Hilton Head Island Amateur ready to expand its territory

For the first time, the Hilton Head Island Amateur is venturing north of the Broad River.

The tournament’s 34th edition got a new date and venue this week, rescheduled for July 8-10 at the Legends Golf Course at Parris Island. Previously scheduled for Wexford Plantation, the event had never before left the Hilton Head Island/Bluffton area.

“It’s just time to get over there, in my opinion,” said Bob Collar, director of the Hilton Head Island Amateur Golf Association. “Give those guys and those courses a shot at us. They’ve got some great courses over there. I think it’s something that’s going to work well.”

Collar noted at least a dozen golfers have been coming over from the Beaufort area to play HHIAGA events for several years. The Parris Island venue also has a chance to draw entrants from the Marine base nearby.

“From what I understand, there’s 10 or 12 Marines that are gunned up about it,” Collar said. “It seems to be working. A lot of guys here (around Hilton Head) that we’d consider our core, they’re excited about it. A lot of those guys have never played Parris Island.”

The HHIAGA previous had ventured as far as Callawassie Island, which has staged the association’s 27-Hole Challenge the past few years. Now, Collar said, they’ll be looking to hold at least one event a year at such venues as Dataw Island, Fripp Island or Lady’s Island.

The winner still receives a berth in next year’s Players Amateur. Seth Sweet won last year’s edition at Hampton Hall, though he’ll be unable to defend as he tees it up in the Players Amateur that same weekend.

To register or for more information, go online to HHIAGA.com.

MANCILL INTO U.S. JUNIOR

Hilton Head Island’s Travis Mancill used three birdies in his final eight holes to lock down a spot in this summer’s U.S. Junior Amateur, taking top honors from Tuesday’s qualifier in Santee.

A rising senior at Hilton Head Island High, Mancill turned in rounds of 69-71 at Santee National Golf Club to finish at 4-under-par 140. The opening 69 left him tied for the lead at the midway point, but he stood just 2-under when he made the turn on his second round.

Mancill heated up with a birdie at the par-5 second hole, then moved to the front with a birdie at No. 5. Though he bogeyed the eighth hole, a closing birdie left him alone at the top.

Mancill joins fellow Seahawk Andrew Orischak in the field for the next month’s event at The Honors Course near Chattanooga, Tenn. Orischak has an automatic berth from last year’s runner-up finish on Lowcountry turf at Colleton River Plantation.

SPRIGGING THE OCEAN

Sprigging is now complete on the entire front nine of Sea Pines’ new Ocean Course, as the revamped layout enters a summer growing period to allow the grass to take hold.

Work continues on the back nine, though Nos. 17 and 18 are nearly complete and final touches are being put on several other holes. The goal is to have sprigs put down on the rest of the course by July 1, with an emphasis on getting the greens done.

“If for some reason something slows us down, we will put a priority on the greens to get them sprigged,” said lead architect Scot Sherman. “That’s what takes the longest to grow in. We just hope we don’t have any more bad weather.”

Sherman noted a couple of holes were still being shaped as recently as late May, though the big equipment has now left the course.

NEW FACE IN PLAID

Derek Paton, a 13-year veteran of tournament marketing, has joined the Heritage Classic Foundation as vice president of sales and marketing.

Paton comes over from sports marketing giant Wasserman, which coordinates strategies for more than 65 golf events worldwide. Before that he spent five years with Golf Canada, which oversees the RBC Canadian Open and the LPGA’s Canadian Women’s Open.

He replaces longtime sales director Bill Wagner, who retired this spring after 12 years in the post.

ACES & AGE-BEATERS

▪ Ted Brandt notched a hole-in-one Monday on the 17th hole at Hidden Cypress Golf Club, using a 5-iron to hole out from 161 yards. It was the fourth ace at No. 17 in a 10-day span. Witnesses were Larry Mihalovic, Ned Wood and Randy Hoff.

This story was originally published June 17, 2016 at 1:28 AM with the headline "Hilton Head Island Amateur ready to expand its territory."