Organizers for this weekend’s 10th Smuggler’s Charlotte County Open like to boast that two of their former entrants have qualified for the PGA Tour. George McNeil is one. Derek Lamely is the other. McNeil is on the PGA Tour and Lamely just qualified. Lamely is a two-time winner of the Charlotte County Open.
“As the success of players like Derek Lamely and George McNeill have demonstrated, the Charlotte County Open has become one of the elite events on the Florida golf calendar,” said Brian Gleason, chairman of the Smuggler's Charlotte County Open. “We attract some of the best mini-tour players and club pros each year and see many of them go on to achieve great things on larger stages.”
As of today, more than 110 players have entered the tournament, and the tournament will accept entries until Friday. Southwestern Chapter champion Dave Hronek of the Plantation Golf and Country Club is the top area pro entered.
The 2009 Smuggler’s Charlotte County Open brings together the finest players from Southwest Florida for a two-day, 36-hole test of golf on two of the area’s most challenging courses. This year’s tournament is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Rotonda Golf & Country Club’s Long Marsh course and Riverwood Golf Club in Port Charlotte.
Rotonda’s Long Marsh will be hosting the tournament for the second time, but a new nine called Pine Valley will be used for the first time. Riverwood has been a mainstay of the Open since its inception in 2000.
Participants in the Charlotte County Open also will be treated to a Tee-Off Party Thursday at the new Laishley Crab House in Punta Gorda.
Smuggler's Enterprises is the new title sponsor of the tournament. It has four restaurants in Charlotte County: Harpoon Harry's, Captain's Table, John Hall's Goal Post Grill and Laishley Crab House.
Past Champions:
2008 - Derek Lamely — 133
2007 - Joey Lamielle — 137
2006 - Derek Lamely — 130
2005 - Gary Sica — 138
2004 - Dave Hronek — 138
2003 - Dave Hronek — 142
2002 - Robert Jacks — 137
2001 - Kevin Hoffer — 139
2000 - John Corzilius — 145