MOULTRIE — With temperatures expected to be in the 80s with sunny skies and little wind predicted, the tournament record score of 290 might be in danger when the Knuck McCrary Packer Invitational tees off at 7 this morning.

The 12th edition of the tournament hosted by Colquitt County High and held at Sunset Country Club will have 28 teams, including two-time defending champion Savannah Christian.

Playing without Brian Harman, the tournament’s low medalist the last two years who is now playing at the University of Georgia, Savannah Christian is not a prohibitive favorite as it was the last two years.

Any number of teams, including Tift County, Dalton, Northwest Whitfield, Columbus and the tournament hosts, could take home the first place trophy.

Tift County had all five of its players break 80 on Monday in the Trojan Invitational at Grand Island Golf Club in Albany.

“They’ve played well everywhere we’ve been, “ said Colquitt County golf coach Donald Dale. “And if Northwest Whitfield plays to its handicap, they should be really good.”

Colquitt County is coming off an outstanding day of golf on Monday when it captured the Trojan Invitational. The Packers, led by Matt Smith’s 69, shot a 289 to win the tournament by 10 strokes.

“If we play like we’re capable of on our home course, we ought to do well,” said Colquitt County golf coach Donald Dale. “If we could have the same scores we had Monday, it would be lovely. At 289 or 290 would be super.”

Smith’s fine round will enable him to play No. 1 today and tee off at about 12:40 p.m.

Josh Dale, who birdied the last three holes for a 72 on Monday, will play No. 2. Freshman Clarke Hendrick will be No. 3, junior Aaron Elrod will be No. 4 and Dusty Campbell will play No. 5.

The tournament will begin at 7 a.m. today when Shaw, North Oconee, Brookstone and Thomas County Central tee off.

Also playing this year are Bainbridge, Brunswick, Calhoun, Camden County, Coffee, Hardaway, Houston County, Lee County, Lowndes, McIntosh, Union Grove, Valdosta, Vidalia, Ware County, Warner Robins, West Laurens, White County and Worth County.

Calhoun, Northwest Whitfield, West Laurens and White County are playing in the tournament for the first time. Dalton is back after missing the tournament the last few years.

Several tournament regulars, including Marietta, Glynn Academy and Etowah, are playing in the Georgia-South Carolina Challenge Match today.

The tournament record 290 was first set in 2003 by Glynn Academy. Savannah Christian, with Harman shooting a tournament record-tying 68, also shot a 290 a year later.

Last year, playing in heavy winds, Savannah Christian won again, shooting a 300 and winning a playoff over Glynn Academy.

The winds didn’t bother Harman last April. The little left-hander shot a tournament-record 66.

Colquitt County, with Smith, Dale, Elrod, Greg Johnson, Ken Hall and James Keith playing, shot a 324 to finish 11th.

The only time Colquitt County won its own tournament was in 2002, when Jason Flowers, who was co-low medalist with a 71, led the Packers to a 311.

For the first time, the tournament will be named for former Moultrie High football coach and Colquitt County Sports Hall of Fame member Knuck McCrary, who died after suffering a heart attack on the sideline of the Moultrie High-Dougherty football game in 1965.

McCrary’s son Pat has helped raise money for the tournament.

“That really helps make it a nicer tournament for the kids,” Donald Dale said.

Dale said he appreciated Sunset Country Club giving up its golf course for much of the day today to enable the Colquitt County team to play host to the tournament.

“That’s something you don’t see everywhere,” he said.