“Monday After the Masters” Fast Approaching
The event is just over a month away, but if its steady growth in popularity is any indication, folks interested in attending the 2007 Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters tournament may want to get their tickets sooner rather than later.
With more than 6,000 fans packing the course in 2006, organizers of this year's celebrity pro-am charity event - set for Monday, April 9, at the Dye Club at Barefoot Resort & Golf in North Myrtle Beach - expect another capacity crowd. And for good reason: not only is this day an autograph hound's delight (traditionally packed with prominent sports and entertainment celebrities), it's a fun time for all in the name of some great causes.
"The demand for this event has never been greater. It's as robust as ever, and we're expecting this year's tournament to once again set new records," says Bill Golden, vice president and director of marketing for Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, a presenting sponsor which has been heavily involved with MAM since it came to the Grand Strand in 2003. The tourney got an added boost this year from Intel Corporation, which joins Golf Holiday as a co-presenting sponsor.
Check out the first few minutes of this YouTube clip from last year and event pictures from 2006 and 2005, and it's easy to understand the buzz that now surrounds this event. "Since the event's been here, it's worked well both ways," explains Golden. "(Hootie frontman) Darius (Rucker) and the band have been very pleased with how the event has grown, and so have we."
In addition to providing financial support, Intel will also air an edited version of this year's "Hootie and Friends" post-tournament concert at the House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach. The concert will air at www.intel.com, www.intelentertainment.com and the official tournament Web site, www.hootiegolf.com, at a later date.
Tournament tickets are $10, and children 12 and under are admitted free. They're available at the House of Blues Ticket Office (843-272-3000), Barefoot Resort Pro Shop (843-390-3200) and all Ticketmaster locations. All ticket proceeds will benefit the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation and the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation, which supports the educational needs of South Carolina children.
A growing list of professional golfers is set to be joined by jazz artist Branford Marsalis; film actor Anthony Anderson; ESPN host Stuart Scott; former NFL stars Jason Sehorn, Dwight Clark and Jim McMahon; and many other celebrities. For more information, visit the tournament's Web site.
They gotta get Alice Cooper at this tournament, so he can jam with Hootie at the post-match concert. Wouldn’t THAT be a curious pairing?
This sounds like a neat event….what else can we expect besides the concert and the star gazing?
For golf fans, it’s a great chance to get more "up close & personal" with the pros without the typical restrictions of a PGA event where cameras aren’t allowed except for the practice rounds, and autograph opportunities are much more limited. Guys like John Daly really play to the crowd and have been a big draw at this event. Tournament organizers expect even more celeb/pro commitments as the event draws closer.
Went the past two years, and it’s been a blast. Definitely go if you get the chance.