News >> Hooters Tour Brings $250,000 Purse To Hickory
The Terry Moore Ford Open
Presented by 321 Lawn Mower Sales & Service, Inc.
Jones Course @ Rock Barn Golf & Spa
Presented by 321 Lawn Mower Sales & Service, Inc.
Jones Course @ Rock Barn Golf & Spa
March 21-28, 2010
$250,000 Purse
The 2010 season continues to pick up steam and next week the Hooters Tour will return to Rock Barn Golf and Spa for the second consecutive year. The 2010 event, The Terry Moore Ford Open presented by 321 Lawn Mower Sales & Service, Inc., will be contested over the challenging 7,180 yard Jones Course and will feature a purse of $250,000 with $40,000 going to the winner.Home to the Ensure Classic at Rock Barn, Rock Barn Golf & Spa is located in Conover, North Carolina, and is consistently recognized as one of the best semi-private golf membership clubs in the region. Rock Barn Golf & Spa is home to two award-winning, 18-hole golf courses, the Jones Course and the Jackson Course; a state-of-the-art luxury spa; a professional tennis center; an equestrian center; and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Rock Barn Realty, LLC, actively develops custom home and townhouse real estate on its surrounding properties.
When the Hooters Tour comes to town, the pros will play on Rock Barn Golf & Spa’s Jones Course, designed by renowned golf course architect
Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Golf Digest ranked the course fourth among best new upscale public courses in the country in 2003. North Carolina Magazine named it the Best New Golf Course in North Carolina in 2004 and the Favorite Course for Business in 2007. (The par 4, 4th hole at the Jones Course)
When the Hooters Tour comes to town, the pros will play on Rock Barn Golf & Spa’s Jones Course, designed by renowned golf course architect
Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Golf Digest ranked the course fourth among best new upscale public courses in the country in 2003. North Carolina Magazine named it the Best New Golf Course in North Carolina in 2004 and the Favorite Course for Business in 2007. (The par 4, 4th hole at the Jones Course)“The #1 goal of The Hooters Tour has always been, and always will be to help professional golfers achieve their dream of playing on The PGA Tour,” said Robin L. Waters, Hooters Tour President. “Playing challenging PGA TOUR tested courses like Rock Barn will provide invaluable experience to our players. Our players are going to love the course and the fans are going to see some great golf.”
The 2009 event, The I-40 Hooters Tour Open presented by Terry Moore Ford, was shortened to a fifty-four holes due to heavy rains that soaked the area after the completion of the third round. Former University of Maryland golfer Blaine Peffley of Lebanon, Pennsylvania captured the title by three strokes over current Nationwide Tour members Scott Stallings and Justin Smith thanks in part to rounds of 72-68-69 for a three day total of seven-under par 209. The former Terrapin took home a check worth more than $33,500.
The field for this year’s Terry Moore Ford Open will be highlighted by a group of players that have captured Hooters Tour titles in the past. The list of players includes Todd Bailey (3), Mark Blakefield (2), Ben Briscoe (1), Jeff Corr (2), Chip Deason (2), Marion Dantzler (1), Matthew Harmon (2), Russell Knox (1), Grant Leaver (1), Andrew Medley (3), David Miller (1), Phillip Pettitt Jr (1), Jim Renner (1), Nick Rousey (2), David Skinns (3), and Michael Welch (2). All told, there will be twenty-eight combined wins in the field next week in Hickory. A group of local players will also take aim at taking home the $40,000 check. These local players include Statesville’s Jakin Fox and Matt Cannon and amateur player Ryan Guthy of Arden.
Also joining the field is former PGA TOUR winner Bobby Clampett. A golf analyst for CBS Sports and TBS, Clampett played the PGA Tour from 1980-'95, winning the 1982 Southern Open. He recently co-authored a book, The Impact Zone, which was released in April 2007. Clampett turns fifty years old later this year and is looking to fine tune his game before joining the Champions Tour. (Clampett pictured left)The Race for The Fresh Express Classic Exemption is starting to heat up heading into Hickory. The exemption into The Nationwide Tour’s Fresh 
Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae will be given to the Hooters Tour member that accumulates the most money earned over the first four events (Ocala, FL, Amelia Island, FL, Hickory, NC and Gainesville, GA). Through two events, Quincy, Massachusetts’s Michael Welch is in the driver’s seat having won the Amelia Island event and finishing T-8 in Ocala. The former Johnson and Wales (Miami, FL) golfer has earned $35,007 and leads Ocala, Florida winner Mark Blakefield (Maysville, KY) by more than $5,000. (Michael Welch Pictured Right)
Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae will be given to the Hooters Tour member that accumulates the most money earned over the first four events (Ocala, FL, Amelia Island, FL, Hickory, NC and Gainesville, GA). Through two events, Quincy, Massachusetts’s Michael Welch is in the driver’s seat having won the Amelia Island event and finishing T-8 in Ocala. The former Johnson and Wales (Miami, FL) golfer has earned $35,007 and leads Ocala, Florida winner Mark Blakefield (Maysville, KY) by more than $5,000. (Michael Welch Pictured Right) The 2010 season will be the best yet with stops at Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club (Host course of US Women's Mid-Amateur), Rock Barn Golf & Spa (Host to the Champions Tour Ensure Classic 2003-present), Cherry Blossom GC (Golfweek #1 in KY 5 years running), McCormick, SC (Consistently voted best event by players), The Auburn University Club (Host site of PGA Tour Q-School 2007-Present as well as the home course for Auburn University men’s and women’s golf teams), Callaway Gardens (Host to the PGA Tour’s Buick Challenge for 12 years as well as Stage 2 of PGA Tour Q-School 2008-present) as well as a stop at Mount Vintage Plantation (Host to the LPGA Tour’s Asahi Ryokuken International Championship 2001-2004).
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, 48% of the players that earned their 2010 PGA Tour card, and 53% 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.NGAHOOTERSTOUR.com. If you have any questions about sponsorship opportunities or interview requests before or during tournament week please contact Regional Tournament Director Todd Barbee at (678) 794.5879 the NGA/Hooters Tour office at 843-281-TOUR (8687).
