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Hilton Head Open starts today
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Today's tee times
Today-Sunday, at Hampton Hall Golf Club, Bluffton; Players listed with home club (flight in parentheses)
Today's Tee Times
No. 1 Tee
8 a.m.: Gary Shimmin, Spring Island (Senior); Lance Buntin, Indigo Run (Professional)
8:10 a.m.: P.J. Tanner, Old South (Championship); Kevin O'Neal, Colleton River (Professional)
8:20 a.m.: Joe Vignati, Sun City (Senior); Bob Collar (Championship); Cary Corbitt, Sea Pines (Professional)
8:30 a.m.: Joe Matheny, Sanctuary (Professional); Howard Fister, Pinecrest (Championship); Mauricio Sirias, Eagle's Pointe (Championship)
8:40 a.m.: Tom Humphrey, Spring Island (Senior); Chris Marinaro, Harbour Town (Championship); Pratt Reed, Berkeley Hall (Championship)
8:50 a.m.: Michael Mavrodorgato (Senior); Ed Atkins (Flights); Ryan Kaufmann, Tradition National (Professional)
9 a.m.: David Wilding, Tradition National (Professional); Tate Hoisington (Championship); Gary Pascale, Old South (Championship)
9:10 a.m.: Bill Sampson, Spring Island (Professional); Koll Farman, Crowfield (Professional); Dave Hambley, Colleton River (Senior)
9:20 a.m.: Jim Ferguson, Long Cove (Championship); David La Pour, Colleton River (Professional); Jim Patti, Colleton River (Senior)
9:30 a.m.: Chris Gordon (Flights); Stephen Kiritsy, Palmetto Hall (Flights); Hartwell Baker, Shipyard (Professional)
9:40 a.m.: Chandler Russell, Bear Creek (Senior); Al Bischoff (Senior); Gerard Mahieu, Palmetto Dunes (Senior)
9:50 a.m.: Tom Cloud, Spanish Wells (Flights); Howard Ramey, Pinecrest (Flights); John Vignale, Colleton River (Senior)
No. 10 Tee
8 a.m.: Kevin Kennedy, Palmetto (Championship); Evan Jeffords, Old South (Championship); Charles Askins (Championship)
8:10 a.m.: Jeff Spencer, Callawassie Island (Professional); Stephen Brown (Championship); Colby Wilson (Flights)
8:20 a.m.: Ray Bragg, Sea Pines (Professional); James Thompson, Hampton Hall (Championship); J.R. Evans, Callawassie Island (Flights)
8:30 a.m.: Bryan Bessinger, Island Golf School (Professional); Steve Baldwin, Palmetto Hall (Flights); Daniel Triplett (Championship)
8:40 a.m.: Chip Pellerin (Professional); Eric Dollenberg, Wexford (Senior); Jon Hauck (Senior)
8:50 a.m.: Franklin Newell, Chechessee Creek (Professional); Tanner Crum (Championship); Robert Sandell, Long Cove (Senior)
9 a.m.: Bob Sharp, Palmetto Dunes (Senior); Ian Wright, Belfair (Professional); Gordon Gourley (Championship)
9:10 a.m.: Kyle Weaver, Palmetto Dunes (Flights); Dave DeDecker, Old South (Flights); Ed Brill, Port Royal (Professional)
9:20 a.m.: Jay Hardin (Flights); Mike Gregga, Moss Creek (Professional); Taylor Whitehead, Long Cove (Championship)
9:30 a.m.: David Hammonds, Pinecrest (Flights); George Ragland, Hampton Hall (Senior); Lewis Turner, Ocean Creek (Senior)
9:40 a.m.: Clayton Brown (Championship); Randy Sparks (Championship); Doug Ballenger, Long Cove (Senior)
No. 1 Tee
12:30 p.m.: Joe Alden, Belfair (Professional); Ben Ferguson, Old South (Flights); Darin Sampson, Palmetto Dunes (Flights)
12:40 p.m.: Matt Presnell, Berkeley Hall (Professional); Chris Byrd, Secesson (Professional); Bob Doerr, Hampton Hall (Flights)
12:50 p.m.: Shannon Archer, Hilton Head National (Professional); Trent Hoisington (Championship); Kevin Thorne, Hampton Hall (Championship)
1 p.m.: Mark Tomedolskey, Cherokee Plantation (Professional); George Hirsch, Long Cove (Championsip); Luke Kerr-Dineen, Berkeley Hall (Championsip)
1:10 p.m.: Matt Lucchesi, Colleton River (Professional); Derek Gall, Old South (Professional); John Patterson, Chechessee Creek (Championship)
1:20 p.m.: Michael Fries, Chechessee Creek (Professional); Bill Mordica, Palmetto Hall (Flights); Jeff Wong, Pinecrest (Championship)
1:30 p.m.: Andy Hinson, Parris Island (Professsional); Chris Morris, Callawassie Island (Senior); John Hencken, Sun City (Senior)
1:40 p.m.: Derek Lafferty, Sanctuary (Professional); Tony Branham, Indigo Run (Professional); Matthew Booker, Berkeley Hall (Professional)
1:50 p.m.: Kevin Lavertu, Indigo Run (Professional); Bryan Rhame, Hampton Hall (Professional); Jeff Homad, Indigo Run (Championship)
2 p.m.: Brett Heisler, Colleton River (Professional); Chris Lane, Palmetto Hall (Championship); Nathan Broyles, Spring Island (Professional)
No. 10 Tee
12:30 p.m.: Shawn Kuehner, Harbour Town (Professional); Peter Krause, Hank Haney Golf (Professional); Kevin Arnold, Palmetto Hall (Championship)
12:40 p.m.: Brian Moore, Island Golf School (Professional); Char Cormier, Fripp Island (Professional); J.D. Hoft, Pinecrest (Championship)
12:50 p.m.: Doyle Ricks, Golden Bear (Professional); Jon Piccione, Old South (Championship); Mark Benson, Colleton River (Championship)
1 p.m.: Matt Stewart, Colleton River (Professional); Ryan Williams, Secession (Professional); Josh Lauener (Championship)
1:10 p.m.: Tom Logue, Moss Creek (Professional); Bubba Jacoby, Old South (Championship); Bob Engler, Hampton Hall (Championship)
1:20 p.m.: David Ward, Colleton River (Professional); Joe Bryant, Belfair (Championship); Andrew Sellers, Tradition National (Championship)
1:30 p.m.: Jerry Petitt, Hampton Hall (Senior); Loren White, Berkeley Hall (Professional); Jamie Manning, Old South (Championship)
1:40 p.m.: Rod Carlson, Hampton Hall (Flights); Jim Uremovich, Old South (Professional); Danny Dennison, Spanish Wells (Flights)
1:50 p.m.: Keith Bach, Island Golf School (Professional); Edward Sires, Palmetto Dunes (Professional); Daniel Cort, Colleton River (Championship)
2 p.m.: Jerry Homishak, Hampton Hall (Flights); Jay Wilson, Old South (Flights); Jason Demkowicz, Pinecrest (Flights)
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Meet the Beaufort team
Less than 24 hours remained before play began in the 35th Hilton Head Open, the first under Nathan Broyles' watch as the Hilton Head Island Chapter of the Carolinas PGA's tournament director. But the low-key Broyles, whose day job is being the head professional at Spring Island Club, was anything but nervous.
"The only thing we've crossed our fingers for at this point is for good weather," Broyles said. "It should be a really good event."
Mother Nature indeed appears to be the only obstacle that could keep this annual tournament from enjoying an upswing during a time in which the troubled economy has pelted the golf industry.
When play begins at 8 this morning the field will consist of 129 golfers (including three past champions) -- 19 more than last year and 48 of whom are golf professionals. It will also do so with some financial stability that has otherwise eluded most of the golfing world thanks to a modification to the tournament's sponsorship structure.
Thirty-two local businesses have signed on as full sponsors for the event, which Broyles said normally enlists primarily partial sponsors. Regular tournament partner Callaway Golf has also increased its commitment to the event, a move -- when paired with the other changes -- that will allow for an increased purse and more money awarded to the Hilton Head Island Junior Golf Association.
And the windfall continued up until the 11th hour, as Broyles said another sponsorship deal was being finalized heading into the weekend.
"It's kind of surprising," said Broyles, noting that the amount of the purse will be set after that final sponsorship deal has been locked up. "We've kind of overshot our own expectations. We didn't really know what would happen, but the community and local businesses have really gotten behind this event."
The weather, however, may not be so kind.
Players practiced Friday at Hampton Hall Golf Club, which played host to the event from 2005-2007 before it moved last year to the Hills Course at Palmetto Hall. Participants utilized a cartpath-only rule due to the wet weather that has pounded the region in recent days, and Broyles said it would again be in effect today, if necessary.
"We just want to make sure it's run like a first-class event," said Broyles, who will also play in the tournament. "And up to this point it's been great."
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