Lowcountry Legacies - Flash Backs
History of Charleston Sports
Over three centuries now, the Charleston region has been widely recognized for the history and culture of being "first" for a number of notable achievements in establishing various institutions for the betterment of society. Among those institutions, was the first municipal college, College of Charleston, established in 1770. Not as well known, is the rich history of sports and recreational activities in the region. For instance in 1786, one of the first golf clubs in America was organized. Now, the Charleston area has many world-class golf courses, many of which have hosted PGA and LPGA events. From the oldest waterways to the newest multi-million dollar state-of-the-art athletic facilities, the Charleston area continues to provide boundless sports-related opportunities for the enjoyment of the community and its visitors. Just in the last 25 years, the region has been the backdrop for many new regional, national and international events. And, it continues to receive well-deserved recognition for being a major player in the US sports travel industry.
PROFESSIONAL
RUGBY
 Clermont-Auverge Men’s
Professional Rugby vs. USA
Rugby Team (August 2008)
USA Rugby and Greenville based,
Michelin NA brought
the first-ever professional
rugby match to the state of SC
in 2008. On Saturday, August
9, Blackbaud Stadium was
host to over 4,000 fans to
watch the U.S. Men’s National
Team against the French rugby
union club from Clermont-Ferrand France, the Clermont
Auvergne Rugby team. It was
nationally broadcast live on
ESPN Classic and was a huge
success for all event organizers.
www.usarugby.org
GOLF
The 68th Senior PGA
Championship (2007) –
Denis Watson won his first
golf tournament in 23 years,
beating Eduardo Romero by
two strokes.
This event brought in more
than $23 million through
direct spending by non-resident
spectators and expenditures
by The PGA of America.
It received 14 hours of live
television coverage over four
days – six hours on USA and
eight hours on NBC.
Extensive exposure served to
further position South
Carolina as the southeast’s
premiere golf destination.
2005 PGA Club
Professional
Championship
Mike Small, the golf
coach at the University of
Illinois, won the event
with a score of 289.
2003 World Cup
November 11-16 -
The South African team of
Rory Sabbatini and Trevor
Immelman finished four
strokes ahead of England and
captured the 2003 title on
The Ocean Course.
Inaugural UBS
Warburg Cup –
November 15-18, 2001 –
The U.S. team, led by Arnold
Palmer, escaped with a
thrilling 12.5-11.5 victory over
the “Rest of the World” team
(led by Gary Player) in a Ryder
Cup-style format.
1997 World Cup –
November 18-23 –
Team Ireland, consisting of
Padraig Harrington and Paul
McGinley, took home the
World Cup hosted by The
Ocean Course. Colin
Montgomerie claimed the
individual honors.
1991 Ryder Cup
Matches – September
26-29, 1991 –
In one of the most enthralling
moments the golf world has
ever known, the U.S. defeats
Europe by a single point in
the “War by the Shore” when
Bernhard Langer’s five-foot
par putt slides past the right
edge of the cup on The Ocean
Course’s 18th green.
Shell’s Wonderful
World of Golf (1996) –
Annika Sörenstam vs. Dottie
Pepper – South Carolina, The
Ocean Course at Kiawah
Island Golf Resort.
TENNIS
Davis Cup Semi Finals
(2004) –
Family Circle Tennis Center in
Charleston, SC, was selected
as the site for the 2004 United
States vs. Belarus Davis Cup
semifinal, September 24-26.
The semi-final tie is the first ever
 Davis Cup to be played in
South Carolina.
1998 Fed Cup at
Kiawah Island Tennis
Resort.
1990 U.S. Clay Court
Championships at
Kiawah Island Tennis
Resort.
SAILING
BOC Challenge
1994-1995
Around Alone 1998-1999
2006 Intercollegiate
Sailing Association
Nationals
2006 Y-Flyer Nationals
2006 Sunfish Worlds
2007 E Scrow
Nationals
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