News >> Wilcox Earns Exemption

Fort Smith Classic
Hardscrabble Country Club
Fort Smith, Arkansas
June 14-20, 2010
$525,000 Purse
 
Longs, SC…The National Golf Association’s Hooters Professional Golf Tour announced in early April that the Nationwide Tour’s Fort Smith Classic  had granted an exemption into the event to The NGA Hooters Tour leading money winner over the second four (4) events of the 2010 season: Hampton, Georgia, McCormick, South Carolina, Edwardsville, Illinois and Georgetown, Kentucky. The NGA Hooters Tour member who accumulated the most money in those four events would earn the exemption into The Fort Smith Classic at Hardscrabble Country Club. (Will Wilcox pictured left)
 
Will Wilcox of Birmingham, Alabama earned that exemption thanks in part to his best month as a professional golfer. Wilcox started his run at The Fort Smith exemption with a tie for 33rd at the Crystal Lake Open in Hampton, Georgia in late April and the following week, the former Clayton State golfer collected his first career win at the $250,000 Savannah Lakes Village Classic in McCormick, South Carolina. He tied for 16th in Edwardsville, Illinois two weeks later and then finished tied 47th in the final event in Georgetown, Kentucky to earn $44,792 for the month and the exemption.
 
“This was a very emotional last few weeks for me, winning my first event and now getting a chance to chase my dream is awesome,” said Wilcox. “It’s going to be a lot of fun playing in my first Nationwide event and I just want to thank the Hooters Tour and the Fort Smith Classic committee for this opportunity.”
 
Wilcox will be making his first career start on The Nationwide Tour after twenty-two starts on the NGA Hooters Tour.
  
“The #1 goal of The Hooters Tour has always been, and always will be to help professional golfers achieve their dream of playing on The PGA Tour,” said Robin L. Waters, NGA Hooters Tour President. “Playing in The Fort Smith Classic will provide Will invaluable experience. We would like to congratulate him on his early success in the season and wish him the best of luck in Arkansas.”
 
The Fort Smith Classic, the only PGA TOUR event in Arkansas, has long been a stepping stone for former Hooters Tour players in realizing their dream of playing on the PGA Tour. Past champions include NGA Hooters Tour alumni Zach Johnson, Franklin Langham, and Jay Williamson.
 
The NGA/Hooters Tour is the 3rd largest men’s 72-hole professional golf tour in the country behind the PGA and Nationwide Tours, and boasts alumni like 2009 British Open winner Stewart Cink, 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson, 2003 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel, 2003 British Open winner Ben Curtis, 2003 US Open winner Jim Furyk, two time U.S. Open winner Lee Janzen, British Open and PGA Champion John Daly, as well as British Open winner Tom Lehman, PGA Champion David Toms, 2003 Tour Championship Winner Chad Campbell, 2004 & 2005 Reno Tahoe Open winner Vaughn Taylor and TPC winner Craig Perks to name just a few. All told, the NGA/Hooters Tour’s alumni have an incredible 11 “Majors” to their credit. The NGA/Hooters Tour has helped more than 100 professionals acquire their PGA, Champions, and Nationwide Tour cards.

For more information about the NGA/Hooters Tour, please visit our web site, www.HOOTERSTOUR.com.