Chad Strong of Dayton, Ohio, and his friend Tom Roach of Findlay, Ohio, had already purchased tickets for the Saturday of the RBC Heritage PGA Tour event held in Hilton Head on Harbour Town Golf Links April 16-19 when they decided on a whim to try and win last-minute tickets for the final round. They were already planning on going Sunday anyway, so why not give the contests a … [Read more...]
New Mom Shelby Rogers Makes Tennis Channel Return at Charleston Open
Retired WTA professional tennis player and Charleston native Shelby Rogers returned to commentating on the Tennis Channel during the Credit One Charleston Open, but this year she exuded an extra glow. If you noticed the amiable Rogers smiling even more than usual on TV, that’s because the former world No. 30 and her husband John Slavik welcomed their first child on Jan. 7, a … [Read more...]
Doubling Down: Pegula Repeats as Charleston Open Champion
Jessica Pegula needed just a little over an hour on Easter Sunday to retain her title at the Credit One Charleston Open, besting the surprise unseeded finalist Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. Pegula, who trained in Hilton Head and on Daniel Island in the early stages of her career, became the first player to win back-to-back Charleston … [Read more...]
Historic Feats of Feet Bridge Run Male and Female Winners Set Course Records
The male and female winners of the 49th annual Cooper River Bridge Run held on March 28 didn’t just “get over it” and cross the finish line first, they made race history. Thousands of runners and walkers participated in this third largest 10K in the country, and two elite athletes smashed records that had stood for more than a quarter century. Edwin Kurgat of Kenya … [Read more...]
Spring Standouts: Keep An Eye on These Top Talents
Every spring sports season, state titles have become so commonplace among area high schools that winning alone isn’t enough anymore, as teams try to set new records, shut out all playoff opponents and in some cases, finish undefeated. Behind all the trophies and records, however, are athletes who prove to be catalysts or even the difference between celebrations and what-ifs. … [Read more...]
Wise Approach: Teen Phenom Iva Jovic Shows Maturity Beyond Her Years
American teen phenom Iva Jovic swiftly announced herself on to the WTA professional tennis tour this year, reaching the semis at Auckland, New Zealand’s ASB Classic, the finals of the Hobart International in Tasmania, Australia and the quarterfinal at the Australian Open, becoming the youngest American to make the AO quarters since Venus Williams in 1998. Jovic hadn’t lost a … [Read more...]
Mount Evert: Chris Evert’s Historic Climb as the ‘Queen of Clay’
Half a century ago, women’s tennis witnessed the coronation of a queen. This matriarch built a dynasty from a green clay foundation. Spectators called her the “Queen of Clay,” pundits referred to her as the “Ice Maiden” and players and friends knew her as Chrissie. Fifty years later, Chris Evert is still revered as the woman in the arena. Following the inaugural Family … [Read more...]
Golf at Sea Pines: The Heritage
The history of Sea Pines is tied inexorably to its golf. It was, after all, the Heritage that first introduced Sea Pines to the world at large. Thanks in part to the climate, golf on Hilton Head Island is a year-round pursuit and, in Sea Pines, it comes in three distinctly different flavors. The Ocean Course is steeped in tradition as it winds golfers through scenic … [Read more...]
Setting the Tone: Wando Marching Band Breaks Own Record
It was so intense that you could almost see the last five months of preparation draining from their faces and instruments as they played. But on Nov. 1 at Spartanburg High School in Upstate South Carolina, the Wando High Marching Band once again showed its true colors by winning a state record 16th State Marching Championship. The Warriors broke their own previous mark of 15 … [Read more...]
MVP Moms: Most Valuable Sports Moms On and Off the Field
For Megan Lawson, who has two sons that play Division I college football and another son with aspirations of playing Division I lacrosse, athleticism just runs in the genes. Her eldest son Lawson is a sophomore linebacker at Georgia Tech, her middle child Marshall is a true freshman tight end at Alabama and the youngest Kane is a high school sophomore lacrosse midfielder … [Read more...]