It's been 11 years since Jim Hepler lifted the Butler Eagle Amateur Open golf tournament trophy at Hiland Golf Course.

The 13th annual event returns to the same venue Sunday, and Hepler is hoping he can turn the clock back to 1996.

"I don't think the course has changed that much over the years," said Hepler, 45, a Butler resident. "The course is pretty wide open and golfers should be able to get to the green without much trouble. Then it will come down to who's putting well."

Since the Eagle Amateur was reborn in 1995, the event has been held at Hiland Golf Course four other times, most recently in 2003, when Chris Marron topped the field.

"There are 36 golfers in the championship flight — those with handicaps of six or less, and I'd say 30 of them have a good shot of winning it, but there's really no frontrunner," said John Carpenter, one of five people on the Butler Eagle Amateur Open committee.

Hepler, who tied for second last year behind Nathan Bilski by carding a 71 at Lake Arthur Country Club, plays in a league at Stoughton Acres Golf Course. Like all participants, he would love to win the tournament, but plans to enjoy himself regardless.

"I used to play a lot more golf, but now, with a family, I just don't get out as much as I used to," he said. "I finished second a few times in this event and a lot of people would say that second is just the first loser, but I don't look at it that way.

"I'm just going out there, have fun and see what happens."

Carpenter counted 132 golfers for the event by Thursday night, but a few last-minute entrants are expected.

A double shotgun start will kickoff the tournament, with tee times of 7:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.

Four flights are included this year, including the championship flight.

Last year, Sharon Goncz was the lone woman to play in the tournament. She's glad that's not the case this year.

At least two other women, Tanya Schnur and Mary Jo DeMatteis, will play on Sunday.

Carpenter said that a foursome of women also might join the field, making it seven in this year's event.

"I know there's a lot of good women golfers at Hiland, so I hope they decide to play since that's where the tournament is this year," Goncz said.

As far as her performance goes, Goncz is hoping to shoot her handicap, which has gone from 14 last year to nine entering Sunday.

"I really like to challenge myself and I'd really like to shoot in the high 70s," she said. "But if I could shoot my handicap, I'd be ecstatic."

Four years ago, Schnur was looking for something to fill her free time.

"I needed something that was competitive and something I could do by myself," said Schnur, a resident of Chicora.

"At the beginning, I wasn't very good," she said. "I was shooting in the 50s on nine holes. Then, I got down to the high 40s and started beating my brothers. My best score on nine was a 36."

Schnur, who currently plays four to five times per week, mostly at Hiland, is hoping to score between 77 and 80 on Sunday.

"Playing it so much, I should be able to read the greens well," she said.

Carpenter is confident that Hiland will frustrate its share of golfers on Sunday.

"It's not a long or tight course, but it has some very difficult holes."

A limited number of spots in the tournament are still available. The cost is $60, which is good for golf, a skins game and prizes.

Call Carpenter at 724-794-4040 for details.