Hilton Head Golf News

Harbour Town Golf Links, host of the Verizon Heritage, has been selected the top golf course in South Carolina by the South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel.

Harbour Town, at The Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island, has been chosen the state's best since the panel, composed of 125 members from throughout the state, began its rankings in 2005.

Defending Champion Brian Gay, who broke the tournament scoring record when he won the Verizon Heritage last April, has committed to play in the 42nd Anniversary event April 12-18 over the Harbour Town Golf Links.

Joining Gay on the early commitment list are a pair of reigning major winners, U.S. Open Champion Lucas Glover and British Open King, Stewart Cink.

Behind medalist Lee Bedford, the Wake Forest men's golf team claimed its first team title of the season as the Demon Deacons came back to win the Wexford Intercollegiate by one shot over host Francis Marion.

After carding an even-par 72 in the opening round, Bedford played a beautiful final round, posting a 2-under 70 and tying Jackson Taylor of Davidson at 2-under for the 36-holes. The duo shared medalist honors. It was Bedford's first collegiate victory.

The Francis Marion University golf team will play host to the fifth-annual Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate Tournament, Monday and Tuesday (Feb. 22-23), on Hilton Head Island. 

The tournament will consist of 36 holes on Monday and 18 holes on Tuesday. Both days will begin with shotgun starts at 8:30 a.m. The Wexford Plantation course measures 6,850 yards and is a par-72 layout.

Scotland's Russell Knox unknowingly began the final round of the eGolf Tour's Palmetto Hall Championship in a tie for the lead with Canada's Matt McQuillan following rounds of 73-68-69—210.

By the time he reached the tee of the watery par-3 16th, he was fully aware of his status atop the leaderboard. A mere three holes later, he solidified victory and claimed the largest check of his professional career.

A number of very recognizable names will be on hand as the eGolf Professional Tour opens its 2010 season in Hilton Head Island. Nineteen-year-old Tadd Fujikawa, the youngest player to ever qualify for the U.S. Open, embattled Doug Barron, who was recently suspended for violating the PGA Tour's substance-abuse policy, former NFL All-Pro Shannon Sharpe, Ty Tryon and Drew Weaver headline the 204 -player field.

The season-opening event, The Palmetto Hall Championship, will be played at Palmetto Hall Plantation Club Feb. 17-20. Players will compete for an estimated purse of $235,000 at the Palmetto Hall Championship, with an estimated $35,000 going to the winner.

Imagine watching the best golfers in the world in a climate-controlled atmosphere overlooking the 15th and 18th holes of the famed Harbour Town Golf Links.

That’s what golf fans who buy the new Arnold Palmer Pass can enjoy at the Verizon Heritage, April 14-18. Also included in this bargain for only $90 a day is an upscale buffet plus beer and wine. What more could a golfer want, unless its playing Harbour Town, too.

Tournament officials have announced that the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf has extended its contract with the Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa through 2012.

First played in 1978, the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf is credited with launching the Champions Tour for players over age 50 in 1980. In 2010, Liberty Mutual will celebrate its 31st consecutive year as the event's title sponsor. This year's tournament will be held April 19-25 and will feature a $2.7 million purse.

Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy students Matthew Rushton, Ri Hyang Park and Derrick Villarreal all emerged victorious at the recent Hank Haney Invitational presented by BMW. The event was played on both the Ocean Course and Harbour Town Golf Links, host of the annual Verizon Heritage.

Finishing play in a group filled with past IJGT champions, Rushton, who competed in the boys 13-15 division, took home his fourth title of the year with impressive rounds of 75 and 71. He finished 3 over par.

Individuals can now to purchase playing spots in the 2010 Verizon Heritage Pro-Am Golf Tournaments.  The tournaments are held on Monday and Wednesday of tournament week April 12-18 at the Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island.

Verizon Heritage Pro-Ams are one of the most unique opportunities in all of sports. A Pro-Am is a chance to enjoy the beauty of the Harbour Town Golf Links and the competition of the Verizon Heritage along side a PGA Tour Professional. For many golfers, it is the experience of a lifetime.