Records at stake in Beaufort City Championship this weekend

Rob Simmons will go after a couple of Beaufort City Golf Championship firsts when the tournament’s 18th edition tees off Saturday at Fripp Island Resort.

The Beaufort golfer has won each of the past two titles, so a third consecutive victory would be a first in tournament history. It also would represent a fourth win overall, which would break a tie with Mark Anderson, now on the Web.com Tour, for most on the list.

Former champion J.D. Hoft, who lost a nailbiter at the Hilton Head Island Amateur earlier this month, is among nearly three dozen golfers seeking to knock Simmons off his perch. Hoft was denied a playoff at the Hilton Head Island Amateur when Bubba Jacoby managed to save par from a bunker.

Hoft also was forced to withdraw from last year’s championship after suffering an injury midway through the final round.

Benji Gecy, runner-up to Simmons two years ago and third last year, also returns along with Matt O’Quinn and former champion Patrick Mitchell.

Saturday’s opening round will be played on Fripp Island’s Ocean Point course before switching to the resort’s Ocean Creek layout for the final round.

NIMMER TO OAKLAND HILLS

Bluffton’s Bryson Nimmer continued his solid summer by punching his ticket to next month’s U.S. Amateur, cruising to medalist honors at a qualifier outside Jacksonville, Fla.

Nimmer fired matching 66s Monday and Tuesday at Amelia National Golf Club, pulling five shots ahead of his nearest pursuers. That followed a pair of top-six finishes in his past three events, including The Players Amateur.

The U.S. Amateur begins Aug. 15 at Oakland Hills Golf Club outside Detroit, which has played host to six U.S. Opens and three PGA Championships.

PRESERVING THE STREAK

Hilton Head Island’s Terrie Allemang and Karen Ferree were part of a Carolinas team that produced a seventh consecutive victory in the Carolinas-Virginias Team Matches earlier this month at River Landing GC in Wallace, N.C.

Allemang was a co-captain for the Carolinas squad, which took a slim lead after the first four-balls session and widened it each of the next two days.

Ferree scored eight of a possible nine points in her three matches, which awarded points for the front nine, back nine and overall match. Allemang contributed three points to the total.

HILTON HEAD OPEN

Registration is underway for the 42nd edition of the Hilton Head Open, to be played Aug. 20-21 at Moss Creek Golf Club.

Entry fees are $200, with five flights to be contested. Players will be flighted based on first-round scores. Participants must register online at HHIpga.com, which requires creating a username and password.

John Patterson has won each of the past three Opens, including an eight-shot romp in last year’s event at Port Royal’s Robbers Row.

WIN A JASON DAY GOLF BAG

In celebration of last week’s sponsorship renewal, the RBC Heritage is offering a signed Jason Day golf bag to the winner of a drawing for fans who purchase 2017 tickets by Aug. 1.

See RBCHeritage.com/tickets for ticket details. The tournament now stands on solid sponsorship footing through 2023, after RBC’s decision to extend its relationship another six years.

ACES & AGE-BEATERS

▪ Dale Smith recorded a hole-in-one Monday at the 16th hole of Argent Lakes Golf Club, striking a pitching wedge that found the cup from 107 yards. Witnesses were Dennis Smith, Tom Bloom and Robin Bloom.

▪ Dale Finn posted a hole-in-one Monday at the 12th hole of Argent Lakes, using a 7-iron to hole out from 101 yards away. Fred Finn served as witness.

This story was originally published July 27, 2016 at 7:58 PM with the headline "Records at stake in Beaufort City Championship this weekend."