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By Lauren Deason
PGATOUR.com Editorial Coordinator

Sometimes, it's the simplest things that can make the biggest difference.

When Jeff Gareau went to the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am last week, he hated that his sons couldn't be there to watch the Champions Tour pros with him, as they've done in the past. His oldest, 23-year-old Cameron Reese, is currently in the United States Air Force and is stationed in Afghanistan. Middle son Travis Nipper, 20, is over in Baghdad with the U.S. Army.

So Gareau decided to send a piece of the Tour to them. He bought two pin flags and took them to the driving range on Sunday to get autographs from the pros. Not one turned him down, despite preparing for the final round of the tournament.

"Every professional player signed and thanked my sons for their service," said Gareau. D.A. Weibring even went a step further, bestowing two signed golf balls upon the grateful father.

"He kept waving to me to let me know that he was trying to find his caddie," said Gareau, after Weibring had asked him to wait a few minutes. "Then he tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'Could you please send these to your sons, too?'

Weibring was glad to help Gareau and his sons. "I think he appreciated that I took time to provide him with a few extra signed golf balls. When you look into the eyes of a dad whose son is over there making the ultimate commitment to our country, it was just a touching moment for me. I didn't even hesitate to honor his request."

"I am amazed at the way they were -- they were superb, every one of those guys," said Gareau. "D.A. Weibring going out of his way to do something special made it special for me."

And, Gareau added, he hopes next year for even more special memories if his sons are able to join him at TPC Tampa Bay.

The Big 2-0

It's a special birthday for the ACE Group Classic, as they celebrate their 20th anniversary on the Champions Tour. That's the third longest span for one metropolitan area on the Champions Tour. Past champions over the last two decades include Lee Trevino, Gene Littler, Gary Player, Hale Irwin, Lanny Wadkins, and 2006 winner Loren Roberts.

Tour veteran Dale Douglass may not have won the tournament, but he's been there for all 19 of them, having joined the Champions Tour in 1986 after years of success on the PGA TOUR, where he won three times.

"I started on the Champions Tour and those who were before me felt like they had created something worthwhile. The quality of golf was good when I came out and now is even more so," said the 70-year-old. "The courses are longer now and the green speeds are faster."

And what could be better than still getting a chance to play the game you love? Douglass finished 21st on the Georgia Pacific Grand Champions money list in 2006, a "tournament within a tournament" for players 60 and over to compete against each other during the first two rounds.

"Being able to come back and play successfully on the Champions Tour has been rewarding," said Douglass, who has been a runner-up in the ACE Group Classic twice and won 11 times on the Tour.

The wins were special, but memories he has made and the people he has met over the years are priceless.

"Camaraderie is not only with the players and the players' wives, but also with friends I've met in each town."

A Healthier Hoch

Scott Hoch makes his debut this year at the ACE Group Classic after joining the Champions Tour in 2006. The 11-time PGA TOUR winner recently bought a place at the Quail West Golf Club in Naples, Fla., site of this week's event, but is looking forward to playing for the first time after tendonitis kept him off the course.

He thinks his injured wrist will only continue to get stronger the more he plays and Hoch hopes that with a healthy hand will come better results. Not that 2007 has been an especially bad year or anything, as he sits in 18th place on the Charles Schwab Cup points list after ties for ninth at the Allianz Championship and seventh at the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am.

"I'm pleased with the way I'm playing, especially that first week. I was rusty. Last week I didn't play that well but I didn't make as many mistakes," said the 51-year-old. "My game will continue to get better when I get the strength back."

Mr. Consistency on the PGA TOUR, Hoch finished in the top 40 on the money list every year from 1982 to 2002, except during the 1992 season when he had shoulder surgery. He last won on the PGA TOUR in 2003 at the Ford Championship at Doral and is looking forward to contending for years to come on the Champions Tour.

"On the PGA TOUR, I don't know but probably a third of the guys. It's a long-man's TOUR now. It's much more enjoyable out here then I remember it being on the PGA TOUR for a long time. It became a job out there. This is so relaxing and different. I'm looking forward to competing for championships out here."