It took a year to get ready: America’s visit to quiet Belfair in Bluffton down to a day
The Lowcountry of South Carolina is in the national spotlight again this week as the 52nd PGA Professional Championship is played at Belfair in Bluffton.
A week after the PGA Tour pulled away from its annual visit to Harbour Town on nearby Hilton Head Island, the world’s largest, all-professional event with a 312-player field rolled in to bring top players, sponsors and worldwide attention to the area.
The four-day tournament with presenting sponsors Cadillac, OMEGA and Club Car, crowns the champion of all golf club pros nationwide.
It has attracted live television coverage on the Golf Channel, as well as PGA CEO Seth Waugh and PGA President Suzy Whaley to the Lowcountry.
The final round is Wednesday, and it is free and open to the public.
They will see longtime competitors Alex Beach of Stamford, Connecticut, and Danny Balin of Irvington, New York, neck-and-neck atop the leaderboard.
Balin bogeyed the 18th on Tuesday to put them in a dead heat, tied at 7-under-par, headed into the final 18.
Going into the third round, Beach, an assistant professional at the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, led at 8-under-par. His 4-under-par 67 was good for a slim 1-stroke lead over Balin, assistant professional at Fresh Meadow Country Club in Lake Success, New York.
But on Tuesday, that had flipped to a 1-stroke lead for Balin through most of the day — until the final hole.
The two leaders held a comfortable cushion over seven other players shooting under par.
Following 36 holes of play over both the Tom Fazio East Course and West Course in Belfair, the field was reduced to the low 90 scorers and ties.
After completion of the third round on Tuesday, the low 70 scorers and ties will play the final round over the West Course.
The current leaderboard, and complete information about the event, is available online at https://www.pga.com/events/pgaprochamp. And complete results will be posted at islandpacket.com and beaufortgazette.com.
The pros are competing for a slice of the $650,000 purse, and the Walter Hagen Cup.
But tournament has a charitable purpose as well.
A special feature of this event is PGA HOPE (Helping our Patriots Everywhere) and the veterans stationed at the 14 th hole.
The flagship military program of PGA REACH, which is the PGA of America’s nonprofit, charitable foundation, PGA HOPE introduces golf to veterans with disabilities to enhance their physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being.
Belfair
Belfair, a quiet 1,100-acre, private housing development in Bluffton, has has burst to life this week.
But its residents and club staff have been preparing for the past year for the prestigious event that has previously been hosted in South Carolina by the Ocean Course of Kiawah Island (2005) and The Dunes Club of Myrtle Beach (2014).
Ken Kosak, PGA, Belfair’s general manager and chief operating officer, said the event would not be possible without the more than 600 volunteers and the approximately 80 Belfair residents who have opened their homes to host players, their caddies and families.
Tournament volunteers include 450 Belfair residents as well as residents of Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, Sun City Hilton Head, and other areas.
According to PGA CEO Seth Waugh, the membership at Belfair “couldn’t be more welcoming … This has just been really special.”
PGA vice president Jim Richerson noted that the membership at Belfair “opened their arms and supported this event maybe like no other facility. The staff is really led by PGA general manager Ken Kosak and director of golf James Swift.”
GOLF Magazine has named Belfair’s director of instruction Jason Baile, PGA, one of the “Top 100 Teachers in America.”
Baile and Dana Rader, an LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals Hall of Fame inductee who is also an emeritus member of GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 teachers, share Belfair’s commitment to helping golfers of different ages and skill sets enjoy the game.
Area businesses also are involved.
Kroger, Hargray, Old Town Trolley Tours, Orfiks, Enterprise, PGA Tour Superstore, South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police, and Hilton Head Regional Healthcare are local supporting partners.
National television
Wednesday: The Golf Channel: 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
At stake
Money: Total purse $650,000.
Exemptions: Champion receives exemptions for the 2019 PGA Championship, 2019 PGA Cup, and six PGA Tour events over a 12-month period. The low 20 scorers earn a berth in the 101st PGA Championship at Bethpage Black Course in Farmingdale, New York.
Prestige: The champion’s name is inscribed in the Walter Hagen Cup, named after the legendary golfer, five-time PGA Champion and one of the 35 charter members of the PGA of America.
Sponsors
Presenting partners: Cadillac, OMEGA, Club Car
Supporting partners: Titleist/FootJoy, Nike, TaylorMade, Golf Channel, PGA Tour
Local Supporting partners: Kroger, Hargray, Old Town Trolley Tours, Orfiks, Enterprise, PGA Tour Superstore, South Carolina Fraternal Order of Police, Hilton Head Regional Healthcare
This story was originally published April 30, 2019 at 6:26 PM.