Alex Eisen/MDN The Western ND Charity Pro-AM begins today at the Vardon Golf Course.

Around 80 professional and 90 amateur golfers will gather and intermingle at Vardon Golf Course for the Western North Dakota Charity Pro-Am, which starts today and carries on into the weekend.

It’s a special opportunity for the players while also being an event that gives back, with the money raised by the nonprofit Western Dakota golf organization finding its way back into the community.

“Over the 35 years we have been doing this, we are getting to be over $1.5 million that has been given back,” Vardon manager Todd Lee said. “It’s given back to local charities in primarily the Minot area, Williston, Westhope, and Bottineau. In the last couple of years, after we have paid our bills and what not, we have given over $50,000 to the local charities.”

To accomplish that, Lee offered much appreciation to all the sponsors that support the tournament.

This year’s field includes defending champion Shane Smith from South Dakota, as well as former winners Zahkai Brown from Colorado and Tim Ailes from Delaware. There are also professionals arriving from as far out as Hawaii and California to Florida.

“They are coming from all over the country to play and hopefully we show them a good time,” Lee said. “There is a strong group of young guys. There have been some terrific scorers leading into this week, so I’m assuming there will be some great golf again this week.”

Most of the professionals try to use the Dakotas Tour as a launching pad to reach the next level, as they look to follow in the footsteps of the 1996 Open Championship winner Tom Lehman, whose first victory was at this event, or perhaps 1996 U.S. Open winner Steve Jones.

“In the many, many years that we have had this, you’ll see some of these guy’s names pop up on the Web.com Tour and maybe some will get all the way to the PGA Tour,” Lee said.

Prize money is up for grabs for the professionals, who will play alongside the amateurs today and Friday. The Top 50 pros with ties move on to play Saturday with the Top 25 and ties making the final cut to play on Sunday. Winnings will be paid out to the Top 25 with first place pocketing $30,000.

The amateurs will play three rounds with their final round on Saturday, if they survive the cut. The Top 12 in low net for both the ‘A’ and ‘B’ groups, plus in low gross advances.

The dynamic between the professionals and amateurs on the course is rather compelling.

“They will help the amateurs, obviously, going along,” Lee said. “But, I know a lot of the amateurs like to stay out of the way because these guys are trying to make a living.”

That’s not to say friendships aren’t made, whether it’s in the clubhouse or even in their own home.

“A lot of these guys are staying with some of our members or local folks in town, so they get a chance to get to know them a little bit off the golf course,” Lee said. “Some of these guys have been coming back for years and they are staying with the same people.”

A memorable experience for all involved.

Lee added: “They will make relationships and some of these people keep in touch with the guys that they play with and follow their careers a little bit, try to wish them well and see them down the road. It’s a unique tour in that respect.”

Alex Eisen covers Minot High School, Minot State athletics and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.