The Warren County Golf Championship is becoming, unofficially at least, the Warren County Open.

For the first time, the County Championship will be open to all players and not just residents of Warren County when players tee it up this weekend at Clear Creek Golf Course. Clear Creek pro Kent Smith said the move was intended to boost participation, as well as clear the way for former residents to participate.

Some players had received exemptions in the past after moving away, and the move simply clears up the stipulation requiring them to still live here.

“Out of the people who signed up, it’s mostly people that used to play here and went away. One person was living on the Coast, another was in Oxford. I’ve always had people wanting to come back and play and this lets them,” Smith said. “If they still had homes or property here or were students they could always come back and play.”

Smith said approximately 40 players had registered for the two-day, 36-hole tournament as of early this week. Registration will remain open until the tournament begins at 8 a.m. Saturday.

The registration fee is $110 per player, and there will be separate divisions for women and senior men. The main men’s draw will be flighted after the first round.

“We’ll take them up to the last minute if we can get them,” Smith said of players wanting to register late.

In addition to the County Championship, Clear Creek will also host a shootout Friday at 5 p.m. for the top 12 finishers from last year’s tournament. The entry fee is $20, and Smith said any spots not filled by qualified players can be claimed by newcomers on a first-come, first-served basis.

“We’ll probably have some open spots if anybody wants to join,” Smith said.