No lip service, it's mustache week at Utah Championship

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Nationwide Tour

Roger Tambellini sports his new mustache.

SANDY, Utah -- This is a hairy tale, not a fairy tale.

Three Nationwide Tour players -- Bob Burns, Chris Anderson and Chris Smith -- decided they would have a mustache-growing contest last year. At the Panama Movistar Championship earlier this season, they decided to repeat the competition and scheduled the voting for the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank.

The trio encouraged as many players and operations staff to become involved and an estimated 35 have participated -- with some moustaches more impressive than others.

One of the best belongs to Roger Tambellini who was tied for seventh after two rounds of the Utah Championship. Some have suggested he now looks like a Wild West gunslinger.

"I've never grown a mustache before," Tambellini said. "I might have to keep it on if I keep playing well. This whole thing has really caught on and everyone has been having fun with it. Except my wife -- she's not a big fan of it."

Tournament officials at the Utah Championship have run with this idea and made it grow -- no pun intended -- into an event dubbed "Mustache Week." They have purchased 2,500 fake mustaches and will be giving them to spectators during the weekend and encouraging everyone to join in the fun.

GOLF CHANNEL gave the competition plenty of air-time during the opening round and let viewers vote on-line. ESPN's Sportscenter also showed a few examples of the Nationwide Tour players' extra growth the following morning.

Jeff Brehaut, the 45-year-old Californian, was among the players who decided to get on the band-wagon.

"Chris Smith kind of started it and said let's have some fun with it -- so we're having fun," said Brehaut, who managed to score a couple of votes.

Ryan Hietala, winner of the Cox Classic a month ago, is also an enthusiastic participant.

"Hey, did you see us on Sportscenter?" the Boise, Idaho resident said. "Pretty cool."