Bryan Brothers Hit Atlanta for Charity Pro-Am

The No. 1 tennis doubles team will be making a pit stop in Atlanta on Monday before jetting off to the US Open to defend their title. Mike and Bob Ryan will join the Ansley Golf Club charity pro-am this Monday to teach clinics and play a match against the event’s top sponsor.

The charity pro-am has long been a staple of the Ansley Golf Club, but for the past 13 years it has played an even more special part in the life of the charity directory, Ronnie Hass.

Thirteen years ago Hass lost his mother to breast cancer and since then, the charity has worked every year to donate money to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. Over the past ten years, the Ansley Golf Club charity pro-am has donated more than $800,000 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Last year at the two-day walk, they were named the event’s platinum sponsor, having donated the most money to the foundation.

“The tournament is going really well so far,” Hass said. “We’ve had no rain, it’s been a great turnout so far, I’d say everything is going as planned.”

The charity pro-am opened Thursday night with a party for all of the participants at the Ansley Golf Course Country Club, located in Ansley Park. Friday’s events feature the ladies pro-am with 34 teams competing for the top spot. Saturday will feature the men’s pro-am with 32 men’s teams competing, as well as Saturday night hosting a round robin social mixed doubles. Sunday will showcase the men’s pro-am finals, and then Monday the Bryan brothers arrive to teach clinics in the morning and then play in the charity match against the event’s top sponsor. The brothers will also play against Georgia Tech’s No. 1 doubles team, and recent NCAA semi-finalists Kevin King and Juan Spir.

Monday night will be a celebration of the event featuring the Bryan brothers band, and a special lead singer, American Idol finalist and Atlanta resident, Michael Johns.

“It’s definitely worked itself into a big deal,” Hass said of the event. “We didn’t set a specific goal for fundraising this year, but we are pretty much sold out of tickets.”

Unreserved general admission tickets are still available for the exhibition on Monday on a limited basis. Tickets are going for $125 and those interested can contact Ronnie Hass for purchase at 404-897-7707.

The event will benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the Georgia Tennis Foundation, as well as the Bryan Brothers Foundation.

The Bryan brothers squeezed in the charity event in between playing a tournament in Cincinnati this weekend and leaving for the US Open on Tuesday.

Hass said he was originally contacted by their coach who wanted to do clinics at the Ansley Golf Club this summer, and from there the coach asked the brothers to come participate in the charity pro-am.

“This tournament means a lot to me personally,” Hass said. “It’s great we have the Bryan brothers here this year. It’s really turned into something so much bigger than it’s ever been. We just really want to make a difference and I’m happy it’s been going so well.”