Hilton Head Golf News

Boo Weekley might feel more comfortable at the outdoor superstore Cabela’s than he will at Augusta National Golf Club this coming April when he competes in his first Masters.

He might have a better understanding of the nuances of duck hunting than he does of match play golf but the small-town, country boy from the Florida panhandle certainly knows how to captivate an audience when he speaks.

Weekley’s infectious sense of humor was on display this week at the annual Verizon Heritage Media Day at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head. Weekley is the event’s defending champion after he chipped in twice during Monday’s final round to defeat Ernie Els and claim his first PGA TOUR victory last April. Weekley not only earned his first tour win, but he also picked up an invitation to the 2008 Masters tournament in the process.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC - Two South Carolina natives, Dustin Johnson and Tommy Gainey have been awarded Sponsors Exemptions to the 40th annual Verizon Heritage, it was announced Feb.25 at the tournament’s annual Media Day.

Dustin Johnson, who resides in nearby Myrtle Beach, is a former U.S. Walker Cup star who has excelled on the PGA TOUR early this season, earning $446,346 to place 18th on the official money list.  The 27-year old received his card this year by placing 14th in Q-School.  Dustin was a two-time first team All-American at Coastal Carolina.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND – Northern Illinois University’s men’s golf team shot a 325 on a blustery day at Wexford Plantation and finished in a three-way tie for last place at the Wexford Plantation Intercollegiate hosted by Francis Marion University, almost 60 shots back of the winning score for the event.

The Huskies didn’t set any scoring records but they did record a victory for their school and took a step toward transitioning from tragedy to normalcy.

The two-day tournament marked Northern Illinois’ return to athletic competition following a 10-day layoff due to the Feb. 14 campus shootings that prematurely ended the lives of five students. Monday’s opening round also coincided with the return to classes on the NIU campus. 

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC --- Ernie Els and Zach Johnson, two of the most well respected golfers on the PGA TOUR, have just made early commitments to play in the 40th annual Verizon Heritage at the Harbour Town Golf Links, April 14-20.

In addition, Tournament Director Steve Wilmot also announced that Woody Austin and Fred Funk have signed up for the $5.5 million event, with a record $990,000 going to the winner.

Els, a two-time U.S. Open champ as well as a winner of the British Open, has been a repeated “bridesmaid” at Harbour Town, with seven Top Ten finishes.  The South African fell just one stroke short of the winner’s circle last April when Boo Weekley chipped in on the last two holes.

Hilton Head Island, S.C. – Hilton Head Island based course designer Clyde Johnston, one of the nation’s top architects, has been hired to oversee the redesign of a 60-year-old South Carolina golf course.

The Fort Mill Golf Club in the Upstate region of South Carolina will close this coming weekend to undergo renovations and is expected to reopen in August.

Ed Sealy Appointed Superintendent at Rose Hill Golf Club.

February 11, 2008, Surfside Beach, S.C. — Skip Blythe announced today on behalf of Signature Golf Group and Rose Hill Country Club the appointment of Edward J. Sealy, Jr. of Myrtle Beach, SC as Golf Course Superintendent at the Rose Hill Country Club effective March 1, 2008. Edward will be responsible for returning the course to playability as well as course conditioning when the course is re-opened. “We are excited that Ed has decided to join our team at Rose Hill. Ed has the knowledge, the experience, and most importantly the passion to create a great golf experience at Rose Hill”, stated Skip Blythe.

Daufuskie Island, S.C. (Feb. 6, 2008) – Haig Point, one of South Carolina’s most exclusive private clubs, is excited to announce that it will host the inaugural Rees Jones Collegiate Invitational on its Signature Course, September 6 – 8, 2008.

The tournament, which will be hosted annually by renowned golf course architect Rees Jones and Haig Point, will consist of 12 to 15 men’s teams. Eleven universities have already committed to the tournament and include: Michigan State, Connecticut, Jackson State, Eastern Michigan, San Diego State, Toledo, Columbia, Texas-Arlington, Georgia State, Methodist and San Jose State.  

Kiawah Island, SC – Kiawah Island Golf Resort, just south of historic Charleston, has announced its diverse special events calendar for 2008. The 15-event series includes golf and tennis weekends, a women’s escape retreat and a murder-mystery whodnit, while guest accommodation choices include private villas or The Sanctuary, the resort’s AAA Five Diamond-rated oceanfront hotel and spa.

Located along 10 miles of pristine beach, Kiawah Island Golf Resort is rated as one of country’s top resorts by a number of top travel publications. It includes The Sanctuary and 600 private villas and luxury homes. The resort has five championship golf courses, including The Ocean Course – host of the 1991 Ryder Cup, the 2007 Senior PGA and 2012 PGA championships. The resort also ranks as the number one tennis resort in the world, has nine restaurants, and features a renowned recreation and nature program. For more information, visit www.kiawahresort.com or call 800-654-2924. 

The Hilton Head Island Celebrity Golf Tournament has been a Labor Day Weekend Tradition for the past 27 years bringing stars, amateur golfers and non-golfers together to raise money for children’s charities in Hilton Head, Bluffton and Beaufort. Thipast Labor Day Weekend was wet and soggy but that did not dampen the charitable spirits and camaraderie among those attending.

The Tournament raised a record amount of $250,000.00 that will be distributed to children with the greatest of needs in the coming weeks. This year’s event brings the amount of distribution to local children’s charities to over $3,000,000 since the inception of the Tournament. 

Myrtle Beach, S.C. - The Carolinas PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame will enshrine two new members on February 17, 2008, as Robert M. (Bob) Boyd and Rod Myers will be honored for their accomplishments and contributions to the game of golf and to the Carolinas PGA (CPGA) Section.

Only the 37th and 38th PGA professionals to receive the honor since the CPGA Hall of Fame was established in 1981, Boyd and Myers were selected by the Carolinas PGA Selection Committee after being nominated by their peers.

"It is a distinct honor to honor Bob Boyd and Rod Myers with a permanent home in the Carolinas PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame," said Rick Murphy, Carolina PGA President. "To have been an ordinary "good" PGA Professional is not enough to be voted into our Hall of Fame. We seek honorees that have demonstrated ability, interest, and service beyond the expected and both Boyd and Myers have shown these characteristics throughout their PGA Professional careers."