News >> Alumni Update

Farmers Insurance Open
Torrey Pines Golf Club
Hooters Alumni Account For 57 of 156 Player Field
 
Longs, SC (January 27,2010)…For many rookies on the PGA TOUR, it is all about finding a comfort level to get you through the nerves of playing at golf’s highest level. For two of those rookies, 2009 Hooters Tour members Martin Flores and Chris Wilson, playing with familiar names and faces each week should help to get them through the growing pains of the first year on Tour a little faster than most.
 
This week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Club in San Diego, California will look more like a NGA Hooters Tour tournament for the two rookies rather than a PGA TOUR event as an impressive fifty-seven of the one hundred fifty-six golfers (37% of field) in the field started their careers on the Hooters Tour.
 
This impressive list of former players is highlighted by Hooters Tour career wins holder Chad Campbell, Masters Champion Zach Johnson, two-time US Open champion Lee Janzen, British Open Champion Ben Curtis, two-time major winner John Daly and 2009 Million Dollar Kodak Challenge winner Kevin Streelman.
 
Other Hooters Tour alums in the field this week in San Diego include: Brad Adamonis, Blake Adams, Henrik Bjornstad, Kris Blanks, Justin Bolli, Craig Bowden, Michael Bradley, Chad Collins, Michael Connell, Brendon de Jonge, Brent DelaHoussaye, Matt Every, Steve Flesch, Robert Garrigus, Tom Gillis, Jeff Gove, J.P. Hayes, Jeff Klauk, Derek Lamely, Michael Letzig, Spencer Levin, Steve Lowery, Bill Lunde, Will MacKenzie, John Mallinger, Scott McCarron, Parker McLachlin, George McNeil, John Merrick, Garth Mulroy, James Nitties, Ryan Palmer, Tom Pernice Jr, Scott Piercy, Aron Price, Brett Quigley, Fran Quinn, Chris Riley, John Rollins, Brian Stuard, Roger Tambellini, Josh Teater, Nicholas Thompson, Chris Tidland, Vance Veazey, Bubba Watson, Boo Weekley, Jay Williamson, Garret Willis and Mark Wilson.
 
This past weekend’s Bob Hope Classic also saw success from the two PGA TOUR rookies as Flores notched his first top twenty finish with a tie for 18th and Wilson grabbed his first cut of the year with a tie for 52nd. While these two are starting to make a splash, a group of former players also fared well last week in La Quinta as Bubba Watson finished T-2, Chad Collins, Kevin Streelman and Vaughn Taylor finished T-10, and Jeff Klauk, Derek Lamely and George McNeil finished T-18 with Flores.
 
The NGA Hooters Tour would like to congratulate our alumni on their successes last week at the Bob Hope and wish all of our players good luck at this week’s Farmers Insurance Open.
 
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, 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson, 2003 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel, 2003 US Open Champion Jim Furyk, 2003 British Open Champion Ben Curtis, British and PGA Champion John Daly, Two-time US Open Champion Lee Janzen, British Open Champion Tom Lehman as well as PGA Champion David Toms, Tour Championship winner Chad Campbell and back to back Reno Tahoe Winner Vaughn Taylor to name just a few. In all told, the NGA Hooters Tour alumni have an incredible ELEVEN MAJOR championships to their credit. The NGA Hooters Tour has helped more than 100 golf professionals acquire their PGA, Nationwide and Champion’s Tour cards. In fact, 48% of the players that earned their 2010 PGA Tour cards and 53% of the players that earned full exempt status on the Nationwide Tour started their careers on the Hooters Tour.
  
For more information about NGA Hooters Professional Golf Tour, check out our website at www.hooterstour.com or contact our Tour office toll free at 800-992-8648.