News >> Alumni Handle Pressures Of 2008 Q-School

9 of 28 PGA Tour Cards
21 of 51 Fully Exempt Nationwide Tour Cards

The NGA Hooters Professional Golf Tour continues to prove year after year to be the #1 developmental tour in the United States for aspiring professionals to begin their careers. The National Golf Association is the 3rd largest men’s 72-hole professional golf tour in the country behind the PGA and Nationwide Tours.

This was never more evident than in the recent final stage of the PGATourQualifyingSchool at PGA West in La Quinta, Califorina. Look at the following statistics from last weeks grueling 108-hole Q-School:
  • 32% (9 of 28) of those players who earned their 2009 PGA Tour Card played on the NGA Hooters Tour, including 2008 NGA Hooters Tour members James Nitties, Gary Woodland and Matthew Borchert, Chris Stroud, James Oh, Kent Jones, Bob Heintz Chris Riley and Wil Collins.
  • 21 of the 51 players (41%) that earned full exempt status on the Nationwide Tour have played on the NGA Hooters Tour in the past, including 2008 NGA Hooters Tour members Brian Stuard, Josh Teater, Major Manning, Joseph Sykora and Brennan Webb, as well as former players Kris Cox, Garrett Willis, Matt Every, Chris Smith, Chris Tidland, Bryan DeCorso, Spencer Levin, Neal Lancaster, Henrik Bjornstad, Michael Bradley, Steve LeBrun, Bubba Dickerson, Jim Herman, Diego Vanegas, Scott Sterling and Josh Broadaway.
  • All told, of the 161 players that competed in the 6 round final stage, an amazing 36% (59 players) have played on the NGA Hooters Tour in the past.
Qualifying school is not the only way former NGA Hooters Tour players gained exempt status on the PGA Tour for 2009. This past season, 11 other former players earned their PGA Tour cards by finishing in the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour’s money list giving the NGA Hooters Tour 19 former players who got their PGA Tour card for 2009.

The following are the 11 former NGA Hooters Tour players who finished in the top 25 on the 2008 Nationwide Tour money list: Casey Wittenberg, Jeff Klauk, Kris Blanks, Scott Gutschewksi, Aron Price, Brendon Todd, Scott Piercy, Brendon DeJonge, Bill Lunde, Darron Stiles and David Mathis .
Be sure to follow the action of all the Hooters Tour alumni as the PGA TOUR season starts to heat up with the West Coast Swing.
The NGA Hooters Tour would also like to congratulate all of our alumni as they begin to fulfill their dreams. For more information about the NGA Hooters Tour, please visit our web site, www.ngahooterstour.com. If you have any other questions concerning sponsorship opportunities or interview requests before or during tournament week please contact the NGA Hooters Tour office at 843-281-TOUR (8687).
2008 Hooters Tour Players
 

James Nitties
T-2
PGA TOUR
Matthew Borchert
T-11
PGA TOUR
Gary Woodland T-11 PGA TOUR
Brian Stuard
T34
Nationwide Tour
Josh Teater
T-62
Nationwide Tour
Joseph Sykora
T-70
Nationwide Tour
Major Manning
T-70
Nationwide Tour
Brennan Webb
T-70
Nationwide Tour
Joey Lamielle
T-97
Conditional Nationwide
Brian Duncan
T-115
Conditional Nationwide
Camilo Benedetti
T-125
Conditional Nationwide
David Robinson
T-137
Conditional Nationwide
Derek Lamely
T-145
Conditional Nationwide
Martin Flores
T-148
Conditional Nationwide
Brandon Brown
T-148
Conditional Nationwide
Justin Walters
153
Conditional Nationwide
David Skinns
T-154
Conditional Nationwide
Andrew Dresser
161
Conditional Nationwide