ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. – Even though his first name is no longer part of the Pearl Family Foundation, Bruce Pearl remains one of the driving forces behind the Fore the Children Golf Classic, now in its 13th year.
“Our whole family is involved in it now,” Bruce Pearl said Monday at Wicker Point Golf Club, noting that his daughter Jacqui Pearl is the foundation’s executive director. “We’re about $1.5 million dollars for Children’s Harbor, and it’s all because of all the people who participate, all the sponsors, and it’s sold out every year.”
Shortly after arriving on the Plains in 2014, Bruce and his wife, Brandy, began a partnership with Children’s Harbor, a nearby non-profit that provides no-cost services to children and families facing health challenges.
Monday’s event was the first for Steven Pearl as Auburn’s head coach.
“We’ve been doing this since we got to Auburn and the attendance is incredible,” Steven Pearl said. “Supporting special young people and their families, and it’s something we want to continue to do for years to come.
“The friendships we’ve built in the 13 years we’ve been here are real friendships because they continue to come out and support. It’s incredible the support that this community gives our family and this foundation, and it’s something we’re forever grateful for.”
Fresh off winning the NIT championship, Steven Pearl reloaded Auburn’s roster for his second season as head coach.
“We’re in a good spot,” he said. “We’re full at this point. I think we have good depth at every position. For us it’s about having a really productive summer.”
Pearl is targeting the first week of June for Auburn to begin team practices before the Tigers travel to Greece in August for a taste of international competition.
“It will be great to learn about the newcomers we have coming in,” Pearl said. “Giving guys like KO (Kevin Overton), Tahaad (Pettiford), Blake (Muschalek) and Simon (Walker) an opportunity to lead and help these new guys come along. Our coaches are excited about the development plans we have for all of our guys. It’s going to be a big summer for us and we’re excited about it.
“The biggest value is spending time with one another, getting to build that bond, brotherhood and camaraderie, and getting to play in a more structured environment earlier than mid-October. It will be really good for our guys to play against good, young competition and see where we’re at at that point. It’ll give us a better picture going into the year of what we need to improve on and where we’re at as a team.”
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer