Brain cancer sufferer Brian Morris will make his debut on the PGA Tour tomorrow in the opening round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course in familiar company.

The 54-year-old Ocean View Golf Club head professional, who has proved an inspiration to many in his battle against stage 4 cancer, will tee it up alongside Michael Sims, winner of the local qualifier.

They will be joined in the final threesome on the 1st tee at 2.05pm by American Sahith Theegala, the world No 372, who is just off a top-ten finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Morris, who was granted a sponsor’s exemption into the tournament, has been allowed the use of a cart to get round Port Royal, which best explains why he is in the final threesome for both the first two rounds.

Damian Palanyandi, the only amateur among the five Bermudians in the field, goes off at 9.03am from the 1st tee.

He will be with alternate Ted Purdy, the veteran American who was joint 58th in Bermuda in 2019, and Brett Drewitt, a Korn Ferry Tour regular who is ranked 359th in the world.

Mid Ocean Club pro Chaka DeSilva has for company alternate John Merrick, who has played only seven events the past two years — missing the cut in all but one — and Justin Lower, another Korn Ferry Tour regular, who is ranked No 359 in the world.

Finally, Camiko Smith, the 2020 medallist in local qualifying, is last of the morning starters on the 1st tee. He is paired with Bo Hoag, the world No 291 whose highlight this year was finishing joint thirteenth at the Memorial, and Dawie van der Walt, the world No 401 from South Africa, who spends most of his time these days on the Korn Ferry Tour.

The field has been reduced by six to 126 owing to the aforementioned withdrawals of 2019 champion Brendon Todd, Will Zalatoris and Lanto Griffin, plus the latest, the most prominent of which are Lucas Glover, Robert Allenby and Heath Slocum.

Thursday’s tee times

(Bermuda players in bold)

Morning starters

1st tee

7.35: Kevin Stadler, Anirban Lahiri, J.J. Spaun J.J. Spaun.

7.46: Vaughn Taylor, Brendon de Jonge, Mark Hubbard.

7.57: Austin Cook, Ryan Armour, Russell Knox.

8.08: Martin Trainer, Brian Stuard, Hank Lebioda.

8.19: Tommy Gainey, Parker McLachlin, Sepp Straka.

8.30: J.J. Henry, Jonathan Byrd, John Rollins.

8.41: David Lipsky, Taylor Pendrith, Erik Barnes.

8:52: Ben Crane, Jason Bohn, John Pak.

9.03: Ted Purdy, Brett Drewitt, Damian Palanyandi.

9.14: Bo Hoag, Dawie van der Walt, Camiko Smith.

10th tee

7.35: Chris Stroud, Adam Hadwin, Matt Every

7.46: Richard Johnson, Ricky Barnes, Beau Hossler.

7.57: Ted Potter Jr, Robert Garrigus, Daniel Chopra.

8.08: Nick Watney, Luke Donald, Matt Fitzpatrick.

8.19: Brian Gay, Nick Taylor, Camilo Villegas.

8.30: David Lingmerth, Scott Brown, Matthew NeSmith.

8.41: Jim Knous, Hayden Buckley, Aaron Rai.

8.52: Chase Seiffert, Ben Kohles, Greg Koch.

9.03: Seth Reeves, Greyson Sigg, Austin Eckroat.

9.14: Andrew Novak, Max McGreevy, Jay McLuen.

9.25: Lee Hodges, Matt Hill.

Afternoon starters

1st tee

12.15: Michael Kim, Patrick Rodgers, Scott Gutschewski.

12.26: Danny Lee, Noh Seung Yul, Peter Uihlein.

12.37: Greg Chalmers, Ben Martin, Johnson Wagner.

12.48: Garrick Higgo, Patrick Reed, Danny Willett.

12.59: Séamus Power, Dylan Frittelli, Graeme McDowell.

1.10: Jason Dufner, Arjun Atwal, Kramer Hickok.

1.21: Stephan Jäger, David Skinns, Harry Hall.

1.32: Vincent Whaley, Alex Smalley, Guido Migliozzi.

1.43: Matthias Schwab, Kurt Kitayama, Dylan Wu.

1.54: Davis Riley, Callum Tarren, Thomas Detry.

2.05: Sahith Theegala, Michael Sims, Brian Morris.

10th tee

12.15: Fabián Gómez, Bae Sang Moon, Scott Stallings.

12.26: Sean O’Hair, Olin Browne, Cameron Percy.

12.37: D.A. Points, John Senden, Andrés Romero.

12.48: Peter Malnati, Denny McCarthy, Brandon Hagy.

12.59: David Hearn, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

1.10: Mito Pereira, Lucas Herbert, Brandon Wu.

1.21: Joseph Bramlett, Austin Smotherman, Patrick Flavin.

1.32: Nick Hardy, Chad Ramey, Kyle Wilshire.

1.43: John Merrick, Justin Lower, Chaka DeSilva.

1.54: Michael Gligic, Curtis Thompson, Ludvig Aberg.

2.05: Cody Gribble, Adam Svensson, Jordan Gumberg.