In what promises to be a beautiful weekend of weather, the 43rd edition of the Sullivan County Democrat Two-Man Better Ball Golf Tourney tees off this morning at 8 a.m. sharp.

Sponsored by this newspaper and hosted by the Villa Roma Championship Golf Course in Callicoon, the Democrat Golf Tourney has become one of the most competitive and popular golfing  events in the Hudson Valley.

“We are extremely grateful and humbled by the response we get each year to our tournament,” Tournament Sponsor and Democrat Publisher Fred Stabbert III said. “Obviously our field has changed dramatically since we first started in 1982, but the competition, sportsmanship and camaraderie has lasted the test of time and our field seems to really enjoy themselves, year in and year out.”

The field is full this year with 128 golfers – 64 two-man teams – competing for prizes in eight flights.

The three-day event starts with a qualifying round on Friday (today), which effectively seeds all 64 teams into 8-team flights based on their score.

The only exception is the Championship Flight, which will start out with 16 teams and then is narrowed down to two teams by Sunday afterooon after four grueling matches.

The tournament does not recognize handicaps and all USGA rules apply. Villa Roma Golf Pro Matthew Kleiner is Tournament Director and handles any rules questions as they arise.

On Saturday, match play will start at 7:30 a.m. with the winning teams advancing to the semifinal and then final matches.

“It’s a format that OGs Paul Zintel and my father, Fred Jr., came up with in 1982,” Stabbert III said. “Golfers enjoy the competition and it’s fun to have a partner to share the glory – and pain – with.”

Who’s In

This year’s tournament will feature some of the best players – and teams – in Democrat history, including eight-time champions Sean Semenetz and Joe Winski.

Defending champs Michael Decker and Michael Scuderi will be back to defend their title and have made it to the championship match the past two years.

Last year’s runners-up, Mike Cardo and Blake Cohen, will also be back to try and earn the title of  “Democrat Champion.”

Other past champions in the field include Liberty’s Kort Wheeler and Walter Herzog, who have been in the finals three of the last eight years.

2017 Champs, Gregg Semenetz Jr. and Jared Kubenik will be back as are two-time winners Gregg Semenetz Sr. and Billy Phillips, who have qualified for the Championship Flight for 23 consecutive years.