Burnley FC of the English Coca Cola Championship Division, one level below the Premier League, and one of the oldest franchises in the English professional ranks, is bringing its full squad to Cary for a preseason match against the Carolina RailHawks Premier Development League team on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park.

Tickets are priced at $10 for Premium seats and $15 for Club seats. Tickets are on sale now at the LGFCU Box Office, by calling 859-5425, at all Ticketmaster outlets or by visiting carolinarailhawks.com.

“This is a great opportunity for our kids to play against a storied professional team from England bringing their entire roster to the States,” said Cary RailHawks U-23 head coach Dewan Bader. “Our young collegiate stars now have a great stage to showcase their abilities to one of the premier soccer divisions in the world. We always talk about playing at the highest level and this is a great way to prepare for that.”

Burnley, founded in 1882, are one of the founding 12 members of the original Football League, dating back to 1888. They have twice won the English First Division (1921 and 1960), now known as the Premier League and they are one of only two clubs in England to have won all four domestic divisional titles.

They play at Turf Moor in the second tier of English football and are currently the longest serving club in that division, having been promoted to this level in 2000. In recent seasons they have defeated Premier League clubs Liverpool (2004/05 FA Cup), Aston Villa (2004/05 League Cup) and Tottenham Hotspur (2002/03 League Cup).

Hope’s Hope Golf Classic

On Aug. 11, Hope’s Hope will host its third annual Hope’s Hope Golf Classic. The Golf Classic will be held at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary.

Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. A silent auction will begin at 9:30. Tee-off time will be at 10. An Hors d’hoeuvres award reception will follow tournament play, complete with trophies for first, second and third place, door prizes and a grand prize raffle. Many course contests are available, including a $5,000 putting contest, a $10,000 hole-in-one contest, as well as longest drive and closest-to-the-pin challenges.

Registration is open online at hopes-hope.org. Cost is $500 for a foursome or $150 for individuals. The tournament will be handicapped so all level of players are welcome.

All proceeds will benefit the mission of Hope’s Hope, and a portion of the registration fee is tax deductible. Hope’s Hope was established in February 2005 by a dedicated group of volunteers committed to providing assistance to families who have children battling a class of rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorders. The inspiration for Hope’s Hope is 6-year-old Hope Johnston of Apex, who was born with the rare genetic disorder Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy.

Visit hopes-hope.org for more information, or contact Cheri McDonald at 819-2736 or Shelda Northcutt at 815-5215.

Carolinas Amateur Championship

Since 2007 winner Patrick Rada of Anderson, S.C., is not in this year’s field, a new champion is assured when the Carolinas Golf Association conducts its 94th Amateur Championship on the Donald Ross-designed course at Cape Fear Country Club, beginning Wednesday and concluding Sunday.

Among the possible successors are Scott McClellan of Cary, a 48-year-old sales representative who won the 2006 title at Kiawah Island Resort’s Turtle Point course, and 57-year-old Raleigh insuranceman Paul Simson, who won the title in 2005 at Greenville (S.C.) Country Club’s Chanticleer course and in 1991 at Pinewild Country Club in Pinehurst.

The low 32 golfers after 36 holes of stroke play qualifying Wednesday and Thursday will advance to match play. The eventual survivors will engage in a scheduled 36-hole championship match on Sunday.

The par-72 Cape Fear course, one of the oldest in the state, will play at 6,856-yards for the top amateurs in North and South Carolina.

For more information about the 94th Amateur Championship, see carolinasgolf.org.