Nationwide Tour players visit local Athens hospital

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Instead of trophies and checks, Nationwide Tour players were paid in smiles on Tuesday at the Athens Regional Foundation Classic. Former University of Georgia stars Ryan Hybl, Brendon Todd and Chris Kirk spent part of the afternoon making new friends among the patients at the Athens Regional Medical Center.

Chris Kirk, left, Brendon Todd and Ryan Hybl, right, visit with a hospital volunteer. (Special to PGATOUR.COM)

"It's something we've had a chance to do quite a few times during my career at Georgia. It's really nice to be able to spend a little time with the folks while they're there," said Kirk, winner of the 2007 Ben Hogan Award as the nation's top collegiate player. "Their families will come to see them, but they may not have a lot of other contact with folks while they're there."

The 315-bed regional referral center, which serves 470,000 people in a 17-county region, is part of the Athens Regional Foundation, which was named the Co-Charity of the Year by the Nationwide Tour in 2007. The facility opened in 1919 with 12 beds and is under an expansion that will increase that total to nearly 400.

One patient the players met was a man who suffered a recent heart attack, which kept him from attending his first Masters Tournament last week in nearby Augusta, Ga.

"That was certainly a big disappointment for him, but hopefully we were able to fulfill some of his golf needs for the week," said Hybl, who also spent the last two years as an assistant coach with the Bulldogs. "They are all cooped up, and I know I wouldn't want to be there. I think the more people you can talk to the better. If we're able to lift the spirits of even one person, that makes it well worth our time."

The Medical Center employs more than 2,800 people and is the second-largest in the Athens area, trailing only the University of Georgia in terms of employee numbers.