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SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA – JANUARY 31: Jordan Spieth looks over the 11th green during the second round of the Waste Management Open at TPC Scottsdale on January 31, 2020, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

By Ryan Herrington
Sequels often take some time to come together. But in the case of the Maridoe Samaritan Fund Invitational, organisers needed just a few days to set MSFI 2.0 in motion.

When tour pros and college players lauded the upscale private club outside Dallas for pulling off its initial 54-hole event (April 28-30)—raising more than $20,000 for the club’s caddie fund and showing how manageable it was to compete while following various social distancing guidelines—the club decided to hold a second event, May 19-21.

Once more, carts and caddies will be prohibited and no bunker rakes will be out on the course (a walking scorer with each group will stay on the cart path and rake bunkers when needed). Each participant can only have one guest, can arrive no earlier than 30 minutes before tee times and is asked to avoid coming within six feet of fellow competitors. The clubs range will converted into a par-3 course and available for players to warm up quickly before their rounds.

This time, the 76-player field (which reportedly has a waiting list that’s 30 players deep) is expected to have even more PGA Tour representation. In addition to Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland, the winner and third-place finishers in the inaugural event, Jordan Spieth, who played as a marker last month and was robbed of a hole-in-one by a foam spacer in the hole, will be a full competitor. Abraham Ancer, Ryan Palmer, Beau Hossler, Will Zalatoris, Harry Higgs, John Senden, Doc Redman, Sebastian Munoz, Talor Gooch and Austin Cook are all expected to play, as is former Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo.

“This was a beautiful opportunity to contribute to the Maridoe Samaritan Fund and help those caddies who have been affected,” Maridoe owner Albert Huddleston said in a statement. “Simultaneously, it provides opportunity for tremendous pleasure and support when playing the sport I enjoy most. If you do things correctly, follow guidelines, and all things required under the Dallas County order, then golf is a perfect sport to play.”

Several top-ranked college and amateur golfers are preparing to compete as well, including recently named Fred Haskins Award winner Sahith Theegala, U.S. Amateur runner-up John Augenstein and U.S. Junior Amateur champ Preston Summerhays. When college golfers competed last time, it led to the NCAA reviewing its policy about whether student-athletes could play in events before their scheduled spring college seasons had concluded. Ultimately, the NCAA ruled in favour of allowing the golfers to compete.

Other college standouts slated to participate include Oklahoma’s Quade Cummings, Oklahoma State’s Austin Eckroat, Texas’ Cole Hammer, Baylor’s Cooper Dossey and SMU’s Noah Goodwin. The interest from the top amateurs is understandable. Not only are they competing against top professionals, but they’re getting an early look at the course that is still scheduled to hold the Southern Amateur, July 15-18.

Scheffler earned $9,000 for his one-stroke win over Zalatoris last month, and donated it back to the caddie fund. The winner of the second edition of the event will earn $10,000 to be given to the charity of his choice.