we think No. 1, the tournament honors Arfinn. He did a lot for the community, did a lot for golf and was just a true gentleman," Culpepper said. "No. 2, we think it’s a real valuable thing for the kids. So far to date we’ve given over $16,000 to the scholarship fund, and we hope to grow that a little more. "

The Arfinn Sveen Memorial Scholarship Fund donated three $1,500 scholarships to Franklin High School students last year, a $500 increase per scholarship from the previous year.

"We hope to grow that to three or four kids with $2-3,000 scholarships," Culpepper said. "We’re moving in that direction and we’ve had really good support from the local economy, despite the fact that the economy is tough and we’re a construction-based area."

The Arfinn Sveen Memorial Scholarship Fund is a 501(c) nonprofit, Culpepper said, so all donations and the entry fee should be tax deductible.

The entry fee is $160 per player. The format is two-person best ball, where both players play their own ball and record the lowest score on each hole.

The total cash payout will exceed $6,000 based on a full field. Winning teams in each flight will receive $700. Second place teams will receive $350, while third place gets $150.

The tournament will feature four to six flights.

There will be prizes for longest drive, closest to the pin on par 3s, a putting contest and a shootout. Golfers could also win $10,000 for a hole in one on either day on hole No. 6.

The entry deadline is Oct. 9. Culpepper encourages golfers to sign up early, as the field is limited to the first 50 paid teams.

For more information or to obtain an entry fee, visit vikingtournament.com. You can also contact Culpepper (524-6842) or Steve Leach (349-9220) for more details.
 

Jackson Sveen (left) and Jim McRae finished second in the third flight at the Viking Tournament, which honors Jackson’s late father Arnfinn.
Franklin Press photo by Andy Scheidler

It may have been the third year of the Viking Tournament, but it finally felt like home.

Mill Creek Country Club hosted the tournament this past weekend, held annually in memory of the late Arnfinn Sveen. It had previously been played at The Ridges in Hayesville.

But Mill Creek was the course Sveen frequented the most.

"I think we’ve found ourselves a good home," said Joe Culpepper, who started the tournament in 2006. "This is where Arnfinn would have wanted the tournament. No question."

Sveen, who was from Norway, was an avid golfer. If it was a cold day and the players were hesitant to play, he would tell everyone to quit being sissies and play some Viking golf. He passed away in 2005, but is greatly missed by many.

His son, Jackson Sveen, played in the tournament this year after missing the event a year ago. He teamed up with Jim McRae, a neighbor and close friend of Arnfinn.

The duo took second place in the third flight, winning on the first playoff hole when Jackson sank a long putt.

Jackson Sveen, a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, made the trip back to Franklin to visit his mother Cherry and to play in the tournament.

"It’s great, because I see my dad in everybody and everybody loved him," he said. "It’s just nice. I really appreciate everyone. That shows how much they loved my dad."

The two-day tournament format was two-man best ball. Forty-two teams competed in the event that featured cash prizes for the first, second and third place finishes in each flight.

Gary Peek and Steve Peek won the championship flight with rounds of 62-67. They tied Mike Wood and Carlos Mojico at 129, but won on the first playoff hole.

The field featured golf professionals, as well as Western Carolina University standout Matt Cook. The Murphy native teamed with Adam Radford to finish third in the championship flight.

All of the money from the players gets paid back to them in the form of cash prizes, awards, etc. The money donated from the sponsors gets allocated to the Arnfinn Sveen Memorial Scholarship, which provides scholarships to high school seniors in Western North Carolina.

It was the smoothest the tournament has run, Culpepper said, attributing it to the staff at Mill Creek. Though it took many hours to plan and prepare, it was well worth the effort, Culpepper said.

"We would never go through all this if it wasn’t for Arnfinn, if we didn’t think it was a worthy cause and we didn’t think Arnfinn wasn’t worthy of having a tournament in his honor," Culpepper said.

"Arnfinn was a true gentleman, loved to play golf. Loved to play for a few dollars and loved the camaraderie. If I could sum up Arnfinn with one particular sentence, I would have to say anybody who met Arnfinn, even if it was for just a short period of time and it was the first time they met him, Arnfinn had a way of making you feel like you were his best friend."

After play was finished and prizes were handed out, Ed Turner took a moment to remember Arnfinn.

Everyone then raised a drink in salute.

Results (ties determined by playoffs)

Championship Flight

First place: Gary Peek, Steve Peek (62-67-129)
Second place: Mike Wood, Carlos Mojico (65-64-129)
Third place: Matt Cook, Adam Radford (65-65-130)

First Flight

First place: Matt Bateman, Nick Morgan (70-66-136)
Second place: Mitch Cabe, Steve Wyatt (73-67-140)
Third place: Bill Balog, Dave Waugh (71-69-140)

Second Flight

First place: Alan Leach, Jack Jackson (74-66-140)
Second place: Jackie Stewart, Jerran Stewart (75-72-145)
Third place: Richard Rhyne, Keith Rhyne (74-74-148)

Third Flight

First place: Mike Provencher, Robert Cowart (83-71-154)
Second place: Jackson Sveen, Jim McRae (78-78-156)
Third place: Rick Sharp, Tony Southard (78-78-156)
 

Joe Culpepper and many other golfers who have played in the "Dog Fight" remember Arnfinn Sveen as an avid golfer. If it was a cold day and the players were hesitant to play, Arfinn would tell everyone to quit being sissies and play some Viking golf.

Of course the Viking sounded with like "Wiking," as Sveen’s Norway accent rang through.

Sveen passed away in 2005, but his spirit and love of golf are remembered each year.

Culpepper started the Viking Tournament in 2006 in memory of Sveen.

"He was a local businessman, a very charitable guy. He did a lot of community work and was a super avid golfer," Culpepper said.

"This tournament a tribute to Arnfinn and his life and spirit. Golf embodied everything he believed in."

This third annual tournament will be held Oct. 11-12 at Mill Creek Country Club. It was originally scheduled to be played at The Ridges in Hayesville like the previous two years, but financial issues arose that forced the venue change.

Mill Creek Country Club was schedule to be the host in 2009, and will now have the opportunity to host it a year earlier than expected.

"We’re proud to have it," said Rob Bell, one of the club’s three owners along with Kevin Bell and Lewis Penland. "It’s home where it belongs because of him. We’re looking forward to good long-term relationship and hope to put on a good show for them."

The entry fee has been lowered from $400 per two-man team to $300. However, the cash prizes for each flight will remain the same. A total cash payout will total more than $7,000, with the winning team in each flight receiving $800. Second in each flight will receive $400, while third receives $200.

The format is two-person best ball, where both players play their own ball and record the lowest score on each hole.

Teams will be flighted into four-six flights after the first round. The field will be limited to the first 50 teams, and it has been full the previous two years.

Numerous prizes will be handed out, including closest to the pin, longest drive and a putting contest. A car will be given away for a hole in one on hole No. 6 on Saturday.

Money raised from the tournament helps support local charities and scholarships. About $11,000 has been generated in the previous two tournaments. The Arnfinn Sveen Memorial Scholarship Fund was created last year, as it provides scholarships to high school seniors in Western North Carolina.

The entry deadline is Saturday, Oct. 4th, 2008. For more information or to obtain and entry fee, visit vikingtournament.com. You can also contact Joe Culpepper (524-6842) or Steve Leach (349-9220) for more details.

If you have any suggestions or comments on the new website, feel free to contact us.

For more information contact:
Mill Creek Country Club at 828-524-4653
or Bill Balog at 828-421-7476

Note – You do not have to be a participant in The Viking Tournament to participate in “The Shootout”.

When
Thursday August 7, 2008 from 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm.

Where
Mill Creek Country Club Hole #6

Format
3 balls for $ 5.00 closest to the pin. Unlimited buy-ins. Pays top 3 closest each night 50/50 pot.

All entries and payments must be received by the Oct. 4th deadline. Tourney is limited to the first 50 teams after which your name will put on a waiting list. The field has been full both years, so don’t wait until the last minute. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Print out the Tournament Application now.

Format

2 person “Best Ball” (both players play the hole and post the best score)

Field

Teams will be flighted after the 1st round into 4-6 flights. Field will be limited to the first 50 teams. Shotgun start @ 10:00 am.

Cost

$150 per player ($300/team) This cost will cover two days of golf, dinner on Saturday night, 2 drink tickets each day, 2 mulligans / day, tournament participation gift, entry for door prizes, free range balls tournament days, and free Greens Fee for Friday Oct. 10.

Prizes

There will be CASH prizes for the top 3 places in each flight. 1st place team in each flight will receive $800, 2nd place team in each flight will receive $400 and 3rd place in each flight will receive $200. In total, the cash payout will be $7,000+ based on a full field. Plus there will be prizes for long drive, closest to the pin on each par 3, a putting contest and Shootout qualifying during the tournament. On hole #6, there will be a Car given away for a hole in one on Saturday.

Calcutta

There will be a fixed price Calcutta on Saturday after the round. All teams will have first opportunity to purchase their own team on Saturday. On Sunday, if your team has been purchased by another party, you may buy 1/2 of your team back from whomever purchased it.

Practice Round

Friday, October 10th, paid entry participants will be allowed to play for Cart fee.