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SIERRA VISTA — The 24th annual Sierra Vista Open tees off Friday with a professional field of an uncertain number.
Marcus Harston of The Huachucans, the charity group sponsoring the event, said that as of Monday afternoon, only 43 pros have paid their entry into the tournament.
“In the last two hours, four have signed up and if everybody who signs up shows up, I suppose we’ll be in the mid 60s to 70s,” Harston said.
This most optimistic total is still behind the 83 professionals who competed last year, but according to tournament co-chairman Mike Nurss, that total would be a success given the current state of things.
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“With the economy where it is, if we can break even or even be close to even we’ll be satisfied,” Nurss said.
Nurss said the Huachucans have sought to compensate an expected downturn in participation by ramping up their efforts in fund-raising through raffles.
About 20 amateurs are expected to compete this weekend, including defending champion Tom Callahan.
On the professional side, however, last year’s champion James McLean, an Australian native who was originally scheduled to return to defend his title, won’t be.
“Actually, James McLean is in London for the European Tour qualifying school and he won’t be able to make it back in time,” Harston said after receiving an e-mail from last year’s champion. “He sent us his (apology) and said how great the tournament was.”
That leaves the lone returning champion paid up and in the field Brett Wayment, the 2005 champion from Sandy, Utah.
He’s joined in the professional field by several golfers with plenty of Sierra Vista Open experience, including Benoit Bessier, Barry Conser, Tom Kalinowski, Tommy Medina, Tony Rohlik, Mikkel Reese and Chris Sessler.
However big the field is, they will be taking on a Pueblo del Sol course, already known for its slick greens that will be even faster now that a steady monsoon has run its course.
“It’s looking great out there, the temperature is right this time of year,” said Pueblo del Sol Country Club head pro Jeff Sims who is running his first SV Open after taking over for Steve Rudd in September.
Sims said the stemp meter figures to be rolling at over 13 by Friday’s first round.
“We’ll be dropping the mowers and double-cutting the greens,” Sims said. “We just hope there’s no wind because as fast as these greens are already, if the wind gets howling, you can’t keep the ball on the green.”
Prior to the start of the three-day tournament, the Sierra Vista Open will kick off with a pairings party Wednesday night, followed by a pro-am tournament Thursday afternoon as the professionals come rolling in.
Hopefully wrote on Sep 16, 2008 11:13 PM: