The Hootie & The Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am is one of the most anticipated dates on the Myrtle Beach golf calendar, and 2009 will be no different. A star-studded field will help Hootie raise money for charity during its 15th annual celebrity golf tournament on April 13 at Barefoot Resort & Golf’s Dye Course.
“This is one of my favorite days of the year,” Hootie’s lead singer and country music sensation, Darius Rucker said. “Our band has so many fond memories of Myrtle Beach, and the Dye Course at Barefoot Resort is a great venue. This is our 15th year with the event, and I’m as proud of the $4 million we’ve raised for charity as I am the 20 million albums we’ve sold.”
Former Pittsburgh Steelers star Jerome Bettis, South Carolina football coach Steve Spurrier, movie star Samuel L. Jackson and wrestling legend Ric Flair are among the celebrities that will be taking part in the event, which will be held at the Dye Club for the seventh consecutive year. The Monday After the Masters has grown into one of the nation’s best celebrity golf tournaments, annually raising more than $350,000 that goes toward education and junior golf in South Carolina.
“We recognize that these are very difficult economic times, but that only enhances the importance of our fundraising work,” Hootie’s guitarist Mark Bryan said. “We very passionate about the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation, and we are even more dedicated to the charities it supports in times like these.”
Among the professional golfers scheduled to play in this year’s event are Annika Sorenstam, Woody Austin, John Daly and Conway resident Kristy McPherson, who finished second at the Kraft Nabisco Championship last weekend. Over the years, the tournament has grown into a post-Masters tradition for Myrtle Beach area golf fans and even pros looking to unwind from the stress of a major championship.
Tiger Woods, Tom Watson and Nick Faldo are just a sampling of the elite golfers who have participated in the event.
Golf and sports celebrities grab headlines but the music industry holds its own, led by the event’s hosts. Hootie & the Blowfish have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide and Rucker is currently one of country’s music’s hottest performers. Dean Felber, Hootie’s bass player, Jim “Soni” Sonfeld, the band’s drummer, Bryan and Rucker host the event.
Among the other musicians participating in this year’s festivities are Road Trip: Myrtle Beach star Josh Kelley, Charles Kelley, Josh’s brother and a member of the country band Lady Antebellum, Edwin McCain, Andrew Copeland of Sister Hazel, and Branford Marsalis.
Tickets for the celebrity tournament are available at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, the Barefoot Resort & Golf Pro Shop, the Dye Club Pro Shop and all Ticketmaster outlets. The gates for the tournament open at 8:30 a.m., and the long drive contest starts at 9:15 a.m.
here is another event we can do before the baseball game.