Local golfers and golf professionals attend a golf clinic held at the start of the Jacky Cupit Legends for Life Golf Tournament at The Cascades Golf & Country Club in Tyler on May 20, 2019. The event benefitted the Cancer Foundation For Life and the Fitsteps for Life program. (Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

Despite the gusty winds on Monday, Jacky Cupit was hitting them straight down the fairway.

The former PGA Tour veteran didn’t want to talk about his game or his team winning the seventh annual Jacky Cupit Legends for Life Golf Tournament. Instead, he drew attention to the beneficiary of the tourney, the Fit Steps for Life program.

“It gets you right here,” said Cupit, tapping his chest near his heart.

Cupit became aware of Fit Steps for Life several years ago when his wife, Pat, was being treated for breast cancer and was prescribed an exercise routine after radiation treatments. 

“I would go with her to the exercise classes and met her teacher who asked me if I played golf,” Cupit told Tyler Morning Telegraph golf correspondent Pat Wheeler. “I told her I did and she said I should check out the golf tournament to raise money for the program.

“I ended up putting together a team and then soon after that was asked to be part of it and it has been something I have enjoyed from Day One. I consider it a great honor to be asked to be part of something that is helping so many people.” 

Cupit said the Fit Steps for Life has really helped his wife. 

“She still goes to the classes,” Cupit said. “It helps her stay active and that’s so important. In fact, the Fit Steps for Life program would be good for anyone to use to stay active and healthy.” 

Some 20 teams of six golfers tackled The Cascades Golf & Country Club course on a beautiful day for golf, with the exception of the wind.

Cupit, who was involved in the famous 18-hole playoff with Julius Boros and Arnold Palmer for the 1963 U.S. Open at the Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, led his team to a 52 and the win. Others on the squad were Huy Nguyen, Robert Langhoff, Bobby Blanton, Jeff Reed and Hunter Smith. Boros was the eventual winner of the ’63 playoff for his second U.S. Open title.

Placing second on Monday in a scorecard playoff was the team of Jay Ward, Terry Blevins, Tom Kundinger, Darin Newhouse, Clint Roxburgh and Bill Tankersley with a 53. Placing third, also with a 53, was the sixsome of Logan Smith, Conner Smith, Jared Johnson, Andrew Walton, Logan Gilley and Lance Allen.

On Sunday night at Willow Brook Country Club, Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Lowery presented the Legends for Life Dinner. Cupit was joined by fellow former touring pros Homero Blancas, Roy Pace, Marty Fleckman, Babe Hiskey and Dick Goetz as they shared memories at the dinner to benefit the Fit Steps for Life program for cancer survivors. 

Fit Steps for Life is described as the pioneer and leader in cancer exercise treatment, with individualized and structured exercise treatment specifically for cancer patients, according to the organization’s webpage.

For more information on Fit Steps for Life, which was founded by the late Dr. Gary Kimmel of Tyler, visit www.fitstepsforlife.org or call 877-961-0149.