NGA Pro Golf Tour

Last updated

NGA Pro Golf Tour
FormerlyU.S. Golf Tour
T. C. Jordan Tour
Hooters Tour
NGA Hooters Tour
NGA Pro Golf Tour
SwingThought Tour
Sport Golf
Founded1988
FounderT. C. "Rick" Jordan
First season1989
CountryBased in the United States
Most titlesMoney list titles:
Flag of the United States.svg Chad Campbell (2)
Flag of the United States.svg Ted Potter Jr. (2)
Tournament wins:
Flag of the United States.svg Chad Campbell (13)
Related
competitions		 eGolf Professional Tour
Gateway Tour
Web.com Tour

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]

Contents

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 As membership and tournament entries decreased, guaranteed prize money was reduced, and then withdrawn in 2014.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 Flag of the United States.svg Dominic Bozzelli 72,658 [8]
2013 Flag of the United States.svg Jon Curran 102,965
2012 Flag of the United States.svg Brandon Brown 115,904 [9]
2011 Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Corr 159,199 [10]
2010 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Thompson 111,817 [11]
2009 Flag of the United States.svg Ted Potter Jr. (2)202,517
2008 Flag of England.svg David Skinns 134,809
2007 Flag of the United States.svg Casey Wittenberg 122,881
2006 Flag of the United States.svg Ted Potter Jr. 102,609
2005 Flag of the United States.svg Dave Schreyer 86,682
2004 Flag of the United States.svg Elliot Gealy 137,704
2003 Flag of the United States.svg Jake Reeves 129,921
2002 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Connell 76,304
2001 Flag of the United States.svg Zach Johnson 126,408 [12]
2000 Flag of the United States.svg Chad Campbell (2)188,280 [13]
1999Flag placeholder.svg
1998 Flag of the United States.svg Chad Campbell 185,431 [14]
1997 Flag of the United States.svg Steve Ford 184,314 [15]

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References

  1. ↑ Elizabeth Olson (August 19, 2003). "Hostesses in Shorts? This Is No Ordinary Flight". The New York Times .
  2. ↑ "An Alternate Route For Reaching the PGA". The New York Times . July 14, 2003.
  3. ↑ Jolley, Frank (February 19, 2011). "Hutchins goes low to win Tourney". The Daily Commercial. Leesburg, Florida. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Get To Know Tomorrow's Golf Stars Today" . Florida Today. September 27, 2005. p. 2. Retrieved November 23, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Hooters ends tour sponsorship" . News Sentinel. August 24, 2011. p. 7C. Retrieved November 23, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "NGA Tour, formerly the NGA Hooters Tour, acquired by Golf Interact". The Golf Wire. September 17, 2014. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  7. ↑ Blondin, Alan (August 6, 2015). "Grand Strand-based Swing Thought Tour acquires eGolf Tour". The State. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Money List Standings". SwingThought.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Money and Points standings". NGA Hooters Tour. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Money and Points standings". NGA Hooters Tour. Archived from the original on June 9, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Money and Points standings". NGA Hooters Tour. Archived from the original on June 9, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  12. ↑ "2001 Tour Final Statistics". NGA Hooters Tour. Archived from the original on January 26, 2002. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  13. ↑ "2000 Tour Statistics". NGA Hooters Tour. Archived from the original on January 25, 2001. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  14. ↑ "NGA/Hooters Tour Final Money Leaders" . The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. October 3, 1998. p. D9. Retrieved November 26, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  15. ↑ "Professional golf" . The Sun News. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. September 29, 1997. p. 5B. Retrieved November 27, 2023– via Newspapers.com.
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