Celt Classic

The Celt Classic Golf Tournament returned Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, raising more than $105,000 to support the University of St. Thomas men’s and women’s golf teams. UST golf alumni Lou Pelz ’80 and Michael Fasci ’17 co-chaired the event at the Wildcat Golf Club in southwest Houston. Generous donors enjoyed a great day on the links, giving their time, talent, and financial backing in support of UST’s student-athletes.

PGA Master Professional and UST golf alumnus Bruce Davidson ’83 served as Honorary Chair. As the former director of golf at the River Oaks Country Club, Davidson attended UST on a golf scholarship, an opportunity Davidson says, “changed the whole trajectory of my life.” As a member of the UST golf program in the early eighties, Davidson says the team played against some of the strongest competition nationwide. Davidson believes the support generated by the Celt Classic tournament will help “UST Golf flourish [and be] ranked nationally.”

For the men’s and women’s golf programs, Celt Classic sponsorships will provide better equipment, improved travel accommodations, and admittance to top-tier courses as both teams continue to shatter school records and grow as student-athletes. “Watching the young men and women committing to excellence in sports and academics gives me the feeling that I am seeing the future leaders of our community,” says Pelz. The Celt Classic’s goal for the golf teams, he says “is to help them with the necessary resources to achieve their optimum growth spiritually, academically, and physically.”

This year’s tournament was made possible through the generous support of more than 25 sponsors, including Title Sponsors Johnny Carrabba Family of Restaurants and Frank and Gloria Kalman. Their contributions are instrumental in supporting the growth and success of UST’s golf programs, ensuring that both the men’s and women’s teams have the resources they need to excel on and off the course.