Alumni Update-Taylor Loses In Playoff| NGA Tour News

News >> Alumni Update-Taylor Loses In Playoff

Taylor Finishes 2^nd, Ten Others Finish Top 25

Houston, TX (April 4, 2010)…NGA Hooters Tour alumnus Vaughn Taylor came just short making a trip to his hometown of Augusta, Georgia next week and getting an invite into the Masters Tournament. (Vaughn Taylor pictured left)

Needing a win at the PGA Tour’s Shell Houston Open, Taylor carded rounds of 68-70-70-68 for a four day total of twelve-under par 276 and spot in a playoff with Anthony Kim.

Taylor’s shot at the Masters was cut short on the first playoff hole as he was eliminated after failing to make an eighteen foot par putt to extend the match to another hole.

"Hugely disappointed," said the Augusta native about missing out on The Masters. "It's a tough pill to swallow."

With his second place finish Sunday, Taylor collects $626,400 in earnings and moves from 71^st on the money list to 19^th with nearly $985,000 in earnings. In 2009, Taylor needed a second place finish at The Turning Stone Resort in October to retain his Tour card for 2010 but a fast start to 2010 has the former Augusta State golfer looking to surpass the million dollar mark for the 7^th straight season.

Taylor, the 1999 Rookie of the Year on the Hooters Tour, was a member of the Hooters Tour from 1999-2003 and collected four wins in his four plus years on the tour.

Taylor wasn’t the only former Hooters Tour player that finished in the top 10 at The Shell Houston Open as fellow alums Shaun Micheel finished T-5 and Jeff Maggert finished T-6.

While these players made top ten finishes in Houston, a group of other alums had successful weeks as well as Jason Bohn (T-11), Ben Curtis (T-14), Blake Adams (T-14), Bubba Watson (T-14), Josh Teater (T-14), J.J. Henry (T-25), John Rollins (T-25), Chad Campbell (T-25), Brendon de Jonge (T-35), Spencer Levin (T-44), Michael Connell (T-50), J.P. Hayes (T-55), Chris Riley (T-59), Garrett Willis (T-65), Scott McCarron (T-65), Chris Wilson (T-65), Scott Piercy (72), Nicholas Thompson (MDF), Brian Stuard (MDF), Derek Lamely (MDF) and Andrew Svoboda (MDF).

The NGA/Hooters Tour is the 3^rd 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 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, 32% of the players that earned their 2009 PGA Tour cards and 41% 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 800-992-8748.