News >> Alumni Update: Moon (ah) Landing For Herman
Herman Captures First Win, Hooters Alums Play Well In Australia and California
FINGAL, Victoria, Australia (February 7, 2010)…For former Hooters Tour player Jim Herman the 2010 Nationwide Tour season started like the 2009 season ended, with missed cuts. Coming into this week’s Moonah Classic, Herman had missed seven consecutive cuts dating back to last season. However, that all changed when Herman opened the tournament with a course record setting ten-under par 62 Thursday and then held on in a sudden death playoff to beat fellow former player Chris Kirk to capture his first Nationwide Title. (photo left courtesy of Anthony Powter, iseekgolf.com)Herman started the first three rounds with 62-70-75 for a nine-under par total that was matched by Kirk who also posted a nine-under par total through the first three rounds after rounds of 70-72-65, setting the stage for a dramatic finish in the final round.
Through the first five holes Sunday, Herman trailed Kirk by three strokes after the former Georgia Bulldog opened with two birdies in four holes and Herman opened with four pars and a lone bogey at the par 3 5th hole.
Herman was able to compose himself and rallied with three birdies over his final thirteen holes while Kirk managed two more birdies and two disappointing bogies on holes 16 and 17 coming down the stretch. After pars on the final hole by both golfers, they headed back out onto the course for a “sudden death” playoff after each finished regulation at eleven-under par 277.
Herman sealed the win on the first playoff hole with a six foot birdie putt and took home his largest professional check of $126,000.
"I'm overwhelmed," said Herman. "I've been waiting for this to happen for a long time. I wasn't supposed to be here. I take my hat off to Chris. He played great. Unfortunately for him he let me back in it late."
With his victory Sunday, Herman inched closer to his dream of playing on the PGA TOUR by moving to number two on the Nationwide Tour’s season long money list. The Top 25 golfer’s at season’s end will earn their 2011 PGA TOUR cards.
Current Hooters Tour member Manuel Villegas, brother of former Hooters Tour player and PGA star Camilo Villegas, fired a five-under par 67 in the final round to move from a tie for 18th to a solo 6th place finish. The 6th place finish Sunday, was the younger Villegas’ best finish on the Nationwide Tour.
Fellow Hooters Tour alum Scott Stallings made his first appearance in the Top 25 on Sunday thanks to a T-15 finish in Australia. The former Tennessee Tech golfer carded rounds of 71-70-72-71 to finish at four-under par 284 and moved from T-46 on the money list to 23rd.
Other Hooters Tour golfers with good weeks at the Moonah Classic were Keegan Bradley (T-21), Joe Affrunti (T-21), Scott Gutschewski (T-32), Skip Kendall (T-39), Kevin Kisner (T-41), Stephen Poole (T-44), DJ Brigman (T-44), Ken Duke (T-51), Jess Daley (T-51), Ryan Armour (T-53), Darron Stiles (T-58), Kelly Grunewald (T-58), Scott Brown (T-64), Bobby MacWhinnie (74) and Ted Brown (75).
At the PGA TOUR’s Northern Trust Open, George McNeill led all former Hooters Tour players with a T-5 finish, following rounds of 70-69-66-69 for a four day total of ten-under par 275. Jason Bohn used a six-under par 65 in the final round to secure his best finish of the young season with a T-10 at Riviera. Other past players that made the cut at The Northern Trust Open were Jim Furyk (T-20), Scott Verplank (T-20), John Rollins (T-27), Michael Letzig (T-32), Stewart Cink (T-32), Chad Campbell (T-37), Vaughn Taylor (T-47), John Merrick (t-54), Brett Quigley (T-54), Mark Wilson (T-54), Ben Curtis (T-61), Nicholas Thompson (68), Craig Bowden (T-69), Steve Flesch (T-69), Parker McLachlin (71) and Kevin Streelman (72).