For the second year in a row, Western University of Health Sciences’ annual Towne & Gown Golf Classic raised more than $30,000 for student scholarships.

Tournament sponsor T.F. Chen, DDS, underwrote all green fees, carts, lunch and dinner for the 100 golfers who participated in the scramble-format tournament on June 27, 2016 at Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

WesternU Director of Development for Optometry and Podiatric Medicine Amanda Behnke, MBA, MSEd, won the helicopter golf ball drop and the 50-50 cash prize. Three hundred numbered golf balls were dropped from a hovering helicopter, and Behnke’s ball landed in the hole. She donated most of her winnings back to the scholarship fund at the tournament dinner, as hers was the winning live auction bid for a seven-day stay at the Lake Tahoe Grand Marriott Resort. The helicopter drop was streamed live via webcast, allowing those who could not attend the tournament to watch the “chopper dropper.”

Joining Dr. Chen as Towne & Gown sponsors:

• Mutual of America, Golf Shoe Bag Sponsor
• McKesson, Platinum Sponsor
• Inter Valley Health Plan, Gold Sponsor
• Silver sponsors: Bank of the West, Williams Sign Co., Samaritan Health Services, and The Body Center Physical Therapy and Pilates
• Longest Drive sponsor: Inland Pulmonary Group
• Hole in One sponsor: Symes Cadillac of Pasadena
• Beer sponsor: MillerCoors, Irwindale
• Soda and water sponsor: DoubleTree by Hilton, Claremont

Following the dinner reception, the three teams with the lowest gross scores were awarded trophies:

• First Place: Neil Ehlinger, Matt Saint, Chad Bruce and John Alexander
• Second Place: Alvin Luna, Richard Castro,  James Song and Ignacio Largos
• Third Place: Ken Hernandez, Eric Morrison, Hugh Conners and Keith Anderson

Three teams were awarded trophies for having the highest gross score, or reverse Stableford:

• Third Place: Cyndie O’Brien, Ron Bolding, Marcie Lerner and Larry Baca
• Second Place: George Wang, Darren Dennings, Tom A. Fox and David Connett
• First Place: Daniel Robinson, John Cronin, Glenn Etow and Steven Gray

College of Allied Health Professions Associate Dean Dee Schilling, PT, PhD, took home a trophy for longest drive – she drove the beverage cart around the course. Along with WesternU Interim President Gary Gugelchuk, PhD, the pair carried on the tradition established by WesternU President Emeritus Philip Pumerantz, PhD, and Board of Trustees member John T. McGwire, DDS.