TWEET
Yamamoto earns sixth Carolina Series victory on home turf-
North Myrtle Beach, S.C. - February 23, 2012 - Yoshio Yamamoto spent much of the winter working his coach, Scott Shobe, at the Greg Norman Champions Golf Academy, so it was only fitting the hard work paid off on a course designed by the school’s founder.
Yamamoto, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico, fired a final-round 70 in the NGA Pro Golf Tour’s Carolina Winter Series event on the Barefoot Resort Norman Course to win by one stroke over second-round leader Brock Elder on Thursday.
“I did a lot of work with Scott and my sports psychologist, Dr. Bhrett McCabe, during the winter and it is finally paying off,” said Yamamoto, who won $3,900. “I really tried to stay patient and in the moment, especially with the conditions being as tough as they were.”
Yamamoto opened the three-round event with a 3-under 69 to earn a share of the lead on Tuesday, but the Myrtle Beach resident carded a second-round 70 and fell three shots behind Brock Elder, who shot a tournament-low 67 in the second round.
Facing high winds in the final round, Yamamoto’s patience proved pivotal as he was the only golfer in the field to break par in the adverse conditions. On the outward nine, the former Austin Peay golfer carded a 1-under 35 to trim Elder’s lead to one and took his first lead of the day on No. 10 when Elder recorded a double bogey. However, a bogey by Yamamoto on No. 13 left the two tied atop the leaderboard.
Elder of Randleman, N.C., and Yamamoto both carded birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 and made pars on the 16th hole, but Elder’s double bogey on No. 17 gave Yamamoto the breathing room he needed.
“The turning point was 17,” said Yamamoto. “I got up-and-down for par and Brock made a double. With a two-shot lead, I played the 18th real conservative. This win means a lot with all the work I’ve been doing. I’m really looking forward to the upcoming season now.”
Yamamoto finished with rounds of 69-70-70 for a 7-under 209 total to earn his six Carolina Series victory.
Elder, a former Greensboro (N.C.) College golfer, birdied the final hole of the day, but his 2-over 74 in the final round left him at 6-under par and solo second. Elder, who carded rounds of 69-67-74, earned $1,940 for the runner-up finish.
Chip Deason of Lexington had rounds of 71-71-73 to finish with a 1-under 215 total. The former University of Alabama standout finished third and earned $1,550.
Murrells Inlet’s Zack Byrd and Michael Shrader of Midlothian, Va., finished T4 at 2-over par and earned $1,200 each. T.J. Howe of Osceloa, Pa., and Phil Hendrickson of Danville, Ky., finished T6 at 3-over par.
Columbia’s Matt Bryant finished eighth at 4-over par, while Andrew Kay of Pittsford, N.Y., finished ninth.
The NGA Pro Golf Tour is the No. 3 Men’s Professional Golf Tour in the United States after the PGA and Nationwide Tours and is the No. 1 recommended developmental tour by more PGA and Nationwide Tour Professionals.
The NGA has helped hundreds of professionals acquire their PGA, Euro, Nationwide, and Champions Tour cards. In fact, NGA alumni have won an incredible Fourteen (14) “Major” Championships.
NGA Alumni include: 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley; 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year and 2003 US Open Champion Jim Furyk; 2009 British Open Champion Stewart Cink; 2009 US Open Champion Lucas Glover; 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson; 2003 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel; 2003 British Open Champion Ben Curtis; two-time US Open Champion Lee Janzen; British Open and PGA Champion John Daly; British Open Champion Tom Lehman; PGA Champion David Toms; 2003 Tour Championship Winner Chad Campbell; 2010 NGA Player of the Year Michael Thompson; 2011 PGA winners Sean O'Hair, Scott Piercy, Scott Stallings, Bubba Watson, Mark Wilson, Gary Woodland and many, many more.
At this year’s PGA Tour Qualifying School, 52% of those earning full exempt status on the PGA Tour and 67% of those earning full exempt status on the Nationwide Tour were past NGA Professionals. Another 16 NGA Professionals advanced to the PGA Tour for 2012 by finishing inside the Top 25 on the Nationwide Tour money list, including 2011 NGA members Ted Potter Jr., Russell Knox and Billy Hurley III.
The NGA Pro Golf Tour, established in 1988, predates the Nationwide Tour as the longest running developmental tour in golf. For more information on the NGA or the NGA Pro Golf Tour, please visit our website at www.NGATOUR.com or contact our Tour Office at (800) 992-8748.
