SANTEE -- Combining his love of golf and his commitment to higher education, U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn will be the host the 13th annual Rudolph Canzater Memorial Classic in Santee on Saturday and Sunday.

Four hundred golfers have registered for this year's tournament, including University of South Carolina golf sensation Erica Battle, who was named South Carolina Female Athlete of the Year by The State newspaper in 2002.

Proceeds from the tournament will fund $21,000 in college scholarships and $25,000 toward the James E. Clyburn Endowed Chair at South Carolina State University.

Canzater, affectionately known as "Candy," was a close friend and frequent golf partner of Clyburn.

"This tournament raises money to continue Candy's legacy of empowering young people through educational opportunities," Clyburn said. "Over the years this event has grown significantly, which is a testament to Candy's vision to provide a great start for our next generation."

Canzater was an avid supporter of Clyburn's two bids for South Carolina secretary of state and encouraged him to one day run for Congress.

Tragically, he was unable to see that dream come true. In 1988, Canzater died of a ruptured aorta at the age of 49. The tournament he helped start was renamed in his honor the following year.

Tournament play will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday at three Santee courses: Lake Marion Golf Club, Santee Cooper Country Club and Santee National Golf Club.

The awards banquet will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Ramada Inn in Santee. South Carolina State University's director of athletic fund-raising and former head football coach Willie Jeffries will serve as the master of ceremonies.

Scheduled to be on hand to celebrate the tournament's commitment to higher education are the presidents of three institutions of higher education: Dr. Andrew Hugine of SCSU, Dr. Lee Monroe of Voorhees College in Denmark and Dr. Andrew Sorensen of the University of South Carolina.

Also planning to attend is U.S. Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, a Democrat from Queens who represents New York's 6th District in Congress. His parents reside in Rock Hill.

In appearances across the state Saturday and Sunday, Meeks will emphasize to NAACP members, clergy and community leaders that the African-American vote will be a crucial factor in South Carolina's Democratic presidential primary.

Meeks has endorsed U.S. Sen. John Kerry for the Democratic nomination. Meeks holds the office of whip of the Congressional Black Caucus. He is a former prosecutor, judge and state legislator.

Meanwhile, one of Kerry's rivals for the nomination, U.S. Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, will conclude a two-day visit to his home state of South Carolina on Saturday.

Edwards will visit Penn Center on St. Helena Island at 10 a.m. and the fountain in downtown Walterboro at noon. He will arrive at the Summerville visitors' center at 2:45 p.m. and visit North Charleston 90 minutes later.

Following are a list of this year's scholarship recipients:

Tolland L. Alexander, Quinby, Wilson High School, USC-Aiken.

Ryan Baxter, Columbia, Richland Northeast High School, Southern University.

Meghaan Bell, Florence, Wilson High School, Francis Marion University.

Patrina Brown, Edisto Island, Baptist Hill High School, Benedict College.

Shaquan Brown, Manning, Manning High School, South Carolina State University.

Foster Carter Jr., Hemingway, Hemingway High School, North Carolina A&T University.

Jessica Floyd, Lynchburg, Crestwood High School, Francis Marion University.

Essence Shavon Goodmon, Goose Creek, Goose Creek High School, South Carolina State University.

Kevin Fellner, Spartanburg, Dorman High School, University of South Carolina.

Cedric Johnson, Holly Hill, Holly Hill-Roberts High School, Claflin University.

Taliaferra Nash, Columbia, Governor's School for the Arts, Eastman School of Music.

Nicole O'Neal, Kingstree, Kingstree High School, Salem College.

Troy Perry, Hollywood, Garrett Academy of Technology, Morehouse College.

Sheaton Scott, Florence, Wilson High School, Clinton Junior College.

Samuel Singleton, Charleston, James Island High School, Claflin University.

Jerry Smalls II, Awendaw, Wando High School, University of South Carolina.

Antoinette Thornton, Holly Hill, S.C. Governor's School for the Arts.

Chenae White, Hemingway, Hemingway High School, North Carolina A&T University.

Kimberly White, Columbia, Brookland-Cayce High School, Winthrop University.

Antron Williams, Rowesville, Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School, Clemson University.

There will be a special scholarship presentation to Christa Williams of Santee, who attends Columbia College.

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