Returning to participate in the CVS Caremark Charity Classic June 28-29 at Rhode Island Country Club in Woonsocket, R.I., are Bill Haas, Matt Kuchar and Davis Love III.

All three golfers have posted terrific play this year, including a first-place finish at the 2010 Bob Hope Classic for Haas. Haas, the 2004 CVS Caremark Charity Classic Champion along with his father Jay, has also earned two top-10 finishes and four top-25 finishes this season.

Kuchar, who lost to Haas by one stroke at the 2010 Bob Hope Classic, returns to Rhode Island for the second consecutive year. The two-time winner has posted two third-place finishes so far this season.
Love makes his ninth appearance in the Charity Classic this year. His impressive play has earned him 20 career victories. Love III is off to a strong start this season with two top-10 and four top-25 finishes.

Tickets for the CVS Caremark Charity Classic are now on sale. A three-day pass is $60, Sunday-only tickets are $20 each and tickets for either Monday or Tuesday are $25 each. Children 17 and under attend for free with a ticketed adult. The tournament offers two easy ways to purchase tickets: by phone at 866-CVS-9441 or by visiting cvscharityclassic.com and downloading a mail-in application.

Evan Beirne has had quite a month.

After a top-5 finish at the Big East Conference meet for St. John's, Beirne has set the course record at his home course, New Haven CC, with a 13-under-par 58. Then he recorded a hole-in-one.
Then on Tuesday, he came frome behind to win the 54-hole Palmer Cup Championship at Rolling Hills CC in Wilton. Beirne fired a 67 in the second round, then held off Jeff Hedden in the final round to win his first state major title in the Connecticut State Golf Association.

The next big event for Beirne is the State Amateur June 21-25 at Country Club of Waterbury.

Brian Murphy of Brooklawn Country Club shot a 2-under 69 to take a 2-shot lead after the opening round of the seventh annual Palmer Cup being held at Rolling Hills CC in Wilton.
Defending champion Tom McCarthy of Twin Hills CC is 2 shots back after an even-par 71. Evan Beirne of New Haven CC leads a group of golfers at 72.
The final 36 holes will be contested today.

Average Joe's Hole of the Week stops in Orange this Thursday at Grassy Hill Country Club as my alter ego faces first-year head golf professional Glenn Dobieski at the dangerous uphill sixth hole, a 158-yard par-3.
The video will be fun to watch at www.newhavenregister.com in addition to reading all about it in Thursday's editions.

Also, this week's golf notes will detail the first year of the Connecticut's Boston Amateur Golf Society (BAGS), a tour all amateurs of any level, even the high handicappers, can play on for a reasonable price at public and private courses each week.