Royer Golf Academy remains, namesake does not

The Hugh Royer Champions Golf Academy at Long Bay Club no longer has its namesake.

Royer, who played three years on the PGA Tour and won four Nationwide Tour events before concentrating on teaching, is no longer at the academy, though there is a difference of opinion on whose decision it was for him to leave.

The academy, which includes a 3,700-square-foot learning and training center that opened in April 2008, is now run by director of instruction Scott Shobe, who Royer initially hired as an instructor.

Royer is rejuvenating his playing career at the age of 46.

"The guys that were my partners out there let me go, said they didn't want me anymore," Royer said. "... My idea of growth and what I want to do in my career, and their idea of what they wanted me to do weren't the same."

Though managing partner Jose Manuel Fernandez of Mexico could not be reached for comment, Shobe said, "All I can say on the owners' behalf is Hugh made his own decision. ... From a business standpoint what Hugh did left them no choice. He's a good guy. I'm really sorry it happened and I hope he does well playing."

The timing of Royer's decision to revive his touring career is the crux of the debate. Royer said he was considering a return to playing but intended to remain with the academy, while the owners apparently thought the decision to tour was already made when they learned he was seeking sponsorships as a player.

This school year the Champions Golf Academy began a partnership with Lowcountry Prep School in Pawleys Island to provide a full-time education and golf program to prepare juniors and high school graduates for college admission and scholarship opportunities. Students are housed at The Farm in Carolina Forest.

Shobe said the academy has one student in the high school program and three in the gap-year program, and is projected to have 10 to 15 combined high school and gap-year students in the fall. The academy also offers individual instruction and adult schools.

The state-of-the-art learning facility consists of a driving range with three private teaching bays, short and long-game areas, extensive club fitting technology, the advanced V-1 Digital Coaching System, a student lounge and a fitness center.

"It was my dream and I designed the whole thing," said Royer, who says the investors made him a 10-percent partner in the academy. "So be it. It's just a building and you can build one anytime."

Former Grand Strand resident Kris Blanks, a former Royer student, still uses the facility and represents it on the PGA Tour.

After his initial playing career, Royer taught for 3 1/2 years at the International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head Island before opening up his school at Long Bay. He says he's still teaching at Willbrook Plantation and his clients include PGA Tour member Garrett Willis, Nationwide Tour member Kevin Kisner of Aiken, brothers Brian and Ben Duncan of Greenville, and 2009 Nationwide member Brennan Webb.

In preparation for his return to the links, Royer, who was let go in December a couple of months after he said his wife was let go from the business, said he's been working out six days a week and has lost 25 pounds in less than three months.

Royer's agent, Kevin Canning of Goal Marketing, which represents more than a dozen golfers and operates the Nationwide Tour Championship, is finding him places to play. Royer said he'll likely start playing in March in eGolf and Hooters Tour events. Although he will rely on sponsor invites into Nationwide and PGA Tour tournaments, he believes he may get into a few of each this year.

He has equipment deals with Cleveland Golf and Adams Golf, will use a Sunset Beach putter made by Chris Jordan of Sunset Beach, N.C., and will have myrtlebeachgolf.com on his bag.

"It's an unfortunate situation and I'm moving forward," Royer said. "At least now I'm doing what I'm meant to do and am supposed to do."

GSPGT switches gears

The Grand Strand Pro Golf Tour is changing its focus as it embarks on its fifth season, beginning with a two-person team event March 8-9 at the Barefoot Resort Dye Club.

The tour is significantly decreasing its membership and tournament entry fees in the hopes of attracting more club professionals and amateurs, rather than predominantly professional touring pros.

"This year we'll take a different approach to it and make it a place for local players to play some competitive golf and win a little bit of money," said tour partner and vice president of development Will Schatz. "In past years it's been geared toward players who aspire to be touring pros. It still is that, but now we're trying to lower entry fees and make it a lot more enticing for amateurs. It was always a developmental tour, now it's just a cheaper developmental tour."

The tour played a truncated schedule in 2009 as it struggled for players, so organizers are trying to attract more players and find tournament sponsors, which it has managed to do for some events.

GSPGT membership is $75 for pros and $50 for amateurs. One-day events will cost between $150-$175 and two-day events are $275-$300 for pros, and corresponding amateur costs are $75-$100 and $125-$150.

"We think it will be a pretty good year, especially with us dropping our entry fees," Schatz said.

The GSPGT caters to touring pros by holding events on Mondays and Tuesdays so they can play between events on larger tours. There are 16 events planned through Sept. 21, including a match play event over several days.

"We're not trying to discourage full-time players, this is just not a tour they can make a living on," Schatz said. "It's more or less for the club pros and amateurs in the area that just want to play some competitive golf. Even if we get 10 to 20 guys an event it's worth it. The guys who play in the event appreciate the work we do."

Interested players can contact Schatz at or 843-267-2510.

Cudone event canceled

The third annual Carolyn Cudone Memorial Tournament, scheduled for Tuesday at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club, has been canceled because of a lack of registrants.

The event had been a women's stroke play event in November, but the Women's South Carolina Golf Association opened the event to men for the first time, moved the dates and changed the format to a two-person team best ball with divisions for women, men and mixed teams. Interest waned despite the increased inclusion.

The event was going to precede by about three weeks the WSCGA Team Championship for two-person teams at Woodside Plantation in Aiken, which annually has a waiting list.

"We just didn't get the players. I don't know if the change in the time of year had anything to do with it," said Cudone tournament director Kathy Cuppia of the WSCGA. "In November we usually are at the end of our season. All of the players we had signed up were all new, so that was encouraging, but we didn't have enough to warrant asking The Dunes Club to close the golf course for a while."

The inaugural Cudone tournament had about 50 players but participation fell last year. Will the event be resurrected? It's future will be discussed at a WSCGA board meeting on March 24.

"That's hard to say right now," Cuppia said. "Nothing would make me happier than to continue with it. We'll be revisiting all this at the meeting."

The Cudone tournament benefitted the Vicki Hillen Junior Golf Foundation. A Hillen tribute tournament at Cliffs of Glassy outside Greenville annually fills up with more than 100 players.

Can-Am gets feminine

Girls will be included for the first time in the 12^th annual Can-Am Junior Team Matches on March 20-21 at Wachesaw Plantation.

The event during Can-Am Week in Myrtle Beach has traditionally featured the top-ranked eight boys from South Carolina based on the state's Heritage junior rankings through December against the top eight boys in the province of Ontario. The top eight girls from each state and province are being added to the competition this year.

The format is Ryder Cup style with Four Ball matches on Saturday and individual singles matches on Sunday, and South Carolina leads the series 9-2. No Grand Strand juniors qualified this year.

The S.C. boys team is comprised of Austin Cody and Taylor Zoller of North Charleston, Thomas Bradshaw of Columbia, Cody Proveaux of Leesville, Cory Taylor of Greer, Damon Postal of Blythewood, Caulder Moore of Isle of Palms and Stephen Behr of Florence.

The S.C. girls team is comprised of McKenzie Talbert of North Augusta, Collins Bradshaw of Columbia, Katie Rose Higgins and Elizabeth Thompson of Charleston, Maureen Dunnagan of Lexington, Anne Marie Covar of Edgefield and Morgan Webber of Moore.

A group of Wachesaw members fund and help stage the matches, which are open and free to the public.