NGA Hooters Tour Alumni Handles Pressures of PGA Tour Q-School

N. Myrtle Beach, SC… 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 3^rd 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 PGA Tour Qualifying School at Orange County National Golf Center in Orlando, Florida. Look at the following statistics from last weeks grueling 108-hole Q-School:

• 34% (11 of 32) of those players who earned their 2006 PGA Tour Card played on the NGA Hooters Tour, including 2004 NGA Hooters Tour Player of The Year Will MacKenzie, Robert Garrigus, John Engler Jr., Bubba Dickerson, Ryan Hietala, Brian Bateman, Alex Aragon, Danny Ellis, Michael Connell, Ron Whitaker and B.J. Staten .

• 20 of the 46 players (43%) that earned full exempt status on the Nationwide Tour have played on the NGA Hooters Tour in the past, including 2004 NGA Hooters Tour members Josh Broadaway and Matt Hendrix, Dan Olsen, Jeff Burns, Bob Heintz, Parker McLachlin, Andrew Buckle, Tommy Tolles, Ryan Armour, Brad Adamonis, Ryan Howison, John Merrick, Fran Quinn, Tripp Isenhour, DJ Brigman, Jeff Klauk, Jason Buha, David Mathis, and Patrick Damron.

• All told, of the 165 players that competed in the 6 round final stage, an amazing 44% (73 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 2006. This past season, 11 other former players earned their PGA Tour cards by finishing in the top 20 on the Nationwide Tour’s money list giving the NGA Hooters Tour 22 former players who got their PGA Tour card for 2006.

The following are the 11 former NGA Hooters Tour players who finished in the top 20 on the 2005 Nationwide Tour money list: Chris Couch, David Branshaw, Shane Bertsch, Kris Cox, Roger Tambellini, Camilo Villegas, Jason Schultz, Erix Axley, Vance Veazey, Jeff Gove and Bubba Watson.

Congratulations to 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).

 2005 Hooters Tour Members

The Following are former Hooters Tour Members to gain full status