The 2011 Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic is proud to begin its classic weekend in Pinehurst for the ESPN Pre-V tournament at the newly redesigned Pinehurst No. 2.

The Pre-V will begin as a shotgun start Friday at 9 a.m. The Classic is proud to return to Pinehurst for the ninth straight year, according to a press release.

The theme of this year’s event is of a patriotic nature, as the organizers of the event honor the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the brave men and women who lost their lives that day. The teams for the tournament fit into the patriotic theme, pitting the Stars against the Stripes.

The Stars team will be captained this year by former U.S. Olympic figure skater, Todd Eldredge, and the Stripes will be captained by Travis Stewart, an account executive with ESPN. There are many great events going on during the tournament that will go towards raising money for cancer research.

Pinehurst No. 2 has undergone significant renovations and improvements that have returned the course back to the way Donald Ross originally envisioned.

“The ESPN Pre-V is such a wonderful event to begin our Classic weekend and we thank Pinehurst for its gracious hospitality and support,” said Anna Jackson, director of marketing, Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic.