BLUFFTON, SC – Eighty-four talented young golfers will journey from all over the world to the Berkeley Hall Golf Club in Bluffton, SC, July 7 – 13. They will all be competing for a chance to be named the 2014 Players Amateur Presented by Nautica Champion and earn an exemption into the 2015 RBC Heritage presented by Boeing.
The Players Amateur Presented by Nautica is one of the most well respected tournaments in amateur golf. Many past participants have been successful at making the transition to the pro circuit. Ben Curtis, Rickie Fowler, Lucas Glover, Bill Haas, Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Camilo Villegas are just a few that are well known on the PGA TOUR.
Heading up the list of impressive commitments is Georgia Tech’s Oliver Schniederjans. The rising senior is ranked #1 by Scratch Players World Amateur Ranking (SPWAR) and is the reigning ACC Player of the Year. Vanderbilt’s Hunter Stewart will be defending his 2013 Players Amateur win. The senior won last year’s event with a 54-hole score of 202 (-14) and competed in the RBC Heritage. He also competed in this year’s US Open. Robby Shelton also qualified to play in this year’s US Open and is in the Players Amateur field. The Alabama sophomore is currently ranked #2 on the SPWAR ranking.
The popular Aussies are back. The crew from the land down under is led by Geoff Drakeford and Jarryd Felton. Drakeford is ranked #23 by SPWAR and Felton is currently in the #38 spot. Golfers representing New Zealand, South Africa and Canada are also in the field.
Several local golfers are competing including USC-B’s Michael Balzer, Bluffton’s Ben Dietrich, Hilton Head Amateur Champion Justin Hoft and Hilton Head High sophomore Andrew Orischak.
The competition rounds begin July 10th. The tournament is open to the public and admission is free. For more information visit www.playersam.com.