The Wayne Carse Storm Golf Classic will be held this afternoon at the Echo Valley Country Club in Des Moines.

The 18-hole tournament is an opportunity for the Simpson community, alumni and local businesses to enjoy an afternoon of golf while supporting the Simpson Athletic Department. The tournament was named after Simpson alumnus Wayne Carse to recognize his contributions to Simpson’s athletic facilities.

This is the fourth year of the Golf Classic, which is sponsored by the Simpson College Athletic Department and Gold Club. Athletic Director John Sirianni said this will be the largest tournament yet.

“The Golf Classic has grown very fast,” Sirianni said. “The first year we held the tournament we had about 75 golfers and 25-30 sponsors. This year we’re expecting about 160 golfers to play and attend the banquet, and we have 50-plus sponsors.”

Doug Shull, an adjunct professor of accounting and member of the Simpson Board of Trustees, participates in the tournament every year. His golfing partner is Ken Birkenholtz, financial vice president for Simpson.

“I participate to support Simpson athletics,” Shull said. “And I enjoy golf when I play well. Ken and I have always been very competitive.”

The shotgun start is at 1 p.m. Features of the tournament include a two-person best-ball tournament, hole-in-one contests and other competitions such as closest to the pin, longest putt and longest drive. After the tournament, competitors will gather for a social hour and dinner. A raffle and silent auction is also planned for the evening. The major raffle item this year is a three-day cruise. The cruise is valued at $1,200.

Assistant Athletic Director Ron Peterson said the money raised from the tournament would be distributed to all athletic teams at Simpson.

“The contributions raised from the Classic will improve the athletic department overall,” Peterson said.