BANGOR – Peter Hong, Dennis Libbey and Brent Cross will be in the first group to tee off at 7:09 a.m. today as the pro-am kicks off this week’s activities for the 40th Greater Bangor Open sponsored by Hollywood Slots at Bangor at Bangor Municipal Golf Course.

The pro-am is a best-ball event that matches a trio of corporate sponsors’ players with a pro who is participating in the GBO. The last group in the event will tee off at 12:15 p.m.

Free Martin, vice president of the GBO Tournament Committee, said he was pleased with how well fundraising went this year.

“We’re way ahead of where we’ve been in the last 10 years in terms of local dollars,” said Martin.

Thirty groups are scheduled to tee off today with most finishing before the day’s second feature, the driving contest, takes place at 5 p.m.

The 54-hole tournament gets under way Thursday morning. A cut will be made after the second round Friday for Saturday’s 18-hole finale.

Among the pros participating today are two-time defending GBO champ Matt Donovan of Pittsfield, Mass.; 2001 GBO champ Jim Salinetti of Lee, Mass.; 2005 Maine Amateur winner Corey Poulin of Skowhegan; Eric Egloff of Sandy Spring, Md., who won the ’95 GBO and was third last year; and ’03 winner William Link IV of Acton, Mass.