No Tiger or Bear, But Lots of Blowfish!

The Sun News | 03/02/2007 | No Tiger or Bear, but lots of Blowfish

No Tiger or Bear, but lots of Blowfish
TERRY MASSEY
SPORTS COLUMNIST

* New sponsor expected to aid tournament's stability

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH | No Tiger and no Bear, but the 13th annual Hootie the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am promises to be the usual three-ring circus.

Hootie frontman Darius Rucker dispelled rumors that Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus would be among this year's field for the April 9 event at Barefoot Resorts, which traditionally draws big names from sports, music and entertainment.

"Tiger won't be here. He keeps promising me he will make it to another one, but he's pretty busy right now," Rucker said at Thursday's press conference at The House of Blues. "Jack won't be here either, but we have another great lineup."

Fellow musicians Edwin McCain, jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis and R singer Javier; actors Anthony Anderson ("The Departed"), Gary Valentine ("King of Queens") and Lucas Black ("Friday Night Lights"); and pro athletes Jason Sehorn, Dwight Clark, Jim McMahon, Kevin Elster and Eric Karros are among the celebrities scheduled to participate in the event.

Of course, it wouldn't be a golf tournament without a lion's share of golfers in the field, including the state's most famous part-time golfer - South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier. Legend Lee Elder, former two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North, Bob Hope champion Charley Hoffman and a long list from the PGA Tour is expected, including crowd-favorite John Daly.

"So we'll probably have to keep the handcuffs ready," Hootie drummer Jim "Soni" Sonefeld joked about golf's poster boy for partying. "... Not to crack on John too hard, but if he signed any more autographs it would be a nine-hour round."

It was during a trip to play with Daly in last month's Pebble Beach Pro-Am that Rucker got a feel for just how far the Hootie tournament has come since it's humble beginnings in 1994. Word of the event has spread coast-to-coast, and beyond.

"We were sitting around the [hospitality] tent, they called it a tent but it was really a house, and everyone around us was talking about our tournament," Rucker said. "We're at Pebble Beach talking about our tournament. That really hit me.

"When we started this 13 years ago, we had no idea it would get this big. We were at Fort Jackson [Army Base in Columbia] the first year. The second year [NFL Hall of Fame quarterback] Dan Marino said, 'You're golf course has grass.'"

After stints in Columbia and Kiawah Island, the tournament is celebrating its fifth year on the Grand Strand. The event has really blossomed since relocating to the Myrtle Beach area, organizers said, and has likely put down roots for good.

"This is our fifth year in Myrtle Beach and we've come to think of it as our permanent home," tournament director Paul Graham said. "For the first time our sponsorships are sold out, which I think shows how much the people of Myrtle Beach have embraced this."

Graham also introduced Intel as the tournament's first presenting sponsor. In addition to providing financial support, Intel also will produce a Web cast of the post-tournament "Hootie Friends" concert.

"We'll have some great musicians," Sonefeld said, "and some people who think they are."

The celebrities play both golf and music for fun, but the real winners are the children of South Carolina, who have received more than $3 million dollars in donations from the proceeds of the tournament.

Last year's event saw a record 6,000 spectators in attendance and raised a record $450,000, going to the band's foundation, the S.C. Junior Golf Association, the First Tee Program, Fairway Outreach and Junior Achievement.

"Now if we can just stop people from sneaking in from the [North Myrtle Beach] Airport," Sonefeld joked.

"But if that's the biggest problem we have, we're doing all right."

It's better than having folks sneaking out of the big top.
-----------------

The event

What | The Hootie the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am

When | April 9

Where | Barefoot Resorts' Dye Course

Tickets | $10 general admission, free for children 12 and under. Available at House of Blues, Barefoot Resorts' pro shops and Ticketmaster

powered by performancing firefox