How do you top this?

Last June, 20 teams convened at Milburn Golf and Country Club to compete in the open and corporate divisions of Ingram’s Magazine’s 2009 CEOpen charity golf tournament. By the time a blazing sun started to relax its grip on the course, the only teams standing were from J.E. Dunn and Burns and McDonnell.

For the first time in its five-year history, the CEOpen had produced a corporate-division tie, and a sudden-death playoff. That’s when Dunn’s Jeff Blaesing stepped up to the tee and simply crushed the ball, driving the green on the 350-yard No. 1 hole. A pair of putts later, the suspense was over with a birdie and a championship.

That dramatic conclusion, said last year’s CEOpen co-chairman Kevin Sparks, stands out among his experiences with the tournament: “It had a PGA championship playoff feel,” said Sparks, senior vice president and chief information officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City.

Sparks, who shared the duties of tournament chairman with Jeff Spencer of Holmes Murphy and Associates, said that environment was exactly what set the CEOpen apart from similar events.

“The CEOpen is competitive, fair, and fun. Those are the key ingredients that keep us coming back year after year,” he said. “We have won some, placed in some, and gone home with our tail between our legs. That is life and golf in the CEOpen.”

The tournament, though, is not merely a bragging-rights event. It serves as a key fund-raiser for area charities, and is on pace this year to near the $500,000 mark in donations raised. The money goes to charities designated by the top three teams in both open and corporate divisions.

“I love this tournament format, and the fact that you choose the charity you are playing for,” said Dan Euston, president and CEO of J.E. Dunn Construction Co. and winner of the Corporate Division three-years running.

For many of those charities, the support is a difference-maker.

“Because of this tournament, we were able to provide services and help to those affected by autism,” said Bill Robinson, retired president of the Autism Society of the Heartland. “In addition to granting scholarships for needed therapy, we were able to send children to camp, provide birthday parties for children and social events for families.

“Because of the cost of needed therapy for children affected by autism, most families do not have the financial means for family social events,” Robinson said. “We are truly thankful for the benefits of the CEOpen that allowed us to provide more for families.”

That direct impact on a non-profit’s ability to serve its clients is a prime motivator for many who take part in the tournament, not just as competitors, but as part of the small army of volunteers and organizers needed each year. That aspect is important to people who aren’t getting a day out of the office, but instead, a day of hard, demanding work that makes the event run smoothly.

“We give back to our community with time and our resources,” said Julie Browne of the Government Employees Health Association. “The CEOpen Executive Golf Tournament is a great opportunity to make connections, not only with other business leaders but with the communities we serve.”

The link to charities also sets the CEOpen apart for competitors.

“This event is unique, since the participants have the ability to support a cause that they are passionate about,” said Holmes Murphy and Associate’s Jeff Spencer. “I think the format helps draw a strong field of participants, and the charities are very appreciative of the sometimes-unexpected benefits from the tournament.”

As for what takes place in the tourney, Spencer said the unique format “dictates that you field a team of participants who are serious about competing.”

“The corporate and open divisions create opportunities for multiple winners, so more charities can be rewarded,” Spencer said. “You know when you play in this event that you need to bring your A-game.”

This year’s tournament is scheduled for June 21, and will again be played on Milburn’s 18-hole, 6,785-yard championship course.

And, if you do indeed have an A-game to bring, Sparks is already throwing down a gauntlet, looking ahead to this summer: “I challenge you to a game of golf, my charity vs. yours—are you ready?”