NGA Pro Golf Tour

NGA Pro Golf Tour
FormerlyU.S. Golf TourT. C. Jordan TourHooters TourNGA Hooters TourNGA Pro Golf TourSwingThought Tour
SportGolf
Founded1988
FounderT. C. "Rick" Jordan
First season1989
CountryBased in the United States
Most titlesMoney list titles:United StatesChad Campbell (2)United StatesTed Potter Jr. (2)Tournament wins:United StatesChad Campbell (13)
RelatedcompetitionseGolf Professional TourGateway TourWeb.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]

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 As membership and tournament entries decreased, guaranteed prize money was reduced, and then withdrawn in 2014.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.
2014United StatesDominic Bozzelli72,658[8]
2013United StatesJon Curran102,965
2012United StatesBrandon Brown115,904[9]
2011United StatesJeff Corr159,199[10]
2010United StatesMichael Thompson111,817[11]
2009United StatesTed Potter Jr. (2)202,517
2008EnglandDavid Skinns134,809
2007United StatesCasey Wittenberg122,881
2006United StatesTed Potter Jr.102,609
2005United StatesDave Schreyer86,682
2004United StatesElliot Gealy137,704
2003United StatesJake Reeves129,921
2002United StatesMichael Connell76,304
2001United StatesZach Johnson126,408[12]
2000United StatesChad Campbell (2)188,280[13]
1999
1998United StatesChad Campbell185,431[14]
1997United StatesSteve Ford184,314[15]

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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