CHARLESTON, S.C. (March 28, 2012) --
One of the best amateur events in the
nation will tee off Thursday at the Country
Club of Charleston.
Fittingly, the Azalea Invitational, also has
one of the best fields of an early-season
event year in and year out. The 2012
Azalea Invitational is no exception to that
rule.
Reigning champion Cheng-Tsung Pan will
not be there to defend his title but a
talented group of hopefuls will take the
tee shortly before 8 a.m. ET.
Nathan
Smith, the 2005 champion and owner
of a storied amateur golf resume, including
three U.S. Mid-Amateur championships,
will aim for title No. 2 at the Azalea.
Smith's last win came at the 2011
Sunnehanna Amateur and he's currently
ranked 25th in the United States and 53rd
in the world, according to the
amateurgolf.com player rankings.
Manav
Shah, a Bakersfield, Calif. native, will
also take aim at what could be a marquee
win. He's coming in hot, having finished
second at the Jones Cup Invitational
earlier this year. Ranked 93rd in the world,
Shah had to sit out the year after
transferring from San Diego to UCLA. A win
at the Azalea would mean time well spent
on his year off.
Rhys
Enoch of Wales, the 27th-ranked
player in the world, will also be looking for
a marquee victory. He finished tied for
second at last year's St. Andrew's Links
Trophy and fourth at the Welsh Open
Amateur. This year, he has a 12th-place
finish at the Jones Cup Invitational to his
credit.
Perhaps the biggest name on the
leaderboard, however, will be Tony Romo -
-- the Dallas Cowboys quarterback. A
terrific golfer, Romo recently played
alongside Tiger Woods at the Pebble
Beach Pro-Am. While Romo may not
necessarily be the favorite, his presence
should add quite a bit to the buzz around
the Country Club of Charleston.
Other top players include
Sean
Kelly and
Kevin
Marsh, among others.
Amateurgolf.com will be posting scores
and round-by-round recaps as soon as
they are available.
ABOUT THE
Azalea Invitational
72-hole stroke play championship with a 54-hole cut
on a
1925
Seth Raynor design. Good mix of college
players, juniors
and mid amateurs. 7 spots available in a
qualifier.
Impressive list of past champions at this
traditional event. Reigning USGA champs often use
this tournament as a tune-up for the Masters.
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