Low handicap golfers from the United States and Canada will converge on Buffalo Hill Golf Club this weekend in hopes of bringing home one of the top amateur prizes in the Pacific Northwest.

The 79th International Labor Day Golf Tournament is 54 holes of stroke play Saturday through Monday. All of the competitors will play the shorter Cameron Nine course one day and the longer and more challenging Championship 18 the other two days. Men will be divided into six flights by handicap, while the ladies will be paired up in three flights.

On the men’s side, defending champion Ryggs Johnston is not in the field this year. That opens up the title chase to many golfers, including five former champions.

Two-time champ Logan Lindholm (2012 and 2013) of Kalispell is fresh off winning his sixth Buffalo Hill club championship two weeks ago. Other former champs include Ryan Santa of Kalispell (1998), Justin Dorr of Spokane, Washington. (2002), Kyle Mossfeldt of Whitefish (2011, 2014) and six-time winner Dan Kiley of Seattle.

Other contenders include Brad Grattan (second in 2015) and Shawn Tucker of Whitefish, Polson club champion Steve Lucas, Jimmy Cowan and Frank Sutton from Calgary and a Kalispell contingent featuring Ryan Buls, Pavel Danuta, John Morberg and Jason Winkler.

On the ladies side, Kali Gordon of Okotoks, Alberta returns to defend her title. She also won in 2011. Sarah (Moodie) Stewart from Whistler, British Columbia will be back to try to regain the title she won in 2014.

Other ladies hopefuls include Polson club champion Vicki Lucas, Jerie Clark of Somers, Jeanette Cheney of Columbia Falls and Wendy Madison, Paula Pervais, Debbie Hadley and Janell O’Neal of Kalispell.

The three-day event also includes live music Friday and Saturday and a putting contest Saturday, where the west putting green is turned into a challenging course with sand, trees and out of bounds.

Sunday night brings the mixed derby, featuring the top 10 men and ladies based on Saturday’s scores. Parimutuel betting will be available on the 10 teams.

All events are open to the public.

For more information on the tournament, including a full list of tee times, visit www.golfbuffalohill.com.