News >> NGA Hooters Tour Gains Knoxville Exemption
Knoxville News Sentinel Open
Fox Den Country Club
Knoxville, Tennessee
August 26-29, 2010
$500,000 Purse
Fox Den Country Club
Knoxville, Tennessee
August 26-29, 2010
$500,000 Purse
Longs, SC… The National Golf Association’s Hooters Professional Golf Tour, presented by Hooters of America is arguably having the best season on record with guaranteed purses of $200,000 and $250,000 each week, the top 10 members at season’s end having their PGA TOUR Q-School reimbursed and the announcement today that for the second straight year the Nationwide Tour’s Knoxville News Sentinel Open has granted an exemption into the event to the tour, giving the NGA Hooters Tour “FIVE” different tournament exemptions for the year. The other four exemptions granted are The Fresh Express Classic played earlier this year, The Fort Smith Classic, The Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open and The Chattanooga Classic.
The Knoxville News Sentinel Open exemption will be granted to The NGA Hooters Tour leading points winner over the three (3) events in July and August: Auburn, Alabama, Tunica, Mississippi & Pine Mountain, GA. The NGA Hooters Tour member who accumulates the most points in those three events will earn the exemption into The Knoxville News Sentinel Open.
The Knoxville News Sentinel Open has long been a stepping stone for former NGA Hooters Tour players in realizing their dream of playing on the PGA Tour. Past champions include NGA Hooters Tour alumni Vaughn Taylor, Heath Slocum, Robin Freeman, Eric Johnson and Tim Conley.
“The #1 goal of The NGA 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. “Golf is a game of opportunities and by earning the exemption for the second straight year we are opening a door to give one of our players an opportunity to hopefully fulfill those dreams.”
The Knoxville Nationwide Tour stop is one of the oldest and most storied events in the tour’s history. Knoxville is joined by Boise, Idaho, Springfield, Mo. and Wichita, Kan. in having hosted a Nationwide Tour event every year since 1990. Fox Den Country Club has been the host venue in Knoxville every year since 1999.
The Knoxville News Sentinel Open has long been a stepping stone for former NGA Hooters Tour players in realizing their dream of playing on the PGA Tour. Past champions include NGA Hooters Tour alumni Vaughn Taylor, Heath Slocum, Robin Freeman, Eric Johnson and Tim Conley.
“The #1 goal of The NGA 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. “Golf is a game of opportunities and by earning the exemption for the second straight year we are opening a door to give one of our players an opportunity to hopefully fulfill those dreams.”
The Knoxville Nationwide Tour stop is one of the oldest and most storied events in the tour’s history. Knoxville is joined by Boise, Idaho, Springfield, Mo. and Wichita, Kan. in having hosted a Nationwide Tour event every year since 1990. Fox Den Country Club has been the host venue in Knoxville every year since 1999.
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, 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 about the NGA/Hooters Tour, please visit our web site, www.NGAHOOTERSTOUR.com.
