PGA, Nationwide Tours feature over 125 current/past players
 
By: Paul Warner
 
Myrtle Beach, SC – October 20, 2010 – While hordes of current NGA/Hooters Tour players are tackling the first stage of PGA Q-School, plenty of past and present players will be fighting to secure their status in the Nationwide Tour’s Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
 
The top 60 on the money list after this week’s tournament will play in the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island. Currently, three current NGA/Hooters Tour members are inside the Nationwide Tour’s top 60 and one is 61^st. This would be an unbelievable feat for these players!
 
Members Rob Oppenheim, who has 50 career starts on the NGA/Hooters Tour, is 59^thin earnings after a T50 finish last week; Travis Bertoni, a winner on the NGA/Hooters Tour this season, holds down the 47^thspot; and Joe Affrunti, a 2009 winner on the NGA/Hooters Tour, is 29^th. Current member Roberto Castro is 61^stand less than $4,000 from moving inside the top 60.
 
Fellow members Sam Saunders, Will Strickler and Michael Welch, another winner on the NGA/Hooters Tour this season, will also be in the field.
 
While the aforementioned foursome is hoping to at least secure their Nationwide Tour cards for 2011, currently 11 former NGA/Hooters Tour players are inside the top 25 players that will receive PGA Tour cards at the end of the season.
 
Based on his four straight top-5s, Keegan Bradley, a former NGA/Hooters Tour winner, is ranked fourth in the PGATour.com’s Power Ranking heading into the Winn-Dixie. Bradley is currently No. 11 on the money list and is virtually assured a PGA Tour card for the 2011 season.
 
On the PGA Tour, 45 past NGA/Hooters Tour players are in the field for the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas.
 
Coming off his T13 finish at the Frys.com Open, Chad Campbell, the all-time NGA/Hooters Tour wins leader, is ranked fourth in the Power Rankings. Campbell lost to Martin Laird in a playoff last year, but he tied for the lead in greens hit and ranked T8 with the flat stick. Bettering Campbell’s chances is the fact that past NGA/Hooters Tour players have combined to win the event six times.
 
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.
 
For more information, visit www.NGAHootersTour.com. 
 
 
Current/Past Players in the Nationwide Tour’s Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open:

1. Joe Affrunti (Current Member)
2. Mark Anderson
3. Ryan Armour
4. Chris Baryla
5. Brian Bateman
6. Camilo Benedetti
7. Travis Bertoni (Current Member)
8. Shane Bertsch
9. Matthew Borchert
10. George Bradford
11. Keegan Bradley
12. David Branshaw
13. D.J. Brigman
14. Josh Broadaway
15. Scott Brown
16. Andrew Buckle
17. Roberto Castro (Current Member)
18. Santiago Cavanagh
19. Michael Clark II
20. Paul Claxton
21. Vince Covello
22. Robert Damron
23. Matt Davidson
24. Bubba Dickerson
25. Ken Duke
26. Michael Emery
27. Todd Fischer
28. Nick Flanagan
29. Tommy Gainey
30. Robert Gamez
31. Sean Gorgone
32. Kelly Grunewald
33. Scott Gutschewski
34. Ty Harris
35. Jim Herman
36. Justin Hicks
37. Brandt Jobe
38. Kent Jones
39. J.J. Killeen
40. John Kimbell
41. Chris Kirk
42. Kevin Kisner
43. Jeff Klauk
44. Cliff Kresge
45. Bronson La’Cassie
46. Luke List
47. David Mathis
48. Bruce McDonald
49. William McGirt
50. Adam Meyer
51. David Morland IV
52. Madalisto Muthiya
53. Rob Oppenheim (Current Member)
54. Scott Parel
55. Carl Paulson
56. Justin Peters
57. Ewan Porter
58. Kyle Reifers
59. Tag Ridings
60. John Riegger
61. Sam Saunders (Current Member)
62. Dave Schultz
63. Jason Shultz
64. Justin Smith
65. Nate Smith
66. Sal Spallone
67. Scott Stallings
68. B.J. Staten
69. Scott Sterling
70. Darron Stiles
71. Will Strickler (Current Member)
72. Andrew Svoboda
73. Kyle Thompson
74. Brian Vranesh
75. Michael Welch (Current Member)
76. Ron Whittaker
77. Casey Whittenberg
78. Gary Woodland

Alts:

1. Jesse Hutchins
2. Bryan DeCorso
3. Chad Ginn

 
 
Past Players in the PGA Tour’s Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open:
 

1. Kris Blanks
2. Justin Bolli
3. Chad Campbell
4. Michael Connell
5. Ben Curtis
6. John Daly
7. Brent Delahoussaye
8. Steve Flesch
9. Martin Flores
10. Robert Garrigus
11. Brian Gay
12. Jeff Gove
13. Lee Janzen
14. Jerry Kelly
15. Derek Lamely
16. Michael Letzig
17. Spencer Levin
18. Bill Lunde
19. Will MacKenzie
20. Scott McCarron
21. Parker McLachlin
22. George McNeill
23. James Nitties
24. Ryan Palmer
25. Rod Pampling
26. Scott Piercy
27. Aron Price
28. Ted Purdy
29. Brett Quigley
30. Chris Riley
31. John Rollins
32. John Senden
33. Mike Small
34. Chris Stroud
35. Brian Stuard
36. Vaughn Taylor
37. Josh Teater
38. Chris Tidland
39. Vance Veazey
40. Garrett Willis
41. Chris Wilson
42. Mark Wilson

Alts:

1. Cliff Kresge
2. Shaun Micheel
3.  Joe Durant