Lyn Johnson hits a ball down the fairway while golfing in the 2006 Hooters Store Scramble Tuesday at Kinderlou Forest Golf Course.

VALDOSTA — The Hooters Tour is back this weekend for its third year at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club for the Langdale Ford Championship.

The Tour golfers have been on the course all week practicing for Thursday’s start.

On Tuesday, Kinderlou hosted the Hooters Store Scramble, despite the best efforts of mother nature to dampen the event. Weather has affected the tour’s stop at Kinderlou before, pushing the tournament back in its first year when a bevy of hurricanes came through the Southeast.

While it was a soggy day Tuesday, the event should not have many weather delays from the start of the Pro-Am event today to the completion of the main event on Sunday.

“The weather looks good, from what I’ve seen, through Friday,” Tour Director Jeff Harlow said. “Which is a big help to us. Trying to get around 168 guys in, you don’t have much room for error.”

The weather is also going to play a factor on the amount of spectators at the 7,781-yard, par-72 course.

“A lot might depend on what the weather is like,” Harlow said. “If it’s kind of a nice, not-too-hot day, a lot of people might come out and watch. It kind of depends.

“That’s the way it is with us, a lot depends on weather and what all’s going on.”

Last year’s event had better weather, with spectators coming to watch Eatonton’s Blake Adams come away with the victory on Labor Day Weekend.

Adams will also be participating in this year’s event, as will the 2004 Langdale Ford Championship winner, Bruce McDonald.

Golfers playing this week in Valdosta come from a range of places, such as Jack Croyle from Thomasville and amateur Paul O’Neal of Valdosta, to international players like McDonald from Zimbabwe and Scott Young of Sydney, Australia.

The local course has had good reviews from the players throughout the last two years.

“It went well,” Harlow said. “The players love the golf course. It’s always been great conditions, and it’s one of the longer golf courses we play.”

The course, designed by Davis Love III, will also play host to a Nationwide Tour event later in the year.

“I think they’ll enjoy themselves on this course, as well,” Harlow said.

The Hooters Tour players will start enjoying themselves on the course Thursday, with the first tee times set for 7:30-9:30 a.m. and the second from 12:30-2:30 p.m.

Friday will have the same tee times, as the event drops the number of players down to the top 60.

Saturday’s third round will start at 8 a.m., with split tee times.