Golfers from all over the state of Georgia will embark on Hall County today with their eyes on one prize, winning the 2008 Chicopee Woods Players Championship.
The two-day event, which begins at 9 a.m. today, will contain a field of 117 golfers comprised of more than 90 members of the Georgia Professional Golfers Association and a handful of amateurs.
"This tournament will help determine the best player in Georgia for the year," said Jim Arendt, director of golf at Chicopee Woods and president of the Georgia PGA.
With three 9-hole courses at Chicopee Woods, the tournament will provide a unique challenge.
"This is going to be the only tournament in Georgia where the golfers play 27 holes both days," Arendt said.
The participants are looking forward to that challenge.
"It’s really a unique format, playing 54 holes in two days," said Jeff Hull of Watkinsville, who according to Arendt is one of the favorites to be atop the leaderboard when the tournament concludes Tuesday.
"I want to have a chance to win," Hull said. "Usually out there you’re going to need to make birdies in order to win."
While Hull doesn’t know what score will most likely win the tournament, he is aware that how he plays early could determine his outcome.
"Usually after nine holes you can get a feel for the golf course," he said. "But you never know until you get to the course."
Joining Hull and the rest of the professional field of golfers will be about 20-25 amateur golfers who signed up to play in the event.
"I don’t get to compete in these type of events on a regular basis," Gainesville’s Jim Foote said. "I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to play with some of the top players in the state."
Entering the tournament as a two-handicap, Foote knows his chances of winning the event are slim, but that doesn’t mean he has nothing to play for.
"I want to play as well as I can and I hope I can learn something from the experience," he said.
According to Arendt, the experience that Foote spoke of is one of the reasons why Chicopee Woods is hosting the tournament.
"This event is benefiting fellow golf professionals, promoting our facility at Chicopee Woods and it provides the local community the opportunity to play against the pros," he said.