The Tartan Blazer Tournament

Written by Joel Zuckerman

he PGA Tour has had a presence here on bucolic Hilton Head Island for more than 35 years. The inaugural championship received a huge boost when Arnold Palmer, then at the height of his popularity, won the title at what was then known as the Heritage Classic in November of 1969. The tournament morphed into the Sea Pines Heritage Classic a few years later. Then it was the MCI Heritage Classic, then the MCI Classic, then the Worldcom Classic, then The Heritage, and now the Verizon Heritage. While there have been more than half a dozen name changes over the years, one thing remains constant. Donning the champion’s tartan blazer at Harbour Town is a highlight for any PGA Tour player, no matter how glittering his resume may be.

And make no mistake—it’s one of the appeals of our annual spring fling on Hilton Head that the roster of tournament victors reads like a “Who’s Who” of the game. Arnold Palmer set a precedent that first year, and has been followed by a veritable Hall of Fame roster that includes names like Nicklaus, Irwin, Miller, Love, Stewart, Zoeller, Leonard, Watson, Norman, Faldo, Langer and Price. In recent years our identity as a haven for Major winners has taken a bit of a detour. Lesser lights such as Glen Day, Stewart Cink and Jose Coceres were the victors in ’99, ‘00 and ’01, respectively. But ’02 and ’03 gave us some more Major mojo, with Justin Leonard and Davis Love III the respective winners, the latter adding a fifth tartan blazer to his wardrobe.

What’s more impressive? The fact that Harbour Town champs have won nearly 70 Majors combined? That the championship roster has won more than 375 tournaments on Tour? Or that since the tournament debuted, only three Major winners haven’t attempted to conquer the subtly twisting fairways of this wonderful Pete Dye design? (Use that last one to stump your pals in the next golf trivia contest in the 19th hole. The trio consists of Jose Maria Olazabal, Ian Woosnam and Paul Lawrie, though “Wee Woosie” is scheduled to debut in ’07.) No matter how you look at it, Harbour Town is on a short list of non-Major events that every player would love to win.

Meanwhile, this year’s event, scheduled for April 9th through the 15th, will be the usual classy affair. Hilton Head enjoys rock solid popularity with many of the PGA Tour elite, who love to bring the family to Sea Pines for a “working vacation” and decompress after a stressful Masters week. For well over 20 years the event has followed the Masters on the tournament schedule during a coveted springtime week. The players love the golf course, which is considered one of the world’s finest. The candy striped lighthouse is easily identifiable on television to even casual golf fans, and the purses keep growing. This year’s total purse has increased to 5.4 million dollars, with a winner’s check of $972,000.

As usual, many of the game’s bigger names will be vying for the tartan jacket this year. Early commitments for the ‘07 soiree include three-time Major winner Ernie Els, former U.S. Open champ Jim Furyk, and five-time Heritage champion Davis Love IIII. Other popular players like Chris DiMarco and Peter Jacobsen, England’s Justin Rose and South African Tim Clark will be at Harbour Town. More players are committing daily, and the list of marquee names will continue to grow as the tournament draws nigh.

There’s little doubt that this year’s event will be just as exciting and successful as the previous 38, as this exceptional Tour stop has thrived over the years, even though convention has been defied from the very beginning.

As far back as 1969, the “powers-that-be” were told that a Tour event wouldn’t cut it located more than 15 miles from a major city. They were advised that a brand new golf course wouldn’t be appropriate, and that to hold an event in the South during football season, and even worse, over a holiday weekend, would be a death knell. But Arnold Palmer charged to a three shot victory over Thanksgiving weekend in 1969, on an untested course that had just recently been completed in time to stage the event. Harbour Town has slowly but surely crept into the nation’s collective golf consciousness during the ensuing decades. Hilton Head’s signature event will undoubtedly be a vital and viable part of the PGA Tour for many years to come.

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