‘Monday After the Masters’ Pro-Am Raises Big Bucks for S.C. Charities

“Monday After the Masters” tournament organizers have announced that proceeds from the 2006 Hootie & the Blowfish Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament totaled $450,000, breaking the previous high from 2005 of $425,000. The 2006 event also recorded the first sellout in the 12-year history of the tournament as more than 6,000 fans packed The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort & Golf in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., on April 10th to see their favorite celebrities, athletes and musicians compete in the annual tournament.

Donations from the 2006 “Monday After the Masters” were distributed to the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation ($219,000), the South Carolina Junior Golf Association ($129,000), the Special Olympics of South Carolina ($50,000), the First Tee Program of Spartanburg ($30,000), Junior Achievement of Coastal South Carolina ($12,000) and Fairway Outreach ($10,000).

Raising more than $3 million for South Carolina charities during the 12-year history of the “Monday After the Masters” event, the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation is an endowment created to support the educational needs of children in South Carolina. The South Carolina Junior Golf Association was established in 1990 by leaders with a love of the game and a commitment to passing on golf's heritage to South Carolina youngsters who might not otherwise have the chance to experience golf and its many benefits. The Special Olympics of South Carolina provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with mental retardation, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of gifts skills and friendships with their families, and other Special Olympics Athletes and the community.

The First Tee Program of Spartanburg was created in 1997 to provide young people of all ethnic and economic backgrounds an opportunity to develop through golf, character education, and life-enhancing values such as honesty, integrity and sportsmanship. The Junior Achievement of Coastal Carolina is the local division of the world's largest organization dedicated to educating students in grades K-12 about entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. Since 1987, Fairway Outreach has provided a Christian-oriented program centered on faith, golf, and life skills for deserving youngsters in the Midlands.

"2006 will always be an unforgettable year with Arnold Palmer's first appearance at the ‘Monday After the Masters’ tournament," said Darius Rucker, lead singer of Hootie & the Blowfish. "I know that it was memorable for the band to golf with him and, since the tournament sold-out so quickly, I'd say that the fans were excited to see Mr. Palmer as well. We are grateful to everyone who helped us set a new donations record in 2006 and we look forward to an even bigger and better ‘Monday After the Masters’ in 2007."

Sponsored by Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday, the 2007 Monday After the Masters Celebrity Pro-Am Golf Tournament will once again be held at The Dye Club at Barefoot Resort & Golf on Monday, April 9th. This will be the fifth year that Myrtle Beach Golf Holiday has hosted the event which, over the years, has attracted such high-profile golfers as Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, David Duval, Craig Stadler, Fred Couples, John Daly, Jay Haas, Jonathan Byrd, Charles Warren, Brett Quigley, D.J. Trahan and Kyle Thompson. Celebrity attendees have included Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Sorbo, Anthony Anderson, Meat Loaf, Branford Marsalis, Sister Hazel, Edwin McCain, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Grant Fuhr, Lou Holtz, Steve Spurrier, former South Carolina governor Jim Hodges, members of Creed, Bernie Kosar, and ESPN's Dan Patrick, Stuart Scott and Mike Tirico.