Nearly 200 golfers will compete to earn a place in the September national championship field
March 12, Pawleys Island, S.C. – The Myrtle Beach Classic, one of the 28 events on the 2012 Golf Channel Amateur Tour, will be held March 17-18 (Saturday-Sunday) at Caledonia Golf and Fish Club and True Blue Golf Plantation. Tee times are scheduled from 7:30-9:30 a.m. each day on both courses.
James Kerg, 55, of North Myrtle Beach, S.C., is one of 193 players in the event that is flighted by age and handicap. He has played in several events this season, with his best finish a third in the Senior Sarazan flight (12-15.9 handicap index) in November at the Elks Fall Championship in Jeffersonville, Ind. He has been playing on the Golf Channel Amateur Tour for more than five years. Golfers compete for merit points, and the first three finishers in each division will automatically qualify for the National Championship Sept. 12-13 at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
There are six flights within the Open division and six more flights in the Senior division.
“Jim is a perfect example of what this Tour is all about,” said Mike Rich, Southeast Regional Director of the Golf Channel Amateur Tour. “He has traveled all over the country playing this Tour. This Tour is a great outlet for guys who played in college and want a chance to come back to the competitive game at all levels of ability.”
“We are pleased to be hosting the Golf Channel Amateur Tour,” said Bob Seganti, director of golf at True Blue Golf Plantation. “We are proud of our two award-winning golf courses and we are sure the golfers will enjoy their test of golf here.”
Caledonia and True Blue are two of the courses that comprise the Waccamaw Golf Trail (12 courses) in the southern part of the Grand Strand.
The pre-event favorites in the Open division are Pete DeTemple, 49, of Callaway, Md., and Melvin Barnes, 45, of Hillsborough, N.C. DeTemple won three times in 2011 and already has a second place finish in 2012. Barnes won once last season.
The two teamed up earlier this year to win the Dual in the Dessert (a team event) in February in Las Vegas.
The Golf Channel Amateur Tour, which boasts 6,500 participants, is in its fifth season. Golf Channel has owned the Tour for the last three years.
About Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
Built upon the site of a historic 18th century rice plantation in Pawleys Island, S.C., Caledonia Golf & Fish Club has been described as having 18 signature holes, with holes routed around majestic oaks and meandering streams. The picturesque 18th borders the Plantation’s old ricefield and requires a precise tee shot that sets up a difficult second shot: a forced carry onto a green that is watched closely by the beautiful antebellum style clubhouse. The 6,526-yard, par-70 course has been named one of Golf Digest’s “Top 25 Courses in South Carolina” and “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses;” a “Top 100 You Can Play” by Golf Magazine; a “Top 100 Modern Courses” and “Best Resort Courses” by Golfweek, South Carolina Golf Course Ratings Panel’s list of “50 Best Courses” and “Top 100 Best Courses for Women” by Golf for Women. For more information, call Caledonia at 1-800-483-6800 or visit www.FishClub.com
About True Blue Golf Plantation
True Blue Golf Plantation, 7,126 yards, par 72 is located on the site of the historic True Blue Plantation, a famed 19th century indigo and rice plantation. Designed by architect Mike Strantz and opened in 1998, True Blue emphasizes the natural beauty of the area, utilizing native grasses and vegetation and maintains much of the character of the South Carolina Lowcountry it was built upon. True Blue has received countless awards, including being named one of “America’s Greatest 100 Public Golf Courses” by Golf Digest. It also is one of the South Carolina Golf Course Raters’ list of “50 Best Courses.” And it is one of Golf Magazine’s “Top Ten Places To Play” and “Top 25 Courses in the South.” Golfweek also awarded True Blue as being one of the “Top 100 Courses in America.”
Contact:
Craig Smith or Tim Gavrich at The Brandon Agency, (843) 916-2000
csmith@thebrandonagency.com, tgavrich@thebrandonagency.com
