Blantons lead field after Day 1 of 55th annual Valdosta Open

Published 12:30 pm Monday, June 13, 2016

VALDOSTA — The Valdosta County Club showed its support of the Boys and Girls Club of Valdosta on Saturday by hosting its 55th annual Valdosta Open golf tournament.

The four-ball tournament teed off at 9 a.m. Saturday, and in a tournament intended to show support for an organization with values centered around character development and family, it’s only fitting to see brothers Andy and Kevin Blanton on top of the leaderboard after the first day of play.

“We were actually joking about it at lunch a minute ago, you’ve heard the term brother-in-law, we pulled the brothers,” Andy Blanton said. “We never doubled up a birdie on either hole. He made six birdies, I made five birdies, we shot 11 under.

“We just helped each other.”

The Blanton brothers are looking to continue their recent run of golf dominance at VCC and repeat as Valdosta Open champions after capturing the crown a year ago by finishing the two-day event 15-under par.

Kevin Blanton also won the 75th Jack Oliver Invitational at VCC in September 2015.

“Cary and Valdosta Country Club do a phenomenal job,” Andy Blanton said. “I played college golf here, my brother played college golf in another place that used to come here every year to the Southeastern Collegiate.

“It holds a special place in my heart. It always has.”

The Blantons will almost certainly top their championship-winning score of a year ago if they continue to play like they did Saturday, but even if they keep racking up the birdies today, staying atop this year’s leaderboard isn’t as certain.

The pairing of Nic Daugharty and Hiland Sanders finds itself just two strokes back of the Kevin and Andy after shooting 9-under. The teams of Bubba Gallops and Adam Cooper and Rick Bellinger and Steve Seward are tied for third at 7-under.

Brad Skinner and Jared Purvis round out the top five at 6-under par.

The Valdosta Open’s field consists of 54 teams (108 players), up from 41 teams last year.

VCC assistant golf professional Justin Smothers attributed the rise in competitors to getting the word out about the tournament earlier than last year, as well as the short turnaround between the tournament and the Fourth of July weekend.

But according to Ben Hogan, a local doctor, and once-upon-a-time, a quarterback at the Boys and Girls Club, what the tournament stands for ensures there will always be support within the community.

“It’s important for guys who grew up here in town, guys like Dale Parker and David Parker and my family, we all played at the Boys & Girls Club,” Hogan said. “My dad coached at the Boys Club, I coached at the Boys Club, my brother is coaching there now, his little boy.

“It’s important for us to give back to that organization because it was important for us.”

Hogan’s father coached the Parker brothers on the Waller Heating and Air Conditioning team at the Boys and Girls Club more than three decades ago.

Hogan’s brother Sam, the individual winner of the 2015 Valdosta Open, matched Ben’s sentiment regarding the Boys and Girls Club of Valdosta.

“It’s just a great organization,” Sam Hogan said. “I’ve got a lot of great memories and it’s a great organization, so it’s just good to come out and support it.”

Tee time for Day 2 of the Valdosta Open is scheduled for 9 a.m. today.

Derrick Davis is a sports reporter at the Valdosta Daily Times.