Here’s some advice for golfers playing in the 97th Norwich Invitational this weekend:

Stay out of the rough.

Outside of that, enjoy another edition of the popular and long-running event. It is the second oldest amateur tournament in the state.

Thanks to regular rain and superintendent Eric Kundahl and his staff, the course is in great shape.

But the rough is thicker than usual.

“We’re in really good shape this year,” Norwich pro Mike Svab said. “We’ve gotten a lot of rain like everybody else has. This may be the thickest rough that these guys have ever played (here). We didn’t do anything different. We’ve just gotten perfect rain.”

Golfers will likely have to deal with some rain this weekend, starting with Friday’s qualifying round that determines seeding for match play, which begins on Saturday. Semifinal and final action tees off on Sunday.

“You don’t worry about what you can’t control,” Svab said. “We’ll get it in.”

At least it won’t be scorching hot like it has been in some past tournaments. The champion has to survive playing five rounds over the weekend before raising the trophy.

Svab is prepared for anything this weekend.

‘We are ready to go,” Svab said. “It’s going to be a good weekend. We’ve got a full field.”

There are a number of former champions in the 172-player field.

Nick Harrington, a graduate of Parish Hill and UConn, will try to defend his championship flight title. He beat Austin Cilley of Lake of Isles, 5 and 4, last year to win his third Norwich Invite.

David Marshall, the 2021 winner, is back. Josh Cameron, Kevin Marcoux, Dave Jones and Chris DeLucia are among the other former champions in the field.

Jones is coming off a strong performance in the 41st Connecticut Senior Open earlier this week at Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton. He finished tied for fourth overall and earned low amateur honors for the fifth time.

“I’m looking forward to Norwich this weekend,” Jones said on Tuesday.

His golf season got off to a late start.

An oral cancer survivor, Jones underwent hyperbaric oxygen treatments for a couple months.

“The treatments are fine and great to do,” Jones said. “You go in there and you’re under pressure and they feed you oxygen to give you more blood flow. … It was either reconstructive surgery or do this for two months.”

“... I missed the first part of the golf season. I’m feeling good now.”

Jones usually plays in a foursome during Friday’s qualifying round with good friends Bill Hermanson, Brian Bardier and Phil Perry. They’ve combined to win 10 Invite titles.

But his playing partners will miss this weekend’s tourney.

“It’s nice when those guys are here because they add something to it,” Svab said. “They’re all past champs and they’re all good guys.”

Jones will play Friday with fellow Mohegan Sun Golf Club member Tony Susi, Erik Soderberg and Michael VanSambeck.

Susi had the misfortune of playing in the rain at the Connecticut Senior Open on Monday. He’s hoping to avoid doing that again.

Short putts

• Connecticut Section PGA executive director Tom Hantke oversaw his last Connecticut Senior Open earlier this week.

He’s stepping down from his role.

Hantke and his team have done a great job over the years running the Connecticut Senior Open as well as other tournaments around the state.

Shennecossett pro Todd Goodhue appreciates Hantke’s contributions to the section.

“We have tremendous respect for Tom,” Goodhue said. “He’s done a fantastic job and made great advancements to promote the game. He’s been a great executive director. He’s about to open another chapter of his career.”

Hantke has enjoyed his long run as executive director.

“It’s not like work,” Hantke said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

• Also at the Connecticut Senior Open, course superintendent Eric Morrison and his staff were honored with the Morrison Medal, which honors an individual or group for contributions to the tournament. The award is named after Morrison.

Morrison’s crew worked hard to help make the course playable again after torrential rain halted play for over two hours during Monday’s first round.

• While Jones and Hermanson, who tied for 13th, finished in the top 15 in the Connecticut Senior Open, another local golfer had a respectable showing. Philip Krick Jr. of Groton shot rounds of 75 and 79 for a 12-over 154.

• Zorah Williams of Stonington Country Club had a terrific showing at the Connecticut Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship earlier this week at Fairview Farm Golf Course in Harwinton. She finished tied for fifth overall with a two-round total of 13-over 157 (75-82). Annie Dai won her second title with an even par 144 (69-75).

• Paul and Steven Ferraro of Quinnatisset Country Club tied for 13th at the CSGA’s 87th Father & Son Championship on July 6 at Watertown Golf Club. They had a 3-over 74.

Upcoming events

• Qualifying for the Shennecossett Golf Course men’s club championship will take place on July 22 and July 23.

• The 89th Connecticut Open will run July 24-26 at Shuttle Meadow Golf Course in Kensington. Dave Jones of Mohegan Sun Golf Club, Andrew Cavasino of Great Neck Country Club, Steven Ferraro of Quinnatisset and Bill Hermanson of Black Hall Club have qualified for the field.

• The final rounds of the Elmridge Golf Course men’s club championship tee off on July 29 and July 30.

• River Ridge Golf Course in Griswold will hold its men’s club championship over two days on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13. It is a 36-hole stroke play event. Glenn Gasparino is the defending champion. The women’s and senior club championships also will be played that weekend.

• The Connecticut PGA Junior TOUR will make a few local stops this summer. The Old Lyme Junior Open tees off on July 31. Shennecossett will host the Players TOUR Finale on Aug. 17 and Fox Hopyard in East Haddam will be the spot for the Players TOUR Cup (Invite only) on Aug. 22.

g.keefe@theday.com