Sunday, September 26, 2010

Look Who Got Married!

Michael got married today. Congratulations Michael and Rachel!





Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Kudos From Ping

Ping (Michael's sponsor) said on Twitter: "PING Pro Michael Thompson earns Player of the Year from the NGA Hooters Tour. Congratulations Michael, keep up the great work!"

Michael Thompson Earns "Player of the Year" & "Most Improved Golfer" Awards

News >> Michael Thompson Earns Player Of The Year
Will Wilcox tabbed Rookie of the Year; Brent Long takes Golf Achievement Award
Longs, SC—The 2010 NGA Hooters Tour started with Mark Blakefield winning the Ocala Marion Sports Commission Classic and ended with Manuel Villegas winning the Woodcreek Classic. But in between, there was plenty to “Hoot” about.
In what can be best described as a season of parity, 16 different winners took home first-place paydays in the 18 tournaments. Only Blakefield and Matt Harmon won more than once this season. When parity is at a premium, it’s consistency that counts. And Player of the Year recipient Michael Thompson was as steady as they come this season.
The former University of Alabama golfer finished the season with six top-10 finishes, four top-5 showings and his first win on the NGA Hooters Tour. He also racked up $92,853 in winnings and accumulated tour-leading 3865 points en route to POY honors. 
As the winner of the Player of the Year award, Thompson will receive an exemption into the Nationwide Tour’s Chattanooga Classic, a free GM vehicle lease for a year, free membership into Bridgestone Winter Series and have his PGA Q-School fee reimbursed by the NGA Hooters Tour. However, the POY wasn’t the only accolade that Thompson secured this season. The former USGA Amateur runner-up also took home Most Improved Golfer.
During his rookie season in 2009, he missed seven of 14 cuts and only placed inside the top 10 on two occasions, a stark contrast to his award-winning 2010 campaign. After his rough-and-tumble debut, Thompson lowered his overall stroke average by nearly a full shot and his first round average by 1.44 in 2010.
But Thompson wasn’t the only Hooters Tour member to receive a post-season award. Will Wilcox took home Rookie of the Year honors, while Brent Long received the Golf Achievement award, presented each season to the golfer that best personifies the professional golfer.
In his first full season on the NGA Hooters Tour, Wilcox won the Savannah Lakes Village Classic and went on to amass over $62,000 in winnings in just 11 tournaments. His win at Savannah Lakes helped Wilcox earn an exemption on the Nationwide Tour through the “Race for the Fort Smith Classic Exemption,” secured by the NGA Hooters Tour. But playing on the Nationwide Tour wasn’t as far as Wilcox went in 2010.
Wilcox won the Monday Qualifier in Edmonton to get into the Canadian Tour event and finished 28th. Then, he received a Sponsors Exemption into the Dakota Dunes Open and promptly won the event. He followed that up with a fifth-place finish at the Players Cup, pushing him to third on the Order of Merit and earning him a berth in the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open.
After missing four out of five cuts to open the season, Long, of Carthage, Tenn., showed the persistence it takes to be a professional golfer. Long regrouped and finished in the money in eight of the final nine NGA Hooters Tour events to garner the Golf Achievement award.
While the players on the NGA Hooters Tour had plenty of successes, the Tour itself also had another banner year. In 2010, the NGA Hooters Toursecured six Nationwide Tour exemptions for its players. Current NGA player Russell Knox made the most of his exemption. In the Knoxville News Sentinel Open, the former Jacksonville University player closed with a Sunday 66 to finish T7. Knox wasn’t the only NGA member to fair well on the Nationwide Tour this season.
Current members Joe Affrunti,Roberto Castro, Rob Oppenheim and Travis Bertoni are all in good position to secure their Nationwide Tour cards with their stellar play this season. In addition, former NGA players have 10 wins on the Nationwide Tour and nine victories on the PGA Tour this season, further solidifying the NGA Hooters Tour place as the third largest men’s 72-Hole Professional Golf Tour in the country.
The NGAHooters Tour would like to congratulate Michael Thompson, Will Wilcox and Brent Long for their accomplishments this year as well as all the other players that competed this season. Also, golf fans don’t forget to follow your favorite NGAHooters Tour players as they try to make their dream of playing on the PGA Tour a reality in December at the final stage of PGA Tour Q-School. 
Via Hooters.com 

Monday, September 13, 2010

And The 2010 Player of the Year Is: Michael Thompson!

It's offical! Michael got a call this morning saying he's the 2010 Hooters Pro Tour Player of the Year!!!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Congrats! or not?

Congratulations to Michael Thompson for earning the title "NGA Hooters Tour Player of the Year" for 2010. Congratulations also to Phil Pettitt Jr. and Todd Bailey who both had awesome years and kept it close until the final round of the final tournament. Bailey made 17 of 18 cuts this year! BREAKING NEWS: Michael says it's not official yet. We'll have to wait for the final confirmation tomorrow.

And He Does It!

Michael finished T-2nd. P. Pettitt finished T-5 and Todd Bailey T-11. An amazing fight until the end, with Michael coming out on top!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Player of Year Honors at Stake. Who Will It Be?

The leader on the points list after the Woodcreek Classic finishes will be "Player of the Year", win a car for a year and get an exemption to a Nationwide Tournament . They'll also get Q-school fees paid for and free membership to the Hooters Winter Tour.

Down to the Wire

It's now a 3 man race for the points title: M. Thompson (-15), P Pettitt (-13), T. Bailey (-13). All three are in the top 5 right now. Crazy!

Friday, September 10, 2010

Now It's a 4 Man Race

Looks like we have a four man race for the most points. Todd Bailey (-10), Michael Thompson (-9), Phillip Pettitt (-8) and Jeff Corr (-6). Thompson needs to beat Pettitt by approximately three places on the leaderboard to take it. However if Jeff Corr or Todd Bailey finish in approximately the top 3, they could steal it from both Thompson and Pettitt. But in golf, you never know 'til it's over. The Hooters Tour is so competitive week in and week out.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

We've Got Ourselves a Race Here- Player of Year Honors at Stake

Michael Thompson and Phillip Pettitt are tied at 2 under after the 1st round at the Woodcreek Classic, while they duke it out for the points title. Others are trying to catch up to those two as well: David Skinns (-2) and Todd Bailey (-4) are lurking right behind on the points list.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Race to the Finish on The NGA Hooters Tour

News >> Pettitt Looks For Repeat
PGA Q-School Bonus Battle Tightly Contested
Longs, SC—How important is the final stop on the NGA Hooters Tour this season? You need to look no further than the entry list to find the answer.
With players finishing in the top 10 in the point standings getting their PGA Tour Q-School fees reimbursed, the top 12 players in the point standings are entered in this week’s Woodcreek Classic Sponsored by Woodcreek Development at The Members Club at Woodcreek & WildeWood in Elgin, S.C.
Philip Pettitt Jr., of Murfreesboro, Tenn., currently has a slight edge in the season-long standings. Pettitt leads Michael Thompson by 32 points coming into the last event of the season. While Pettitt is still searching for his first win of the season on the NGA Hooters Tour, he has seven finishes of T10 or better and is coming off a T5 in last week’s Kandy Waters Memorial Classic. Even if Pettitt finishes second this week, he could lose his spot atop the point standings with a win by Thompson.
But if Pettitt can repeat his performance of a year ago at The Members Club, the former UT golfer will have no worries. Last year, Pettitt fired a course record, 11-under par 61 at The Members Club to finish at 24-under par 264 to earn his first professional win by two strokes over Ryan Blaum.
Mathematically, the top eight still have a chance to finish atop the points standings. Russell Knox, who is in eighth place in the season-long standings, is 490 points behind Pettitt coming into the final event of the season. With 500 points being dolled out to the victor, a win and a misstep by his competitors would vault him into the point lead.
While the battle for the top spot will likely be settled between those in the top seven or eight, there will be a dogfight going on for the 10th and final spot. Matthew Anderson is currently 12th in the standings, just 255 points out of ninth.
In addition to a stout field of players battling for a spot in the top 10, 13 players in the field this week have at least one win on the NGA Hooters Tour this season. Matthew Harmon, the tour’s leading money winner and two-time winner, is the only player in the field with multiple wins this year.
The first round of the Woodcreek Classic will start at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 9th. Admission is free to the public. For more information, visit www.HootersTour.com.
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 an impressive list of alumni.
Stewart Cink, the 2009 British Open Champion; Lucas Glover, the 2009 US Open Champion; Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters Champion; Shaun Micheel, the 2003 PGA Champion; Ben Curtis, winner of the 2003 British Open; Jim Furyk, winner of the 2003 US Open; Lee Janzen, a two-time US Open winner; John Daly, a British Open and PGA Champion; Tom Lehman, winner of the British Open; David Toms, a past PGA Champion; Chad Campbell, the 2003 Tour Championship winner; Vaughn Taylor, a two-time Reno Tahoe Open winner; and Craig Perks, winner of the TPC, tested their mettle on the NGA Hooters Tour before tasting success on golf’s grandest stage.
All told, the NGA Hooters Tour’s alumni have an incredible 12 “Majors” to their credit. The NGA Hooters Tour has helped hundreds of 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.
via Hooters.com

Saturday, September 4, 2010

T5th at Kandy Waters -> #3 on Money List, #2 on Points List

Michael finished T-5th at the Kandy Waters Memorial Classic. I also noticed his hometown is now listed as Vistavia Hills (a suburb of Birmingham, AL). With that finish he's now 3rd on the money list and 2nd on the points list.

Strong Start, Will it Be a Strong Finish?

Michael is T-12 after the 3rd round at the Kandy Waters Memorial Classic. Another nice round (-5) after a so-so (even par) 2nd round. Looking at the point standings, it looks like a good finish today might get Michael to #1 or #2 on the points list. Phillip Pettitt Jr. has a 32 point lead over Michael, and a one stroke lead going into the final round today. Looks like Jeff Corr could make a sizeable jump on the points list too.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Near the Top of The Leaderboard at Kandy Waters

After the 1st round, Michael Thompson is one shot back from the leader at the Kandy Waters Memorial Classic.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Battle for Player of the Year Award Heats Up

News >> Battle For POY Award Heats Up
Nationwide Exemption, Car and Bragging Rights on the line in Augusta
Longs, SC—A free car for a year, Nationwide Tour exemption and bragging rights will be on the NGA Hooters Tour players’ minds this week in the Kandy Waters Memorial Classic at the Mount Vintage Plantation and Golf Club in North Augusta, SC.
Heading into the final two events of the season, the race for the Player of the Year honor is tightly-contested. Todd Bailey, of Spanish Fort, Ala., continues to hold a narrow lead over Philip Pettitt Jr. in the point standings. Bailey is searching for his first win of the season, but he has made the cut in all 16 events he’s entered this season.
Pettitt Jr., of Murfreesboro, Tenn., jumped into second in the standings after finishing T6 at the ComSouth Classic last week. Pettitt is also searching for his first win of the season.
Matt Harmon, of Grand Rapids, Mich., is also entered in this week’s event. Harmon already has two wins this season and has amassed a tour-leading $95,026 in winnings. In his last four starts on the NGA Hooters Tour, Harmon has finished T8 or better in three events. With a win being worth 500 points, Harmon would likely jump to the top of the standings with a series-high third win.
The winner of the Player of the Year title will receive an exemption into the Nationwide Tour’s Chattanooga Classic, a free GM vehicle lease for a year, free membership into Bridgestone Winter Series and have their PGA Q-School fee reimbursed by the NGA Hooters Tour. While all the benefits are certainly noteworthy, the Nationwide Tour exemption could prove to be the Golden Ticket if the winner can mimic the path of exemption-winner Russell Knox. 
Knox earned an exemption through the NGA Hooters Tour into the Nationwide Tour’s Knoxville News Sentinel Open last week and finished T7. With his strong showing, Knox, who also has a win on the NGA Hooters Tour this season, qualified for the Nationwide Tour’s Mylan Classic this week.
Though the top trio stands a good chance of taking POY honors, there’s a horde of heavy hitters capable of bypassing them. Billy Hurley III, Kyle Ellis, Michael Thompson, Jim Renner, Michael Welch, Ryan Henry, Michael Lavery and Patrick Nagle have all won this season, and another win would vault any of them into contention.
Over the years, a good showing in the Kandy Waters Memorial Classic has proved to be a career facilitator as well. PGA players Zach Johnson, Camillo Villegas, Kevin Streelman, Scott Piercy and Vaughn Taylor have either won or finished second in the event during their time on the NGA Hooters Tour, while Past winners Joe Affrunti (2009) and Casey Whittenberg (2007) have moved on to the Nationwide Tour.
With all the accolades up for grabs, the Mount Vintage Plantation and Golf Club in North Augusta, SC., is the perfect setting. The historic 7,107-yard, par-72 layout played host to three LGPA events over the years. The Tom Jackson-designed course will also serve as the backdrop for a bevy of military-themed events this week, starting with today’s “Service Personnel Clinic.” On Wednesday morning, the “Warrior/Pro Challenge” tees off and will be followed in the afternoon by the “Battle of the Warriors Pro-Am,” pitting pro-am teams from four different wars (WWII, Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf Wars) in competition. “Champions Made from Adversity” is the benefiting charity.
The first round of the Kandy Waters Memorial Classic will start on Thursday, Sept. 2 at 7:30 a.m. Admission is free to the public.
For more information, visit www.HootersTour.com.
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 an impressive list of alumni.
Stewart Cink, the 2009 British Open Champion; Lucas Glover, the 2009 US Open Champion; Zach Johnson, the 2007 Masters Champion; Shaun Micheel, the 2003 PGA Champion; Ben Curtis, winner of the 2003 British Open; Jim Furyk, winner of the 2003 US Open; Lee Janzen, a two-time US Open winner; John Daly, a British Open and PGA Champion; Tom Lehman, winner of the British Open; David Toms, a past PGA Champion; Chad Campbell, the 2003 Tour Championship winner; Vaughn Taylor, a two-time Reno Tahoe Open winner; and Craig Perks, winner of the TPC, tested their mettle on the NGA Hooters Tour before tasting success on golf’s grandest stage.
All told, the NGA Hooters Tour’s alumni have an incredible 12 “Majors” to their credit. The NGA Hooters Tour has helped hundreds of 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.

via Hooters.com