NGA Pro Golf Tour explained

NGA Pro Golf Tour
Pixels:150px
Formerly:U.S. Golf Tour
T. C. Jordan Tour
Hooters Tour
NGA Hooters Tour
NGA Pro Golf Tour
SwingThought Tour
Sport:Golf
Founded:1988
Inaugural:1989
Country:Based in the United States
Related Comps:eGolf Professional Tour
Gateway Tour
Web.com Tour
Founder:T. C. "Rick" Jordan

The NGA Pro Golf Tour was a developmental golf tour based in the United States. The tour consisted of around 25 professional golf tournaments,[1] [2] making it the third largest series in the United States after the elite PGA Tour and its developmental series, the Korn Ferry Tour.[3]

History

The Pro Golf Tour (PGT) was founded in 1987 by Aytch Johnson, and financed by T. C. "Rick" Jordan. Midway through its first full season in 1988, Jordan withdrew his money citing financial irregularities, and the tour folded.

In late 1988, Jordan founded the U.S. Golf Tour (USGT), which launched its first season in 1989. During the 1991 season, it became known as the T. C. Jordan Tour. In 1994, the involvement of Hooters restaurant chain owner Robert H. Brooks, who later become majority owner of the tour, saw Hooters become the title sponsor, with the tour branded as the Hooters Jordan Tour. The following year, a 20-year sponsorship deal was agreed.[4] With the sanctioning of the National Golf Association, the tour was titled as the NGA Hooters Tour. On Brooks death in 2006, tour president Robin Waters acquired his majority stake in the tour. Hooters ended their sponsorship following the 2011 season and the tour became known as the NGA Pro Golf Tour.[5]

Following the PGA Tour's acquisition of the Canadian Tour and the Tour de las Américas in 2012, the NGA Pro Golf Tour began to suffer due to those tours then offering direct promotion to the PGA Tour's second tier Web.com Tour. As membership and tournament entries decreased, guaranteed prize money was reduced, and then withdrawn in 2014. In August 2014, the tour was acquired by Golf Interact, who rebranded it as the SwingThought Tour.[6] The following year, Golf Interact purchased the eGolf Professional Tour and integrated it into the SwingThought Tour.[7]

Leading money winners

YearWinnerPrize money (US$)Ref.
2014 72,658 [8]
2013 102,965
2012 115,904 [9]
2011 159,199 [10]
2010 Michael Thompson111,817 [11]
2009 Ted Potter Jr. (2) 202,517
2008 134,809
2007 122,881
2006 102,609
2005 86,682
2004 137,704
2003 129,921
2002 76,304
2001 126,408 [12]
2000 Chad Campbell (2) 188,280 [13]
1999
1998 185,431 [14]
1997 184,314 [15] -1996 Troy Coker?
1995 Jack O'Keefe?
1994 54,364 [16]
1993
1992
1991 Eric Johnson?
1990
1989 -->

Notes and References

  1. News: Hostesses in Shorts? This Is No Ordinary Flight . . August 19, 2003 . Elizabeth Olson.
  2. News: An Alternate Route For Reaching the PGA. . July 14, 2003 .
  3. News: Hutchins goes low to win Tourney. Jolley. Frank. February 19, 2011. The Daily Commercial. February 23, 2011. Leesburg, Florida. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110708220417/http://www.dailycommercial.com/sports/story/21911hooters. July 8, 2011. mdy-all.
  4. News: Get To Know Tomorrow's Golf Stars Today . November 23, 2023 . Florida Today . September 27, 2005 . 2 . Newspapers.com . subscription.
  5. News: Hooters ends tour sponsorship . November 23, 2023 . News Sentinel . August 24, 2011 . 7C . Newspapers.com . subscription.
  6. Web site: NGA Tour, formerly the NGA Hooters Tour, acquired by Golf Interact . The Golf Wire . September 17, 2014 . February 24, 2020.
  7. Web site: Grand Strand-based Swing Thought Tour acquires eGolf Tour . The State . Alan . Blondin . August 6, 2015 . February 24, 2020.
  8. Web site: Money List Standings . SwingThought.com . December 1, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150310123747/http://www.swingthought.com/moneylist/pro/2014#.VP7lonbP1qY . March 10, 2015.
  9. Web site: Money and Points standings . NGA Hooters Tour . November 23, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121102133811/http://ngahooters.tourgolfscores.com/public/standings/index.cfm?menuid=10 . November 2, 2012.
  10. Web site: Money and Points standings . NGA Hooters Tour . November 23, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120609084123/http://www.ngahooters.tourgolfscores.com/public/standings/index.cfm?menuID=10&nonexempt=false&type=m&mid=28 . June 9, 2012.
  11. Web site: Money and Points standings . NGA Hooters Tour . November 23, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120609084117/http://www.ngahooters.tourgolfscores.com/public/standings/index.cfm?menuID=10&nonexempt=false&type=m&mid=22 . June 9, 2012.
  12. Web site: 2001 Tour Final Statistics . NGA Hooters Tour . November 23, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20020126214657/http://www.ngahooterstour.com/stats.html . January 26, 2002.
  13. Web site: 2000 Tour Statistics . NGA Hooters Tour . November 23, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20010125041400/http://www.ngahooterstour.com/stats.html . January 25, 2001.
  14. News: NGA/Hooters Tour Final Money Leaders . November 26, 2023 . The Commercial Appeal . October 3, 1998 . Memphis,Tennessee . D9 . Newspapers.com . subscription.
  15. News: Professional golf . November 27, 2023 . The Sun News . September 29, 1997 . Myrtle Beach, South Carolina . 5B . Newspapers.com . subscription.
  16. News: Even Money . November 29, 2023 . The Atlanta Journal/The Atlanta Constitution . October 8, 1994 . Atlanta, Georgia . D12 . Newspapers.com . subscription.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "NGA Pro Golf Tour".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.