Q School and Michael Thompson - What's Going On?

Question: What does all this stuff about 2010 Q School mean?

Answer: The PGA's Qualifying School (Q School) has 4 stages:

• Prequalifying Stage (for players with no prior history of competition)
• First Stage. About 80 people play for approximately 25 spots to advance to the next stage. This is what Michael just completed, finishing 3rd.
• Second Stage. The people that got by the First Stage play in another tournament, again needing to finish in the top 20% or so to move on. 
• Final Stage. The real goal for Michael is to at least make it to the Final Stage. Everyone that makes it, automatically gets to play on the Nationwide Tour the next year (more money, more prestige, televised events), and the top finishers of the final stage will get to play on the PGA tour. If you don't make it, it's back to the Hooters Tour or other development golf tours.

Question: What about 2011 Q School?
Answer: If Michael can make it to the Final Stage, earning his Nationwide or PGA tour card, next year he would at a minimum, automatically advance to the Second Stage of Q School. If he were on the Nationwide tour and finished in the top 25 on the money list, he would automatically earn a PGA tour card and skip the Q School process. If he finished in the top 25-40, he would get a pass advancing him all the way to the Final Stage. It's one of those things, where once your'e in, it's a little bit easier to stay in...but getting there is the hard part.

Question: How far has he gotten before?
Answer: In 2008 he made the cut at the US Open, thus earning a pass to the Second Stage of Q School, although he didn't make it to the Final Stage (Tied for 52nd). In 2009 he barely missed advancing past the First Stage (T-30). This year, he has now made it to Second Stage.

Stats Tab Added

I've noticed that some of the links to articles on the "2008" and "2009" pages no longer work, and I'm not sure how long the leaderboards for various tournaments will exist on the internet, so I took it upon myself to document all the tournaments that Michael Thompson has played in as a pro. Thus, over the last couple of days I've compiled all the scores and stats. Click on the "Stats" tab near the top of the page to view. It's broken out by tournament name, date, earnings and round scores, as well as number of Birdies, Pars, Bogeys, etc. In doing all this work, I discovered that the Hooters website sometimes lists his placement wrong  on his season summary, and their stats included the Q School Prep Series in his 2010 earnings & hole stats. Since I've compiled everything, one could break everything out if they wanted to.

Happy Birthday Uncle Mike!

Michael Thompson Advances to Stage 2 of Q School

Michael had an off day, shooting 3 over par, but he still sails through to the next stage of Q School! He finished T-3rd at -11. His college teammate, Matthew Swan also made it to the next round, as well as fellow Hooters Tour players Todd Bailey, Will Claxton, and Ben Briscoe among others. Leaderboard

Hooters Tour on Facebook

The NGA Hooters Tour posted on Facebook: "At the Auburn University Club, NGA/Hooters Tour Player of the Year Michael Thompson has a four-stroke lead over NGAers Josh Broadaway and Lee Williams! Tyler Leon is fourth, and Zachary Sucher is fifth! 24 past/present players are in good position advance! Hoot! Hoot!"

Back In The Lead at Auburn

Michael shot -5 in the 3rd round at Auburn. He regained the lead and holds a commanding 4 shot lead.

One Shot Back From the Leader at Q School

Michael shot 3 under in the 2nd round. -9 overall, one back from the leader. Alone in 2nd place.

What's This Facebook Thingie?

The NGA Hooters Tour posted on Facebook
"NGA/Hooters Tour Player of the Year Michael Thompson is at it again! After winning the Prep event at The Auburn University Club, he fired a 66 in the first round of Q-School and leads over NGAers Josh Broadaway, Matthew Swan, Zach Sucher and Ben Briscoe by one shot! 19 current/past players are in position to advance at the moment!"

First Place After 1 at Q School Stage 1

Michael finished the 1st round with -6, and is in 1st place. To advance to the 2nd round, he'll need to finish T-23rd or better.

Q School Stage 1 @ Auburn begins today

Michael's 1st round of Q School begins today. Leaderboard

Life on The Hooters Tour

Q School Prep Series Deemed A Hit Among Players

News >> Q-School Prep Series Deemed A Hit Among Players!!!

Q-School Prep Series deemed a hit among players!!!

By: Paul Warner

Myrtle Beach, S.C. – October 25, 2010 – Last week, 60 current and former NGA/Hooters Tour players advanced through the first stage of PGA Tour Q-School. Over the next two weeks, another group of past and present players will take to the links for the first stage of Q-School, and many will do so with the courses fresh in their minds, thanks to the NGA/Hooters Tour inaugural PGA Tour Q-School preparatory series.

The series, hosted at Callaway Gardens Resort in Pine Mountain, Ga., PGA Golf Club’s Wanamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and The Auburn University Club in Auburn, Ala., allowed players to play the actual courses used in Q-School under tournament conditions. In addition, six players, two at each event, received Q-School reimbursements.

Brian Anderson 

Brian Anderson, who finished second to Martin Ureta at the Wanamaker Course and will receive a Q-School reimbursement. “It was a no-brainer for me to play in the event. It’s huge because you get to play a three-round event in a competitive environment on the course you’re going to play in Q-School.”

Ureta, of Chapel Hill, N.C., took medalist honors in the event and will also receive a reimbursement. And the $4,500 reimbursement fee goes a long way for players this time of year.

“At this level, we don’t have a lot of sponsors and it’s tough to scrounge together that kind of money at the end of the year, so I appreciate getting the reimbursement,” saidRichard Scott, who won the Callaway Gardens event. But the bigger reward forScott, of Saint Simmons Island, Ga., may be the time spent on the course.

“I don’t care what anybody says, it’s hard to simulate tournament conditions unless you’re playing a tournament,” he said. “You can go and practice at the course, but you don’t have the same focus. Definitely, getting a few tournament rounds in before Q-School, it’s going to help. You make mental notes and a get a feel for the pins, greens and tee boxes.”

Chris Wolfe, of Warner Robins, Ga., finished second in the event and will also have his Q-School fee reimbursed.

In the Auburn event, Michael Thompson, the 2010 NGA/Hooters Tour Player of the Year, continued his stellar season by cruising to a four-shot win. Since Thompson already had a reimbursement for his season-long exploits, Will Wilcox and Ben Briscoe, who finished second and third, respectively, earned the final two reimbursements.

And even though Wilcox, the NGA/Hooters Tour Rookie of the Year, earned more than $100,000 between the NGA/Hooters Tour, Canadian Tour and Nationwide Tour in his breakout season, he still wasn’t going to miss the chance to further familiarize himself with the course prior to Q-School.

Will Wilcox

“I haven’t played the course when it was in that good of condition,” said Wilcox. “I definitely think it’s going to help me playing it so soon before Q-School. And, without a doubt, I’m happy to have Q-School paid for!”

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.

For more information, visit www.NGAHootersTour.com.

via Hooters.com 

More Photos From Michael & Rachel's Wedding

Click here for more photos from Michael and Rachel's wedding.

A Look Into The PGA Tour Qualifying School

 

How Hard Is Too Hard?

A Look Into The PGA Tour Qualifying School

By:Justin Jernigan

Myrtle Beach, SC (October 19, 2010)After a long grueling season on the NGA/Hooters Tour, the future stars of the PGA TOUR must then prepare themselves for probably the most important three months of their lives, PGA TOUR Qualifying School or Q-School as it is known to the competitors. 

There are 6 pre-qualification events held across the country from September 14-24. The pre-qualification stage is for any player with no prior history of competition. The fields for these events are generally 82 players with the top 40, 41 or 42 players advancing to first stage. If you are lucky enough to get through the first 72-hole tournament, you will be joined in first stage by a group of exempt players that include:Q-School is a four stage event at the end of every season starting in mid September and culminating with a gut-wrenching, mind-draining six round final stage in mid December to determine where you will play next season. The Qualifying Tournament eventually determines the 30 players (and ties) who receive their TOUR cards for the following year. Anyone else who advances to the final stage receives some kind of status on the PGA’s Developmental tour, the Nationwide Tour.

• Members of any of the International Federation of PGA Tours or Nationwide Tour during 2006-2010.

• Applicants who made the cut during 2009 or 2010 in a tournament awarding official money conducted by a member of the International Federation of PGA Tours or Nationwide Tour as of the q-school entry deadline of Sept. 29, 2010.

• Applicants who finished in the top 60, including ties, in 2008 or in the top 50, including ties, in 2009 in a first stage event of the PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament.

• Applicants who played in the second stage of the 2007, 2008 or 2009 PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament.

• Applicants ranked Nos. 101-200 in the Official World Golf Ranking as of the q-school entry deadline.

• Applicants who made the cut at the 2010 PGA Professional National Championship.

• Applicants who finished in the top 10, including ties, at the 2009 PGA Assistant Professional National Championship.

• Applicants who played in the 2009 or 2010 Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, British Open or PGA Championship.

• Applicants who were members of the 2009 U.S. Walker Cup Team or 2008 U.S. World Amateur Team.

• Applicants who played in the semifinals of the 2009 or 2010 U.S. Amateur or the finals of the 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

There are 13 first stage events, held across the country from Oct. 19-30, with fields of approximately 78 players. A predetermined number of those based on the size of the field -- generally the low 19, 20 or 21 and ties -- advance to the second stage of qualifying, which will be held Nov. 16-20.

Once past the first stage, life will not get any easier for the members of the NGA/Hooters Tour that are still alive. The action heats up as all first stage survivors are joined in second stage by exempt players that include :

• 2010 PGA TOUR members

• Winners of Nationwide Tour tournaments whose victories are considered official, in the current calendar year plus the previous five (2005-2009) calendar years.

• The top 10 available finishers, including ties, to a floor of 25th position, from the current year's PGA Professional National Championship.

• Applicants who made the cut in the current year's Masters Tournament, PLAYERS Championship, U.S. Open, British Open or PGA Championship.

• The leading fourth through 10th available players to a floor of 25th position, on the PGA European Tour and Japan Golf Tour respective official money lists as of the q-school entry deadline (Sept. 29, 2010) and the Australasian PGA Tour final official money list from the 2009 season.

• Players who have made 50 or more cuts in PGA TOUR cosponsored or approved tournaments awarding official prize money in their careers as of the q-school entry deadline.

• Players who finish from 41st through 70th on the 2010 official Nationwide Tour money list.

• Those applicants ranked 51st through 100th on the Official World Golf Ranking as of the q-school entry deadline.

• The leading first and second available players, to a floor of 10th position, on the applicable official money list or order of merit as of the q-school entry deadline of each of the following international tours: Asian Tour, Canadian Tour, Tour de las Americas and from the Sunshine Tour's final official money list for the 2009 season.

Like in the first stage, only a segment of those players, based on the number of entrants at that qualifying event, will advance to the all-important finals. Exempt into the final stage at Orange County National are the following players, should they decide to compete:

• Those applicants ranked from Nos. 126-150 on the final 2010 official PGA TOUR money list.

• Those Special Temporary members of the PGA TOUR whose combined official money and money earned in official money World Golf Championship events is equal to or greater that the 150th place finisher on the 2010 official PGA TOUR money list.

• Those applicants among Major and Minor Medical Extension category members whose official money earned in their available tournaments, when combined with the amount of official money in their tournaments played, equals or exceeds the amount of official money earned by the member who finished 150th on the PGA TOUR money list for the preceding calendar year shall be exempt into final stage in that year provided that the official money earned in his tournaments played is less that the 150th finisher on the PGA TOUR money list in the year of the applicant's injury.

• Those applicants finishing 26th through 40th on the final 2010 Nationwide Tour money list.

• The leading first, second and third available players, to a floor of 10th position, on the PGA European Tour and Japan Golf Tour respective official money list as of the q-school entry deadline and the Australasian PGA Tour final official money list from the 2009 season.

• Those applicants among the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking as of the q-school entry deadline.

Once into the final stage, not only are players competing in the toughest 108 holes of their lives, but they competing against some of the world’s best players that are either trying to fulfill their dreams of competing on the PGA Tour or those players looking to keep their careers going on Tour. It will not be easy for the past and present players of the NGA/Hooters Tour but since its inception in the late 80’s, the NGA/Hooters Tour has been preparing players mentally and physically for the arduous task of getting their PGA TOUR Card. The National Golf Associationis the only Tour other than PGA and Nationwide Tour that conducts week-long (Monday Qualifiers, Shootouts, Long-Drive Contests, Pro-Ams) 72-hole events with a 36-hole cut to top 65 and ties.

This was never more evident than in last year’s final stage of the PGA TOUR Qualifying School at Bear Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Look at the following statistics from the grueling 108-hole Q-School:

48% (12 of 25)of those players who earned their 2010 PGA Tour Card played on the NGA/Hooters Tour, including 2009 NGA/Hooters Tour members Chris Wilson and Martin Flores, Jay Williamson, Brent DelaHoussaye, Kris Blanks, Michael Connell, JP Hayes, Brendon De Jonge, Spencer Levin, Jeff Maggert, Chris Riley and Brian Stuard.

27 of the 51 players (53%)that earned full exempt status on the Nationwide Tour have played on the NGA/Hooters Tour in the past, including 2009 NGA/Hooters Tour members Bronson La’Cassie, Scott Stallings, Keegan Bradley, Luke List, Andrew Svoboda, Bobby MacWhinnie, Rob Oppenheim and Joe Affrunti. Joining the 2009 members were former players Kevin Kisner, Tom Pernice Jr., Mark Anderson, Josh Broadaway, Adam Meyer, Ted Brown, Casey Wittenberg, Stephen Poole, J.J. Killeen, Chris Kirk, Major Manning, Scott Brown, Scott Gutschewski, Shaun Micheel, Ty Harris, Tommy Gainey, Nathan Smith, Dave Schultz and Matthew Borchert.

All told, of the 170 players that competed in the 6 round final stage, an amazing 42% (71 players) have played on theNGA/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 2010. Last season, 11 other former players earned their PGA Tour cards by finishing in the top 25 on the Nationwide Tour’s money list giving the NGA/Hooters Tour 23 former players who secured their PGA TOUR card for 2010

The following were the 11 former NGA/Hooters Tour players who finished in the top 25 on the 2009 Nationwide Tour money list: Chad Collins, Blake Adams, Derek Lamely, Tom Gillis, Josh Teater, Matt Every, Justin Bolli, Garrett Willis, Craig Bowden, Vance Veazey and Fran Quinn. With these stats, 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.

via Hooters.com

Q School Primer: Answers to the key questions

Q-School primer: Answers to the key questions

Oct. 26, 2010 | By Helen Ross | PGATOUR.com

The goal of each first-stage participant is to eventually advance to the final stage of q-school.

The first stage of the PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament -- otherwise known as q-school -- begins this week.

It's not a school in the traditional sense of the word but the lessons learned while competing certainly can be life-changing. In reality, q-school is a survival test of as many as four tournaments that will eventually determine the players who earn their PGA TOUR cards for the 2011 season.

The first three stages -- pre-qualifying, first stage and second stage -- consist of 72-hole tournaments. The pre-qualifying stage, which is for players with no prior history of competition, took place in mid-September.

Business now gets really serious with the start of the first stage, which will be held on 13 different courses across the country in the next two weeks. A predetermined number of players from each first stage event advance to one of the six second-stage venues in mid-November. The second-stage survivors then move on to the all-important final stage at Orange County National in Winter Garden, Fla. The final stage will be held Dec. 1-6.

That finale is contested over 108 mind-numbing and stomach-churning holes that determine where a player will work in 2011. Every player who reaches the finale has some degree of status on the Nationwide Tour -- but only the low 25 and ties are exempt on the PGA TOUR for next year.

PGATOUR.COM answers some key questions about q-school below.

Q. How many first stage events are there?

A. There are 13 first-stage events with fields of approximately 78 players at each one. First stage events are being held in seven different states from Oct. 19-22, 26-29 and 27-30.

Q. How many players advance from each first-stage event?

A. Generally the low 19, 20 or 21 players and ties at each site will advance to the second stage.

Q. Is there any live scoring for the three stages of qualifying school?

A. Yes, right here at PGATOUR.COM. Players' scores will be updated after they complete nine holes during the first and second stages. We will have live, hole-by-hole scoring for all six rounds of the final stage.

Q. Who are some of the notable players entered in the first stage?

A. There are several players with family ties to notable golfers. Among them are Jay Haas Jr. (whose brother Bill won twice on the PGA TOUR this year and father Jay has won 23 times on the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour);Mike Perez (whose brother is veteran Pat Perez;) Boyd Summerhays (whose uncle Bruce Summerhays plays the Champions Tour); Manuel Villegas (whose brother is three-time TOUR champ Camilo Villegas); Patrick Damron(whose brother Robert Damron is a past TOUR winner); Josh McCumber (whose uncle is veteran TOUR and Champions Tour pro Mark McCumber); Mario Tiziani (who is the brother-in-law of Steve Stricker); and Sam Saunders (whose grandfather is Arnold Palmer). Other players to watch include double heart-transplant survivorErik Compton; former U.S. Amateur champ Danny Lee; Virginia Tech's Drew Weaver, who won the 2007 British Amateur; Todd Demsey, who overcame a brain tumor to play professional golf; and Kevin Hall, who would be the first deaf golfer to play on the PGA TOUR.

Q. Besides the United States, how many countries are represented at the first stage?

A. Players from 15 different countries will be competing. Those countries are Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Canada, Sweden, Belgium, Venezuela, New Zealand, Australia, Colombia, Jamaica, South Africa, England, South Korea and the Virgin Islands.

Q. Which TOUR legend has designed two of the golf courses hosting first-stage events?

A. That's Arnold Palmer. He was the architect for the Palmer Course at Turtle Bay Resort on the island of Oahu and the Dayton Valley Golf Club in Dayton, Nev. Other player designs being used during the first stage are the Club at Irish Creek, a Davis Love III creation in Kannapolis, N.C., and Grasslands Golf and Country Club in Lakeland, Fla., which was designed by Jerry Pate and Bob Cupp.

Q. Who is exempt into the first stage of qualifying?

A. Here's the list:

• Members of any of the International Federation of PGA Tours or Nationwide Tour during 2006-2010.

• Applicants who made the cut during 2009 or 2010 in a tournament awarding official money conducted by a member of the International Federation of PGA Tours or Nationwide Tour as of the q-school entry deadline of Sept. 29, 2010.

• Applicants who finished in the top 60, including ties, in 2008 or in the top 50, including ties, in 2009 in a first stage event of the PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament.

• Applicants who played in the second stage of the 2007, 2008 or 2009 PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament.

• Applicants ranked Nos. 101-200 in the Official World Golf Ranking as of the q-school entry deadline.

• Applicants who made the cut at the 2010 PGA Professional National Championship.

• Applicants who finished in the top 10, including ties, at the 2009 PGA Assistant Professional National Championship.

• Applicants who played in the 2009 or 2010 Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, British Open or PGA Championship.

• Applicants who were members of the 2009 U.S. Walker Cup Team or 2008 U.S. World Amateur Team.

• Applicants who played in the semifinals of the 2009 or 2010 U.S. Amateur or the finals of the 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Q. How does the second stage work?

A. The second-stage tournaments are held from Nov. 16-19 and No. 17-20 at six sites in four states. The competition heats up here since PGA TOUR members who finished outside the top 150 on the money list join the competition. Again, only a predetermined number from each site advance. This might be the most pressure-packed of all the stages because if you don't advance, you are looking at the mini-tours in 2011.

Q. Which players are exempt into the second stage?

A. Here's the list:

• 2010 PGA TOUR members

• Winners of Nationwide Tour tournaments whose victories are considered official, in the current calendar year plus the previous five (2005-2009) calendar years.

• The top 10 available finishers, including ties, to a floor of 25th position, from the current year's PGA Professional National Championship.

• Applicants who made the cut in the current year's Masters Tournament, PLAYERS Championship, U.S. Open, British Open or PGA Championship.

• The leading fourth through 10th available players to a floor of 25th position, on the PGA European Tour and Japan Golf Tour respective official money lists as of the q-school entry deadline (Sept. 29, 2010) and the Australasian PGA Tour final official money list from the 2009 season.

• Players who have made 50 or more cuts in PGA TOUR cosponsored or approved tournaments awarding official prize money in their careers as of the q-school entry deadline.

• Players who finish from 41st through 70th on the 2010 official Nationwide Tour money list.

• Those applicants ranked 51st through 100th on the Official World Golf Ranking as of the q-school entry deadline.

• The leading first and second available players, to a floor of 10th position, on the applicable official money list or order of merit as of the q-school entry deadline of each of the following international tours: Asian Tour, Canadian Tour, Tour de las Americas and from the Sunshine Tour's final official money list for the 2009 season.

Q. Which players are exempt into the final stage at Orange County National?

A. Here's the list:

• Those applicants ranked from Nos. 126-150 on the final 2010 official PGA TOUR money list.

• Those Special Temporary members of the PGA TOUR whose combined official money and money earned in official money World Golf Championship events is equal to or greater that the 150th place finisher on the 2010 official PGA TOUR money list.

• Those applicants among Major and Minor Medical Extension category members whose official money earned in their available tournaments, when combined with the amount of official money in their tournaments played, equals or exceeds the amount of official money earned by the member who finished 150th on the PGA TOUR money list for the preceding calendar year shall be exempt into final stage in that year provided that the official money earned in his tournaments played is less that the 150th finisher on the PGA TOUR money list in the year of the applicant's injury.

• Those applicants finishing 26th through 40th on the final 2010 Nationwide Tour money list.

• The leading first, second and third available players, to a floor of 10th position, on the PGA European Tour and Japan Golf Tour respective official money list as of the q-school entry deadline and the Australasian PGA Tour final official money list from the 2009 season.

• Those applicants among the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking as of the q-school entry deadline.

Q. If you don't get your TOUR card but reach the final stage, what happens?

A. After the PGA TOUR cards have been decided, the next number of players nearest to 50 will receive fully exempt membership on the Nationwide Tour. The remaining players who have made it to the final stage of q-school will have conditionally exempt status on the Nationwide Tour. So getting to the final stage is key.

Q. How much does it cost to enter q-school?

A. Entry fees in 2010 for the PGA TOUR are as follows: first-stage qualifying is $4,500, second-stage qualifying is $4,000 and the finals is $3,500.

Q. Can you earn money at these q-school tournaments?

A. Only at the final stage. The medalist at the final stage receives $50,000, the runner-up gets $40,000 and the rest of the 25 new TOUR members and ties earn at least $25,000. Players earning exempt Nationwide Tour status earn $5,000 each.

Q. Can I watch the final stage of q-school on TV?

A. Yes, GOLF CHANNEL covers the final three days. The coverage on Dec. 4-5 runs from 1-4 p.m. each day while the final day's coverage on Dec. 6 runs from 12:30-4 p.m.

via PGATour.com

Good Location For Q School, Stage 1

Michael will be playing his Stage 1 Q-School at the Auburn University Club on Oct 27. Considering he finished 1st in the last two tournaments played there (Q School Prep Series and the Michelob Ultra Classic at the Auburn University Club), I consider that good news.

Another Win at Auburn!

Michael finished in 1st place at the last of the Hooters Tour Q School Prep Series. It was held at the same location where Stage 1 of Q School will be held, The Auburn University Club.  The win was good for $7500.  That makes two tournaments in a row at the Auburn University Club that Michael has won.  Leaderboard.

In the Money on the Nationwide Tour

Michael finished T-37th at the Chattanooga Classic which is part of the Nationwide Golf Tour. Leaderboard.

It's In The Hole!

Michael just scored a hole in one while playing at the Chattanooga Classic, a Nationwide Tour event! Scorecard

POY Thompson Leads Current Members Into Busy Week On PGA Nationwide Tours

News >> POY Thompson Leads Current Members Into Busy Week On PGA Nationwide Tours

Eleven Current Members in McGladrey, Chattanooga Classics

Longs, S.C.—If you’re starting to get cabin fever for NGA/Hooters Tour action, you can get your fix this weekend. No, the 2011 season isn’t starting early, but the fields for the Nationwide Tour’s Chattanooga Classic and the PGA Tour’s McGladrey Classic are eerily similar to past and present NGA pairings.

In the Chattanooga Classic, more than half the field is current or former NGA/Hooters Tour players, while current members Chase Baldwin and Michael O’Neal lead a pack of nearly 60 former players in the PGA Tour’s McGladrey Classic.

Thanks to winning the NGA/Hooters Tour Player of the Year, Michael Thompson will be one of the nine current members playing on the Nationwide Tour this weekend. The former University of Alabama golfer finished the 2010 season with six top-10 finishes, four top-5 showings and his first win en route to the POY award. As a reward for his stellar campaign, Thompson received an exemption into the Chattanooga Classic, a free GM vehicle lease for a year, free membership into Bridgestone Winter Series and his PGA Q-School fee reimbursed by the NGA/Hooters Tour.

But Thompson won’t be the only 2010 season award-winner in the field. Will Wilcox, the 2010 NGA Rookie of the Year, was able to get through Monday qualifying. Wilcox shot 68 to make it into the event. NGA member Nick Rousey also made it through the qualifier, firing a 67 at Bear Trace. NGA/Hooters Tour member Matt Savage was the medalist in Monday qualifying, shooting 65 at Cleveland Country Club.

While the aforementioned group looks to gain experience on the Nationwide Tour, NGA members Joe Affrunti, Travis Bertoni, Roberto Castro and Rob Oppenheim are aiming to secure their Nationwide Tour cards for 2011. With just a handful of events left, all four are inside the top 60 on the money standings.

The Chattanooga Classic has long been a stepping stone for former NGA Hooters Tour players. Past champions include NGA/Hooters Tour alumni Justin Bolli, Jason Bohn and Ron Whittaker.

On the PGA Tour, 2010 members Chase Baldwin and Michael O’Neal were both able to make it through the Monday qualifier for the McGladrey Classic. Baldwin shot 7-under 64, with a bogey-free round, to win the qualifier at Sanctuary Cove, while O'Neal shot 67 and advanced through a playoff.

Former NGA/Hooters Tour players have won 10 times on the PGA Tour this season and 11 times on the Nationwide Tour.

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.

For more information, visit www.NGAHootersTour.com.

via Hooters.com