The golf tournament that refuses to stop growing celebrates its 13th anniversary next week with more players, more events, more prizes . . . and quite likely more money than ever going to charity.

The Ross (Blackie) Talbot Charity Classic, which began in 1993 as a simple birthday celebration for the legendary late entertainer and mushroomed into one of the biggest sporting charity events Bermuda has ever known, again runs for three days next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at Riddell?s Bay.

And organiser Clem Talbot, who has had to employ a part-time committee to ensure the smooth-running of the event, is confident that another $200,000, matching last year?s record, can be raised for a slew of local charities.

That would bring to almost $1.5 million the total raised since the tournament first began.

With the emphasis this year on youth ? a new invitational Junior Pro-Am has been added to the event and will kick off the week?s activities on Monday morning ? charities who will benefit include the Masterworks Youth Education Fund, Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association and De Boys Day Out Club Mentoring Programme.

It?s expected that over the three days more than 500 local players will compete.

Following Monday morning?s Junior Pro-Am, a Captain?s Choice tournament will follow in the afternoon.

Next Tuesday and Wednesday will then see shotgun start Stableford Tournaments in both the morning and afternoon.

Another new addition to the event will be the BTC Sand Trap Shootout, replacing last year?s long drive contest, which will result in one male and one female player earning a four-night trip to the Fairmont Banff Springs in Canada.

Other top prizes include a trip to the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge for winners of the TBI Closest to the Pin Shootout and a trip to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler for winners of the Cable and Wireless putting Shootout.

With dozens of sponsors on board for the three-day extravaganza, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Argus are both offering hole-in-one incentives while Logic will be giving away free internet service for life in a Beat The Pro contest.

Also for the first time this year, overall winners of the Stableford competition will receive custom-made blazers, following in the tradition of next week?s Masters which bestows on its champion the coveted green jacket.

All prizes will be presented at a gala reception at Riddell?s Bay next Wednesday evening.