The tournament, originally scheduled for two weeks ago, was postponed because of inclement weather. But that postponement may have turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Not only did the delay give tournament organizers more time to perfect the event, it also led to an increase in the number of entries.
Only eight two-man teams had entered before the event was postponed, but now 20 are entered for Monday, according to Area V Director Rob Pilewski, head professional at Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club.
A committee including Pilewski, Scott Ellender of Pinehurst Resort, Travis Hall of Country Club of North Carolina, Michael Martin of Pinehurst Resort, Jason Cox of the Carolinas Golf Association and Al Arrigoni, director of the First Tee of the Sandhills Chapter, has been working on the tournament series for months.
The purpose is to provide several tournaments each year for Carolinas PGA Section members to participate in without having to incur missing work and travel and lodging expenses.
Area V encompasses 11 counties, including Moore, Cumberland, Hoke and Lee.
Four one-day tournaments are planned for this year. Pinehurst No. 8, Tom Fazio’s Centennial Course, is hosting Monday’s event, with others scheduled for the Country Club of North Carolina on July 10, Pine Needles on Aug. 14, and National Golf Club on Nov. 20.
The first and fourth tournaments are two-man better-ball events, with the ones at CCNC and Pine Needles being individual stroke play.
Kelly Mitchum of Pinehurst and Dean Allgeyer of Beacon Ridge are expected to be one of the top teams in Monday’s tournament, but strong competition should be coming from the twosomes of Gus Ulrich of Pinewild Country Cub and Scott Shepherd of Golf Augusta, Ellender and Ehren Link, Tom Parsons and Jamie Johnson and Dave Hall and Gordon McKinley.
“There are some strong teams entered,” Pilewski said, “but my personal darkhorse entry is Don Farr and Gene Roberts.”
Farr is general manager of Mid Pines and Pine Needles Resorts, and Roberts is a professional at Seven Lakes Country Club in West End.
The purse of $1,500 is derived from entry fees and sponsorships from Wal-Mart and Li’l Dinos.
Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor may contact Ellender at 235-8122, or Pilewski at 692-9362.
Another benefit for contestants is that they may donate time to The First Tee Program in lieu of paying an entry fee.
“This is a great opportunity for us to get the young professionals in our area involved with the kids,” Arrigoni said.
The tournament gets under way at 12:30 p.m. with a shotgun start. Spectators are welcome but will not be permitted to use golf carts to follow the action.
McGowan Update: Pat McGowan, who entered this season with eight tournaments remaining with exempt status on the PGA Champions Tour, has shown improvement in each of the three events he’s entered.
McGowan earned his Champions Tour card in November of 2004 but played only five tournaments before being sidelined with a back injury. Prior to this season, he estimated that he would need to average winning $25,000 per tournament to retain fully exempt status.
In his first tournament this year at Turtle Bay in Hawaii, McGowan won just $1,050 but tied for 49th in The ACE Group event and picked up $4,800. Last week in the Outback Steakhouse Classic, he tied for 32nd and won $11,040.
He now has a total of $16,890 entering the AT&T Classic in Valencia, Calif., March 10 through 12.
Stiles Update: Darron Stiles, the Pinehurst resident who is playing the PGA Tour on a partially exempt status, shot 70-75 in last week’s Tucson Open and failed to make the cut.
He had finished ninth there last year.
