News >> Alumni Update-Furyk Captures Verizon Heritage

Furyk Takes Verizon, Welch Makes Cut In California
 
Hilton Head, SC (April 18, 2010)…Former NGA Hooters Tour member Jim Furyk captured his fifteenth PGA TOUR title Sunday by outlasting Brian Davis in a sudden death playoff at the Verizon Heritage Classic.(Picture left courtesy of getty images
 
Furyk, a former two-time All-American at Arizona, started the final round with a one shot lead over Davis but both golfers had to make charges on Sunday as a host of other golfers made fast starts before folding under the pressure.
 
Furyk closed the tournament with a two-under par 69 after starting the week with rounds of 67-68-67 for a four day total of 13-under par 271, while Davis matched him at 13-under with an eighteen foot birdie on the 72nd hole.
 
After both players found the fairway with their drives, Furyk hit to the back of the green while Davis missed the green left and found the hazard. Furyk two putted for par and the win after Davis called a penalty on himself for moving a loose impediment with his club in a hazard for a two stroke penalty.
 
"It's just awkward to see it happen at such a key moment in the golf tournament," Furyk said. "Awkward for him to lose that way, and a little awkward for me to win."
 
Furyk earned $1,026,000 for his second win since March and moved into second place on the FED EX Cup standings just 175 points behind leader Ernie Els.
 
While Furyk took the title, NGA Hooters Tour alums Kris Blanks and Camilo Villegas finished tied for 5th after posting nine-under par 275 totals for the week. For Blanks, it marks his second top 5 finish of the season and moves the three-time NGA Hooters Tour winner to 46th on the money list nearly doubling his season winnings of his rookie season.
 
While Furyk, Blanks and Villegas finished top ten for the week, they weren’t the only Hooters Tour alums to fair well for the week. Joining these three accomplished alumni were Boo Weekley (T-12), J.P. Hayes (T-14), Spencer Levin (T-14), J.J. Henry (T-14), Stewart Cink (T-14), Brett Quigley (T-22), Tim Wilkinson (T-22), Will MacKenzie (T-32), Steve Flesch (T-35), Chad Campbell (T-35), Brendon de Jonge (T-35), George McNeill (T-47), Zach Johnson (T-47), Shaun Micheel (T-53), Scott Piercy (T-53), Glen Day (T-53), Chris Tidland (T-53), Michael Letzig (T-59), Jerry Kelly (T-59), Michael Connell (T-64), Blake Adams (t-64), Tom Gillis (T-64) and the following players made the cut but did not finish: Chad Collins, John Daly, Ben Curtis and Mark Anderson.
 
Hilton Head wasn’t the only place that saw NGA Hooters Tour players find success on Sunday. In Hayward, California at TPC Stonebrae Michael Welch, the winner of the Race for Fresh Express Classic exemption, carded a three-under par 68 to finish in a tie for 44th six-under par 278. Welch was making the start because he was the leading money winner through the first four events the NGA Hooters Tour Season. Joining Welch were Justin Hicks (T-5), Chris Kirk (T-5), Adam Meyer (T-9), Luke List (t-12), Rob Oppenheim (T-12), Tag Ridings (T-12), Kent Jones (T-19), Bob May (T-19), Scott Brown (T-26), Casey Wittenberg (T-30), Ryan Armour (T-30), Scott Gutschewski (T-30), Aron Price (T-30), J.J. Killeen (T-40), Scott Dunlap (T-40), Nick Flanagan (T-40), Tommy Gainey (T-44), Bryan DeCorso (T-44), D.J. Brigman (T-44), Scott Sterling (T-50), Paul Claxton (T-50), current member Roberto Castro (T-54), John Kimbell (T-57), Ty Harris (61) and Bubba Dickerson (62). (WELCH pictured right)
 
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 Champion 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.