Hillis, Rushing receive exemptions

Mayor Jay Knudtson, left, Trent Hillis of Poplar Bluff, Mo., and Cassie Rushing of Lake of Egypt, Ill., speak at a news conference Thursday about the AJGA flagship tournament, the Rolex Tournament of Champions, at Dalhousie Golf Club. Hillis and Rushing were granted exemptions for the tournament, which will be held July 1 to 4. (Elizabeth Dodd) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The accomplished prep players will compete in the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions at Dalhousie.

Trent Hillis of Poplar Bluff, Mo., and Cassie Rushing of Lake of Egypt, Ill., have received exemptions from the American Junior Golf Association to play July 1 to 4 in the Rolex Tournament of Champions at the Dalhousie Golf Club.

"It is very rare that Rolex and AJGA offer exemptions to host sites," said golf course owner and managing member Cord Dombrowski.

The two golfers were selected to play in the tournament by the AJGA from a list of area junior golfers assembled by local professionals and PGA teachers.

"It's pretty cool to be selected," Hillis said, who played in the Dalhousie Junior Champioship the last two years. "This is a huge opportunity, and I'm really excited to play."

Cord Dombrowski, founder of Dalhousie Golf Club, speaks about the upcoming AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions tournament Thursday. (Elizabeth Dodd) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

The Rolex Tournament of Champions is the AJGA's most prestigious tournament. It will feature 144 of the best golfers in the country from ages 12 to 18. The tournament will consist of four rounds and will be preceded by a junior-amateur tournament and practice rounds on June 30.

This is the third straight year Dalhousie will host an AJGA tournament. The golf club hosted the 2007 and 2008 Dalhousie Junior Championships, with both events named Tournament of the Year by the AJGA.

Past winners of the Rolex Tournament of Champions include PGA Tour golfers Phil Mickelson and Charles Howell III and LPGA Tour players Grace Park and Morgan Pressel.

Southeast Missouri was granted several more spots in the field the past two years, but the elite nature of this year's tournament allowed for just the two spots. Last year, four golfers from the immediate area were allowed into the field, but none made the cut.

Hillis, a senior at Poplar Bluff, has been playing golf since he was a 7-year-old. He is a two-time Class 4 all-state golfer.

Cord Dombrowski, founder of Dalhousie speaks at a press conference about the AJGA flagship tournament the Rolex Tournament of Champions at the Dalhousie Clubhouse Thursday afternoon. (Elizabeth Dodd) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Hillis has been successful before at Dalhousie, where he was medalist of the SEMO Conference tournament his sophomore year. He also made the second-round cut in the AJGA event in 2007.

Rushing also is an accomplished high school golfer. She led Marion High School to the Illinois Class 2A girls' team championship this year.

Rushing has played in a lot of local tournaments, but nothing like this.

"I'm pretty excited," she said. "This is definitely the biggest tournament I will have played."

Rushing recently played a couple of practice rounds at Dalhousie.

"I've played here a couple of times, and I really like it," she said. "I was mainly just practicing to get a feel for the course."

Both golfers hope that their experience on the course will give them an advantage against the competition.

"I think that seeing the course before will help in knowing where to hit the ball and where not to," Rushing said.