WHITEFISH — A handful of former champions, including the defending men’s and women’s winners, will play in the 78th annual Fourth of July golf tournament beginning today at Whitefish Lake Golf Club. The tourney regularly brings in one of the top fields in the state and draws the top players from the Pacific Northwest and Southern Canada.

The three-day stroke play tournament kicks off this morning, with 240 participants scheduled to tee off including defending champs Kramer Hickok of Plano, Texas and Lindsay Reeve of Missoula.

Hickok, who just completed his junior season at the University of Texas, won on a second playoff hole to take the men’s championship last season, tying a tournament record at 10-under-par after 54 holes. He enters this year’s event having finished in a tie for 89th at the NCAA Championship at the end of May.

At least four other men’s champions will join the fray, including 2012 champion Andrew Medley of Scottsdale, Ariz., 2011 champ Craig Hurlbert of Hamilton, and former champions and longtime contenders Scott Anderson of Great Falls and Robb Bergeson of Billings.

Reeve, a recent graduate of the University of Montana golf team, needed three holes of playoff golf to win the women’s tournament last season. She finished her Griz career this spring tied for 33rd at the Big Sky Conference women’s championship.

She is one of 50 women signed up for this weekend’s event, including 2012 champion Morgan Lee of Great Falls and 2010 champ Darah Newell of Helena. Collegiate golfers Maggie Crippen (North Dakota State) of Missoula and Anne Hakula (Texas) should also expect to contend this weekend.

The men will open play on the North Course today, alternating to the South Course on Friday before closing Saturday on the North Course. The women will play the opposite schedule. Spectators are welcome at the event, which also includes a women’s derby on Thursday and a men’s derby on Friday. The first threesome of golfers tees off at 7:20 a.m. on both courses.