The 2016 Hardees and Wind Creek Casino Collegiate will take place at the Country Club of Brewton on May 31 through June 3. The event is part of the Southeastern Collegiate Golf Tour. Thirty-five collegiate players will compete over a course of 54 holes.

Tour executive director Mark A. Naes said the tournament is in its fifth year in Pensacola. This is the second year the tour will take place in Brewton.

“The tour is just phenomenal,” Naes said. “Out of every event a great story comes out. We always get the local kids involved. We come in and have some fun and get to play a good golf course.

“Thanks to our sponsors at least a $1000 in scholarship money will be left here in Brewton. As the tournament grows here that number will grow. In Pensacola we’re doing $10,000 in scholarship money.”

Naes served a combined 17 years in the public relations department and as a tournament director for the PGA tour before becoming executive director of the Southeastern Conference Tour.

Naes said the college players playing the event are a talented group and will be from all over the country.

“These kids can flat out play,” he said. “Five years until now there have been 35 kids on different men’s PGA tours and eight women playing different women professional tours. One of the women that will be here played in the Women’s U.S. Open last summer. Several of the girls and boys that will be here are coming straight from the national championships.”

Naes said the experience of the Southeastern Conference Tour carries the same ambience of the PGA tour. Players’ perks include a dozen golf balls, personal hitting area and his or her name on the driving range.

“We pamper them,” Naes said. “We feed them breakfast, lunch and dinner. We house them. The experience is next to none.”

Locals are giving a chance get involved in the action as well.

“There’s camaraderie between a high school kid getting matched up with a college kid,” Naes said.

“One of my high school kids in Pensacola attending a catholic school there just loves Notre Dame. We had a golfer from Notre Dame play in our tournament and the young guy from Pensacola wanted to caddy for him. He did. Those two are friends to this day. It’s a cool thing.”

Sponsors will play with the college players on May 31.

Tee time for collegiate competition will be at 8 a.m. on June 1,2, and 3.

A guest speaker will also be present but has not been named at this time.

For more info on the Southeastern Conference Tour at the Country Club of Brewton or sponsoring the event contact Naes at 850.390.2001, or visit secgt.com.