News >> Deason Set To Defend ComSouth Title
Race for Q-School, Bridgestone Winter Tour Membership Heating Up
Longs, SC—Chip Deason won on the NGA Hooters Tour in 2008 and 2009, but the Lexington, S.C., golfer has yet to finish atop the leaderboard this season. That could all change this week as the tour swings into the Southern Hills Golf Club in Hawkinsville, Ga., for the playing of the ComSouth Classic.
Last year, Deason, a former Alabama University golfer, put up a gaudy 28-under par 260 to take the ComSouth Classic by two strokes over Ben Briscoe. Even more impressive than the four-day total was the fact that Deason played 34 holes on the final day after rain pushed the third round into Sunday. Deason made 27 birdies, one eagle and only one bogey during his torching of the 6740-yard, par-72 layout.
While he hasn’t hoisted the winner’s trophy this season, the former Crimson Tide linkster has two top-five finishes in his last seven tournaments and sits 14th on the player standings list. If Deason can move into the top 10, he will have his 2011 PGA Tour Qualifying School fee reimbursed by the NGA Hooters Tour.
Todd Bailey, of Spanish Fort, Ala., currently holds a narrow lead over Matthew Harmon in the point standings. Bailey is also searching for his first win of the season, but he has made the cut in all 15 events he’s entered this season.
Harmon, of Grand Rapids, Mich., is also entered in this week’s event. Harmon already has two wins this season and has amassed a tour-leading $93,591 in winnings. In his last three starts on the NGA Hooters Tour, Harmon has finished T8 or better in all three.
Mark Blakefield is the only other two-time winner this season on the tour, and his two wins have come in his last five starts. Blakefield did not play in last year’s event, but he is scheduled to play this week. Including Blakefield and Harmon, eight players in the field have at least one win on the tour this season.
In addition to having their Q-School fee reimbursed, players finishing inside the top 10 in the final standings will receive free membership into 2010/11 Bridgestone Florida Winter Series.
Hoping to topple the stout field is a group with ties to south Georgia. Former Valdosta State players Brent Witcher (Darton), Chris Erwin and Nate Balanis and former Alabama All-American Mark Harrell from Hazelhurst are all entered in the event.
The first round of the ComSouth Classic will start at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 26. Admission is free to the public. For more information, visit www.HootersTour.com.
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 an impressive list of alumni.
Stewart Cink, the 2009 British Open Champion; Lucas Glover, the 2009 US Open Champion; Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters Champion; Shaun Micheel, the 2003 PGA Champion; Ben Curtis, winner of the 2003 British Open; Jim Furyk, winner of the 2003 US Open; Lee Janzen, a two-time US Open winner; John Daly, a British Open and PGA Champion; Tom Lehman, winner of the British Open; David Toms, a past PGA Champion; Chad Campbell, the 2003 Tour Championship winner; Vaughn Taylor, a two-time Reno Tahoe Open winner; and Craig Perks, winner of the TPC, tested their mettle on the NGA Hooters Tour before tasting success on golf’s grandest stage.
All told, the NGA Hooters Tour’s alumni have an incredible 12 “Majors” to their credit. The NGA Hooters Tour has helped hundreds of professionals acquire their PGA, Senior PGA, and Nationwide Tour cards. In fact, 48% of the players that earned their 2010 PGA Tour card, and 53% of the players that earned full exempt status on the Nationwide Tour started their careers on the NGA Hooters Tour.
