For more than 20 years, Patrick Horgan made his living playing golf. Mary Heath has spent the last two decades helping arrange and organize golf tournaments.

Now, the two Rhode Islanders have decided to pool their talents and knowledge. They have formed a partnership that is going to add still another aspect to the state’s involvement in the game.

The two have formed the Horgan Heath Golf & Event Management company. They already have lined up a number of activities and clients, including representation for PGA Tour player Brad Adamonis of Cumberland and sailor Ken Read of Barrington.

They will have their biggest impact, though, with their decision to take over operation of New England’s own pro golf tour. The New England Pro Tour operated for the last seven years under the auspices of Brian Hebb, a Cape Cod developer who not only organized the tour but played on it as well.

Hebb sold the rights to the tour to a national organization two years ago. That group operated a number of similar tours. The New England Tour suffered with the new owners and went out of business.

Horgan, who is from Newport, and Heath, from Jamestown, have become involved in a number of different areas with their new agency, and their decision to jump into tour sponsorship is their most ambitious move yet.

Horgan is a PGA Tour veteran whose career was slowed by health and injury problems. Heath worked for the International Management Group, the largest sports agency in the country, for a number of years before forming her own company. Her work recently has included helping organize and promote the CVS Caremark Charity Classic.

“I’ve known Pat for a few years,” said Heath. “Back when I was involved with the CVS Classic, he’d pick my brain about the other side of the game. Pat knows all about being a player. He was always asking questions about organizing events.”

That led to the two combining to revive a New England mini-tour. The new name will be the Golfers’ Warehouse Tour.

Golfers’ Warehouse is a New England-based company whose stores include one in Cranston. Five events have been set, July 1-2 at New England CC, July 8-9 at Newport National, July 15-16 at Triggs, Aug. 6-7 at Crestwood and Aug. 12-14 at Wintonbury Hill in Bloomfield., Conn. As with most mini-tours, much of the purse money will come from the players’ entry fees.

Dave Adamonis Jr., director of the Rhode Island-based U.S. Challenge Cup junior program, has been hired to be the tour’s director of operations.

What Heath and Horgan have done is copy the CVS Classic model. That is, Golfers’ Warehouse, like CVS, will be the title sponsor and the prime mover. It is expected, though, that Golfers’ Warehouse will do what CVS does with its event — go to its vendors and have them help sponsor events.

Already, the Nike, Mizuno, Callaway and Cleveland golf companies have agreed to take part. They will offer their clients and customers spots in pro-ams to be held at the tournaments. Golfers’ Warehouse will hold a “Play with the Pros” promotion at its stores that will make available spots in the pro-ams.

“Having spent the last 20 years playing professional golf, I am committed to providing the players a New England-based tour that provides aspiring pro golfers the best experience possible in preparing for a career on the Nationwide and PGA Tour,” Horgan said. “Most of our events will host pro-ams that include Golfers’ Warehouse vendors and other local sponsors who are supporting professional golf in the New England region.”

Horgan is back playing again after battling cancer in his eye. He competed in the Nationwide Tour in South Carolina this week. One of the first moves he made after taking over the Golfers Warehouse Tour was to arrange that the first participants in the tour receive Sundog Eyewear to try to prevent anyone else from developing eye problems such as Horgan has had to deal with.

Scholarships awarded

The Rhode Island Golf Course Superintendents’ Association has made its scholarship awards for the year, giving out a total of $18,000 to 12 students. The recipients and the colleges they will attend, are:

Cathyrn Arruda, RIC; Ryan Chalifour, Bishops University; Craig F. Devaney, Assumption; Peter Fish, URI; Katherine Kennedy, Northeastern; Thomas Lund, Quinnipiac; Christa Piquette, Florida Gulf Coast University; Craig Richard, URI; Ross E. Smith, Vermont; and Leslie Maureen Sykes, URI.

Chip shots

Arthur Fiorenzano of Carnegie Abbey shot net rounds of 67 and 70 to win the RIGA’s Burke Memorial net division championship. Charles Miga of Jamestown and Conn Kelly of Fenner Hill tied for second at 141 in the 192-player field for the event at Carnegie Abbey and Shelter Harbor. … Alpine’s Eddie Kirby recorded a 73 in windy conditions to win the NEPGA pro-am at Alpine, his home course. Bob Tamonti of Crestwood was second with a 74 and North Kingstown’s Brian Owens and Keith Niles of Louisquisset had 75. Kirby, with partners Ed DiMartino and Ed Alesadandrini also won the team competition with a 71, one better than David Baluik of Glocester and his partners, Jim Turbitt Jr. and Jeff Salisbury. … Point Judith’s Anna Grzebien has advanced through the first stage of qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open. She recorded a 79 at the Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone, N.J. That was good enough for a tie for sixth place in an event in which the top-23 finishers advanced. The field included a number of LPGA players. The lowest score was 75. … In men’s Open qualifying, Plainville’s Jim Renner recorded a 71 to win medalist honors and easily move on in competition at the TPC of Boston in Norton. Other qualifiers included fellow Johnson & Wales grad Mike Welch, who had 74. Also, New Bedford’s Kevin Silva advanced in qualifying at Gaston, N.C., Country Club.

pkenyon@projo.com