The Darius Rucker Tournament
We are fortunate to have one of the premier women’s college tournaments play right here in the Lowcountry at Long Cove Club on Hilton Head, Monday, March 2 through Wednesday, March 4.
Long Cove was established in 1981 by renowned architects Pete and Alice Dye. Long Cove is one of the premier residential golf courses in the country. It is currently ranked #20 in Golfweek’s Top 200 Residential Courses in the United States.
This beautiful course weaves through marshes and features century-old live oak trees covered by Spanish moss, with a stunning view of the saltwater marshes on the par-three 13th hole. Long Cove is a members-only course, and you are invited to see the course and some great female college players this week.
The Darius Rucker Tournament, originated in 2012, is the only all-women’s regular-season collegiate golf event that is televised in the United States. The field consists of 17 universities throughout the United States in Division I women’s golf. The NCAA ranks 285 Division I teams, and the Darius Rucker Tournament has teams ranked from #5 to #61, which is considered an elite field.
This year’s field consists of: Alabama (57), Arizona State (23), Arkansas (6), Auburn (5), Arizona (23), Duke (13), Florida State (25), Georgia (61), Kentucky (33), LSU (34), Mississippi (15), Northwestern (21), Ohio State (41), South Carolina (18), Texas (9), Vanderbilt (12), and Wake Forest (7).
The #1 ranked player in collegiate golf, Maria Jose Marin from Arkansas, will be playing and should be a favorite to win the individual championship. Also, local golfer from Hilton Head Preparatory School, Camilia Burnett, is on the South Carolina team.
To watch the tournament in person, admission is free, with free parking located at Central Church (975 William Hilton Parkway), directly across from the entrance to Long Cove. There is a free trolley shuttle to and from the course from 8:30 to 6:00.
If you can’t make it to the tournament, it is televised on the Golf Channel from 2:30–5:30 each day.
The tournament is named for Darius Rucker, a Grammy Award winner with the band Hootie and the Blowfish, which has sold more than 25 million albums. Rucker is an avid golfer and a graduate of the University of South Carolina.
Rucker started his solo career and released his first country album in 2008. He was inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2014. A lifelong philanthropist, his Darius and Friends concerts play to sellout crowds.
Rucker also gives a private concert for the players, coaches, tournament sponsors, and officials. This is one of the highlights of playing in this great collegiate tournament.
This is an event that golf fans don’t want to miss.
Dr. Jean Harris is an LPGA Master Professional and teaches at local golf courses. jean.golfdoctor.harris@gmail.com; golfdoctorjean.com
