News >> Hooters Tour Members Make Buick Open Field

Four Current Members Earn Spots In PGA TOUR
 
Grand Blanc, MI.-July 28, 2009- The National Golf Association’s Hooters Professional Golf Tour, presented by Hooters of America and Naturally Fresh Foods is pleased to announce that three current Hooters Tour members-Ryan Brehm, Matt Harmon, David Gossett and Andrew Ruthkoski will be competing in the PGA TOUR’s Buick Open at the Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club July 30-August 2, 2009.
 
Brehm, a former standout at Michigan State University, is playing in his first full season on the Hooters Tour in 2009. The former Spartan and Mount Pleasant, MI native collected his first pro win weeks ago by capturing the Michigan Open and is also a former Michigan Amateur champion (2007). Brehm has played in eight tournaments this season, making the cut in two of them. A T-9 in Bentonville, AR in June is his best start of the season.
 
Harmon, another of the Michigan State standouts, is playing his second full season on the Hooters Tour. The Grand Rapids native has collected two wins and has made the cut in 24 of 28 starts on Tour.  After calling a two stroke penalty on himself during the qualifier, which ultimately cost him a spot, Harmon was granted an exemption by the Tournament Director after another player withdrew on Tuesday morning.
 
Former PGA Tour winner David Gossett is looking to make his way back to the PGA Tour by competing on the Hooters Tour in 2009. The Bee Cave, Texas native has played in nine tournaments this season, making the cut in two of those. His best finish of the season came in May in Edwardsville, IL when he finished seventh by himself.
 
Ruthkoski, a fellow Michigan State star, is playing his third season on the Hooters Tour in 2009. The former Spartan has played in three events thus far in 2009 making the cut in one of them.
 
While these four current members made the field, a group of former players will be joining these current members in the tournament. This list includes Brad Adamonis, Eric Axley, Kris Blanks,  Jason Bohn, Matt Borchert, Chad Campbell, Wil Collins, John Daly, Joe Durant, Brendon De Jonge, Steve Flesch, Jim Furyk, Tommy Gainey, Scott Gutschewski, Scott Hebert, Bob Heintz, Lee Janzen, Jeff Klauk, Michael Letzig, Bill Lunde, David Mathis, Scott McCarron, John Merrick, Shaun Micheel, James Nitties, James Oh, Ryan Palmer, Scott Piercy, Aron Price, Brett Quigley, John Rollins, Scott Sterling, Darron Stiles, Chris Stroud, Vaughn Taylor, Brendon Todd Scott Verplank and Casey Wittenberg,
 
All told, 42 of the 156 (27%) man field for this week’s Buick Open have played on the Hooters Tour.
 
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, 32% of the players that earned their 2009 PGA Tour card, and 42% 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.HOOTERSTOUR.com.