Pros and celebs get ready to tee it up in the Carolinas

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The Nationwide Tour travels to the Carolinas this week for the only PGA TOUR sanctioned event held in two states, the BMW Charity Pro-Am. The only one of its kind on the Nationwide Tour, the BMW Charity Pro-Am has celebrities and amateurs grouped with professionals in a four-day better-ball competition.

Badz/PGA TOUR

Actress Catherine Bell, who played in last year's event, will be back in the celebrity field this year.

This unique event is played on three courses and has a 54-hole cut, opposed to a 36-hole cut. All players will play Thornblade Club, host course, Bright's Creek Golf Club and The Carolina Country Club once. Those who make the cut play Thornblade Club again on Sunday to determine who's going to take home the $121,500, of the $675,000 purse, along with a BMW X5 Sports Activity Vehicle.

Celebrities in the field include Joe Pesci, Dennis Quaid, Luke Wilson, Greg Kinnear, Kurt Russell, Catherine Bell, Oliver Hudson, Wayne Gretzky, Janet Jones-Gretzky, Ty Gretzky, Kevin Sorbo, Dave Coulier, Stefanie Schaeffer, Patrick Warburton, Michael Pena, Sterling Sharpe, Kordell Stewart, Jason Dohring, Josh Kelley, Cheech Marin, Javier Colon, Steve Azar, Gary Valentine, Mark Rypien, Branford Marsalis, Pat Green, George Rogers, Ben Wright and Jennifer Mills.

Last week, Colt Knost broke out with his first win at the Fort Smith Classic. Knost, reigning U.S. Amateur and U.S. Public Links champion, turned professional last fall and turned down invitations to play in this year's U.S. Open, Masters and British Open. Joining Knost in the field this week are four tournament winners from this year including Australians Jarrod Lyle, Aron Price, Greg Chalmers and Ewan Porter.

GOLF CHANNEL will televise all four rounds beginning this Thursday at 1 p.m. ET. Next week, the Nationwide Tour visits the nation's capital for the Melwood Prince George's County Open in Mitchellville, Md.