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Tour Update    This Week With . . .


 Ted Potter Jr.
 


Tyson Alexander
 


Doug Johnson
 


Grant Waite
 


David Arnold
 


Will Strickler
 

Teddy Watch . . .
Ted Potter's quest to make the top 125 on the PGA Tour money list. Current PGA Tour earnings - $121,733,  55th place.
Last year's No. 125 - D. J. Trahan - $668,166. 
125th. place - John Merrick - $42,215

This Week . . .

 
Potter Misses Cut at Northern Trust Open
(February 20, 2012) - Ted Potter missed the cut at the Northern Trust Open with rounds of 77-72-149, 7 over par. The cut came at 3 over.
     In the first Nationwide event of the season, the Pacific Rubiales in Bogota, Colombia, Brenden Pappas shot 68-75-73-75-291, 7 over, and tied for 66th. He collected $1,560. Ex-GAtor Billy Horschel was the halfway leader with a pair of 66s, but faltered with 76-72 for 280, 4 under, and earned $10,286 for a tie for 13th. Manuel Villegas posted rounds of 70-68-71-74-283, 1 under, and took home $3,480 for tie for 33rd.
     In the Hooters Tour Winter Series at Rio Pinar in Orlando, Tyson Alexander shot 68-65-73-206, losing by 7 strokes. He tied for ninth and earned $2,500. Ex-Gator James Vargas of Miami shot 71-69-73-213 and earned $736.

(February 17, 2012) - Ted Potter continued to struggle Thursday with the new courses he's encountering on his first swing through the PGA Tour schedule. Ted shot 38-39-77 in the first round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club, making just two birdies, along with four bogeys and two doubles. He wound up the first day near the bottom of the leaderboard in the $6.6 million event that was suspended due to darkness.

     Phil Mickelson was the early leader after round one with a 5-under-par 66. Camilo Villegas shot 74, 3 over.
At the Nationwide Tour's Pacific Rubiales Colombia Championship in Bogota, former Ocalan Brenden Pappas jumped out to a good start with a round of 31-37-68, 3 under. Brenden made six birdies and two bogeys in the event he won last year after the last two rounds were called off. Billy Horschel shot 5-under 66 and was tied for first, while Manuel Villegas' 1-under 70 had him tied for 24th. Camilo Benedetti was tied for 45th after an opening-round 71, even par. Horschel had a see-saw round, making just seven pars, along with seven birdies, an eagle, two bogeys and a double

(February 13, 2012) - Ted Potter makes his sixth PGA start this week in the $6.6 million Northern Trust Open at the Riviera CC in Pacific Palisades, CA. Camilo Villegas is also entered, but Chris Couch, Matt Every and Billy Horschel are not. Phil Mickelson will be trying to make it two victories in a row; Tiger Woods is out.
     The first stop on the Nationwide Tour comes this week at the Pacifico Rubiales Colombia Championship in Bogota, Colombia. Last year, former Ocalan Brenden Pappas was declared the winner and took home the check for $108,000 when the event was called off after 36 holes. Brenden was in the lead at the halfway point with 67-66-133, one stroke ahead of Every. But Brenden did not get credit for a victory, he just got he money. At the time, it appeared he would be well on his way toward the top 25 in earnings, but back problems plagued him all season and he fell well short.
Also in the field are Manuel Villegas, Philip Pettit, Camilo Benedetti and Horschel.

(February 13, 2012) - Ted Potter missed his second cut on the PGA Tour at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, shooting rounds of 77-72-74-223, 9 over par. The cut came at even par. Ted made 9 birdies, 12 bogeys and three doubles (all on par 3s) over the 54 holes. Matt Every missed the cut with 68-75-75-218, as did Chris Couch with 72-71-72 and Billy Horschel with 70-72-72-214. Horschel did earn $12,224 for being in the group one stroke off the pace who all make a check but don't get to tee it up on Sunday.


Potter Shoots Even Par at Pebble Beach
(February 11, 2012) - Ted Potter made five birdies and five bogeys en route to an even-par round of 72 Friday in the second round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Potter's round came over the storied par-72 Pebble Beach Golf Links and left him at 7-over 149 heading into today's third round. With the cut probably coming around one under this evening, Ted needs to shoot a 64 or 65 in order to hang around for Sunday's finale.
Tiger Woods shot 2-under 68 and is 6 under for the 36 holes, six strokes off the lead. Matt Every skied to a 75 and is at 1 under, tied for 61st, along with Chris Couch, who posted rounds of 72-71. Billy Horschel's 70-72, even par, has him in a tie for 81st.

Horror Trip for Potter at Pebble Beach
(February 10, 2012) - Ted Potter experienced a horror trip in his first AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am appearance on Thursday, shooting a 7-over-par 77 and winding up the opening round tied for 155th place. Ted was unable to solve the par-70 Monterrey Peninsula course, but has two rounds to try to make a comeback. There are three tied for the lead at 9 under in the event played over three courses. Ted made just two birdies, along with five bogeys and two doubles, both on par 3's.
Tiger Woods shot 4-under 68 at Spy Hill in his first PGA event of the year, as did Matt Every, at Pebble Beach. Chris Couch was even par at Pebble Beach and Billy Horschel shot even-par 70 at Monterrey Peninsula.

Potter Shoots 75 in Phoenix, Ties for 70th
(February 6, 2012) - Ted Potter didn't make a birdie in the final round of the Phoenix Open on Sunday, and with a pair of bogeys and one double, shot a 4-over 75. His total of 288 was 4 over for the 72 holes. left him in a tie for 70th place and earned him a check for $12,078. That lifted his total to $121,733 , and he dropped to 63rd on the PGA Tour money list.
Chris Couch finished at 7-under 277 and collected $68,842, while Camilo Villegas tied for 73rd with 289 and earned $11,773.
 
Potter Falters in Third Round in Phoenix
(February 5, 2012) - Ted Potter had another roller coaster afternoon in the third round of the Waste Mangement Phoenix Open and dropped into a tie for 60th heading into today's finale. Teddy made two birdies and two bogeys on the back nine, then added two birdies and four bogeys on the front for a 2-over 73 to go along with his opening rounds of 71 and 69. He stands at even par 213, 17 strokes behind runaway leader Spencer Levin.
Chris Couch is tied for 39th after rounds of 70-68-72-210, and Camilo Villegas is in the deadlock at No. 60 after posting rounds of 71-67-75-213.
 
Potter, Villegas, Couch Make Phoenix Open Cut
(February 4, 2012) - Ted Potter rebounded from another near-disastrous beginning and made his third PGA Tour cut Friday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Ted began on Thursday with birdie on the fourth hole, but followed with double bogeys on 5 and 6 and a bogey on 7 to quickly drop to four over par. He birdied the ninth to turn in 38, 3 over. On the back side, Ted's round was cut off by darkness with five holes to play, but on the split nine, he birdied 13, 15 and 17 for a 33 and an even-par round of 71.
Later on Friday, Ted began on the back and bogeyed No. 16 for 37. But he rebounded again and made birdies on 2, 3 and 8 for 32 and a round of 69. At 2 under, he easily made the cut, which was projected at even par even though there were more than 30 players still on the course when darkness fell.
Camilo Villegas shot 71-67-138, and Chris Couch checked in with 70-68-138 and were tied for 22nd.

(February 1, 2012) - Ted Potter makes his fourth start of the PGA Tour season tomorrow in the $6.1 million Waste Management Phoenix Open to be played at TPC Scottsdale in Scottsdale, Arizona. The first-place check will be $1,098,000. Also among the entries are Chris Couch and Camilo Villegas. Matt Every is taking the week off.
     TPC Scottsdale is a par-71 that stretches out to 7,216 yards, with just three par 5s.

(January 30, 2012) - Ted Potter missed his first cut in his third start on the PGA Tour after rounds of 74-73-147, 3 over par. The cut came at 2 under. In his second round, he began on the back nine, bogeyed 10 and 15 and double bogeying the par-3 16th to go four over right off the bat. But he eagled the par-5 18th to turn in 38. On the front side, Ted birdied No. 5 for 35 and 1-over-73. He dropped 15 spots to 55th on the money list with $109,655.
Camilo Villegas shot 65-72-70-73-280, 8 under, tied for 22nd and earned $57,600. Chris Couch msised the cut by one stroke with 74-69-143, while Matt Every missed the cut with 74-78-152.

Four-Hole Disaster Derails Potter
(January 27, 2012) - A disastrous four-hole streak on the front nine put Ted Potter in a precarious position after Thursday's first round of the $6 million Farmers Insurance Open in La Jolla. Ted shot out of the gate with birdies at the first two holes and a par on No. 3, but a run of bogey-bogey-double bogey-bogey on 4 through 7 derailed him in a hurry. He then played the next 11 holes in 1-under, with a lone birdie at No.9, and wound up with 38-36-74. At two over, he's 12 strokes off the leaders and four behind what appears could be the cut line of minus 2.
     Camilo Villegas was off to a fast start with a 7-under 65, while Chris Couch and Matt Every joined Ted in the group at 2 over.

Potter Closes With 69, Ties for 54th
(January 23, 2012) - Ted Potter completed an up-and-down 72 holes at the Humana Challenge in La Quinta, Ca. on Sunday, finishing with 64-73-73-69-279, 9 under par, and tieing for 54th place. The check for $12,488 raised his earnings for his first two events to $109,655, but he dropped 14 spots on the money list from 26th to 40th.
After his disappointing 73 in the second round, Ted was cruising along on the back nine Saturday (his first nine) with three birdies and five pars on the first eight holes, and had taken it to 10 under par. That's when severe wind and rain caused the round to be suspended. When play resumed on Sunday morning, Ted immediately took a double bogey on the par-5 18th and dropped to a one-under 35. He then took a pair of bogeys on the front nine, without a birdie, for his 73.
On Sunday, Ted again began on the back nine and caught fire, birdieing the 11th hole and 15 through 18 to turn in 5-under 31. He couldn't keep it going on the front, however, taking eight pars and a double bogey on the par-3 fifth for 38-31-69. Even with three double bogeys over the final 54 holes, Ted still finished at 9 under.
Former Gainesviller Chris Couch missed the cut with 74-68, 2 under. Camilo Villegas played well in his first event and picked up check for $72,800.

Potter Falters in Second Round at La Quinta
     (January 21, 2012) - Ted Potter's momentum in his second PGA Tour start took a momentary detour on Friday when he double bogeyed the final hole in the Humana Challenge and wound up with a 1-over-par 73. It was the first time in six PGA rounds that he posted an over-par round.
      Ted began the day at La Quinta at 8-under and in a tie for third place, but made no headway on the front nine, taking eight pars and a bogey for 37. He began the back nine with a birdie at 10, but gave it back with a bogey at the par-5 11th. Birdies on 14 and 15 got him back to one under, but the double on the par-5 18th dropped him back to 7 under and he fell all the way back into a tie for 49th. The leaders, Ben Crane, David Toms and Mark Wilson, are 16 under.
     Ted tees off at 1 p. m. EST today in the third round, again playing with Erik Compton, and the cut will be made after today's third round.

Potter Fires Scorching 64 at Humana Challenge
(January 20, 2012) - Ted Potter let the world know that his tie for 13th in his PGA Tour debut at last week's Sony Open wasn't a fluke with an eye-opening performance in the first round of the Humana Challenge on Thursday. Ted's 8-under-64 left him just one stroke off the leaders, Camilo Villegas and David Toms, and in a four-way deadlock for third at PGA West in La Quinta, Ca.
     Ted began on the back nine and birdied 11, 12 and 16 to get it to 3 under quickly, before bogeying 18 to turn in 34. But he put it in overdrive on the first tee, birdieing the first five holes to make a sharp climb up the leaderboard. He closed with a birdie on 9 and finished with nine birdies, tied for No. 1 in the strong field.
     Ted's driving distance - 292.5 - was a great improvement over last week, and he wound up the round with just 24 putts.
Once again, the Ocala/Gainesville area was prominent with former long-time Gainesville resident Villegas tieing for the lead, much like Matt Every and Ted did at last week's Sony. Every was tied for sixth last week but isn't playing in the Humana.
     In the Hooters Tour Winter Series event at Red Tail Golf Club in Sorrento, there was a three-way deadlock for the lead at 14 under, and T. J. Bordeaux was the playoff winner. One of those in the playoff was Danny Ellis of Heathrow, winner of the Ocala Open at Candler Hills three years ago. He earned $6,100.
     Tyson Alexander of Gainesville posted rounds of 70-68-69-207, tieing for 11th at 9 under, and made his first cut in just two starts this season. He collected $2,338. Tyson made 15 birdies and an eagle over the 54 holes, but added four bogeys and had two doubles in the first round which proved to be his undoing.

 


Potter Finishes Tied for 13th in PGA Tour Debut
(January 16, 2012) - After Ted Potter birdied the 10th hole at the Waialae Country Club on Sunday and moved to 10 under par, he was - briefly - just one stroke off the lead in the final round of the SONY Open in Hawaii. But Ted couldn't keep up the pace, making bogeys on 14 and 17 and finishing at 8 under, eventually falling to five strokes off the pace. It still marked an awesome start to his PGA Tour career, as he wound up in a tie for 13th place and earned his first check for $97,167. It was the third biggest payday of his career, behind the checks he received for the two victories he posted on the Nationwide Tour last year.
     Before the bogey on No. 14, the Golf Channel announcers had been making much of the fact that Ted had played his last 36 holes without making a bogey - the last five holes on Friday, 18 on Saturday, and the first 13 on Sunday.
Ted began the final round at 8 under and got it to nine with a birdie on No. 5, turning in 34. He birdied 10 to get right in the thick of the action, as there were about 15 players within two shots of the lead. But it was Johnson Wagner who kept it going best as he won his third career tournament.
     Still, Ted's first entry onto the PGA money list comes in 26th place. He also received 56 FedEx Cup points and is 27th on that list. Only two events have been played, but it's an auspicious start for Ted, especially considering he was playing the Hooters Tour Winter Series at this time last year.
     Ted is now entered in this week's Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation to be played at the PGA West Palmer Course in La Quinta, California. The purse is $5.6 million, with $1,008,000 to the winner.
     Former Gator Matt Every, who was deadlocked for the lead at 12 under entering the final round, got off to a horrendous start and dropped back to 8 under, but rallied late and finished in a tie for sixth place, earning $178,063. He's tied for 16th on the money list, and with 89 FedEx Cup points is tied for 16th on that list.
 
Potter On the Verge of Big PGA Payday
(January 15, 2012) - Despite beginning the third round of the SONY Open in Hawaii just six strokes off the pace and tied for 30th, Ted Potter received very little air time Saturday on Golf Channel. But the time he did get made up for the snub. Ted came to the 18th hole 2-under-par for the day and 6 under for the tournament, and reached the par-5 18th in two. And Golf Channel had the cameras on him as he drained the eagle putt and went to 8 under, putting him just four behind the surprise co-leaders, Matt Every and Jeff Maggert.
Playing with PGA Tour veteran Jerry Kelly didn't impact negatively on Ted and he opened with eight straight pars before making birdie on the par-5 ninth to turn in 34. After pars at 10 and 11, he birdied 13 and parred the next four to set up the 18th-hole heroics.
At 8 under, Ted goes into his first PGA Tour Sunday tied for eighth, and will play in the fifth twosome from the end in the company of Sang-Moon Bae, at 12:25 Hawaii time, which equates to 5:25 EST. Golf Channel's coverage begins at 7 p. m. when Ted should be on the sixth or seventh hole.
With a total purse of $5.5 million, and $990,000 to the winner, even a 10th-place finish would net Ted nearly $150,000 and get his PGA career of to a flying start.
Aside from former Gainesville resident Every, other former Gators who made the cut are Chris DiMarco and Brian Gay.


Potter Makes First PGA Tour Cut

(January 13, 2012) - Unlike his first foray onto the Nationwide Tour in 2004, when he missed all 24 cuts in 24 appearances, Ted Potter made the cut Friday with room to spare in his initial PGA Tour appearance.
     Ted tacked another 2-under-par 68 onto his opening 68 and at the halfway point stands at 136, 4 under par, and is in tied for 30th place heading into today's third round at the SONY Open in Honolulu. The halfway leader at the par-70 Waialae Country Club is another Golfer favorite, former Gator Matt Every, who added a 64 to his opening 66 and is at 10 under. Like Teddy, Every reached the Tour this year via the Nationwide Tour's top 25 list in 2011.
     Ted had it to 4 under early in Friday's round with birdies at the first and third holes. Then he bogeyed No. 6, but got that one back with a birdie at the par-5 ninth to turn in 33. On the back nine, he bogeyed 10, birdied 11, then closed with seven pars for a 35. Also making the cut were the three Nationwide golfers who finished alongside Ted at the top of the money list, leader J.J. Killeen (3 under), Jason Kokrak (one under) and Steve Wheatcroft (3 under). The cut came at minus 1.
     Ted tees off today in the company of veteran Jerry Kelly at 11:06 Hawaii time, which is 4:06 our time. The Golf Channel coverage begins at 7 p. m. so Ted will be midway on the back nine at air time and should get plenty of coverage if he continues to make birdies.
 

Potter Debuts on PGA Tour With 68 at SONY Open

(January 13, 2012) - Ted Potter passed the first hurdle on the first day of his long-awaited debut on the PGA Tour.
     Ted overcame a slow start on the 7,068-yard Waialae Country Club in Honolulu and fired a two-under-par 68 in the opening round of the SONY Open on Thursday. It left him five strokes behind surprise leader Graham DeLaet, who shot a 7-under 63, but put Ted comfortably in a tie for 30th place.
Ted began on the back nine in the company of Will Claxton and Toshinori Muto, and made seven pars, along with bogeys on the 13th and 17th holes, to turn in two-over 37 on the par 35-35-70 layout. After a par on No. 1, Ted made one of those patented runs for which he has become known, birdieing Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 6, then taking a bogey on 7, and closing out with a birdie on the par-five ninth for a front-nine 31.
     The trio teed of at 12:50 Hawaii time, which is 5:50 EST, so Ted had played just a few holes when Golf Channel came on the air at 7 p. m. and he received substantial air time from the people who call him "The Wizard," based on the Harry Potter books and movies. The first shot they showed Ted hitting was on a par-4 where he was blocked from the green by a huge tree and had to hit a low cut around it to have a chance to get home. He executed it perfectly, getting the ball to the front of the green, two-putted, and received high praise frof the Golf Channel crew.
     Ted averaged just 276 yards off the tee, which put him way down in 130th place in that category for the first 18 holes. But he was tied for ninth in putts per greens in regulation with an average of 1.583 - he had 28 putts, and hit 100 percent in sand saves.
     Ex-Gator and former Gainesville resident Matt Every celebrated a triumphant return to the tour with a solid, 4-under 66 that put him in a tie for fifth place.

 

Potter Entourage Off to Hawaii for SONY Open
(January 11, 2012) - Ted Potter's breakthrough season on the Nationwide Tour in 2011 netted him more than $402,000 and a place on the PGA Tour beginning tomorrow in Hawaii. Prior to the breakthrough last April, he was way out in front on the money list on the Hooters Tour with $67,793. With that financial stability, Ted was able to give his parents, who have been behind him wholeheartedly since his career began, a well-deserved vacation at the SONY Open. Ted, his parents, and girlfriend Cherie, left for Hawaii over the weekend.
The first full field event will be played at the 7,068-yard Waialae Country Club and has a purse of $5.5 million, with $990,000 to the winner. Waialae is a par 70, with just two par fives.
Ted tees off at 8:20 a. m. Hawaii time in the company of fellow former Nationwide player Will Claxton and Toshinori Muto. Golf Channel airs the tournament beginning at 7 p. m., and I don't have the faintest idea if that means Ted will be playing during the live airing or if his segment will be taped. At any rate, let's hope he plays well enough to get some air time, either way. Nothing can do more for his confidence than making the cut in his first try.
Pro Jeff Hill, now managing Edwin Watts on Route 200 in Ocala, has played with Ted often since the Nationwide Tour season ended and says Ted is hitting the ball as well as he ever has, so that's a good sign. Not having to worry financially is also a positive.
Tiger is not entered in this one, nor is Phil, but it's a highly competitive field and includes Lucas Glover, Zach Johnson, Charles Howell III, Justin Leonard, Davis Love, Shigeki Maruyama, Rocco Mediate, Corey Pavin, Rory Sabbatini, Vijay Singh, Steve Stricker and David Toms, along with ex-Gators Chris DiMarco, Matt Every and Brian Gay. Billy Horschel is the sixth alternate and will not make it into this one. And ex-Gators are very strong in the sporting world right now.

 

 

Pappas Advances to Final Stage of Q-School

     (November 21, 2011) - The second stage of the PGA Tour's Q-School has been completed at six courses around the country, and a great many familiar names will not be heading to PGA West on Nov. 30 for the final stage. Here's a capsule look at some who made it, and many more who didn't.
     @TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney, Texas - Brenden Pappas, Ocala's favorite son for about eight years, breezed through the second stage at his new home course. Brenden opened slowly with a 74, but tacked on rounds of 66-65-70 for 13-under 275 and tied for second, one stroke behind Andy Bare. Brenden struggled with back problems on the Nationwide Tour all year and dropped out of "The 25" late in the season, but he can make up for it next week at PGA West.
     Among the others who passed the test were Colt Knost at minus 11, and Carlos Franco at minus 7, which was the cut line. Missing the cut were Todd Hamilton, Tom Scherrer and Paul Stankowski.
     @Southern Hills Plantation in Brooksville - Will Strickler of Gainesville missed the cut by two strokes after shooting 69-72-74-70-285, three under. Among those making it through to PGA West were Robert Gamez (-10), Sam Saunders (-8), Ty Tryon (-6) and Lee Janzen (-5). Among the missing were Robert Damron, Danny Ellis and Frank Lickliter.
     @Redstone Golf Club in Humble, Texas - Shaun Micheel (-8), Jeff Maggert (-7) and Rich Beem (-5) advanced to the final stage; Woody Austin (+1) didn't.
     @Hombre Golf Club in Panama City - A host of familiar names made it - Tommy Armour, Greg Owen, Glen Day, Omar Uresti, Marc Turnesa, Len Mattiace, Dicky Pride, Bob Heintz and Guy Boros. Some who didn't - Casey Wittenberg, Skip Kendall, Blaine McCallister, Peter Lonard.
     @Bear Creek Golf Club, California - David Duval, Jason Gore, Bob May and Dean Wilson advanced. Esteban Toledo, Jeff Brehaut, Craig Barlow and Duffy Waldorf didn't.
     @Plantation Preserve in Plantation, Florida - Jeff Corr of Longwood, who had been Ted Potter's No. 1 rival on the Hooters Tour for several years until Ted graduated to the Nationwide Tour in April, will get his chance at PGA West after shooting 11 under. Among the missing were ex-Gators James Vargas of Miami (-5) and Bubba Dickerson (-5), along with      Tiger's former roommate, Notah Begay (-7), who fell one stroke short. Newcomer Arnand Vongvanij of Gainesville, a more recent ex-Gator, shot 72-72-71-72-287, three over.
     CHAMPIONS TOUR - Only one stage of qualifying was held, at the TPC Scottsdale in Arizona. The top five scorers received exemptions for 2012 - Jeff Freeman (-20) a club pro in Orlando, Gary Hallberg (-16), Jim Rutledge (-16), Jeff Hart (-15) and P. H. Horgan III (-14).
     Finishers 6-12 receive conditional exemptions and Jim Carter took the No. 6 spot with a birdie on the second playoff hole over Bobby Clampett and Sonny Skinner. Carter has a chance to make hay while the sun shines since he can play until Freeman turns 50 in April.
     Bill Glasson, Dick Mast, James Mason and Lance Ten Broeck all shot 11 under and tied for 11th. There were a slew of big names who finished down the list, including Mike Donald, Keith Clearwater, Dave Rummells, Jim Chancey, Phil Blackmar, Lonnie Nielsen, Danny Edwards, Tim Simpson, Tom Byrum, Steve Jones, Joel Edwards, David Peoples, Ben Bates and Willie Wood. Gene Jones and Mitch Adcock, who both won events at Candler Hills, also missed out. However, those who finished in the top 30 are eligible for the open qualifiers in all co-sponsored events.
 
Tyson Alexander Misses in First Stage of Q-School
     (November 14, 2011) - The 13 courses that hosted the PGA Tour's first stages of Q-School were filled with names familiar to golf fans from all sections of the country. An eclectic assortment of swingers turned out for the first step in what they hope will be - for a great percentage of them - a return to the Tour. But there were also a barnful of players with impressive resumes collected at the U. S. Amateur, NCAA Championship, and various college regionals, along with the Nationwide and Hooters tours.
     At Kinderlou Forest in Valdosta, Georgia, where Ted Potter kicked off his magnificent 2011 campaign on the Nationwide Tour in April, Tyson Alexander missed the cut after shooting 73-72-70-75-290, two over. It took two under to advance to the second stage. At Port St. Lucie, former Gator All-American Arnand Vongvanij made it at the final qualifying spot, a tie for 21st, after rounds of 67-71-68-76-282, six under.
At St. John's Golf & Country Club in St. Augustine, Arnold Palmer's grandson, Sam Saunders, was the medalist with 17-under 271. But Andres Echavarria of Gainesville, who recently turned pro, missed the cut with 77-71-67-69-284, four under. It took 10 under to advance.
     In Lakeland, at Grasslands Golf & Country Club, ex-Gator James Vargas of Miami, who enjoyed an excellent season on the Hooters Tour, tied for fifth and advanced with 67-69-71-69-276, 12 under. Phillip Choi, who spent two years at Florida, tied for 34th with even-par 288. It took six under to make it to the next level.
In Alabam,a at the Auburn University Club, ex-Gator Brett Stegmaier was 15 over and missed the cut, while in McKinney, Texas, former teenage phenom Ty Tryon of Orlando tied for 15th with two-under 286.
There are six venues for the second stage, all of which begin this week, leading up to the grueling, six-day final stage at PGA West in California on Nov. 5.
 
Potter Seeking New Heights for 2012
     (November 8, 2011) - It has been a life-changing year for Ted Potter since his decision to try to Monday qualify for the South Georgia Classic in Valdosta in April. From no status on the Nationwide Tour, he went to full-time player, top 25 regular, second in the money standings, and now full-time player on the 2012 PGA Tour.
     Here are some of the most pertinent facts about Teddy's season:
His $402,470 in Nationwide earnings, added to the $72,000-plus he made on the Hooters Tour early in the season, and the $7,000 for the Ocala Open, and other mini-tour events, put his combined total for the year to around $500,000. So there's no cash problem next season as he travels to the new venues for the first time.
In 2004, the year of Ted's infamous first trip to the Nationwide Tour, his average per round was 75.69. That improved to 74.95 in 2007, 70.69 in 2010, and 69.12 this year.
Ted played 18 events this year, and made 12 cuts. He had two victories, two thirds, 6 top 10s, and 9 top 25s. So in 12 events where he made the cut, he only finished out of the top 25 three times.
     All of this even though he finished 89th in driving distance at 289.9. However, he was sixth in driving accuracy at 72.79 percent, third in greens-in-regulation at 73.98, and fifth in birdie average, making 4.50 per round. He had 270 bidies in all, and ranked 18th in eagles with 9. With those 279 birdies and eagles, he ranked fourth in par breakers, an impressive statistic considering he missed the first five or six events of the season.
     But the most impressive stat of all, notwithstanding his surprising money finish, was that in the All-Around Ranking, adding up the eight categories of driving, putting, birdies, eagles, etc., Ted finished first. He scored a low of 180 points. In 2004, when he missed all 24 cuts for the season, his All-Around Ranking figure was 831, and there were 133 players who were better.
     His scoring average for the first two rounds was 69.08 (5th), for the third round 69.00 (8th), and for the fourth 69.58 (15th).
     The immediate goal for next season is to make the top 125 and retain the exemption for 2013. The bigger goals are (1) to win a tournament, and (2) play well enough to make it into at least some of the elite events - The Players Championship, the Masters, the U. S. Open, the Memorial, the PGA Championship and even the British Open.
It's a tall order, but what Ted did this year was, too.

Potter and Every Graduate; Ted Finishes Second on Money List
     (October 31,2011) - It's all over. Ted Potter and Matt Every will play on the PGA Tour in 2012. Brenden Pappas and Camilo Benedetti will not.
     Like most of the field, Ted couldn't solve the weather conditions of the last two days at Daniel Island but still finished with 67-72-75-72-286, two under par. He tied for 12th and collected his final paycheck of his improbable Nationwide Tour season, $19,600.
     The check lifted Ted into second place on the money list with $402,470, just a stone's throw behind leader J. J. Killeen's $414, 273. Ted and J. J. became just the 14th and 15th players in the 22 years of the combined Nationwide/Ben Hogan/Nike/Buy.com Tours to surpass the $400,000 mark. And Ted accomplished the feat even though he didn't play in his first event until April.
     Ex-Gator Every finished in a tie with Ted for 12th place with 71-68-72-75-286, and his $19,600 payday raised his earnings to $229,066, good for 18th on the list. Matt won the Nationwide Tour Championship in 2009 and played the PGA Tour last year, earning a respectable $456,847. He also played three PGA events in 2007 and 2006.
Benedetti, the ex-Gator who made Gainesville his home for many years after graduation before moving to Orlando, made a gallant try at breaking into "The 25" in his final event. He shot 67-70-74-73-284, four under, and collected $36,500. But it wasn't enough to vault him into the elite circle from his 49th position going in. Camilo did manage to get up to No. 35 with $151,654 in the bank, and it was his best season ever.
     Brenden's season was hugely disappointing after he won the abbreviated event in Colombia early in the year. The long-time Ocalan was forced to withdraw from a slew of tournments with back problems, and never got it going when he did compete. His 77-71-71-77-296 earned him just $3,587, and he finished in the No. 41 spot with $137,918.

     (October 30, 2011) - Windy and brisk conditions at Daniel Island Saturday wreaked havoc with the scores in the Nationwide Tour Championship, and only eight of the 60 players were able to break par. Scott Brown shot the best round of the day, a 5-under-par 67 that moved him up from 31st place to a tie for second at six under. He's one behind leader Jason Kokrak, who stumbled his way around the course like most of the others in the 25-mile-an-hour winds and has the lead at seven under heading into today's huge finale.
     The tough conditions hurt Ted Potter, who made just three birdies and added six bogeys for a 75. He's tied for 14th at 2 under and tees off at 11:30 this morning. Matt Every managed to scratch out an even-par 72 with three bogeys and three birdies and is tied for fourth at 5 under. Camilo Benedetti made two birdies for a front-nine 34 and was right in the thick of the battle, but four bogeys and a 40 on the back dropped him into the tie for fourth. He still has a big shot at a top three finish which will get him a PGA card. Ex-Gators Every and Benedetti tee of in company at 12:20.
     Brenden Pappas, whose 77 had him 60th and last after the first round, was one of the eight players under par Saturday, as he posted his second straight 71 and at 3 over moved up to a tie for 37th. He goes off at 9:49.

Potter Makes the Most of TV Time
     (October 27, 2011) - From the time Ted Potter won the South Georgia Classic in Valdosta as a Monday qualifier in April, right up through the Miccosukee Championship in Miami last week, he was a victim of limited TV exposure. Ted's Georgia victory, and his subsequent score in California, came during weeks when the Nationwide Tour was missing from Golf Channel's TV lineup. In other events, he was either finished when the cameras began rolling, or on a nine where there were no cameras. So viewers only got to see bits and pieces of the Ocala southpaw all season.
That all changed today in the Tour Championship at Daniel Island near Charleston. The 60 players shooting for the $180,000 prize, and/or a shot at the PGA Tour in 2012, were sent off in reverse order of their standing on the money list. That put Ted in the final twosome of the day with leader J. J. Killeen.
     For the first part of the telecast, the Golf Channel producers were content with zeroing in on the players on the bubble of "The 25," including Billy Hurley III, who is in the 25th spot. But when those players finished their rounds, it was all Teddy and J. J. in the final group, and Matt Goggin and Jason Koncak in front of them, who became the focus of all the coverage. And Teddy made believers of anybody who may not have believed before.
He shot a flawless bogey-free round of 5-under 67, making birdies on 3, 5, 6, 12 and 17, while Killeen struggled to keep up with him. But J. J. wasn't up to the task, and had to make two late birdies just to shoot a 2-over 74, leaving himself seven strokes in arrears heading into Friday's second round. If Teddy keeps that kind of distance between himself and his rival for 72 holes, he'll wind up as the leading money-winner on the Tour - as long as he also holds Goggin and Koncak safe. Goggin shot 70 in the opener and Koncak is tied with Teddy at 67.
     Another in the deadlock for second is ex-Gator Camilo Benedetti, who has made monster strides up the money list in recent weeks - into 49th place - and can actually move into "The 25" with a high finish. If it ended today, he'd be 21st.
Matt Every, a shoo-in for "The 25," shot 71 and is tied for 20th, but Brenden Pappas shot the worst round of the day, a 5-over 77, and is all alone in 60th.

Potter Moves Into Second Place on Nationwide Money List
     (October 24, 2011) - The Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open proved one thing: if a course is tough enough, there won't be winning scores on the Nationwide Tour of 20 or 25 under par. That was the case at the TPC Sawgrass over the weekend as          Gavin Coles won with a 72-hole total of six under. In fact, only six players broke par.
Ted Potter's quest to take the money title despite an abbreviated season came a little closer to reality with only the Tour Championship remaining on the schedule. Ted shot 70-67-71-72-280, even par, and finished in a four-way tie for seventh. That equated to check for $18,075, which brought his total for the year to $382,870. He passed Matt Goggin for second place on the list, and he's $26,603 behind J. J. Killeen's $409,473. And, if it wasn't for the 17th hole at Sawgrass, Ted might already be in the lead.
     Over the four days of the event, Ted made double bogey six three times on the 17th hole. If he had parred the hole all three days he would have tied for first. A par and two bogeys and he'd be the leading money-winner, etc.
Camilo Benedetti destroyed his chance for a high finish on Sunday when he took a seven on the par-3 11th hole. He finished with 74 for 281, 1 over par, and a diminished check for $11,914. That brought his total to $115,154, good for 49th on the money list and a spot in the Tour Championship at Daniel Island this week. Matt Every posted rounds of 71-69-72-72-284 and tied for 22nd, earning $3,000. He's 16th on the money list with $209,466.
     At the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic at Disney, Will Strickler's 69-69-70-73-281, 7 under, was good for a tie for 37th and marked only the fifth time in 19 events all year Will finished under par in a tournament. He earned his second biggest check of the season - $20,210 - and banked $109,031 overall. Chris DiMarco shot 5-under 283 and tied for 46th, while Mark Calcavecchia shot 3-under 285 and tied for 59th.

All On the Line at Tour Championship
     (October 24,2011) - Apart from Q-School, this week's Nationwide Tour Championship at Daniel Island is the only event left on the schedule, other than the silly season made-for-TV junk. Only the top 60 money-winners made it into the tournament, including Ted Potter, Brenden Pappas, Matt Every, Camilo Benedetti and another ex-Gator star, Bubba Dickerson. There are also a bevy of former PGA Tour stalwarts and winners entered, such as Marco Dawson, Kirk Triplett, Casey Wittenberg, Daniel Chopra and Brett Wetterich, all itching to get back to the big time. The 72-hole event carries a purse of $1 million, with $180,000 to the winner, so there can be severe changes to "The 25" before it's over. Pappas made his first foray to the PGA Tour almost a decade ago with a second-place finish in the Tour Championship that moved him way up the list after it seemed almost impossible for him to get into the top 15, which was the number at the time.
Potter has his position locked up and is now shooting for the money title, and Every appears safe, too. Pappas can make it back with a solid performance, but Benedetti, in 49th place with $115,154, will have to get a first or second ($108,000) to have a chance. The 25th spot going in is held by Billy Hurley with $167,151 in the till.

Potter Enhances Chance to Be Nationwide's No. 1
     (October 22, 2011) - Ted Potter put himself squarely in position to take over the top rung on the Nationwide Tour's money list Friday after a second-round 31-36-67 at the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open in Ponte Vedra. After 36 holes, Ted stands at 3 under par and is tied for seventh place, just three strokes off the leaders. He came into the next-to-last event on the Nationwide schedule needing less than $1,000 to pass second-place Matt Goggin, and about $40,000 to catch leader J. J. Killeen. Both Goggin and Killeen missed the cut at the TPC Sawgrass course.
Just by being around for the weekend and getting a paycheck, Ted will automatically pass Goggin, and he needs a top three finish to reel in Killeen. Ted came to the 17th hole Friday at 4 under, the same par 4 he double bogeyed on Thursday during his even-par 70 round. And he took another double Friday to go back to 2 under, but salvaged the day with a birdie on 18. For the day, he made seven birdies, two bogeys and the double.
     Brenden Pappas, fighting to make it into "The 25," shot even par on the front side Friday after his 77 on Thursday, and wasn't even close to the cut line heading to No. 10. But he made four birdies on the first eight holes and was one shot inside the cut line at the time, which was plus 4. But Brenden bogeyed No. 18 to go to plus 4, and eventually the line moved up to plus 3, and he was on the outside looking in. He'll need a big finish at the Tour Championship coming up at Daniel Island to regain his PGA exemption.
     Matt Every posted rounds of 71-69, even par, and is tied for 18th, with his return to the big time already ensured. All that remains is where he will finish on the money list. Camilo Benedetti, enjoying a solid second half of the season, continued his stellar play with 70-68-138, and at 2 under is tied for 10th, just four strokes off the top spot. Camilo will easily make it into the Tour Championship, it's just a matter of what spot he'll be in while trying to snag his PGA exemption.
At the Children's Miracle Network Classic, Billy Horschel missed the cut with 73-69-142. He made three birdies and no bogeys at Disney to finish at minus 2, but missed the cut by one stroke. Will Strickler posted rounds of 69-69-138, 6 under, and is tied for 20th behind three players who are at 12 under, including Justin Leonard. Chris Couch missed the cut after following up his Thursday 69 with a 76 for 145. Chris DiMarco made the cut with 70-68-138, as did Champions Tour player Mark Calcavecchia, who rebounded with 74-67-141, 3 under, to get in right on the cut line.
 
Potter Shoots Even Par; Benedetti Makes Hole-in-One
     (October 21, 2011) - The TPC Sawgrass course proved to be quite a puzzle in Thursday's opening round of the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open, and Ted Potter's even-par round of 36-34-70 put him in a tie for 15th place, just four strokes off the lead. Normally, an even-par round on his initial 18 will leave a player barely above or below the cut line, but the biting cold of the morning helped drop the cut line to plus 3 and kept a lot of competitors in the hunt.
Ted bogeyed the fourth and fifth holes on his front nine, then made four birdies to get it to two under. But a double bogey six on the par-4 17th dropped him back to even.
     Brenden Pappas made his return to the Nationwide Tour but included two double bogeys in his round and wound up shooting 39-38-77 and is tied for 121st. Matt Every made one double and is at 1-over 71, yet still in a tie for 28th. Camilo Benedetti shot 37-33-70 and is in the deadlock at even par. Camilo made a hole-in-one on the fifth hole, but ruined a potential low round with a triple bogey 7 three holes later.
     At the Children's Miracle Network Hospital Classic at Disney's Palm and Magnolia courses, there are seven players tied for the lead at 6 under. Will Strickler shot 33-36-69, 3 under, and is tied for 28th. Will made four birdies and one bogey. Chris Couch is also at 3 under, and included an eagle 3 on the first hole of the Palm on his card. Billy Horschel made three birdies and four bogeys and is tied for 95th at plus 1. The cut line after day one stood at one under.

 

All on the Line in Tour Events in Orlando and Ponte Vedra
     (October 18, 2011) - It's down to one event remaining on the PGA Tour and two on the Nationwide Tour.
The Children's Miracle Network Hospital Classic at Disney seems to have more big names this year than in recent memory as players strive to win the money title, make the top 30 to get into the Tour Championship and into the top 125 to retain their playing privileges for 2012. The Nationwide Tour's next-to-last event is the Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open in nearby Ponte Vedra, at the TPC Sawgrass (Dye's Valley Course) and the money title is up for grabs with Ted Potter having a chance to win it with a solid performance. Also on the hot seat are those on the bubble of "The 25," trying to secure a PGA Tour exemption for next season.
     At Disney, Billy Horschel will make another run at the top 125, and Chris Couch will try to go over the $1 million mark in earnings. Will Strickler will try to get himself untracked and ex-Gators Chris DiMarco and Brian Gay will try to improve their standings. The champions Tour's Mark Calcavecchia, another Gator, will make a rare PGA appearance, as will Tom Lehman. David Love and Retief Goosen are among the notables entered.
     In Ponte Vedra, aside for Teddy, Brenden Pappas will make his last-ditch attempt at getting into "The 25," Camilo Benedetti will try to move up the ladder, Matt Every will try to continue the good play that has him headed back to the big time next season, and Matt Goggin, J. J. Killeen and Jason Kokrak will all be battling Teddy for the money title.

     (October 17, 2011) - Doug Johnson finished the Benhavis Senior Masters in Spain tied for 18th after rounds of 70-71-73-214, 1 over par. He earned 2,259 euros for the effort and remains in 55th place on the European Senior Tour Order of Merit with 31,019 euros earned this year. He'll wind up his European stint in the upcoming Tour Championship.
     Billy Horschel and Matt Every both went into the final rounds of their respective events Sunday with a chance to win, but neither was up to the task. Billy had one of those meltdown days that happen to every Tour player at some time, but this one really hurt as it prevented him from breaking into the top 125 on the PGA Tour money list this week. He shot 38-37-75 at the McGladrey Classic in Sea Island, which included a triple bogey 7 on a par 4 and a double bogey 6 on the par-4 18th. He wound up with 64-64-70-75-273, 7 under, and tied for 20th, earning $43,333. That only moved him from 139th to 137th with a bank account of $533,024. A top 10 finish would have vaulted him up another 10 or 12 spots as the Tour season comes down to the wire.
     Matt also faltered on closing day with a 72 and finished at 273, 11 under at the Miccosukee Championship in Miami. But he hung on for a deadlock for third and took home $31,200. That raised his take for the year to $206,466 and moved him into 15th place on the money list, ensuring his return to the PGA Tour next season. Matt bogeyed the 15th and 18th holes to severely cut his paycheck.
     Chris Couch shot 69-69-71-69-278, 2 under, at the McGladrey and earned $9,080 for his tie for 54th. He's made 16 of 20 cuts and is 95th on the money list with $922,496.
     Camilo Benedetti shot 66-70-70-73-279 at the Miccosukee and tied for 32nd at 5 under. His check for $3,360 raised his bank account to $103,240 and he remained at 52nd on the Nationwide money list.

Ex-Gators Horschel and Every in Sunday Spotlight
     (October 16, 2011) - There are more ex-Gators than any school in the country playing on the PGA and Nationwide Tours, but it would be difficult to recall when two of them came into Sunday's final round with a chance to sweep both tour's events on the same weekend. But that's the scenario today as Billy Horschel and Matt Every sit in second place in the McGladrey Classic in Sea Island, Ga., and the Miccosukee Championship in Miami, respectively.
Horschel went into Saturday's round at Sea Pines at 12 under and in the lead, and the TVG cameras followed him the entire way. He promptly birdied the first two holes to go up by three. But he didn't make another birdie all day although he came close on many occasions with putts that just missed. A double bogey six on the par-4 16th when he hit his tee shot in a hazard knocked him out of the lead. Billy finished at 12 under, one stroke behind new leader Michael Thompson, his friend from the SEC days when Thompson starred at Alabama. Thompson won the SEC Championship in 2008 and Horschel won it in 2009.
     Horschel has taken great strides upward on the PGA money list in recent weeks and sits in 139th place with $489,690. Anything better than a 10th-place finish will move him into the top 125, or close to it. If he hangs around the top five today, he'll make it easily heading into the Disney event next week.
Chris Couch, another ex-Gator, has posted rounds of 69-69-71-209, 1 under and is tied for 57th. Chris has his spot in the top 125 well secured - he's in 95th place with $913,416 in the bank.
In Miami, Every's rounds of 70-64-67-201 have him at 12 under and he's all alone in second, three strokes behind big hitter Jason Kokrak, rolling along at 15 under. Matt is 16th on the money list at $175,266 and should cement his return to the PGA Tour with any kind of under-par round today. The 25th spot is held by Daniel Chopra with $147,537.
    Camilo Benedetti has posted rounds of 66-70-70-206, 7 under, and is tied for 15th. Camilo is 52nd on the list with $99,880 in his quest to remain in the top 60 in order to make it into the Tour Championship at Daniel Island in two weeks.
Over in Spain, Doug Johnson added an even-par 71 onto his opening round of 70 in the Benhavis Senior Masters and is tied for 14th heading into the Sunday finale. Doug started out Saturday birdie, double bogey, bogey, but came back with three birdies and just one bogey the rest of the way. Leader Carl Mason is 9 under.

Potter Misses Cut in Miami; Horschel Leads in Sea Pines
     (October 15, 2011) - After shooting 1-over-par 72 in the first round of the Miccosukee Championship in Miami, Ted Potter had a chance to make the cut (-3) Friday when he was sailing along at 4-under for the day through 11 holes. But he bogeyed the 12th and 18th for a round of 69 and missed the cut by two strokes. Coincidentally, the two players ahead of him on the Nationwide Tour money list, J. J. Killeen and Matt Goggin, both missed the cut, too. So Ted still has the opportunity to pass one or both in the final two events.
     Matt Every, who has all but solidified his position on the money list, made an emphatic statement over the first 36 holes with rounds of 70-64-134, 8 under, and moved up from 64th to a tie for fifth heading into today's round. Jason Konrak leads at 13 under. Camilo Benedetti's rounds of 66-70-136, 6 under, left him in a tie for 16th heading to the weekend. Camilo has made 11 birdies in two days. James Vargas, getting a rare Nationwide chance at the event being played in his hometown, shot 70-69-139, right on the cut line, and is tied for 52nd. Manuel Villegas missed the cut after rounds of 69-72-141.
     At the McGladrey Classic in Sea Pines, Ga., Billy Horschel, who has been on fire the last two months, moved to the top of the board after 36 holes with 64-64-128, 12 under, and holds a two-stroke lead at the halfway point. Billy has taken great strides up the money list in recent weeks and, notwithstanding winning it all, just needs to hold together for a high finish to ensure his return to the PGA for his sophomore year. Bill has made an eagle, 12 birdies and two bogeys. Chris Couch made the cut with 69-69-138, 2 under, but Will Strickler (76-73-149) and Chris DiMarco (70-77) won't be playing on the weekend.
     Doug Johnson, who last week announced his imminent retirement, made it into the Benhavis Senior Masters in Spain and shot 1-under 35-36-71 in Friday's opening round. Doug made three birdies and two bogeys over the 6,449-yard La Quinta Golf and Country Club course.

 
Nationwide Tour Winds Down To Precious Few
     (October 12, 2011) - The Nationwide Tour season is winding down with just three important events remaining, this week's Miccosukee Championship in Miami, then Ponte Vedra next week, and the season-ending Tour Championship in Charleston. The most important perk on the line is "The 25," making the top 25 in money-winnings in order to secure an automatic exemption on the PGA Tour for 2012. Then comes the top 60 - in the next two weeks, players will be trying to slip into the top 60 to ensure making it into the final event. And, there's the task of Ted Potter, who will be trying to pass J. J. Killeen and Matt Goggin and become the tour's leading money-winner. He is currently in third place, less than $1,000 behind Goggin and less than $40,000 from Killeen.
     The Miccosukee will be played at the Miccosukee Golf & Country Club in Miami, the course formerly known as Miami National Golf Club until it was bought by the Miccosukee tribe in 2001. It is a par-71, measuring 7,200 yards, with three par fives, one of them at 615 yards. There are also a host of former Gators entered, along with a slew of former PGA players. The Gators are Matt Every, Manuel Villegas, James Vargas, Camilo Benedetti and Bubba Dickerson. The former Tour players include Andrew Magee, Len Mattiace, Carl Paulson, Dicky Pride, Gene Sauers, Patrick Sheehan, Kirk Triplett, Duffy Waldorf, Brett Wetterich and Jay Williamson, among others.
The PGA Tour is in Sea Island, Georgia for the McGladrey Classic over the Seaside Course. Davis Love is Sea Island's most famous resident, and he'll be playing, along with Billy Horschel, Will Strickler and Chris DiMarco. Horschel is 139th on the money list with $489,690 and will be striving to keep up his recent stellar play in order to reach the top 125.
     Also entered is Shane Bertsch, who had a huge T-4 at last week's Frys.com Open to move from 174th to 140 on the money list. The fourth-place finish was the best ever on the PGA Tour for Shane, who once hailed from Palatka,
The European Senior Tour is in Marbella, Spain for the Benahavis Senior Masters, and Doug Johnson appears to be too far down the alternate list to make it into the field. Doug announced last week that this will be his final year playing in Europe, and that he is retiring after this season. We'll find out just what that means in the coming weeks.


Potter Misses Chance for Second on Money List

     (October 10, 2011) - Ted Potter lost his chance to move into second place on the Nationwide Tour money list Sunday when he double bogeyed two holes at the Children's Hospital Classic and closed with a 2-over-par 74. That left Ted at 279, 9 under, and in a tie for 44th, as he raised his earnings to $364,795, just a stone's throw from second-place Matt Goggin. Miguel Carballo won the event at 24 under.
     Ted made no less than 23 birdies over the 72 holes, but 10 bogeys and the two late doubles did him in.
Matt Every took advantage of his position going in and fired a final-round 67 for 269, 19 under, and finished in fourth place by himself. Matt moved up to 16th on the money list with $175,266 and is all but assured of returning to the PGA Tour in 2012 with just three events remaining on the schedule, in Miami, Ponte Vedra and Charleston for the Tour Championship.
At the Frys.com Open, Billy Horschel continued the excellent play that had moved him up to 154th on the money list last week and closed with a sensational 65 for 11-under 273. His check for more than $130,000 propelled him up to 139th with $489,690 in his first full season on tour. It was his best payday ever as he made six of the last seven cuts after making just four of his first 16. Billy has two top 10s and five top 25s and is just $19,555 out of the 125th spot - which would give him a full exemption again for next year.
     After his opening-round 73, Tiger Woods shot his third straight 68 and finished at 7 under, his best showing since the Masters.

Potter Can Take Over Second on Money List Today
     (October 9, 2011) - Ted Potter bogeyed the 15th and 18th holes at the Children's Hospital Classic Saturday and after 54 holes is nine strokes behind leader John Mallinger. Ted was sailing along at 4-under par for the day on the Black Creek Mountain course, but the pair of bogeys dropped him to 11 under, and in a tie for 19th place. A good finish today, however, will still get him a paycheck that will easily move him past Matt Goggin into second place on the Nationwide Tour money list.
     Matt Every has fired rounds of 68-68-66-202, 14 under, and is in a deadlock for seventh place. Another good round today and he can solidify his hold on "The 25" to ensure a return to the PGA Tour next season.
At the Frys.com Open, Billy Horschel is tied for 26th after rounds of 72-68-68-208, 5 under par, and is eight strokes behind leader Briny Baird, who is seeking his first PGA victory. Briny holds the dubious distinction of having played the most PGA events of any current player without a victory. He holds a two-stroke lead heading into Sunday. Horschel has made a significant upward move recently and is in 154th place on the PGA money list with $359,378. He's just $19,555 behind           Jason Bohn in 150th place, the spot Billy will have to crack to receive conditional status for next year. The coveted 125th spot is hold by Tim Clark with $571,000.
     Tiger Woods is a stroke behind Horschel with 73-68-68-204, 4 under, after making five birdies and two bogeys on Saturday. Tiger has made 13 birdies in three days, but seven bogeys and a double have kept him from getting close to the top.

Potter Tied for Ninth in Chattanooga
     (October 8, 2011) - Ted Potter added a 3-under-par 69 (34-35) to his opening-round 66 and is tied for ninth after 36 holes of the Children's Hospital Classic played at Black Creek Mountain in Chattanooga. Ted made five birdies and two bogeys over the par-72 layout and is just four strokes off the pace of John Mallinger.
     There are several scenarios at work for Ted this weekend, including the big one where a victory would be his third on the Nationwide Tour this season and give him the coveted battlefield promotion to the PGA Tour. A victory or second-place finish would also vault him past money-leader J. J. Killeen, while anything better than 30th place or so will move him past Matt Goggin into second place on the money list. Killeen and Goggin are not playing this week.
Matt Every, looking to solidify his spot in "The 25," added a second 68 onto his opening round and is tied for 19th at 8 under. For the second straight day, Matt made six birdies and two bogeys. Despite a 68 Friday that also included six birdies and two bogeys, Camilo Benedetti missed the cut (140) by a single stroke at 3 under.
The Frys.com Open in California is all about the return of Tiger Woods, who made the cut despite an opening-round 73. Tiger shot 68 Friday and moved up about 45 spots, making six birdies and three bogeys. The round was suspended late in the day due to darkness.
     Billy Horschel's 72-68-140 has him in a tie for 27th heading into the weekend as he continues his quest to make the top 125. Billy made four birdies and one bogey to remain in contention. Will Strickler, after his 73 Thursday, was even par after 11 holes Friday and needs one birdie over the last seven holes this morning to make the projected cut.

 
Potter Tears Up Black Creek Mountain
     (October 7, 2011) - Ted Potter's quest to rise to the top of the Nationwide Tour money list got off to a flying start Thursday in the $500,000 Children's Hospital Classic in Chattanooga. Ted fired eight birdies and two bogeys for an opening-round 32-34-66 over the Black Creek Mountain Course, and is tied for sixth, three strokes behind leader Nicholas Thompson's 63. He needs about a top 30 finish or better to pass Matt Goggin and move into second place, and a win or a second to catch leader J. J. Killeen. Goggin and Killeen have both passed up this event.
     Matt Every, fighting to remain in the top 25 on the money list, made six birdies and two bogeys and is tied for 21st at 4 under. Camilo Benedetti, looking to remain in the top 60 to advance to the season-ending Tour Championship, began on the back nine with three birdies for a 33, but faltered on the front with one birdie, three bogeys and a double for 40 and a 73.
At the Frys.com Open in California, Billy Horschel posted a 1-over 72, which included a killer triple-bogey 7 on the par-4 eighth hole. He's right on the bubble, tied for 60th. Will Strickler was one stroke behind with 39-34, with a front-nine double bogey hurting his chances. He's tied for 86th. Tiger Woods made his long-anticipated return and shot an uneventful 73 and will have to pick it up today to make the cut.


Teddy and Tiger Return

     (October 4, 2011) - Ted Potter returns to the Nationwide Tour this week for the Children's Hospital Classic to be played at Black Creek Mountain in Chattanooga. It marks the beginning of the all-important four remaining events in October as Ted sets his sights on the money-winning title in his fourth (albeit scattered) season on the Nationwide Tour. Ted is third on the money list with earnings of $362,934, and only J. J. Killeen ($409,473) and Matt Goggin ($365,452) stand in his way. However, neither Killeen nor Goggin is entered this week. The purse is $500,000 with $90,000 to the winner. The course is a par-72 playing 7,040 yards.
     Tiger Woods returns this week, too, in the Frys.com Open at the Corde Valle Golf Club in San Martin, Ca., as he tries to justify captain Fred Couples making him a president's pick for the upcoming President's Cup. Will Strickler, Billy Horschel and Chris DiMarco are all scheduled to play. The purse is $5 million, with $900,000 to the winner.
     The European Senior Tour is off this week.

Horschel Moves Closer to Top 150
     (October 3, 2011) - Billy Horschel closed out the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children'sl Open with a solid 67 Sunday, and wound up tied for 16th behind Kevin Na at 15 under par (66-66-70-67-269). The ex-Gator bogeyed the third hole, but made five birdies thereafter en route to a check for $61,725. That raised his season's take to $359,378 and moved him up from 166th on the money list to 154th, a significant jump. Even if he can't make it into the top 125 by the end of the season, if Billy can crack the top 150, he'll still have conditional status on the PGA Tour for 2012 and will be able to play in enough events to make an impact. He's made 9 of 22 cuts this year, and is only $19,000 away from the 150th spot.
     Will Strickler closed with 1-under 70 and wound up in a tie for 68th at 5-under 279 (66-70-73-70). His check of $8,888 left him in 217th place on the money list and he has a lot of work to do in the remaining events in order to retain his playing privileges for next season.

Johnson's Chances Dashed On Disastrous 12th Hole
     (October 2, 2011) - For one fleeting moment Saturday, it appeared as though Doug Johnson was going to have a major shot at winning his first Senior tournament in Europe.
     Doug began the final round at the Belas Clube de Campo Senior Open de Portugal in a five-way tie for third after rounds of 67-71-138, 6 under par and three strokes off the lead. After taking a bogey on the first hole, Doug turned it up a few notches and birdied the second, sixth and ninth holes for a front-nine 34, and was now 8 under, just one stroke behind.
     After a birdie on No. 10 and a par on 11, he had jumped into a four-way deadlock for the lead with seven to play, and a chance for the first-place prize of 45,000 euros. Then disaster struck. Doug took an 8 on the par-4 12th, dropped back to 5 under, and it was all over. And nobody took the bull by the horns and finished strongly - 9 under went on to win it, as Doug parred the final seven holes. He finished at 211, 5 under, and took home his biggest check of the year, 8,914 euros. That moved him up from 60th on the Order of Merit to 56th with 28,762 euros banked for the season, but it could have been tons better.
      Doug has now earned 294,170 euros playing on the European Senior Tour, and is 100th on the all-time money list.
     At the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open in Las Vegas, Billy Horschel had it to 13 under heading for home until taking bogeys on 16 and 17 to drop back into a tie for 22nd with rounds of 66-66-70-202, 11 under. Nick Watney and Kevin Na are the co-leaders at 17 under. Will Strickler made six bogeys and four birdies Saturday and stands at 209, 4 under, and is tied for 68th.

Horschel, Strickler, Johnson In the Hunt
     (October 1, 2011) - Brenden Pappas and Matt Every both missed the cut in different ways at the Nationwide Tour's WNB Golf Classic in Midland/Odessa, Texas Saturday.. Brenden opened with a 3-under 69 (37-32) Thursday, and only needed to shoot even par Friday to make the cut, which came at minus 3. But he bogeyed the fifth hole on his back nine to put him at 1 over for the day, and he was unable to birdie any of the last four holes. Every opened with 73 and tacked on a 3-under 69 Friday, still falling one stroke short of the cut line. Both are flirting with "The 25" and need to pick up some checks in the final four events of the season.
     In Las Vegas, Billy Horschel was right in the thick of the action at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open after a pair of 66s. After making three birdies and an eagle on Thursday, Billy opened with a double bogey 6 on the first hole Friday, but made a strong comeback with 8 birdies and a bogey on the next 17 holes. He's tied for seventh, just two strokes off the lead. Will Strickler was also prominent after a Thursday 66 which included four birdies, an eagle and one bogey, but two late bogeys on Friday dropped him to a 1-under 70. At 6 under, he's tied for 37th. Will had an eagle in both rounds.
     Doug Johnson was right in the hunt after the first two rounds of the Belas Clube de Campo Senior Open de Portugal after shooting 67-71-138, 6 under par. That put him in a five-way tie for third, just three strokes off the lead going into Saturday's finale. On Thursday, Doug played a bogey-free round, making five birdies. On Friday, he made two birdies for a front-nine 34 that had him up with the leaders, but two birdies and three bogeys on the back dropped him back a notch.
 
Potter Rests, Pappas and Every Continue PGA Tour Quest
     (September 28, 2011) - With his exempt status for the PGA Tour in 2012 firmly secured, Ted Potter is taking off this week as the Nationwide Tour moves to Midland/Odessa, Texas, for the WNB Golf Classic. The event to be played at the Midland Country Club is worth $525,000, with $94,500 to the winner. Ted said Wednesday he intends to play the last four events on the schedule with an eye toward reaching the top of the money-winning list. J. J. Killeen is the current leader with $407,554 in the bank, followed by Matt Goggin with $365,452. Ted is third with $362,934.
     Brenden Pappas is scheduled to play, as is Matt Every. Brenden has dropped to 25th on the money list and needs to make some cuts over the next five weeks in order to make his return to the PGA Tour. Matt moved up the list to 20th over the weekend in California and just needs to hold his position to return to the big time.
     Will Strickler and Billy Horschel are playing in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open in Las Vegas, along with veteran Gator Chris DiMarco. The event is worth $4.4 million, with $756,000 to the winner.
     Doug Johnson is back in Europe for the Belas Clube de Campo Senior Open de Portugal, in Lisbon. The Belas Clube de Campo is a par-72 course playing at 6,770 yards - Doug tees of at 8:10 Portugal time on Friday.

Potter Wins in Playoff; Every Ties for Sixth
     (September 26, 2011) - Ted Potter birdied the 18th hole at the Soboda Golf Classic three times in less than an hour Sunday and won the Nationwide event in San Jacinto, California in a two-hole playoff with Andres Gonzales and Miguel Carballo. It was Ted's second victory of the season and resulted in his biggest paycheck ever - $135,000 - which vaulted him into third place on the money list with $362,934. J. J. Killeen leads with $407,554.
     Ted began the final round at 9 under par (70-68-66), two strokes behind Jonas Blixt. But he made six birdies and one bogey over the par-71 Country Club of Soboda Springs course for a second straight 66, overtaking playing partner Blixt, while Gonzales and Carballo both moved up the leaderboard. Ted came to No. 18 needing an eagle to win and a birdie to force a three-man playoff, but he missed a 12-foot putt for the eagle that would have ended it.
In the playoff, again on 18, Ted and Gonzales both made birdie, while Carballo dropped out after making par. Back on 18, Ted hit a 7-iron second to within 15 feet and missed the eagle try, but he didn't need it because Gonzales made par. For the six times Ted played No. 18 during the week, he made one par, three birdies and two eagles, playing the hole in 7 under. He made three eagles overall for the 72 holes, and was No. 1 in that category in the field.
    Matt Every finished with 68-69-67-69-273, 11 under, and tied for sixth. He moved up nine spots on "The 25" and is now 20th with earnings of $151,266. He just has to hold his position for the final five events to make a return to the PGA Tour in 2012.
     Camilo Benedetti faltered on Sunday, shooting a 74 for 282 and a tie for 41st. He moved up one spot on the money list to 48th with $99,880. Brenden Pappas missed the cut and dropped to 25th on the money list with $134,331.
Due to an error on the PGA Tour's website, Ted's paycheck of $135,000 was $45,000 less than everyone expected. The website mistakenly listed the event as having a purse of $775,000, with $180,000 to the winner, which proved to be erroneous when the money-earnings were announced. The $180,000 would have put Ted at the top of the list.

Potter and Every Contend for Sodoba Title
     (September 25, 2011) - Ted Potter and Matt Every both moved up the leaderboard at trhe Sodoba Golf Classic Saturday and will tee off today with an excellent chance of taking home the top prize of $180,000. Ted tacked on a 5-under 66 to his previous rounds of 70 and 68 for a 54-hole total of 204, 9 under par and just two strokes off the leader, Jonas Blixt. Matt added a 67 to his rounds of 68 and 69 and is also 9 under. Ted made five birdies, two bogeys and eagled the par-5 18th to spark his move from 26th place to a tie for second. Matt made five birdies and a lone bogey and moved from 15th into the second-place deadlock.
     Camilo Benedetti also improved his chances for a good payday with a third-round 68 and is at 5-under 208. He moved from 52nd into a tie for 26th.
Tyson Alexander shot 3-under 69 in the final round of the Buffalo Run Classic and finished in a tie for 21st at 12-under-par 276. Ryan Spears was the winner at 22 under. Tyson earned $2,143 for his effort and is 33rd on the Hooters Tour money list with $31,395 in the bank. He made 18 birdies and an eagle (on the 15th hole in the final round) during the week, but added 8 bogeys to crush his chance for a much higher finish.

Potter Advances in California; Pappas Out
     (September 24, 2011) - Ted Potter opened with a dull thud - then finished with a flourish at the Soboda Golf Classic Friday and wound up with 70-68-138, 4 under par, making the cut by two strokes. Ted double bogeyed the par-4 first hole, but closed with an eagle 3 on the 18th, making four birdies and a bogey in between. He's tied for 26th, five strokes behind the leaders.
     Brenden Pappas skied to a 75 in the second round after his opening 71 and missed the cut, as did Will Strickler, who shot 71-72-143. But Matt Every and Camilo Benedetti made it to the weekend, Every with 68-69-137, 5 under, and Benedetti with 69-71-140, 2 under. Matt is tied for 15th and Camilo tied for 56th. Matt survived despite taking a triple bogey 7 on the par-4 12th hole. Camilo was 3 over after 13 holes and three over the cut line, but he rallied with an eagle 3 on the par-5 fifth hole, followed by a birdie on the par-5 sixth.
    At the Hooters Tour's Buffalo Run Classic, Tyson Alexander is perched in a tie for 20th after rounds of 68-70-69-207, 9 under. Tyson made six birdies and three bogeys Friday and is six strokes off the leaders. The final round is today.
 
Potter Opens with 70, Pappas with 71; Every 68
     (September 23, 2011) - An up-and-down opening-round in the Soboda Golf Classic put Ted Potter into a tie for 57th at 1-under-par Thursday, seven strokes behind leader Cameron Percy's 63. Ted shot 34-36 on the par-71 course, beginning with two quick bogeys on the back nine, rebounding with an eagle 2 on the par-4 14th hole, and faltering again with a double bogey on the par-4 16th. He was at the cut line of minus 1 as play was suspended due to darkness.
     Brenden Pappas was at even-par 71 after nines of 36-35, during which he made four birdies, two bogeys and a double on a par-4. Camilo Benedetti continued his solid play of late with a 2-under 69 and was tied for 32nd, while Matt Every shot 3-under 68 and was tied for 19th. Will Strickler made four bogeys and an equal number of birdies for a par-71 and was tied with Pappas, one off the early cut line.
     In the Hooters Tour's Buffalo Run Classic in Miami, Oklahoma, Tyson Alexander opened with a 4-under 68 over the Peoria Ridge Golf Club course and is tied for 15th. He played bogey-free golf for 17 holes and was 5 under before making bogey on 18

 


Everybody's Aboard for the Soboda Golf Classic
     (September 20, 2011) - With "The 25" squarely on the line on the Nationwide Tour, along with the scramble to make the top 60 to ensure playing in the season-ending Tour Championship in Charleston, all the area and ex-area players will be on hand for the Soboda Golf Classic in San Jacinto, Cal. Ted Potter, Brenden Pappas, Camilo Benedetti and Matt Every will be vying to boost their positions, along with Billy Horschel and Will Strickler, who both played Nationwide last week when they weren't involved in the PGA Tour's playoff event. Horschel and Benedetti both shot lights out in the Albertson's Boise Open.
     The tournament will be played over the par-71, 7,101-yard Country Club at Sodoba Springs course and has a juicy purse of $750,000, with $180,000 to the winner.
In Europe, Doug Johnson is the fourth alternate in the Cannes Mougins Masters in Cannes, France, and probably won't make it into the field.
     The Hooters Tour will be in Miami, Oklahoma, and the lone local favorite who will be playing in the Buffalo Run Casino Classic is Tyson Alexander.

Ex-Gators, Ocalans Enjoy Successful Weekend
     (September 19, 2011) - Ex-Gators and ex-Ocala/Gainesville area golfers enjoyed a big weekend on the PGA and Nationwide Tours, making significant headway on their respective money lists.
     Camilo Villegas made nine birdies and four bogeys in the final round of the BMW Championship at Cog Hill, firing a 66 that moved him to 6 under for the 72 holes and into sixth place behind Justin Rose, who won the penultimate playoff event at 13 under. Camilo had a seesaw week, making 18 birdies, 14 bogeys and an eagle, and his check for $278,000 was not only his best of the season, but also his third of over $250,000. It boosted his earnings for the year to $1,231,918 and moved him from 85th to 68th on the money list. Unfortunately, he only made it to 33rd in the FedEx Cup standings, and he'll miss playing the final event this week since only the top 30 qualified.
     In Idaho, at the Albertson's Boise Open, Camilo Benedetti fired rounds of 68-67-68-66-269, 15 under par, and finished in a tie for third, three strokes behind Jason Konrak. Camilo made six birdies and a bogey Sunday, giving him 19 birdies, a double eagle and seven bogeys for the 72 holes. This was his best finish of the year, and he collected a check for $37,700. Camilo has made 14 of 18 cuts and his earnings jumped to $96,861, raising him from 68th to 49th on the money list. That's significant because only the top 60 at the end of the season are eligible for the $1 million Tour Championship.
     Billy Horschel, playing in his first Nationwide event of the season, shot 67-65-68-70-270, 14 under, and tied for sixth, earning $22,693. Billy made 19 birdies and five bogeys during the week. His PGA Tour earnings stand at $297,652, so he's over the $320,000 mark for the year.
     Ex-Ocalan Brenden Pappas, the only non-Gator in the group, shot 70-69-70-73-282, 2 under, earning $1,758. But he cost himself a much higher finish by taking bogeys on five holes in a seven-hole span Sunday (8 through 14), before winding up with a birdie on 18. Brenden's bank account of $134,331 places him in 22nd place on the money list, so he still has the rest of the schedule rermaining to stay in "The 25" and ensure his return to the PGA Tour next year.

Pappas Falters With Triple on 18; Horschel in Contention
     (September 18, 2011) - Brenden Pappas was in the midst of a huge move up the leaderboard in the Albertson's Boise Open Saturday when he encountered disaster on the par-4 18th hole. After shooting 70-69 (3 under) at the halfway point over the par-71 Hillcrest Country Club course, Brenden had it to 4 under for the day Saturday and 7 under for the tournament when he took a killer 7 on No. 18 to undo all the good from the first 17 holes. He wound up with another 70 and is 4 under heading into Sunday's finale. He's tied for 62nd, whereas a par on the last hole would have moved him into a tie for 38th.
     Billy Horschel put himself squarely into position to contend for his first victory by posting a 68 to go along with his first two rounds of 67-65, and at 13-under 200, is tied for third, just one stroke off the lead. Camilo Benedetti is right in the thick of it, too, with 68-67-68-203, 10 under and good for a tie for 20th.
     Camilo Villegas has posted rounds of 68-73-71-212, 1 under, at the BMW Champiosnhip at Cog Hill in Illinois. Justin Rose still leads at 13 under.

 
Potter Misses Boise Cut; Pappas Sneaks In
     (September 17, 2011) - Ted Potter missed the cut at the Albertson's Boise Open after shooting 73-70-143, 1 over par. It was his fifth missed cut of the Nationwide Tour season and the first time he missed by more than one stroke. The cut came at 3 under. Brenden Pappas came to the 17th hole at Hillcrest Country Club Friday needing a birdie at one of the final two holes to make the cut and he did just that, taking a 2 on the par-3 17th. He shot 70-69-139 and was tied for 57th, 11 strokes behind leader Jonas Blixt. Billy Horschel continued his superior play into the second round and finished with 67-65-132, 10 under and just four strokes off the lead. He's all alone in fifth place. Camilo Benedetti tacked on a 67 to his opening-round 68 for 135, 7 under, and a tie for 17th. Matt Every (73-70-143) and Will Strickler (72-72-144) both missed the cut.
At the BMW Championship at Cog Hill, Camilo Villegas faltered in the second round and his 68-73-141, 1 under, dropped him 10 strokes off the pace set by Justin Rose and Mark Wilson.


Potter Stumbles Early, Benedetti Makes Double Eagle

     (September 16, 2011) - The Nationwide Tour's Albertson's Boise Open had to call a halt to play late Thursday due to darkness with a good many players still out on the course.
     Ted Potter stumbled out of the gate, taking a bogey on No. 1, a double bogey on the par-5 second and a bogey on the eighth for a front-nine 40. But he rebounded with two birdies on the back for 33 and a 73, 2 over par. He's tied for 126th behind leader Jonas Blixt, who tamed the Hillcrest Country Club course with a 9-under 62.
     Brenden Pappas returned to action after several withdrawals due to an ailing back and shot 1-under 70. He made two bogeys and a birdie on the back for 36, then came home on the front with two birdies for 34. He's tied for 66th, although those positions are all subject to major change when the entire field finishes this morning. Will Strickler was tied for 112th after getting off to a poor start and only getting in 15 holes. He began on the back and made three early bogeys for 38, then birdied 3 and 4 to get it back to 1 over.
     Billy Horschel was tied for 13th after shooting 4-under 67, and Camilo Benedetti roared into contention at the outset, making a double eagle two on the par-5 second hole. When play was suspended, Camilo was 5 under with three holes remaining and tied for seventh. Matt Every opened with 2-over 73.
     At the BMW Championship at Cog Hill, Camilo Villegas shot 3-under 68 and was tied for fifth, trailing leader Justin Rose by five strokes

Villegas, Pettit close with 70s
     (September 12, 2011) - Ex-Gator Manuel Villegas closed with an even-par 70 at the Hooters Tour's Woodcreek Classic in Elgin, SC., and wound up at 10 under for the 72 holes. Camilo's little brother collected $1,374 after finishing 13 strokes behind Adam Long and Stuart Anderson. Philip Pettit also shot 70 Sunday, winding up at 8-under 280, and taking home $1,152 with his tie for 48th.

Potter, Pappas, Strickler Return in Idaho
     (September 12, 2011) - With the PGA playoffs down to a precious few weeks and only 70 players remaining, this week's Albertson's Boise Open presented by Kraft has taken on a different flavor. More than a handful of PGA regulars have opted to keep their games sharp in Idaho, along with the players Golfer has been following all season.
After two weeks off, Ted Potter returns for the final push that will send him to the PGA Tour next season, although with more than $227,000 in the bank, he's already locked up his exemption, which will be his first trip to the big show.
     Brenden Pappas, battling back problems all season, also makes his return, along with the former Gator group, Will Strickler, Billy Horschel, Matt Every and Bubba Dickerson. Will and Billy haven't done enough in their PGA rookie year and seem destined to return to the Nationwide Tour next year - unless they do something special in the final few events of the season, like at Disney. Matt is in the 25th spot on the Nationwide list and is playing well, so he stands a good chance of moving up again next season.
     Among the familiar PGA Tour names who will drop down this week are John Daly, Tim Petrovic, Duffy Waldorf, Dicky Pride and Jason Gore. Even veteran Ted Tryba of Orlando is set to play.
Camilo Villegas is still around for the BMW Championship this week at Cog Hill in Lemont, Ill. The Hooters Tour is taking a break this week, and the European Senior Tour is in the Czech Republic for the Casa Serena Open. Doug Johnson is the second alternate as of this morning, so his chances of getting are up in the air.

Alexander Misses Cut in South Carolina
     (September 11, 2011) - Only Manuel Villegas and Philip Pettit remain of the familiar names in the Hooters Tour's Woodcreek Classic in Elgin, SC. Villegas has posted rounds of 68-69-71-208, 8 under, and is tied for 37th behind leaders        Jeff Corr and Stuart Anderson, who are 18 under. Pettit shot 68-71-71-210, 6 under, and is tied for 52nd.
      Tyson Alexander shot 71-70-141 and missed the cut by one stroke; James Vargas (70-76-146), Danny Ellis (74-71-145), Andres Echavarria (75-70-145) and Richard Swift (71-77-148) also missed the cut.

Alexander Opens with 71 at Woodcreek Classic
    (September 9, 2011) - The PGA, Nationwide and European Senior Tours are all taking a post-Labor Day break this week, and the Hooters Tour is the only one in action.
At the Woodcreek Classic, played at the Members Club at Woodcreek and Wildewood in Elgin, SC, Tyson Alexander began with a 1-under 71 Thursday and is tied for 83rd. The cut line was at even par after the first day. Tyson began on the back nine and came to his final hole, the ninth, at 1 over, but eagled the par-5 to get into the minus column. Andres Echavarria of Gainesville shot 3-over 75, Danny Ellis 2-over 74, Richard Swift 1-under 71, and James Vargas 2-under 70. Phil Pettit and Manuel Villegas both chipped in with 4-under 68 and are tied for 27th.

Johnson Ties for 23rd in England
     (September 5, 2011) - Doug Johnson closed with a 1-over-par 73 in the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters in Woburn, England Sunday and finished tied for 23rd with rounds of 70-76-73-219, 3 over. He wound up 12 strokes behind winner Boonchu Ruangit and collected 3,219 euros for hsi effort. That left him in 56th place on the Order of Merit with 19,847 euros.
     At the Desutsche Bank Championship near Boston, after barely surviving the cut on Saturday, Camilo Villegas turned in a 6-under 65 and moved all the way up to a deadlock for 30th place at 5 under. He made six birdies and no bogeys.
Matt Every moved back to 25th on the Nationwide Tour money list with $126,985 after shooting a final-round 74 in the Mylan Classic. Matt wound up at 278, 6 under, and took home $3,300. He's made 12 of 13 cuts. Camilo Benedetti closed with 71 for 282, 2 under, tied for 54th and collected $1,920. He's now 68th on the money list with $59,161.
     Camilo Villegas closed with 70 at the Deutsche Bank Championship for 278 and a share of 25th pace, good for a check of $61,066. He moved up to 47th in the FedEx Cup standings and is eligible to play in the next event, the BMW Championship. Despite having a sub-par year - for him - Camilo's late-season push has him up to 85th on the money list with $953,918 in the bank.
     At the Hooters Tour's Kandy Waters Memorial Classic, Tyson Alexander shot 68-70-70-73-281, 7 under, and finished in a tie for 37th. He earned $1,434 and is 32nd on the money list with $29,252. Andres Echavarria of Gainesville shot 72-69-69-70-280, 8 under, and earned $1,600, while Manuel Villegas tied for 27th at 279 and pocketed $1,750. Philip Pettit closed with 67 for 274, 14 under, and tied for third, just two strokes off the pace. The $6,491 check left him in third place on the money list with $109,957.

Johnson Drops Back in Senior Masters in England
     (September 4, 2011) - Doug Johnson climbed the leaderboard quickly Saturday with two early birdies to get to 4 under par, but he couldn't keep it going and wound up shooting 76 in the second round of the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters. Doug made two double bogeys, three bogeys and just one birdie the rest of the way over the Duke's Course in Woburn, England, and finished at 2 over par for the 36 holes. It left him tied for 29th.
     At the Deutsche Bank Championship near Boston, Chris Couch (72-74) and Brian Gay (72-72) missed the cut, but Camilo Villegas barely slipped in at the cut line of plus one with rounds of 73-70-143. He has made eight birdies and nine bogeys over the two rounds in the event that doesn't wind up until Monday. The co-leaders were at 10 under.
     Matt Every is just four strokes off the lead after three rounds of the Nationwide Tour's Mylan Classic in Canonsburg, Pa. Matt is 9 under after rounds of 69-65-70-204, and is tied for ninth place. Camilo Benedetti's 68-72-71-211, 2 under, left him tied for 50th.
     At the Hooters Tour's Kandy Waters Memorial Classic in North Augusta, SC, Tyson Alexander has posted rounds of 68-68-70-208, 8 under, and is tied for 26th; 17 under leads. Andres Echavarria of Gainesville shot 72-69-69-210, 6 under, and is tied for 39th; and Manuel Villegas (67-69-71-207) and Philip Pettit (70-71-66-207) are in a deadlock for 20th at 9 under, with a chance to grab a major check today.

Potter Takes Off as Nationwide Tour Moves to PA
     (August 341, 2011) - After assuring himself that he'll be playing on the PGA Tour next year, Ted Potter is taking this week off as the Nationwide Tour heads into Pennsylvania for the Mylan Classic. Brenden Pappas, still nursing his bad back, will also be absent, but Camilo Benedetti and Matt Every will be on hand.
     Chris Couch and Camilo Villegas will both be playing in Norton, MA. in the $8 million Deutsche Bank Championship, which rewards the winner with $1,350,000. In Europe, Doug Johnson is entered in the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters to be played at the Duke's Course, Woburn Country Club, in Woburn, England. The total purse is 260,000 euros.
     The Hooters Tour moves to North Augusta, SC, for the Kandy Waters Memorial Classic played at the Mount Vintage Plantation & Golf Club. Tyson Alexander, Philip Pettit, Richard Swift and Manuel Villegas will all be shooting for the top prize.

Potter Earns First Trip to PGA Tour in Knoxville
     (August 29, 2011) - A pair of costly bogeys late in the final round Sunday cost Ted Potter a chance to win his second Nationwide Tour event of the season. Ted began the day tied for third at 15 under par, two strokes behind Kirk Triplett in the Knoxville News Sentinel Open. But Ted overtook the veteran PGA Tour player on the front nine, making three birdies and an eagle two on the par-4 4th hole to turn in 5-under 31. Triplett, meanwhile, birdied just two holes on the front nine and Ted went to No. 10 with a one-stroke lead at 20-under. But back-to-back bogeys on No. 14 and 15, while his rival was making two birdies, shifted the advantage back to Triplett, who went on to win at 20 under. Ted finished at 18 under after rounds of 67-66-68-69-270, and fell back to a tie for third place. The check for $29,000 boosted him into fourth place on the money list with earnings for the year of $227,934, and assured Ted he will be making his first trip to the PGA Tour in 2012.
     Matt Every rebounded from his third-round 75 to shoot 68 Sunday, making six birdies and two bogeys, and wound up in a tie for 45th at 8 under par. He collected $1,855 and dropped one notch on the money list to 26th with $123,685.

Potter in the Hunt in Knoxville
     (August 28, 2011) - Ted Potter played himself squarely into contention for a second Nationwide Tour victory with a 4-under-par 68 Saturday in the Knoxville News Sentinel Open in Farragut, Tenn. Ted's rounds of 67-66-68-201 put him at 15 under for 54 holes, just two strokes off the lead held by veteran Kirk Triplett.
Ted, who hadn't made a bogey in the first two rounds, made three Saturday, but more than offset them with seven birdies over the Fox Den Country Club course. For the 54 holes, he's made 14 birdies and two eagles.
Matt Every, after rounds of 67-70, shot an uncharacteristic 75 Saturday and dropped out of contention at four under.
     Camilo Villegas made a major move at the Barclay's, which was cut to 54 holes Saturday as Hurricane Irene approached New Jersey. Camilo shot 68-66-65-199, 14 under par, and tied for sixth behind Dustin Johnson's 19 under. Camilo bogeyed the second hole, then ran off five birdies and an eagle and collected his biggest check of the year, $259,000. The performance moved him into the 51st spot in the FedEx Cup standings. At the same time, he jumped 21 spots on the PGA Tour money list to 90th with earnings of $892,851.

Potter, Villegas Close to Leaders
 
    (August 27, 2011) - Ted Potter moved into the top 10 at the halfway point of the Knoxville News Sentinel Open Friday with another bogey-free round of 31-35-66, 6 under par. After 36 holes his 67-66-133 is 11 under, five behind leader John Mallinger.
    Ted began by makiing an eagle 3 on the par-5 first hole, then birdied 3, 4 and 9 for a front-nine 31. He birdied No. 10, then took 8 straight pars for his 35 on the back. Matt Every shot 67-70-137 and is tied for 29th at 7 under. Camilo Benedetti (72-69-141) and Will Strickler (75-73-148) missed the cut, which came at 5 under.
    At the Barclay's, Camilo Villegas moved squarely into contention at the halfway point with 68-66-134, and is tied for 21st at 8 under. Dustin Johnson leads at 13 under. Chris DiMarco and Brian Gay missed the cut, while Chris Couch withdrew after an opening-round 77.

Potter Fires Opening-Round 67 in Knoxville
 
    (August 26, 2011) - Ted Potter got off to a flying start Thursday in the $500,000 Knoxville News Sentinel Open. Teddy fired a round of 35-32-67, 5 under par, and is tied for 14th, four strokes out of the lead. He played another bogey-free round, making three birdies and an eagle 3 on the par-5 10th of the 7,110-yard Fox Den Country Club.
    Matt Every also opened with 67 (32-35), with six birdies and a bogey, but Will Strickler, dropping down from the PGA Tour, shot 75, marring his card with a double bogey.
    At the Barclay's, which features just the top 125 money-winners this year, Camilo Villegas shot 68, as did Brian Gay, while Chris DiMarco opened with 73 and Chris Couch with 77 over the par-71 Plainfield Country Club in Edison, N. J.

Johnson Finishes T-29 in Scotland
 
    (August 22, 2011) - Doug Johnson lost  a great opportunity for a high finish in the Cleveland/Srixon Scottish Senior Open Sunday when he faltered late in the third round and wound up tied for 29th behind winner Barry Lane. Doug shot rounds of 73-72-73-218, two over par, and collected 2,118 euros for his effort, but it could have been much better.
    After starting slowly with bogeys on the first two holes Sunday over the Fairmont, St. Andrews course, Doug birdied four holes in a span of five - 6, 7, 9 and 10 - to go 2 under for the day and 1 under for the tournament. But he bogeyed 14, 15 and 17 to put a damper on the round. Lane won it at 14 under, two strokes better than Tampa's Gary Koch, the NBC broadcaster who made a rare appearance on the European Senior circuit. Gary shot 69-68-67-204, 12 under, and enjoyed a payday of 28,620 euros. Doug is now 59th on the Order of Merit, moving up two spots with 16,628 euros in the till.
    At the Midwest Classic, James Nitties shot an eye-opening 26 under to win, but former Gators Matt Every and Camilo Benedetti fared well. Every shot a final-round 66 for 16-under-par 268 and finished tied for 16th, while Benedetti shot 69, good for a tie for 25th at 14 under. Matt moved up one spot on the Nationwide money list to 24th with $121,830. Camilo is 65th with $57,241.
    Billy Horschel lost a great opportunity to move up the PGA Tour money list after a final-round 72 in the Wyndham Championship. He began Sunday with a chance for a top 5, and quickly birdied No. 2 to get it to 11 under, but three later bogeys dropped him to 8-under and he but wound up tied for 30th at 272. He sits in the No. 166 spot on the list with earnings of $297,652. Camilo Villegas, on the other hand, shot 66 on Sunday and tied for ninth at 12-under 268 behind Webb Simpson's 18-under. It was his second top 10 of the season, and the $140,400 check lifted his take to $633,851. He moved up 20 spots on the money list to 111th.
    Tyson Alexander also got off to a slow start in the Hooters Tour's Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic, bogeying the first and third holes Sunday. But he rebounded with six birdies and just one more bogey, and finished with 70-68-67-69-274, 14 under. Tyson has made 10 of 11 cuts and his check for $5,056 raised his bank account to $27,818. He made three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 10th hole over the four days.
    Richard Swift shot a Sunday 73 and wound up at 7-under 281; he earned $1,765. Swifty is 69th on the money list with $12,836. James Vargas shot a closing 68 for 278, 10 under, and collected $2,176 for a tie for 20th. He's seventh on the money list with $70,753.
   
Horschel Contends for Wyndham Title
 
    (August 21, 2011) - Ted Potter is not around for the weekend, but plenty of former Gators are.
    At the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship, Billy Horschel, the player Florida coach Buddy Alexander said his team got "for nothing" because no other school wanted him after he graduated from high school, has posted rounds of 67-67-66-200, 10 under par, and is tied for sixth place heading into today's finale. Horschel has made 14 birdies and four bogeys over the three days, and he's five strokes behind surprise leader Webb Simpson. Billy will be in the third-from-last group on the course today. Camilo Villegas, in the midst of his most disappointing season, isn't far behind with 70-64-68-202, 8 under, and is tied for 22nd.  
    At the Nationwide Tour's Midwest Classic presented by Time Warner Cable in Overland, Kansas, ex-Gator Camilo Benedetti (now living in Orlando) is tied for 25th with 69-68-64-201, 12 under, and eight off the leader. Camilo is battling to get into the top 60 to ensure he plays in the season-ending Tour Championship at Daniel Island. He's currently 61st with a bank account of $53,351. Matt Every turned in rounds of 70-65-67-202, and is tied for 33rd. Matt is currently the 25th man in the Nationwide Tour's "The 25," last spot to be eligible for a return to the PGA Tour next season.
    At the Hooters Tour's Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic, unknown Patrick Wilkes-Krier of Orlando is the leader at 19 under, but Tyson Alexander has moved up the board with 70-68-67-205, 11 under, and is tied for 10th. Richard Swift has posted rounds of 69-72-67-208, 8 under, and is tied for 19th, while James Vargas of Miami shot 71-69-70-210, 6 under, and is tied for 33rd.
    In Scotland, Doug Johnson shot 35-37-72 in the second round of the Cleveland/Srixon Scottish Senior Open at Fairmont, St. Andrews and is 1 over for the 36 holes, tied for 23rd. Doug made one birdie, one bogey and 16 pars in the second round.
   

Double Bogey Costs Potter in Kansas
 
    (August 20, 2011) - An ill-timed double bogey on the par-3 15th hole at the Midwest Classic presented by Time Warner Cable, momentarily derailed Ted Potter's charge to the PGA Tour. After an opening-round, 5-under-par 66 on Thursday, Ted could only manage a 1-over 72 Friday, due to the double bogey, and missed the cut by one stroke with 66-72-138, 4 under. Former Big Break star James Nitties was the halfway leader with 65-63-128, 14 under at the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate course in Overland, Kansas.
    Matt Every bounced back from an opening-round 70 with a 6-under 65 and was tied for 32nd at 7-under 135, while Camilo Benedetti posted rounds of 69-68-137, 5 under (the cut line), and was tied for 59th.
    At the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, N. C., Camilo Villegas made a big turnaround with a second-round 64, and at  134 is tied for 19th behind Tommy Gainey's 63-65-138, 12 over. Two-glove Gainey is another  graduate of Golf Channel's Big Break episodes. Will Strickler missed the cut with 75-74-149, 9 over, as did Chris Couch with 69-69-138, 2 under. The cut came at minus 3. Chris DiMarco's 72-69-141 also missed the cut, but Billy Horschel joined the 19th-place deadlock after rounds of 67-67-134.
    In Scotland, Doug Johnson made four birdies and five bogeys, including three bogeys in a row on the 14th through 16th holes, for an opening-round 73 in the Cleveland/Srixon Scottish Senior Open at Fairmont, St. Andrews. Doug was tied for 36th behind leader Peter Fowler's 65.
    On the Hooters Tour, Tyson Alexander shot 70-68-138, 4 under, for a tie for 25th at the halfway point of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Golf Classic in Pass Christian, Ms. The leader, Brandon Brown, tacked on a 62 to this opening 66 for 128, 16 under. James Vargas shot a 2-under 71-69-140 and is tied for 36th, while Richard Swift shot 69-72-141, and is tied for 45th.

Nationwide Tour in Kansas; Johnson Back in Europe
 
    (August 16, 2011) - Ted Potter continues his relentless climb toward receiving his PGA Tour card at this week's Midwest Classic presented by Time Warner Cable in Overland Park, Kansas. The total purse money comes to $550,000 for the Nationwide event played at the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate. Matt Every and Camilo Benedetti are also scheduled to play, but Brenden Pappas will miss another week due to his ailing back.
    The PGA Tour moves to Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N. C. for the Wyndham Championship. Included in the field are Chris Couch, Camilo Villegas, Will Strickler, Billy Horschel and Chris DiMarco.
    Doug Johnson returns to action in the Cleveland Golf/Srixon Scottish Senior Open at Fairmont, St. Andrews.
    The Hooters Tour travels to Pass Christian, Miss., for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Golf Classic at the Oaks Golf Club. Tyson Alexander, Richard Swift and James Vargas are among the entrants. Swifty was at Golden Hills for much of Monday with pro Daren Robinson ironing out some kinks in his swing.
 
Potter On Threshold of PGA Tour Career
 
    (August 14, 2011) - Ted Potter all but ensured his first trip to the PGA Tour Sunday, finishing with a flourish that vaulted him into a five-way deadlock for third place in the Price Cutter Charity Championship in Springfield, Missouri. Ted fired rounds of 69-64-68-67-268, 20 under par, after a poor final-round start, followed by a monster finish. He began by sandwiching bogeys on 1, 2 and 5 around a birdie on 3 and dropped from 15 under to 13 under, seemingly out of contention for one of the major payechecks. But he rebounded with seven more birdies - at 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 17 and 18, passing a big group but still six strokes short of runaway winner Steve Friesen.
    Ted was the birdie leader for the 72 holes with 27 and tied for first in greens in regulation at 87.5 percent. The $28,187 check lifted his earnings for the season to $198,934 and put him on the threshold of his long-time goal - the PGA Tour. Last year, it took $209,259 to make "The 25," that magic number that elevates Nationwide players to the big time. There are 10 events left on the schedule, beginning with the Midwest Classic presented by Time Warner Cable, which kicks off Thursday at the Nicklaus Golf Club at Lion's Gate in Overland Park, Kansas.   
    At the Hooters Tour's Timber Creek Golf Classic in Daphne, Alabama, Hudson Johnson was the runaway winner at 21 under par, but Golfer's persons of interest all cashed checks. Philip Pettit closed with 71 for 273, 11 under, and earned a check for $5,311. He's now third on the money list with $103,466. James Vargas also shot 71 for 273, and the $5,311 check lifted his total to $68,577, seventh on the list. Richard Swift's final 67 for 279, 5 under, earned him $1,568 and put him in 80th place with $11,071. Tyson Alexander shot his second straight 73 for 284, even par, and a check for $1,274. He's 41st on the money list with $22,762.

Potter Just 3 Off Lead in Missouri
 
    (August 14, 2011) - Ted Potter continued his superb play Saturday in the Price Cutter Charity Championship in Springfield, Missouri. Ted birdied 1-5-9-10-16 to go along with just one bogey, on No. 8, and posted a 4-under 68. He's 15 under heading into today's finale and is tied for fifth, just three strokes off the pace set by Travis Hampshire and Steve Friesen, both at 18 under.
    In the Hooters Tour's Timber Creek Golf Classic in Daphne, Alabama, James Vargas (63-69-70-202) and Philip Pettit (67-68-67-202) are deadlocked for fifth at 11 under behind leader Hudson Johnson, who is 16 under. Tyson Alexander slipped to a 73 Saturday and with 70-68-73-211, is 2 under and tied for 51st. Richard Swift is tied for 55th with 69-72-71-212, 1 under.
 
Potter Tied for 7th After Best Round of Year
 
    (August 13, 2011) - Ted Potter posted another of his flawless rounds Friday in the Price Cutter Championship in Springfield, Missouri. After his opening-round 69, Ted fired an 8-under 64 over the par-72 Highland Springs Country Club course for a 36-hole total of 133, 11 under par. It lifted him into a tie for seventh place behind leader Steve Friesen's 14 under.
    Ted sailed through the round without making a bogey, taking eight birdies and giving him a tournament co-leading 14 for the two days. The 64 eclipsed his best rounds of the year on the Nationwide Tour - he had 65 in the third round of the South Georgia Classic, which he won, and 65 in the last round of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational two weeks ago. He's posted 64s twice before in Nationwide events, both in 2010, in the first round of the BMW Charity Pro-Am and in the first round of the Chattanooga Classic.
    At the PGA Championship in Atlanta, Camilo Villegas bowed out Friday, missing the cut by two strokes with 70-76-146.
    In the Hooters Tour's Timber Creek Golf Classic in Daphne, Alabama, ex-Gator James Vargas of Miami sits in a tie for third, one off the leaders, after rounds of 63-69-132, 10 under. Philip Pettit is tied for ninth at 7 under with 67-68-135; Richard Swift shot 69-72-141, 1 under, and Tyson Alexander moved up 24 spots and is tied for 25th with 70-68-138, four under.

Potter Makes Good Comeback in Missouri

   (August 12, 2011) - Ted Potter began Thursday's Price Cutter Charity Championship on a sour note, bogeying his first two holes - the 10th and 11th - at the Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield, Mo., but turned it around quickly and finished with a 3-under-par 69. After the two bogeys, Ted birdied four holes on the back nine for a 34, then made two birdies and a bogey on the front. He finished in a tie for 35th, seven strokes behind leader Steve Friesen's 62. Brenden Pappas was forced to withdraw again, about the fifth time he has had to bow out early this season.

    In Atlanta, Camilo Villegas shot an even-par 70 in the first round of the PGA, where everyone had to take a back seat to Steve Stricker's 63.
    Ex-Gator James Vargas of Miami took the first-round lead in the Hooters Tour's Timber Creek Golf Classic in Daphne, Alabama, with a sharp, 8-under 63. Phil Pettit is tied for 13th with 67, Richard Swift is tied for 31st with 69, and Tyson Alexander is tied for 49th with a one-under 70. The cut line was at minus one after the first 18.  

Potter and Pappas Will Play in Missouri
 
    (August 9, 2011) - Ted Potter and Brenden Pappas swing back into action this week at the Nationwide Tour's Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr. Pepper in Springfield, Missouri. They'll compete over the par-72, 7,060-yard Highland Springs course for a purse of $625,000, with $112,500 to the winner. There are five players named Lee in the field.
    The PGA Championship will be hosted by the Atlanta Athletic Club, which will play to 7,467 yards, yet will only be a par 70. Camilo Villegas is the only former Gator/ex-Gainesville resident of interest. There are only two par 5s, because two of the 500-yard plus holes will be playing as par 4s.
    The Hooters Tour is in Daphne, Alabama, for the Timber Creek Golf Classic. Last week's winner, Philip Pettit, is aboard, as are Tyson Alexander, James Vargas and Richard Swift.
    The European Senior Tour is off until next week when Doug Johnson will play in the Cleveland Golf/Srixon Scottish Senior Open at Fairmont St. Andrews.
 
Gators Fare Well at Several Venues
 
    (August 8, 2011) - With Ted Potter (missed the cut by 1) and Brenden Pappas (withdrew after the first round) out of the Cox Classic, it was left to Camilo Benedetti and Matt Every to carry the banner for Golfer's ex-Gators and ex-Gainesville residents. Matt shot his second 65 of the week in Sunday's final round in Omaha and wound up with a solid 65-71-68-65-269, 15 under par, finishing in a tie for 21st behind J. J. Killeen, who was 22 under and captured his second event of the season. One more and J. J. will be back on the PGA Tour. Matt now has earnings of $113,855 and is in 22nd place on the Nationwide Tour money list, needing to just stay in "The 25" for the rest of the season to make his own return to the big time.
    Camilo shot rounds of 66-66-70-69-271, 13 under, and tied for 35th. He's 56th on the money list with $53,351, and needs to hang in the top 60 to ensure playing in the rich Tour Championship at season's end.  
    At the Reno-Tahoe Open, Will Strickler posted rounds of 72-70-76-69-287, 1 under, and tied for 61st. He's 216th on the money list with $79,933 in the bank and has a lot of work to do to retain his PGA exemption. After so-so rounds of 71-70-70, Billy Horschel tacked on a final-round 67 to wind up at 278, 10 under, and post his best finish of the year, a tie for 10th. He made six birdies and one bogey Sunday and with his best check of the year, $69,000, moved up 13 spots on the list to 165th, with earnings of $268,688. Billy was just five strokes behind winner Scott Piercy.
    Chris DiMarco continued his comeback with a 7-under 281 and tied for 21st.
    At the Hooters Tour's ComSouth Classic in Georgia, Philip Pettit, who played at Golden Hills several times earlier this year, including the Ocala Classic, shot a final-round 64 and captured the event at Southern Hills Golf Club in Hawkinsville, Ga. Phil shot 66-68-67-64-265, and collected the first prize of $28,000. That moved him up to third on the money list with $98,235.
    Tyson Alexander tied Phil for low round of the day, winding up with 68-74-70-64-276. He tied for 18th, earned $2,460 and is 39th in the standings with $21,488. Richard Swift posted rounds of 70-71-69-72-282 and collected $1,510 for a tie for 37th, while Danny Ellis of Heathrow, winner of the Ocala Open a few years back, shot 65-73-73-72-283 and picked up $1,390.

At 5 Under, Potter Misses Cut by One Stroke
 
    (August 6, 2011) - Scores were low at the Cox Classic presented by Lexus Friday, and despite a second-round 68, Ted Potter missed the cut for the third time since getting his Nationwide card, each time by one stroke. Ted's 69-68-137 was 5 under; the cut line in Omaha was minus 6. Brenden Pappas, after shooting 69 on Thursday, once again withdrew Friday, which he has been forced to do several times this year. Russell Knox and Ken Duke were tied for the halfway lead at 13 under.
    Camilo Benedetti was solid for the second straight day and with 66-66-132, 10 under, was tied for 14th. Matt Every shot 65-71-136 and was tied for 53rd.
    At the Reno-Tahoe Open, after his opening-round 72, Will Strickler had it to minus 4 after 12 holes Friday, but faltered late with three bogeys against just one more birdie and finished with 70. At 2 under, he's tied for 45th, seven strokes behind Vaughn Taylor. Billy Horschel shot 71-70-141 and is tied for 34th, while Chris DiMarco has a pair of 72s for 144 and a tie for 62nd.
    Tyson Alexander soared to a 74 in the Hooters Tour's ComSouth Classic with one of the most bizarre rounds of the year. He made seven birdies, two bogeys, two double bogeys and one triple. With 68-74-142, he's 2 under and tied for 54th. Philip Pettit's 66-68-134 has him tied for ninth behind Reid Edstrom, who's 15 under. Richard Swift is tied for 47th after rounds of 70-71-141, and Danny Ellis is tied for 23rd with 65-73-138.

Scores Low at Cox Classic in Omaha
 
    (Augsut 5, 2011) - Ted Potter and Brenden Pappas both posted opening rounds of 2-under 69 in the Cox Classic presented by Lexus in Omaha Thursday. Ted began slowly, bogeying 1 and 6, but rebounded with a pair of birdies plus an eagle on the par-5 17th, for 35-34 over the Champion's Run course. Brenden's 34-35 featured three birdies and one bogey, and the two are in a precarious position - a tie for 82nd - as scores were low for the opener. Tommy Biershenk led with a 9-under 63.
    Matt Every and Camilo Benedetti fared better with rounds of 65 and 66, respectively. Matt double bogeyed the first hole, then caught fire and made eight birdies the rest of the way and is tied for 14th. Camilo made five birdies and no bogeys and is in a deadlock for 22nd. The cut line stood at minus 3 after 18 holes.
    At the Reno-Tahoe Open, Will Strickler shot even-par 72 and is tied for 47th behind Nick O'Hern's opening 65. Will had one of those roller coaster rounds, making an eagle, three birdies and five bogeys. Billy Horschel posted a 1-under 71 and is tied for 26th, while Chris DiMarco was at even-par 72.
    At the Hooters Tour's ComSouth Classic in Hawkinsville, Ga., Tyson Alexander's 4-under 68 put him in a tie for 22nd, as Corey Brigham of Port St. Lucie opened with 63. Danny Ellis shot 65 and is tied for 4th, Phil Pettit turned in a 68 and Richard Swift a 2-under 70.
   
   (Aug. 1, 2011) - Ted Potter and Brenden Pappas return to the Nationwide Tour this week in the $725,000 Cox Classic presented by Lexus of Omaha at the Champions Run course in Omaha, Nebraska. First place is worth $130,500. Also entered are Matt Every, Camilo Benedetti and Bubba Dickerson.
    The Reno-Tahoe Open at Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno has a purse of $3 million, with $549,000 to the winner. Will Strickler, Billy Horschel and Chris DiMarco are entered.
    The Hooters Tour returns with the ComSouth Classic  at Southern Hills Golf Club in Hawkinsville, Ga. Among the entrants are Tyson Alexander, Philip Pettit, Danny Ellis and Richard Swift.

 

Couch Best of Five Gators at Greenbrier
 
    (Aug. 1, 2011) - Former Gainesviller Chris Couch made the biggest splash over the weekend with a tie for 11th at the Greenbrier Classic in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. Chris posted rounds of 68-68-67-70-273, 7 under par, and cashed a check for $138,000. It was his fourth payoff over the $100,000 mark for the season, in which he has made 15 of 16 cuts. His total of $913,416 has him in 75th place on the PGA Tour money list.
    Will Strickler didn't finish strongly, taking a Sunday 73 that included a double bogey to add to his previous rounds of 67-70-69 for a total of 1-under 279. His check of $19,240 was just his third of the season and he's in 214th place with earnings of $73,423. Billy Horschel posted a 4-over 284 and tied for 66th. He's178th on the money list with $199,688. Camilo Villegas disappointed once again, shooting 5-over 285 and earning $11,820. He's in an unaccustomed 125th on the list with $493,451, making just 10 of 20 cuts.
    In Sandy, Utah, Camilo Benedetti was clicking on all cylinders all week, shooting 67-71-68-66-272, 12 under, and deadlocked for 12th. His check for $10,450 lifted his total to $49,726 and he's 59th on the money list. That's one place inside the number he needs to ensure he makes it into the season-ending Tour Championship. Matt Every posted rounds of 70-68-68-72-278, 6 under, and collected $1,955. He dropped to 23rd on the money list with $106,968 in the bank
 
Couch Leads Ex-Gators at Greenbrier

    (July 31, 2011) - Of all the ex-Gators playing in the PGA and Nationwide events this week, Chris Couch is in the best position to make a major score. Chris has posted rounds of 68-68-67-203, 7 under par, at the Greenbrier Classic in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va., and sits in a tie for fifth, just three strokes off Anthony Kim's lead heading into today's final 18 holes. A solid finish coupled with a juicy paycheck will just about ensure Chris will return to the PGA Tour next year.
    Will Strickler is looking for his best finish ever after rounds of 67-70-69-206, 4 under. He's only tied for 18th despite making 15 birdies in three days; but he also has nine bogeys and a double. Chris DiMarco, despite a horror 75 in the second round, is tied for 11th at 5 under after a strong 64 in the third. Billy Horschel is 3 over after rounds of 71-70-72-213 and still has time to move up the leader board, while Camilo Villegas has posted rounds of 71-66-77-214, 4 over. Brian Gay (72-74) is the only Gator who missed the cut.
    In the Nationwide Tour's Utah Championship, Matt Every (70-68-68) and Camilo Benedetti (67-71-68) are tied for 24th at 7-under 206. J. J. Killeen and Jeff Gove are deadlocked on top at 16 under.
 
Potter, Pappas Will Rest This Week
 
    (July 25, 2011) - The Nationwide Tour moves to Sandy, Utah, this week for the Utah Championship but Ted Potter and Brenden Pappas will not be playing. The event is worth $550,000, with $99,000 to the winner, and Matt Every and Camilo Benedetti will be there.
    The PGA Tour heads for White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. for the Greenbrier Classic and a long list of Gators will be on hand, including Will Strickler, Chris Couch, Billy Horschel, Brian Gay, Camilo Villegas and Chris DiMarco. The prize is $6 million, with $1,080,000 to the winner.
    The Hooters Tour takes a week off, as does the European Senior Tour.
 
Potter Makes Huge Nationwide Move
 
    (July 25, 2011) - Unfortunately for the viewing audience, Ted Potter didn't get any TV play on Golf Channel Sunday, because his final round of 35-30-65 was the most impressive performance of the day at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational. Ted's front nine was ordinary, two birdies and one bogey, but on the back nine he was blazing, making five straight birdies from No. 12 through 16 to wind up at 11 under. For the four days days, he shot 67-71-70-65-273.   
    Ted wound up tied for sixth place, just three strokes behind amateur winner Harris English. However, because English and amateur John Peterson, who also finished ahead of him, aren't eligible for prize money, Ted moved up to a tie for fourth money-wise, and collected $33,066. It was his second-best paycheck of the season and boosted his bank account for the year to $170,747; he remained in the seventh spot on the money list. Ted has made six cuts in eight starts, beginning with his surprise victory in Valdosta earlier this season.   
    Brenden Pappas had a potential good finish marred by a double bogey, but he still made five birdies and just one bogey for a 69. He tied for 18th and collected $14,400. That raised Brenden's earnings to $132,573 and he remained in the 10th spot in the chase for "The 25."
    Camilo Benedetti shot 279, 9 under, and tied for 26th, while Matt Every tied for 30th at 8-under 280, despite making a disastrous 8 on a par four Sunday. He's 18th on the money list with $105,012 in the bank.
 
Potter, Pappas Trail Two Amateurs
 
    (July 23, 2011) - Ted Potter and Brenden Pappas cooled off in the second round of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational Friday, both shooting even-par rounds of 71. Ted remained at 4 under and was tied for 18th, while Brenden remained at 2 under and was tied for 28th.
    Matt Every blew up to a 73 after his opening-round 67 and was also at 2-under 140, while Camilo Benedetti checked in with 72-69-141, 1 under, and made the cut by a stroke. Leader John Peterson, an amateur, was 11 under, and amateur Harris English was second, but neither will earn a check.
    At the Canadian Open in Vancouver, Will Strickler missed the cut over the par-70 course with 78-73-151, as did Billy Horschel with 73-73-146 and Camilo Villegas with 74-74-148. The cut came at plus 4. John Daly, who hasn't made many cuts of late, shot 70-71 and was in the hunt, despite a triple bogey seven on Friday.
    Tyson Alexander (71-70-141) and Richard Swift (74-71-144), both missed the Hooters Tour cut in Asheboro, N. C. Philip Pettit was in contention with rounds of 69-66-135.  
 
Potter, Pappas and Every Up Close in Ohio
 
    (July 22, 2011) - Ted Potter, Brenden Pappas and Matt Every were all in a strong position after Thursday's first round of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational in Columbus, Ohio. Ted and Matt shot 4-under 67s, while Brenden rebounded from a slow start to shoot 69 over Ohio State University's Scarlet Course.  
    Ted began on the back nine and made three birdies and a bogey for 33. On the front, he added two birdies for 34. He and Matt are deadlocked for fifth place behind leader John Peterson, who shot 64. Brenden bogeyed 1 and 4 before taking a birdie on 5 for a front-nine 37. On the back, he eagled the par-5 12th and birdied 18 for 32. He's tied for 26th. Bubba Dickerson also shot 69, while Camilo Benedetti shot 1-over 72 and is tied for 80th.
    At the Canadian Open in Vancouver, scoring proved to be difficult and Kris Blanks is the leader at 3-under 67. Will Strickler had a rough day, not making a birdie and shooting 78. Chris DiMarco shot even-par 70, Billy Horschel posted a 73 and Camilo Villegas finished with 74. Horschel's was a real roller coaster ride - five birdies, six bogeys and a double, with only six pars.
    At the Hooters Heart of North Carolina Golf Classic in Asheboro, Tyson Alexander shot even-par 71 and is tied for 85th, and Richard Swift posted 3-over 74 and is tied for 120th with a lot of work to do. Philip Pettit shot 2-under 69 and is tied for 54th.

Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational

    (July 20, 2011) - The Nationwide Tour moves to Columbus, Ohio, this week for the all-important Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational, to be played over the par 72 Scarlet Course at Ohio State University, a layout measuring 7.171 yards. In the field are Ted Potter, Brenden Pappas, Matt Every, Bubba Dickerson and Camilo Benedetti. What makes this one a little more special is the purse of $800,000, one of the highest on the tour this season, with a winner's share of $144,000.
    The PGA Tour is in Vancouver for the $5.2 million Canadian Open, with Will Strickler, Billy Horschel, Chris DiMarco, Camilo Villegas and Brian Gay all slated to compete. The winner gets $918,000.
    The Hooters Tour is in Asheboro, N. C. for the Heart of North Carolina Golf Classic at the Pinewood Country Club. Tyson Alexander, Philip Pettit, Richard Swift and Manuel Villegas are all in the field.

Potter Edges Closer to Nationwide Money Goal
 
    (July 18, 2011) - Ted Potter got off to a poor start in the final round of the Chiquita Classic Sunday and lost a big chance to make a major leap up the Nationwide Tour money list. Ted double bogeyed the fourth hole, then birdied 6 and 9 for an even-par 36. On the back, he bogeyed No. 12, but closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th for 72 and a four-day total of 274, 14 under. He finished in a deadlock for 17th place, picked up a check for $7,700 and is in seventh place on the money list with $137,680 in his quest to make "The 25."
    Brenden Pappas was flat again in the closing round, making five bogeys and four birdies for 73 and a 72-hole score of 284, four under. He remained in 10th place on the money list with $118,173.
    Matt Every shot 75 after a double at the finishing hole and also tied for 17th at 14 under. Camilo Benedetti shot 10 under and tied for 43rd.
    At the PGA Tour's Viking Classic, Will Strickler closed with 69 for 275 and tied for 34th with a paycheck of $18,990. Chris Couch finished at 277, tied for 44th and collected $10,404. He's 83rd on the PGA Tour money list with $775,416. Billy Horschel closed with a 68 for 273, 15 under, and tied for 18th. His check for $40,800 brought his earnings to $187,448, good for 174th on the list.  
    At the Hooters Tour's Cutter Creek Classic, Tyson Alexander tied for 18th with a final-round 73 for 281. He earned $2,670 and is 37th on the money list with $19,028. Richard Swift finished at even-par 288 and took home $1,331, while Manuel Villegas finished at 10-under 278, tied for 8th, and collected $5,075. He's 27th on the list with $24,570.
Late Bogeys Dash Potter's Chances
 
    (July 17, 2011) - Ted Potter went 49 holes at the Nationwide Tour's Chiquita Classic taking only one bogey, but made two of them in the final five holes Saturday to just about cost him a shot at the championship. Ted shot 68 in round 3 and after 54 holes is sitting at 14-under 202, five strokes behind leader Russell Knox. He had played 13 holes when the Golf Channel cameras came into play and Ted, who they call "The Wizard," was prominent for the rest of the telecast. He's tied for seventh heading into Sunday.
    Matt Every remained in contention with a 5-under 67 and is in fourth place with 67-65-67-199, 17 under. Camilo Benedetti has posted rounds of 66-71-69-206, and at 10 under is tied for 27th. Brenden Pappas shot a disappointing 74 and is tied for 58th at five under. After making 10 birdies and an eagle on the first 45 holes, Brenden bogeyed 10, 13 and 15 to drop back in the pack.
    In the PGA Tour's rain-delayed Viking Classic in Mississippi, Grant Waite bogeyed the final two holes of the second round and missed the cut by the two strokes. Will Strickler has posted rounds of 70-68-68 and is tied for 37th at 10 under, eight strokes behind Chris Kirk. Chris Couch's 69-69-67-205, minus 11, has him in a tie for 28th place, along with Billy Horschel, who came alive on Saturday and has rounds of 71-68-66-205.   
    At the Hooters Tour's Cutter's Creek Classic in Snow Hill, NC, Brandon Brown leads at 14 under, and Tyson Alexander is six strokes behind after rounds of 70-66-72-208, eight under. Manuel Villegas is tied for sixth at 207, 9 under, and Richard "Swifty" Swift is one under and tied for 40th.
 
Potter, Pappas, Every Advance in Chiquita Classic
 
    (July 15, 2011) - Golfer's players of interest continued their good play in Friday's second round of the Nationwide Tour's Chiquita Classic at the TPC River's Bend in Cincinnati.
    Matt Every fared best with a seven-under 65 to go along with his opening 67 and is tied for second  at 12 under, two behind leader Josh Broadaway. Matt made seven birdies and has 13 plus an eagle for the 36 holes.
    Ted Potter added a 66 to his opening-round 68 and, at 134, is 10 under and deadlocked for seventh. Ted made seven birdies and a lone bogey, his only bogey in 36 holes.
    Brenden Pappas tacked on a 2-under 70 to his 67 for 137, and at seven under is tied for 17th. He made six birdies but hurt his chances with four bogeys. Camilo Benedetti is also seven under after rounds of 66-71.
    At the British Open, Camilo Villegas missed the cut of plus 3 by two strokes after shooting 71-74-145.
    In the Hooters Tour's Cutter Creek Golf Classic, Tyson Alexander's 70-66-136, 8 under, put him in a tie for seventh behind Jason Cuthbertson's 63-70-133, 11 under. Manuel Villegas is tied for 14th after shooting 70-69-139, and Richard Swift is tied for 49th after rounds of 72-71-143, one under. James Vargas missed the cut with 75-78-153.
    At the PGA Tour's Viking Classic, the weather curtailed play and many players never got to tee it up. Chris Couch did finish and is in good shape with 69-69-138, six under, as is Chris DiMarco with 68-69-137, seven under. Grant Waite, who shot 70 in the opener, is one under after two holes, to be minus three, and Will Strickler and Billy Horschel both haven't teed off.

Ocala/Gainesville Golfers Shine On Opening Day
 
    (July 15, 2011) - Thursday was a red-number day for the golfers who either live or used to live in the Ocala/Gainesville area, including the former Gators who remained in Gainesville long after graduation.
    The Nationwide Tour returned to Cincinnati after a short hiatus and Andrew Buckle was the first-day leader with a 9-under 63. Camilo Benedetti, now living in Orlando, was tied for seventh after a 66 that included seven birdies and one bogey. Longtime Ocala resident Brenden Pappas, now living in Dallas, fired a 67 (tied for 12th) that included four birdies, an eagle and a bogey. Matt Every, who played out of Gainesville for a few years after graduation, also shot 67 in a roller coaster round that saw him make six birdies, an eagle, one bogey and one double. Ocala's Ted Potter  (tied for 28th) played a flawless round of 68 with four birdies.  And Philip Pettit, the Tennesseean who spent some time at Golden Hills this spring, including his play in the Hooters event in March, jumped up from the Hooters Tour this week and shot 68.
    In the British Open, longtime Gainesville resident Camilo Villegas opened with a one-over 71 and was tied for 48th.
    Ocalan Grant Waite made it back to the PGA Tour in the satellite Viking Classic in Madison, Mississippi, and posted a two-under 33-37-70 to tie for 64th. Grant made six birdies and four bogeys. Among the Gainesville contingent, current resident Will Strickler shot 70 with three birdies and a bogey. Of the former residents, Chris Couch shot 68 and is tied for 48th, Billy Horschel shot 71, and resurgent Chris DiMarco shot 68. Tim Petrovic, who lives in Brooksville, is among those tied for first with 65.
    At the Hooters Tour's Cutter Creek Classic in Snow Hill, NC, Tyson Alexander, son of the Gators' golf coach, is tied for 22nd after posting a two-under 70; he made six birdies, two bogeys and one double on a par five. James Vargas, now of Miami, shot 75, Manuel Villegas, who shared an apartment with brother Camilo in Gainesville, shot 70, and Australian Richard Swift, who plays and practices at Golden Hills when not on Tour, shot 72 and is tied for 49th.  
    There are many possibilities for a big weekend.
 
Potter, Pappas, Back in Action
   (July 12, 2011) - Ted Potter returns to action, along with Brenden Pappas, in the Nationwide Tour's $550,000 Chiquita Classic at the TPC River's Bend in Cincinnati Thursday. The event carries a first-place check of $99,000. Also in the field are all the other top money-winners on the tour, except for second-place Erik Compton. They include Matt Every, Bubba Dickerson and Camilo Benedetti.  Entered in the Viking Classic in Madison, Mississippi, are Will Strickler, Billy Horschel, Chris Couch and Chris DiMarco, all ex-Gators. Camilo Villegas is playing in the British Open. The Hooters Tour is in Snow Hill, NC, for the Cutter Creek Classic, and Tyson Alexander, Philip Pettit, James Vargas, Manuel Villegas and Richard Swift are all aboard. The European Senior Tour is off.
 
Couch Finishes Tied for 30th
  (July 12, 2011) - Former long-time Gainesville resident Chris Couch wound up shooting rounds of 70-65-69-70-274, 10 under par, in the John Deere Classic won by Steve Stricker at 22 under. Chris tied for 30th and earned $26,156, but it wasn't enough to keep him from dropping two spots on the PGA Tour money list. Chris is 82nd with a bank account of $765,012, which just emphasizes how far the Tour has come in terms of prize money. With his current total, Chris would have been the leading money-winner every year through 1986. It wasn't until '87 that Curtis Strange led with $925,941, and it continued to soar from there. Vijay Singh became the first $10 million man in 2004.

 

Couch Posts Friday 65
    (July 9, 2011) - Chris Couch fired a 6-under-par 65 after an opening-round 70 and is tied for 25th after 36 holes of the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Ill. Chez Reavie is the leader with rounds of 66-62-128, 14 under.
    Chris made an eagle and three birdies on the front nine Friday, then had two birdies and a lone bogey on the back. Will Strickler and Billy Horschel both shot 73-73-146 and missed the cut.
    The Nationwide, Hooters and European Senior tours are all off this week.
 
Johnson Finishes T-20 in Switzerland
     (July 4, 2011) - With seven holes remaining Sunday in the Bad Ragaz Senior Open in Switzerland, Doug Johnson was in excellent position to make a huge score. He had made just one birdie - on No. 6 - which took him to eight under, but leader Angel Fernandez was feeling the pressure and his huge lead (he began the final round at 16 under) was shrinking fast. On the front nine, Fernandez made one bogey and a double, so Doug had picked up four of the eight shots he had trailed by.  
    But Doug took three bogeys in a row on 12, 13 and 14 and dropped back to five under, and parred out from there. As it turned out, Fernandez did blow his seemingly insurmountable lead after shooting 38-37-75, and Peter Fowler posted his second straight 65 to finish at 14 under and capture the title. Fernandez dropped to third while Doug wound up tied for 20th after rounds of 67-66-72. It was still his best finish since the Mauritius Commercial Bank Open back in December and the check for 2,935 euros lifted his total for the season to 14,510. He moved up to 59th on the Order of Merit.
    Jeff Corr of Longwood won the Hooters Tour's Victoria Texas Open, shooting 20 under par, and took over the money lead with $84,899. Ex-Gator James Vargas of Miami finished third and earned $8,405 and is fifth on the money list with $63,346. Richard "Swifty" Swift tied for 47th at even par 284 after closing with 73 and collected $1,300.
 
Johnson Solid at Bad Ragaz in Switzerland
 
    (July 2, 2011) - After 36 holes in the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open, Angel Fernandez was running away from the field with rounds of 61-63-124, 16 under par, but Doug Johnson was making a solid run for the top five. In his first round, Doug birdied four holes early for a front-nine 31, then bogeyed 13 and took a double on the par-four 15th to drop back to one under. But he closed with a flourish, birdieing the 17th and 18th to wind up at three-under 67.
    In round two, Doug took a bogey on the second hole, but rebounded with birdies at four and seven for a front-nine 34. On the back, he birdied 10, 12 and 15 for a 32 and a four-under 66. At seven under, he was tied for fifth, four shots out of second. Over the 36 holes, he made 11 birdies, two bogeys and one double. Doug tees off Sunday morning at 11:15 European time, or 6:15 here as he looks to cash his biggest check of the season.
    At the AT&T National, Chris Couch shot 73 in the first round, then withdrew; Billy Horschel missed the cut with 77-73-150, and Camilo Villegas missed the cut with 74-71-145.
    In the Victoria Texas Open, James Vargas was tied for second with 65-69-134, eight under, and Richard "Swifty" Swift was tied for 34th with 71-69-140, two under.
 
    (June 27, 2011) - Doug Johnson is back in action at the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open in Switzerland beginning Friday, and the Golf Club Bad Ragaz should be right up his alley. The par-70 layout measures just 6,183 yards, with three par 5s, two of them under 500 yards, only three par 4's over 400 yards, and five par 3's. The purse is 250,000 euros.
    The Nationwide Tour is off for the next two weeks, and the Hooters Tour will be in Victoria, Texas, for the Victoria Texas Open. Tyson Alexander and Phililp Pettit won't be playing, but Richard Swift and James Vargas will. Among the participants in the At&T National in Pennsylvania will be Chris Couch, Billy Horschel and Camilo Villegas.
 
Johnson Falters in The Hague
 
    (June 27, 2011) - Doug Johnson wasn't able to get anything going in Sunday's final round of the Van Langschot Senior Open in The Hague, and posted a seven-over-par 79. He didn't make a birdie, had five bogeys and one double, and dropped to 224 for the 54 holes, eight over. Des Smyth was the winner with 6-under 210.
    Doug earned 1,383 euros and is currently 61st on the Order of Merit with 11,575 in four events.  
    At the Traveler's Championship in Cromwell, Conn., Chris Couch wound up with 65-69-68-72-274, six under, and tied for 56th. His payday of $13,680 boosted his total for the season to $738,856 and he's 77th on the money list. Chris has made 12 of 12 cuts this year, as opposed to 2010 when he made just 11 of 23.  
    Nick Rousey ran away with the Texas Honing Open on the Hooters Tour, where Philip Pettit finished tied for second with 9-under 279, earning $11,291. Phil is now third on the money list with $67,640. Ted Potter remains in second. Richard "Swifty" Swift tied for 14th with 3-under 285, along with James Vargas, both earning $2,846. Vargas is fifth on the money list with $54,941 and Swifty is 109th with $5,362.
 
Triple Bogey Kills Johnson's Chances
 
    (June 26, 2011) - One bad hole kept Doug Johnson from remaining near the top of the leaderboard Saturday in the Van Lanschot Senior Open in The Hague. Doug made two birdies and two bogeys over the Royal Haagsche Golf & Country Club course, but a disastrous triple bogey seven on the 16th hole dropped him to 75, and one over for the 36 holes after his opening-round 70. The leaders were still at three under with 18 holes to play, so without the triple, Doug would have been one off the lead.
    At the Traveler's Championship in Cromwell, Conn., Chris Couch is in a tie for 37th after 54 holes with rounds of 65-69-68-202, eight under par. Frederick Jacobson is the leader at 16 under.  
    Philip Pettit and James Vargas are tied for third at seven under in the Hooters Tour's Texas Honing Open. Pettit shot 69-72-68-209, and Vargas posted rounds of 70-70-69-209. Nick Rousey of Pensacola is running away with the event at 14 under. Richard "Swifty" Swift is tied for 19th with rounds of 71-70-72-213, three under.

Johnson One Off Lead in Netherlands

 
    (June 25, 2011) - Doug Johnson got off to a fast start in the Van Lanschot Senior Open in the Netherlands Friday, shooting a two-under-par 34-36-70 over the 6,752-yard Royal Haagsche Golf & Country Club layout. Doug birdied the second and seventh holes on the front nine, and added another on the back at No. 16, while taking a lone bogey on No. 14. With 36 holes left to play over the weekend, he sits in a tie for fifth place, just one shot out of the lead.
    In the PGA Tour's Traveler's Championship in Cromwell, Conn., Will Strickler missed the cut with 73-70-143, three over, as did Billy Horschel with 73-71-144. Chris Couch opened with 5-under 65 and was two under after 11 holes on Friday when play was halted, and at minus 7 with seven to play was six strokes behind amateur leader Patrick Cantlay, who shot an incredible 60 on Friday.  
    Matt Every, the only player with local interest in the Nationwide Tour's Mexico Open, withdrew before the start of play.
    At the Hooters Tour's Texas Honing Open, Richard "Swifty" Swift of Australia, who spends much of his time at Golden Hills, shot 71-70-141, three under, and is tied for 10th after 36 holes. Ex-Gator James Vargas of Miami shot 70-70-140 and is tied for sixth, while Philip Pettit posted rounds of 69-72-141 to tie with Swifty.
 
Leaders Pass on Mexico Open
 
    (June 22, 2011) - The Nationwide Tour's Mexico Open begins at the El Bosque Golf Club Thursday without Ted Potter and most of the other top 10 players, including leader Matt Goggin,  third-place Troy Kelly, fourth-place Steve Wheatcroft, Daniel Chopra, Brenden Pappas, Garth Mulroy and Brett Wetterich. The two top 10s who will compete with a chance to make up a great deal of ground are second-place Kyle Thompson and ninth-place Scott Brown. Ex-Gator Matt Every, 14th on the money list, will play as will 12th-place Bubba Dickerson.
    Doug Johnson gets back in European action on Friday at the Van Lanschot Senior Open at the Royal Haagsche Golf & Country Club in The Hague, Netherlands. The course measures 6,752 yards, much more conducive to Doug's game. There are just five par 4's over 400 yards, the longest of them being 424, and there are three short par 5's.
    The PGA Tour moves to Cromwell, Conn. for the Traveler's Championship and Will Strickler, Chris Couch and Billy Horschel are all in the field.
    The Hooters Tour is in Pearland, Texas for the Texas Honing Open and Tyson Alexander won't be playing, but James Vargas, Phillip Pettit, Jeff Corr and David Gossett will. Potter is still second on the Hooters money list with $72,793
.
Potter Misses Cut Again
 
    (June 18, 2011) - Ted Potter missed his second straight cut on the Nationwide Tour, again by just one stroke, in the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open in Wichita, Kansas. Ted shot rounds of 70-71-141, one under par, and needed a birdie on either the 17th or 18th holes on Friday, but parred both. No 18 is a par five. In Thursday's round, he made four birdies and three bogeys, and on Friday, two bogeys on the front nine and two birdies on the back.
    Will Strickler also missed the cut with 73-74-147, and lost all chance by making three double bogeys over the 36 holes. Matt Every rebounded from an opening-round 72 to shoot 66 on Friday, and, at four under par, moved up from a tie for 89th place into a tie for 21st. Camilo Benedetti missed the cut with 70-71-141. Roger Tambellini is the 36-hole leader with 64-66-130, 12 under. Money leader Matt Goggin is second with 66-65-131, and Steve Wheatcroft shot 68-70-138 and is tied for 21st.
    At the U. S. Open, Brian Gay (73-71-144) is the only ex-Gator alive after 36 holes. Camilo Villegas shot 77-72-149 and Bubba Dickerson 70-81-151.  

 

Potter Back in Action
 
    (June 14, 2011) - Ted Potter, No. 4 on the Nationwide Tour's money list, will be back in action Thursday in the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open at the Crestview Country Club in Wichita, Kansas. The tournament is worth $600,000, with $108,000 to the winner. Also in the field are the ex-Gators Will Strickler, Matt Every and Camilo Benedetti. Brenden Pappas, with his back problems, will not play.
    Of the other top 10 players on the money list, Matt Goggin (1), Troy Kelly (2), Steve Wheatcroft (3), Daniel Chopra (5), Kyle Thompson (6), Brett Wetterich (9) and Ryan Armour (10) are entered, only Garth Mulroy (7) and Brenden (8) are out. No. 11 Bubba Dickerson has qualified for the U. S. Open and will be at Congressional.
    A few names of local interest in the Open besides Bubba are Jesse Hutchins, who finished second to Teddy in the Hooters event at Golden Hills in March, and Orlando's Sam Saunders and Ty Tryon.  
    Doug Johnson is entered in the Berenberg Bank Masters at Cologne Golf & Land Club in Cologne, Germany, but as of this morning, was fourth on the alternates' list.
    The Hooters Tour is off for another week.
 
Johnson Hurt By Long Par 4s in England
 
    (June 13, 2011) - Doug Johnson was unable to overcome the long par 4s at the PGA Seniors Championship in England played at the 7,036-yard Hunting Course, DeVere Slaley Hall, and wound up with rounds of 74-75-75-75-299, 11 over par. 
    For the 72 holes, Doug made 12 birdies, 21 bogeys and one double bogey over the layout that features seven par 4s of well over 400 yards. He only was able to hit 44 of 72 greens in regulation and his driving average was 266.5 yards. Doug's deadlock for 34th place earned him 2,018 euros and moved him to 54th place on the Senior Order of Merit with 10,190 euros from just three events. Andrew Oldcorn ran away with the event with an 11-under score of 277, nine ahead of runner-up Gordon Brand Jr.
    Doug dropped one spot on the all-time European Senior Tour Order of Merit and is 99th with earnings of 275,598 euros.
    At the Rex Hospital Open in Raleigh, N. C. Ted Potter's streak of making cuts ended at four by a single stroke. Ted shot 73-69-142, needing a birdie on his final hole, a par five,  to make it to the weekend, but he took a par. Camilo Benedetti shot five-under 279 and tied for 34th, while Matt Every's 3-under 281 was good for a tie for 50th in the event won by Kyle Thompson (-14).
    In Memphis, Camilo Villegas made a monster Sunday move, shooting a 6-under 64 with seven birdies and a lone bogey. He moved up into a tie for third place with rounds of 69-69-70-64-272, 8 under, and collected his biggest paycheck of the season by far, $252,560. That vaulted him from 151st on the PGA money list to 103rd with $481,631 in the bank. Camilo is 75th on the career money list with $13,608,132. Tiger leads that category with earnings of more than $94 million.
    Chris Couch played poorly on Sunday and dropped into a tie for 60th, earning $12,152. He shot 71-70-68-75-284, four over, and is 71st on the money list with $725,176.  Will Strickler (70-74-144) and Billy Horschel (71-74-145) both missed the cut, which came at even-par 142.
 
Johnson Returns, Contends for Sr. PGA Title in England
 
    (June 10, 2011) - Doug Johnson is back on the European Senior Tour and after one disappointing week, played himself into contention Thursday in the first round of the DeVere Club PGA Seniors Championship at Hunting Course, DeVere Slaley Hall, Hexham, England. This, despite the fact that the par 36-36-72 layout is a little long for him at 7,036 yards.
    Doug birdied the second hole, but bogeyed 6 and 8 for a front-nine 37. On the back, he birdied 15, but bogeyed 13 and 18 (a 463-yard par 4) for another 37 and a two-over 74. But that was just three strokes off the lead as four were tied at one-under 71, including Angel Franco. Doug was tied for 22nd.
    The previous week, Doug made his return to the tour in the ISPS Handa Senior Masters at Stapleford Forum, England, and shot himself out early with an 82 in the opening round. But he rebounded with 75-70 for 227 (8 over), and deadlocked for 37th, earning a check for $1,170, just his second payday of the season. Peter Fowler won the event at minus 10. That left Doug in 57th place on the Order of Merit with earnings of 8,171 euros.
    In Raleigh, Ted Potter made things difficult for himself as he goes for his fifth straight cut on the Nationwide Tour, shooting a two-over 37-36-73 in the first round of the Rex Hospital Open and was tied for 100th. Ted made birdies at 11 and 13, bogeys at 1 and 15, and a double bogey on the par-4 10th. Matt Every was at 1-over 72 and tied for 89th, and Camilo Benedetti was tied with Ted at 73. The cut was projected at even par after Thursday's round, but could move to minus 1 by the end of today.
    At the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis, David Mathis took the first-round lead with a 5-under 65. Will Strickler continued to struggle with too many bogeys, taking five, but also made five birdies and wound up at even-par 70. He's tied for 33rd. Camilo Villegas is tied for 20th with 69, and Chris Couch and Billy Horschel are tied for 54th after each shot 71.
   (June 6, 2011) - The Nationwide Tour moves to Raleigh, N. C. this week for the Rex Hospital Open. It's the tournament Brenden Pappas won in 2006, and Brenden will be playing this week after experiencing back problems for the last month or so. Also entered are Ted Potter, Matt Every, Camilo Benedetti, Daniel Chopra, Steve Wheatcroft and Matt Goggin, a list that includes ex-Gators and all the money leaders on the Tour.
    The PGA Tour moves to Memphis for the FedEx St. Jude Classic, and Gators are everywhere, including Will Strickler, Chris Couch, Camilo Villegas, Billy Horschel, Chris DiMarco and Brian Gay.  The Hooters Tour is off until next week.
 
Potter Moves Up Nationwide Money List Again
 
    (June 6, 2011) - Ted Potter moved into third place on the Nationwide Tour money list after posting rounds of 66-70-68-69-273 over the University of Maryland course at the Melwood Prince George's Open. Ted's 11 under total was good for a tie for 11th place and earned him a check for $12,720, pushing his total for the season to $129,980. Steve Wheatcroft was a runaway, record-breaking winner of the event, and his check for $108,000 vaulted him all the way into second on the money list with $146,235. Matt Goggin remains the leader at $194,440.
    Ex-Gator Matt Every was one of four who tied with Ted for 11th place, and his check pushed his total to $83,778 and into 12th place among the money-winners. Former Ocalan Brenden Pappas did not play and rests in sixth place with $116,578. Ex-Gator Camilo Benedetti posted 9-under 275, good for a tie for 17th and is in 57th place on the list with $27.041.
    At the Memorial in Ohio, where Steve Stricker won by a stroke over Matt Kuchar, Camilo Villegas shot 73-69-71-72-285, three under, and collected $36,845 for a tie for 30th. He's made eight cuts in 14 events and earned $229,071, 151st on the PGA Tour money list. Chris Couch shot 70-73-76-70-289, one over, and took home $14,284. Chris made three double bogeys in the first three rounds. He's 65th on the money list with $713,024 and has made the cut in all 10 events he's played.

Potter Tied for 8th In Maryland
 
    (June 4, 2011) - Ted Potter remained in line for a good payday at the Melwood Prince George's Open Friday with a one-under-par 70, but Steve Wheatcroft all but put the tournament on ice with a sensational 11-under 60 over the University of Maryland course. Wheatcroft's sterling round, coupled with his opening-day 66, put him at 126, 16 under, and left the rest of the field in his wake. Ted's 66-70-136 left him in a deadlock for eighth place. On the front nine, he bogeyed the first and fifth holes, eagled the par-5 seventh and birdied the eighth for 35. On the back, Ted made one bogey and one birdie for another 35. He has two eagles for the 36 holes.
    Ex-Gator Camilo Benedetti tacked on a 65 to his opening-round 70 for 135 and is tied for fourth, while ex-Gator Matt Every shot a pair of 69s for 138 and is tied for 19th. Will Strickler missed the cut with 75-72-147 despite making five birdies on Friday.
    At the Memorial in Ohio, Chris Couch posted scores of 70-73-143, one under, and is tied for 40th, while Camilo Villegas shot 73-69-142, two under, and is tied for 28th, seven strokes behind Steve Stricker.
 
Potter in the Hunt Again in Maryland
 
    (June 3, 2011) - Ted Potter began on the 10th hole with a bogey five Thursday at the Melwood Prince George's County Open, but he put it another gear the rest of the way and finished with a 5-under-par 66 over the par-71 University of Maryland course. Ted birdied 12, 16 and 17, then eagled the par-5 18th for a back nine 31. On the front side, he birdied 1 and 7, took a bogey on the par-3 fifth and shot 35. He's tied for fourth place heading into today's second round, two shots behiond leader Chris Baryla
    Will Strickler, who continues to divide his time between the PGA and Nationwide tours, is tied for 135th after shooting 37-38-75, four over. Will made three birdies, five bogeys and a costly double.  
    At The Memorial, ex-Gator and former long-time Gainesville resident Chris Couch is tied for 22nd after shooting 34-35-70, two under. He made six birdies, two bogeys and one double. Camilo Villegas is tied for 67th after shooting one-over 73. Chris Riley is the leader after firing a round of  six-under 66.
 
Strickler Gains First PGA Check
 
    (May 30, 2011) - Will Strickler of Gainesville experienced one of the most up and down rides of his life at the Byron Nelson Classic over the weekend, but when it ended, he was able to boast of the first PGA Tour paycheck of his short career.
    Will shot rounds of 66-76-76-68-286, six over par for the par-70 TPC Four Seasons course, and finished in a tie for 32nd place. His initial check came to $35,192 and his first entry onto the PGA Tour money list came in 210th place. Over the four days, Will's roller coaster ride consisted of two eagles, 11 birdies, 41 pars, 15 bogeys and three double bogeys. He had missed the cut in his first six events this year, but has made the cut in two of three Nationwide events and collected $4,303.
    With The Memorial and its elite field coming up this week in Ohio, Will be relegated to tackle the Nationwide Tour's Melwood Prince George's County Open at the University of Maryland course in College Park. He will be joined by Ted Potter, who will continue his run to "The 25" and a place on the PGA Tour in 2012, along with ex-Gators Matt Every, Camilo Benedetti and Bubba Dickerson. Ex-Gators in The Memorial field include Chris Couch, Chris DiMarco, Camilo Villegas and Brian Gay.
 
    (May 24, 2011) - The Nationwide Tour is off this week, so Ted Potter and Brenden Pappas will have to wait until next week to resume their chase for the PGA Tour when play moves to College Park, Maryland, for the Prince George's County Open.
    The PGA Tour stop is the Byron Nelson at the TPC Four Seasons and Will Strickler and Billy Horschel will both be in the field. The Hooters Tour travels to Windsor, N. C. for the Avoca Classic, and Tyson Alexander is not entered. Among those in the field are Manuel Viillegas and Philip Pettit.  
 
   (May 23, 2011) - Ted Potter got back to business Sunday and shot a final-round 69 in the BMW Charity Pro-Am in the Carolinas. Ted made one birdie and one bogey on the back nine, then had two birdies on the front for 33-36, a tie for 44th place and a paycheck of $2,310. That boosted his earnings for the season to $117,260 and moved him past Brenden Pappas on the money list. However, BMW winner Garth Mulroy used his check of $108,000 to jump from 68th on the list all the way into second ($123,065) behind Matt Goggin, so Ted remains in fourth place. His final tab read: 68-68-72-69-277, nine under, and by making three cuts in three tries, he has already tied the most number of cuts he has made in one Nationwide Tour season.  
    Ted has now dropped to second on the Hooters Tour money list behind Brandon Brown, who won the Cherry Blossom Classic in Georgetown, Ky. Among the ex-Gators, Manuel Villegas shot 8-under 280 and collected $1,841, while James Vargas of Miami was at even-par 288 and earned $1,255. Vargas is fourth on the lsit with $52,095, behind Brown, Potter and Philip Pettit.  
 
Potter Barely Makes Cut at BMW Charity Pro-Am
 
    (May 22, 2011) - Yesterday's mention of Ted Potter making the cut at the 36-hole juncture of the BMW Charity Pro-Am was a little premature. Actually, the cut didn't come until after Saturday's third round, and, despite shooting one-over-par 72, Ted made it right at the cut line of minus 7.
    Ted began on the back nine of the Thornblade Golf Club and made birdie on No. 10 to get it to nine under, but a double bogey five on the par-3 11th dropped him back to one over, where he finished the afternoon. He wound up making four birdies, three bogeys and the double and is 10 strokes behind leader Travis Hampshire (-17) heading into today's finale.
    With Brenden Pappas (third on the money list) dropping out after 18 holes, and Daniel Chopra (fourth on the list) missing the cut by one stroke, Ted can pass Brenden by getting into the top 50 today, and can pass Chopra by moving up the board into the top 25 or so. However, Hampshire, who has earned just $16,660 this year, can leapfrog all three with a victory worth $108,000.
 
Potter Makes BMW Cut in 21st Place
 
 
    (May 20, 2011) - Ted Potter fired his second straight round of 4-under 68 at the BMW Charity Pro-Am today and made the cut with relative ease. His five birdie-one bogey round put him at eight under par, seven off the shared lead of Greg Owen and Travis Hampshire, and in a deadlock for 21st place going into Saturday's third round. Ted tees of at 9:05 a. m. on the 10th hole of the Thornblade Club, third of the three venues used for the popular event.
    Brenden Pappas withdrew from the tournament after shooting 74 on Thursday, the second time he has done so in the past few weeks.

Potter Opens With 68
 
    (May 20, 2011) - Scores were low over the three courses in the BMW Charity Pro-Am Thursday, and even though Ted Potter fired a solid round of 4-under 68, he was just one shot above the projected cut line after 18 holes. Ted began on the back nine of the Bright's Creek Golf Club and made a pair of birdies for 34, then came home with three more birdies and a lone bogey for another 34. But he was eight strokes behind Travis Hampshire, who blistered the his way around in 12 under 60.
    Brenden Pappas has some work to do today after shooting 2-over-74 in the opener.
    Tyson Alexander didn't enter the Hooters Tour's Cherry Blossom Classic in George town, Ky., where ex-Gator James Vargas shot 68 and was tied for eight, and Manuel Villegas shot even-par 72.
 
Britisher Skins Hooters Field
 
    (May 16, 2011) - With Ted Potter now firmly entrenched on the Nationwide Tour, which was off this week, David Skinns of England took advantage and won the River Islands Golf Club Classic in Kodak, Tennessee, with a 72-hole score of 266, 22 under par. He collected $28,000.
    Tyson Alexander shot 66-73-71-71-281, seven under, and picked up $1,675 for his tie for 29th. Recent winner Philip Pettit finished in a tie for fifth in his home state at 16 under and earned a check for $6,405, while ex-Gator Manuel Villegas was tied for seventh at 15 under and collected $5,405. Potter is still the money leader with $72,793, but Pettit has moved into second with $52,294. Ex-Gator James Vargas of Miami is third with $50,840, Tyson is 28th with $16,358, and Villegas is 31st with $14,899. Vargas and Villegas are entered in this week's Cherry Blossom Classic in Georgetown Ky., but Tyson and Pettit aren't.
    Potter and former Ocalan Brenden Pappas are entered in the Nationwide Tour's BMW Charity Pro-Am Classic played at three courses in North and South Carolina. The event that is popular with so many celebrities is worth $600,000, with $108,000 to the winner. Brenden goes in third on the money list and Ted is fourth.
    At TPC, former Gator Chris Couch shot 71-72-71-73-287, one under, and picked up $23,132. That boosted his total to $698,739, but he dropped three spots on the money list to 59th. Chris has made all nine cuts in the events he's played this year. Camilo Villegas missed the cut by a stroke with 74-71-145.  
    Interestingly, the three Champions Tour players who competed in the TPC all made the cut. Kenny Perry shot four under, Corey Pavin two under and Mark O'Meara eight over after an opening-round 66.
 
Potter Misses Opportunity to Move Into Second
 
    (May 9, 2011) - With 11 holes to play in the Stadion Classic at UGA sunday, Ted Potter had put himself in position to move into second place in the Nationwide Tour's money standings. He began the day two under par, and with birdies at 2, 5, 6 and 7, went to six under and a big move up the leaderboard, into the top 15. It turned out that six under would have put Ted into a deadlock for 12th place, good for a check of approximately $12,000. That would have vaulted him over Daniel Chopra and Brenden Pappas into second behind leader Matt Goggin.
     But an uncharacteristic meltdown - bogeys at 8, 9, 11, 12 and 15, dropped Ted back to one under for the 72 holes, and into a tie for 39th. That reduced his check to $2,450 and he remained in fourth place on the money list with $114,950. It still helped him in his drive to make "The 25," and a ticket to the PGA Tour in 2012. Ted wound up with 74-70-67-72-283, 11 strokes behind amateur Russ Henly. The University of Georgia senior won on his home course by two strokes over Troy Kelly, then had to relinquish the winner's check of $99,000 to Kelly, who moved from 78th to fifth on the list with $107,642.
    Will Strickler had a forgettable weekend, ending up with 70-71-74-74-289 and a check for $1,402. Will made six bogeys and three birdies in his final round.  
    In the Wells Fargo Championship, Billy Horschel finished with 73-66-73-71-283, five under par, and collected $30,170 for his tie for 33rd. Horschel has made four cuts in 11 events and earned $146,648, putting him in 162nd place on the PGA Tour money list.  
 

Potter Makes His Way Toward Top at UGA

 
    (May 8, 2011) - Ted Potter moved up the leader board Saturday at the $550,000 Stadion Classic at the University of Georgia with his best effort of the tournament, a four-under-par 67 that propelled him from the back of the pack into a tie for 23rd. Ted was sailing along at five under with a bogey-free round until he had difficulty with No. 18 for the third straight day. He made bogey for the second time after taking a double on Thursday, and is four over for the hole going into today's finale.  
    Will Strickler entered the third round at one under and began moving up the board with birdies at 4, 5 and 6 for a front-nine 32. He was four under after the 12th hole, when disaster struck. Will took a triple bogey at 13, a double at 15 and another triple at 16, and, despite two birdies on the back, finished with 32-42-74. His 215 total is two over and dropped him into a tie for 59th. Troy Kelly and Russell Henly are deadlocked for the lead at 9 under.
     In the PGA Tour's Wells Fargo Championship, Billy Horschel has posted rounds of 73-66-73-212, four under, and is tied for 31st. He started out bogey-bogey Saturday, then added one birdie the rest of the way. Jonathan Byrd is the leader at 15 under 201.
 
Potter Gets a Little Help From His Friends
 
    (May 7, 2011) - The golfing gods who were at Ted Potter's side when he won his first Nationwide event last week must still be hanging around. After shooting 74 in the first round of the Stadion Classic at the Univesity of Georgia on Thursday, Ted found himself one stroke under the cut line of plus 1 late in Friday's second round. But a double bogey five on the par 3 eighth put him at plus 2 and he needed a birdie on the ninth to make the cut. He made par. Time to pack up and head home.
    Enter the golfing gods. With four players still on the course who were right on the cut line, Ted needed three to drop a stroke and change the cut line to plus 2. They did and it did, and Ted made his second straight cut with 74-70-144. Will Strickler also made the cut with rounds of 70-71-141, one under par and was tied for 27th heading into the weekend.
    At teh PGA Tour's Wells Fargo championship, Billy Horschel rebounded from his opening-round 73 for a 6-under 66 and is tied for 20th with 139.

Potter Surprises Close To Home

 
    (May 4, 2011) - Ted Potter set the golf world on its ear over the weekend, becoming the first Monday qualifier to win a Nationwide Tour event since Kyle Riefers in 2006, and just the sixth lefty ever to win on that tour. He had qualified for the South Georgia Classic in nearby Valdosta with a six-under-par 66, and took full advantage of what might have been one of his last chances this year to make the jump from the Hooters Tour, where he has been the leading money-winner since early in the season.
    After opening with a two-under 70 despite a double bogey, Ted settled down on the Kinderlou Forest course and made the 36-hole cut with a three-under 69, even though the round took two days to complete because of torrential rains that washed all of Georgia on Friday.  When Ted went to bed on Friday night, he was three under, and still had four to play. But early Saturday morning, he birdied 15 and 16 to take it to five under and easily made the cut.
    Later in the day, he embarked on a bogey-free round of 65, making seven birdies, and found himself tied for the lead at 12 under with Jon Mills going into Sunday's final round. Ted made short work of his closest competitors with birdies at 2, 7 and 8 and went to the back nine with a three-stroke lead at 15 under. When he birdied 11, he was in front by five and basically on cruise control. A momentary blip on 12 brought him back to 15 and Mills' birdie cut the lead to three again, but that's as close as it got. Ted birdied 16 to put the icing on the cake and take home the first-place check of $112,500. At one point, he played 35 consecutive holes without making a bogey. The victory makes him fully exempt for the Nationwide Tour and allows him to bid adieu to the Hooters Tour for at least the rest of this year and next.
    Aside from the milestones above, Ted was the birdie leader for the 72 holes with 23, and was best in putting on greens hit in regulation.
    Former Ocalan Brenden Pappas wasn't quite as fortunate as Ted, missing the cut with a pair of 74s. Brenden is still third on the Nationwide money list with $116,578 behind Matt Goggin ($192,975) and Daniel Chopra ($119,375). Ted's bonanza put him in fourth place.
    In the Hooters Tour's Savannah Lakes Village Classic in McCormick, S. C., which would have been Ted's next stop if not for his Monday qualifying success, Philip Pettit survived a 5-man playoff to take home the check for $28,000. The five deadlocked after 72 holes with 18-under-par 270. Tyson Alexander tied for 17th after rounds of 68-69-69-70-276, 12 under, and collected $2,965. James Vargas of Miami tied for 21st with 278 and earned $2,165, holding his second spot on the money list.
 
Potter and Pappas Reunited
 
    (April 27, 2011) - Ted Potter and Brenden Pappas, who played against each other often in Ocala for many years, will be reunited this week. Ted, the leading money-winner on the Hooters Tour, and Brenden, the second-leading money-winner on the Nationwide Tour, are both playing in the Nationwide stop in Valdosta, Ga., beginning tomorrow morning. Ted made it through Monday qualifying two days ago and will tee off on the 10th hole at the Kinderlou Forest Golf Club at 9:15 a. m. Brenden goes off on the first hole at 8:05 in the event worth $625,000, with $112,500 to the winner.
    Also in the field is 43-year-old John Smoltz, the former Atlanta Braves' pitcher who made it into the tournament via a sponsor's exemption. He'll be teeing off right in front of Teddy at 9:05. Ex-Gators Bubba Dickerson and Camilo Benedetti are also competing.
    The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is worth $6.4 million, with $1,116,000 to the winner. Chris Couch, who collected $1,080,000 with a victory there a few years back, leads the ex-Gator/Gainesville contingent, along with Will Strickler, Matt Every and Billy Horschel.
    The Hooters Tour stops in South Carolina this week for the Savannah Lakes Village Classic and among the featured players will be Tyson Alexander, Philip Pettit, Richard Swift, Tadd Fujikawa and Danny Ellis.
 
Potter Increases Money Lead
 
    (April 25, 2011) - Ted Potter made five birdies and a pair of bogeys in the final round of the Whitewater Creek Open in Fayetteville, Ga. Sunday for a 3-under 69 and a 72-hole total of 275. At 13 under, he finished in a tie for 12th place behind winner Garrett Osborn's 21-under 267, and earned a paycheck of $4,040. That boosted Ted's Hooters Tour-leading bank account to $72,793. Former Gator James Vargas of Miami finished in a deadlock for 44th place with 283 and earned $1,339. He's second on the money list with $48,675.
    Tyson Alexander tied for 27th place with rounds of 73-68-68-71-280, eight under, and collected $1,779. He's 27th on the money list with $11,718 in the bank.
    Former Gator Manuel Villegas, Camilo's brother, closed with the best round of the day, 65, and finished in the tie for 12th at 275, earning $4,040, while Philip Pettit shot 11-under 277 and picked up $2,290.
    At the Heritage Classic, Chris Couch deadlocked for 14th with 6-under 278, earning $91,200, and Camilo Villegas was at 3-under 281 and took home $23,968. Couch, who made 19 birdies over the four days, has made all seven cuts this year with three top 10s and has earned $660,451. Villegas has been inconsistent on the weekends so far and has earned just $174,485, despite making six of 10 cuts.
 
Potter and Alexander Advance Again
 
    (April 24, 2011) - Ted Potter and Tyson Alexander both continued to climb up the leaderboard Saturday in the Hooters Tour's Whitewater Creek Open in Fayetteville, Ga. After opening with 74-66, Ted fired another six-under 66 and stands at 10-under 206 with 18 holes to play. He moved up from a tie for 46th into a tie for 16th, nine strokes behind Garrett Osborn's 19-under 197. Ted began slowly on the back nine, making two birdies and a bogey for 35, but he came alive on the front with birdies at 2,5,6,7 and 9 for 31.
    Tyson jumped from a tie for 57th into a tie for 30th after tacking another 68 onto his first two rounds of 73-68, good for 7-under 209. Other scores of interest: Philip Pettit 210; Manuel Villegas 210, Danny Ellis 209, James Vargas 209, David Gossett 207.  
    At Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, Luke Donald leads the Heritage with 11-under 202. Chris Couch is tied for eighth after rounds of 68-68-70-206, minus 7, while Camilo Villegas dropped back to a tie for 17th with 66-68-74-208, minus 5.
 
Potter. Alexander Rebound To Make Hooters Cut
 
    (April 23, 2011) - Ted Potter and Tyson Alexander were both in real danger of missing the cut after Thursday's first round of the Hooters Tour's Whitewater Creek Open presented by Michelob Ultra in Fayetteville, Ga. Ted shot 37-37-74, two over on the par-72, 6,739-yard Whitewater Creek Golf Club course, while Tyson posted a round of 36-37-73, one over. It was going to take some real improvement Friday to make the cut, which eventually came at 3 under, and both came through with flying colors.
    Ted fired nines of 33-33 for a 6-under 66, and Tyson put a 4-under 68 on the board (35-33), and both will be playing over the weekend. Ted moved up from a tie for 124th to a tie for 43rd behind leader Garrett Osborn's 67-64-131, and is nine strokes off the lead. He eagled the par-five fourth hole, added birdies at 6, 10, 12, 14 and 15 and had it to seven under for the day before taking his lone bogey on the par-3 16th.
    Tyson made five birdies, three bogeys and an eagle on the par-five 15th, moving from a tie for 109th to a tie for 56th, right on the cut line. Other players of note to make the cut were James Vargas (71-68-139); Philip Pettit (71-69-140); Danny Ellis (68-70-138); Manuel Villegas (67-72-139), and David Gossett (63-71-134). Missing the cut were Bob Burns (72-77-149); Richard Swift (71-73-144); Casey Wittenberg (71-75-146), and Tadd Fujikawa (70-75-145).
 
  (April 19, 2011) - The Hooters Tour moves to Whitewater Creek Country Club in Fayetteville, Ga. Thursday and Ted Potter and Tyson Alexander are among the entrants. Others of interest entered are Danny Ellis, Richard Swift, Tadd Fujikawa, David Gossett, Bob Burns, Philip Pettit, Mark Blakefield, Casey Wittenberg, Manuel Villegas, James Vargas and Jesse Hutchins.     The Nationwide Tour is off for a week, and returns next week to Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in nearby Valdosta. Ga. for the South Georgia Classic presented by First State Bank & Trust Co. The total purse is $625,000 with $112,500 to the winner and Brenden Pappas, second on the Nationwide money list, is sure to make his next appearance there, close to his old home in Ocala.  Among the entrants in the Heritage Classic at Harbour Town in Hilton Head are Billy Horschel, Camilo Villegas and Chris Couch.

Potter, Alexander Even on Final Day in Georgia

 
    (April 18, 2011) - Neither Ted Potter nor Tyson Alexander was able to break par Sunday in the final round of the Michelob Ultra Classic in Albany, Ga. Both players shot even-par 72, Potter ending up with 67-70-76-72-285, three under par, and Tyson shooting 69-70-71-72-282, six under. Ted made four birdies, two bogeys and a double on the front side for 36, then took all pars on the back, winding up in a tie for 59th place and collecting a check for $1,138. Tyson tied for 40th and picked up $1,330.
     Ted remained the leader on the Hooters money list with $68,753 in the till, while Tyson is 28th with $9,939. Former Gator James Vargas of Miami won the event by a stroke after posting rounds of 66-67-69-65-267, 21 under par, and earned $28,000. That moved him into second place on the money list with $47,336.
    Other players of interest included Josh Broadaway, who was 18 under and collected $7,310, Philip Pettit, who tied for 21st with 278 and earned $2,150, and Danny Ellis of Heathrow, who shot 275, tied for eighth, and picked up $4,788.
    The Nationwide Tour's Fresh Express Classic was fogged out Sunday in Hayward, Ca., and Daniel Chopra was declared the winner via his 54-hole score of 198, 12 under. Brenden Pappas wound up tied for 49th with 71-69-71-211, one over par, and took home $2,585. That brought his total for the year to $116,578 but it dropped him into second place on the money list behind Matthew Goggin's $124,975. After four events, Brenden has one victory, two top 25s, and is averaging 69.62 strokes per round. Former Gator Camilo Benedetti shot 67-73-69-209 and was in a tie for 39th. Brenden needs to remain in the top 25 by the end of the season to regain his PGA Tour exemptionfor 2012. Last year, it took just over $209,000 to make it.
    In the Valero Texas Open, former Gators Matt Every and Billy Horschel both cashed. Every shot 73-69-74-73-289 and tied for 30th. Horschel shot 71-74-74-80-299 and tied for 74th.
 
Potter Falters In Georgia
 
    (April 17, 2011) - Ted Potter blew up to a four-over-par 76 Saturday and dropped back to a tie for 54th in the Hooters Tour's Michelob Ultra Classic in Albany, Ga. After making 12 birdies in the first two rounds, Ted made just one - on the first hole - then added three bogeys and a double and stands at three under 213 heading into today's finale. Tyson Alexander added a one-under 71 to his previous rounds of 69-70 for 210, six under, and is tied for 35th. He made five birdies and four bogeys. The leaders are former Gator James Vargas of Miami and Brent Schwartzrock of Winter Park with 14-under 202. Vargas put together solid rounds of 66-67-69. Danny Ellis and Philip Pettit are both 10 under and tied for 11th.
    Brenden Pappas sabotaged his third round in the Nationwide Tour's Fresh Express Classic with a double bogey six on the par-4 14th, then birdied the last two holes to wind up with one-over 71. He's at one-over 211 for the 54 holes, tied for 49th. Former Gator Camilo Benedetti has checked in with 67-73-69-209, one under, and is tied for 39th.
    In the Valero Texas Open, Matt Every is tied for 23rd with 73-69-74-216, even par, while Billy Horschel is tied for 51st with 71-74-74-219, three over. Will Strickler missed the cut with 76-74-150. Brendan Steele is the leader at minus 7.

Potter, Alexander, Pappas Make 36-Hole Cuts
 
    (April 16, 2011) - Ted Potter and Tyson Alexander both made the cut Friday at the Michelob Ultra Classic in Albany, Ga. Ted tacked on a 2-under 70 to his opening round of 67 and stands at 137, seven under par and six strokes off leader Kyle Ellis, who is 13 under. Ted made six birdies and four bogeys in his round of 35-35, and is in a tie for 24th.
    Tyson added a 2-under 37-33-70 to his Thursday score of 69 and is five under, eight strokes off the leader, and deadlocked for 40th. Also making the cut were David Gossett (70-67-137), James Vargas (66-67-133) and Danny Ellis (68-68-136). Richard Swift (75-76-151) and Bob Burns (70-72-142) both missed the cut, which came at minus four.
    After shooting 1-over-par 71 in the first round of the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae, Nationwide Tour money leader Brenden Pappas needed no worse than 69 Friday to make the cut, which came at even par 140. He made two birdies and a bogey on the front nine, then bogeyed No. 12 to drop back to one over. Needing one birdie on the final six holes, he made a deuce on the par-3 16th to sneak in, and is tied for 47th. There are four deadlocked at the top at minus seven, including Hooters Tour player Russell Knox of Jacksonville Beach, who got in through Monday qualifying.
    The scores ballooned due to blustery weather Friday at  the Valero Texas Open, and Matt Every's 3-under 69 tied with three others for best round of the day. The former Gator's 73-69-142 at the TPC San Antonio course is good for a tie for eighth, with seven players deadlocked at the top at 141. Matt made 15 pars and three birdies. Billy Horschel also made it to the weekend with rounds of 71-74-145, one over, leaving him in a tie for 29th. The cut came at 6-over 150. 
  
Potter Opens With 67
 
    (April 15, 2011) - Ted Potter continued his superb play Thursday as the Hooters Tour resumed competition in the Michelob Ultra Classic  at Stonebridge Golf & Country Club in Albany, Ga. Ted fired a 5-under-par 67, and is tied for ninth place behind Canadian Stuart Anderson, who shot 64. Tyson Alexander pitched in with a 3-under 69 and is tied for 38th in the field laden with former PGA Tour players.
    Ted made five birdies on the front side for an opening 31, and had just one birdie and a bogey on the back for 36. Tyson made a bogey and a birdie on the front, then knocked out three birdies on the back for 36-33. Other names of interest: James Vargas shot 66, Danny Ellis 68, and Bob Burns, David Gossett and Philip Pettit 70s. The cut line stood at minus 2 after the first round, with the top 65 and ties advancing after 36 holes.
    In the Valero Texas Open, Will Strickler made six bogeys amd two birdies en route to 38-38-76, and is tied for 114th. Matt Every is tied for 72nd after taking 36-37-73, and Billy Horschel is tied for 24th with 34-37-71, making four birdies and one bogey. J. J. Henry and Stewart Cink are tied for the lead at five under. Kevin Na, miked for the Golf Channel audience, was one-under on the front going to the ninth hole where he took a 16 when he hit into the woods twice and kept hacking away - unsuccessfully - to try to get out. It took a replay from the Golf Channel cameras to determine just how many shots he took when he and his caddy lost count. To his credit, Na settled down and made three birdies on the back nine to finish with 47-33-80.
    In the Nationwide Tour's Fresh Express Classic played at the par-70 TPC Stonebrae, former Ocalan Brenden Pappas opened with 34-37-71 and is tied for 72nd. Brenden leads the Nationwide money list. He played the back nine first, taking two bogeys, then made two birdies and a bogey on the front. Former Gator Camilo Benedetti shot 67 and is tied for 10th behind leader Andrew Buckle's 64.

  (April 10, 2011) - A huge and talented field will be on hand for this week's Michelob Ultra Classic presented by Albany Beverage Co. as the Hooters Tour picks up play again after a short absence. Leading money-winner Ted Potter headlines the event, which will be played over the 6,913-yard. par-72 Stonebridge Golf & Country Club in Albany, Ga.

    Also in the field are Tyson Alexander, Tadd Fujikawa, Philip Pettit, Bob Burns, Josh Broadaway, Danny Ellis, David Gossett, Richard "Swifty" Swift, James Vargas and Casey Wittenberg. Ted remains on top of the Hooters money list with earnings of $67,615.
    The Nationwide Tour also returns this week, to Hayward, Ca. for the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae and former Ocalan Brenden Pappas heads the entrants; he's the leading money-winner with $114,523. Also in the entries are former Gators Camilo Benedetti, Matt Every and Will Strickler. However, Every and Strickler are also both entered in the Valero Texas Open at the TPC of San Antonio, along with Billy Horschel, and will no doubt opt to play in Texas.

 (March 28, 2011) - Two days of rain forced the cancellation of another tournament after 36 holes, the Hooters Tour's Charter Childhood Cancer Awareness Classic in Gainesville, Ga. Halfway leader Brandon Brown was declared the winner after shooting 69-67-136, and collected the winner's check of $28,000. Money leader Ted Potter finished in a tie for 11th with 72-69-141, and earned $3,528. That brought his earnings for the season to $67,615, putting him about $25,000 ahead of second-place Jesse Hutchins.   

    Tyson Alexander's 77-69-146 left him in a tie for 53rd and earned him a check for $1,164. Former Gator James Vargas of Miami finished second with 71-67-138 and took home $11,329.
    Brett Wetterich held on to win the Nationwide Tour's Chitimacha Louisiana Open with 13-under 273, while former  Ocalan Brenden Pappas made a huge Sunday move to jump into a tie for 25th. After rounds of 69-72-74, Brenden shot the lights out yesterday with a bogey-free 32-32-64, making seven birdies for the day. If not for two double bogeys and a triple earlier in the week, Brenden could have tied for second, one stroke behind Wetterich. He made 18 birdies over the four rounds, picked up a check for $3,937, and remains the tour's money leader with $114,523 in the till.
    Will Strickler took home a check for $2,900 after finishing in a tie for 33rd with 70-72-72-66-280, four under. Will made three birdies and a bogey Sunday for a front-nine 34, and three birdies on the back for 32. He had struggled in the first three rounds with 11 bogeys. Will has played four PGA and two Nationwide events thus far, and this was the first time he cashed.
    In the inaugural Daytona Beach Open on the Florida Professional Golf Tour, Nick Jones of Bermuda was the winner with 64-67-131. Several Ocalans competed and John Balmer, pro at Royal Oaks, posted the best finish, 68-73-141. He tied for 17th and collected $297. Missing the cut were David Arnold (69-75-144); Andre Vera (76-77-153); Martin Musgrave (77-82-159), and Armondo Guerra (82-81-163).  
 
Potter and Alexander Make Georgia Cut
 
    (March 26, 2011) - Ted Potter and Tyson Alexander both picked it up in the second round and made the cut in the Hooters Tour's Charter Childhood Awareness Classic in Gainesville, Ga. Ted tacked on a 2-under 69 to his opening-round 72 for 141, one under par, and moved from a tie for 26th place into a tie for 11th. He made five birdies and three bogeys in the round and is five strokes behind leader Brandon Brown, who shot 69-67-136.
    After Tyson soared to a 77 in the first round, he also added a 69 on Friday, and moved into a tie for 53rd at four over. The cut came at five over as scores reflected the effects of blustery winds. A double bogey on the par-4 11th hole prevented Tyson from making an even bigger jump.
    Aussie Richard 'Swifty' Swift, who has been wintering in Ocala, posted a pair of 74s and missed the cut by one stroke. Philip Pettit made it with 71-73-144, as did James Vargas, who is tied for second with 71-67-138.
    In Louisiana, Brenden Pappas had it to 5 under at one point of the Chitimacha Louisiana Open, but lost four strokes to par on the final seven holes to wind up with 1-under 69-72-141. He's tied for 50th behind Brett Wetterich, who shot 67-65-132, 10 under. Will Strickler made the cut with 70-72-142 and is tied for 58th, while Manuel Villegas (71-71) and Camilo Benedetti (72-70) both made it with the same total.     
    At Bay Hill, Chris Couch was 6 under and right behind leader Martin Laird (135) with just two holes to play, but took a bogey and a double to drop to minus 3, same score posted by Tiger Woods.
 
Potter Cools Off in Georgia
 
    (March 25, 2011) - A double bogey six on the par-4 10th hole Thursday cooled Ted Potter off somewhat at the Hooters Tour's Charter Childhood Cancer Awareness Classic in Gainesville, Ga. Ted, riding a three-event winning streak, shot 36-36-72, one over par, over the difficult Chattahoochee Golf Club course, but still rests in a tie for 33rd as the scores soared over the par 35-36-71 layout.
     After making two bogeys and one birdie on the front nine, Ted took the double on the 10th to go three over, but rallied with birdies at 11 and 17 to get back in the hunt. The leaders, at 3 under, are Scott Parel of Augusta, Justin Smith of Franklin, Pa., and Chris Wilson of Dublin, OH.   
    Tyson Alexander got off to a horrendous start, bogeying the fourth through seventh holes for a front-nine 39. On the back, he made two birdies, two bogeys and a double on the par-5 15th for 39-38-77, six over, which left him in a tie for 107th place. Australian Richard Swift, who has been wintering in Ocala, shot 74 and is tied for 61st. Former Gator James Vargas of Miami shot 71 and is tied for ninth, the same score posted by Philip Pettit of Murfreesboro, Tenn.
    At Bay Hill, among the former Golfer stalwarts, Chris Couch shot 2-under 70 and is tied for fourth, Matt Every shot 82 and Camilo Villegas 77. Arnold Palmer's grandson, Sam Saunders, who played the last two events in Ocala, got in via a sponsor's exemption from grandpa and shot 74.
    In the Nationwide Tour's Chitimacha Louisiana Open in Broussard, former Ocalan Brenden Pappas is tied for 15th after a 2-under 69. Starting on the back nine, Brenden birdied the 12th hole but lost the advantage with a triple-bogey 7 on No. 13 for a 37. On the front, he rebounded with birdies at 2-5-8-9 for a 32. Rich Barcelo is the leader at 6 under.  
    Will Strickler shot a 1-under 71 with nines of 37-33 and is tied for 31st. Will's front nine was bizarre - a 1-over 37 - and he didn't make a par. He fired four birdies to go along with five bogeys. Among the other former Gators, Camilo Benedetti was 1-over and tied for 76th, and Manuel Villegas was at even-par 71 and tied for 52nd.  
 
Potter Goes For Fourth Straight In Georgia
 
    (March 21, 2011) - The Hooters Tour moves north to Gainesville, Ga. for this week's Charter Childhood Cancer Awareness Classic to be played at the 7,004-yard, par-72 Chattahoochee Golf Club. Ted Potter, with three straight victories under his belt, will be among the favorites, and he'll be joined by such as Tyson Alexander, Philip Pettit, Bob Burns, Matt Harmon, Jesse Hutchins, Russell Knox, Lee Williams and James Vargas.
    Since the late fall, Ted has earned $40,321 on the Hooters Tour Winter Series, $64,087 on the Hooters Pro Series Tour and $14,332 on the Florida Professional Golf Tour - a total of $118,740. Hutchins is currently second in the Pro Series standings with $40,604. There are exemptions once again this season for Hooters Tour players to earn their way into four Nationwide events - the Knoxville Sentinel Open, Mylan Classic, Wichita Open and Chattanooga Classic.
    This week's Nationwide event is the Chitimacha Louisiana Open at Le Triomphe Country Club in Broussard, sporting a purse of $500,000, with $99,000 to the winner. Among the entrants are former Ocalan Brenden Pappas, who won the rain-shortened event in Bogota two weeks ago, Will Strickler, Camilo Benedetti, Bubba Dickerson, John Huston, Neal Lancaster, Peter Lonard, Jason Gore, Mathias Gronberg, John Merrick, who is the second alternate for Bay Hill this week, and Scott Stallings, who finished third in the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook Sunday.
    Among those in the loaded field in Arnie's tournament at Bay Hill will be Tiger, Phil Mickelson, Chris Couch, Gary Woodland, Camilo Villegas, Vijay Singh, Sam Saunders, Andy Bean, Jim Furyk and Sergio Garcia.
  
Potter's Beat Goes On
 
    (March 19, 2011) - Many moons ago, Sonny and Cher sang the appropriate song for the 2011 Ocala Open at Candler Hills. 'And the Beat Goes On.'
    The beat went on for Ted Potter Friday as the sizzling lefty turned the Open into his third victory in the last three weeks. Ted finished the 54 holes deadlocked with Eric Cole at 19 under par, then defeated the slick swinger from Maitland in a playoff that went six extra holes.
    After Ted turned in rounds of 71-63-63-197, and Cole 65-65-67-197, the Florida Professional Golf Tournament committee decided to have them play off on the 18th hole, and continue to play No. 18 until there was a winner since all the gallery was situated at the final green.
    The first five times the pair played the hole, they tied - four times with pars and once with birdies - until Ted knocked in a 14-foot putt for birdie to end it nearly two hours after they completed play on the original 18. It capped a sensational three-week run during which he won the Hooters Tour's Killearn Country Club Classic in Tallahassee and its $28,000 first prize, followed by the Harley-Davidson of Ocala Classic at Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club and its $28,000 check plus a $5,000 bonus from Harley Davidson. Added to the $7,000 he collected Friday, Ted's take for the three weeks comes to $68,000. Combined with his previous successes on the Hooters Tour Winter Series, the FPGT tournaments at Volusia County and Royal Oaks and a few other local events in the area, he's taken home more than $100,000 since the first of the year.
    And taken home is the operative word because Ted recently put the money to good use by buying his first home - in Ocala.
    Cole, whose parents are former PGA Tour winner Bobby Cole and Laura Baugh, the first real glamour girl of the LPGA Tour in the 1970s, collected $3,500 for his runner-up finish.
    John Balmer, head pro at Royal Oaks in Ocala, shot 68-68-69-205 and finished ninth, earning a check for $1,800, while Arnold Palmer's grandson, Sam Saunders, wound up tied for 10th after rounds of 65-70-71-206. Former teenage phenom Ty Tryon deadlocked for 16th with 67-72-69-208, and Mitch Adcock, who won the senior event at Candler Hills a few years ago, shot 67-68-74-209 and finished 18th.
 
Potter and Balmer Contend for Ocala Open Title
 
    (March 18, 2011) - Ted Potter and John Balmer remained in contention Thursday at the end of 36 holes in the Florida Professional Golf Tour's Ocala Open at Candler Hills.
    Ted, winner of the Harley-Davidson of Ocala Classic at Golden Hills on Sunday, rebounded from Wednesday's one-under 71 to post the best round of the second day, a 9-under-par 63 and is tied for second, four strokes behind leader Eric Cole of Maitland. Cole shot consistent rounds of 65-65-130. Jim Troy of Orlando is in the tie for second after posting scores of 69-65-134.
    One stroke behind at 135 are Sam Saunders of Orlando, Arnold Palmer's grandson, who shot 65-70 and will play with Ted in today's finale; Jeff Sorenson of Blaine, Minnesota, 70-65, and Mitch Adcock of Apopka, 67-68. Adcock is a part-time player on the Champions Tour and won an FPGT senior event at Candler three years ago.
    John Balmer, pro at Royal Oaks Country Club in Ocala, was right behind the leaders with 68-68-136. Locals missing the cut, which came at 139, were Roger Rowland (73-68-141); Jeff Hill (68-76-144); David Arnold (76-74-150); and Tyler Rucarean of Gainesville (81-77-158).
 
Potter's 66 Captures Harley-Davidson of Ocala Classic
 
    (March 14, 2011) - Ted Potter is on a roll seldom seen in these parts, or any other parts, for that matter. When he two-putted the 18th hole at Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club Sunday, it capped a final-round 66 and sealed a two-stroke victory over Jesse Hutchins of Kirkersville, Ohio, in the Hooters Tour's Harley-Davidson of Ocala Classic. The victory, Ted's second straight on the Hooter's Tour (he won the Killearn Country Club Classic in Tallahassee and its $28,000 prize by seven strokes the previous week), earned him another check for $28,000, plus a bonus of $5,000 from Harley Davidson, and pushed his earnings for the past two months to around $100,000. But this victory didn't come easy.
    Hutchins began the final round at 11 under par after rounds of 68-67-70, and held a one-stroke lead over Ted, who shot 72-67-67. The fireworks began early, with both making birdie on the short first hole. Ted squared the match with a birdie on No. 3, then took a two-stroke lead with a birdie on the par-five fourth, while Hutchins took a bogey six. Ted went three-up when Hutchins bogeyed the difficult, par-four sixth, but Ted gave it right back with his only bogey of the day on No. 7. Hutchins cut it to one stroke with a short birdie putt on the par-three eighth, and both birdied the ninth - Ted turning in 33 and Hutchins in 35.
    Hutchins evened the match again with a birdie on No. 10, but gave it right back with a three-putt bogey on the par-three 11th. Hutchins had a chance to make a two-stroke swing on the par-five 12th when he left his second about nine feet from the hole and Ted hit the left bunker in two. But Ted escaped by getting it up and down for a birdie while Hutchins missed the eagle putt. Ted then stretched the lead to two again with a short birdie putt on the par-three 14th, and Hutchins took it right back with a birdie at the par-five 15th.
    After both made par on No. 16, Ted hit a magnificent second to within two feet on the par-four 17th and the birdie put him two up with one to play. Ted hit the 18th with his second and his long birdie putt cozied up about a foot from the hole to nail down the victory with a final-round 66. Hutchins held on for second and collected a check for $13,886 and there was a four-way deadlock for third at minus 12 among Yohann Benson, Brandon Brown, Jeff Corr and Will Claxton.  All left with checks of $7,386.
    Since January, Ted has won the final two events of the Hooters Tour Winter Series, before that tied for ninth at Timacuan, captured a two-day Florida Professional Golf Tour event at Royal Oaks, finished tied for fifth in the Hooters Tour Member Shootout at Black Bear, won in Tallahassee and now in Ocala. He made 24 birdies and eight bogeys during the four days and he's headed next for this week's Ocala Open at Candler Hills in Ocala. He also may try to Monday qualify for the Nationwide Tour event a little more than an hour up the road in Valdosta at the end of April. 
    Tyson Alexander, playing a few groups ahead of the final pair Sunday, was only able to muster up a one-under 71 in the finale and tied for 12th, finishing with 71-73-67-71-282, six under. He drove  back to Gainesville with $4,160 in his pocket. Philip Pettit shot 70-73-66-72-281, seven under, and tied for 10th to take home $4,736. Former John Deere Classic winner David Gossett wound up at one-over 289 ($1,466) while former Disney winner Bob Burns was at four-over 292 ($1,245).

Potter One Stroke Back at Golden Hills
 
    (March 13, 2011) - Ted Potter birdied five of the first eight holes Saturday and went on to shoot his second straight 67, moving him into second place in the Harley Davidson Ocala Classic at Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club. Ted trails leader Jesse Hutchins by one stroke - Hutchins tacked a 2-under-70 onto his previous rounds of 68-67 for a 54-hole total of 205, 11 under par. Will Claxton is another stroke back in third after posting rounds of 71-66-70-207.
    Potter made birdies on 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8 before bogeying No. 9 for the second straight day, for a front-nine 32. He birdied 12 and 16 on the back, coupled with a bogey on 13 for a 35 coming in. He'll be teeing off with Hutchins at 10:30 this morning.
    Tyson Alexander shot a 67 on Saturday and is among the leaders at 211 after rounds of 71-73-67, five under. Brett Stemaier withdrew after an opening-round 82, and Grant Waite missed the cut (plus 1) with 74-72-146. A double bogey on the par-3 11th did Grant in, despite his making eagle on the par-5 12th in both rounds. Mark Blakefield, the defending champ who defeated Ted by a stroke last year, missed the cut with 77-73-150. Former PGA Tour tournament winners David Gossett (69-74-73-216) and Bob Burns (71-71-73-215) are both too far back to make a meaningful charge today.
 
Potter Moves Into Contention With 67 
 
    (March 12, 2011) - Ted Potter finished out an unsatisfying opening round at even-par 72 Friday morning at Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club, then stormed home in the afternoon with a five-under-par 67 to move into contention in the Harley-Davidson Ocala Classic.
    After making four birdies and an equal number of bogeys in his rain and darkness-delayed first 18 holes, Ted was sailing along at six under in the second round after birdies at 10, 12, 15, 17, 4 and 7. But he hiccuped slightly with a bogey on his final hole, the long par-four ninth, when his tee shot landed off the fairway to the right and he wasn't able to hit the green from a poor lie. The late starters once again were unable to finish and will be back at 7:30 this morning to conclude the first 36 holes. Third-round play begins at 10 a. m.
    Ted's five-under 139 left him in a tie for fourth among those who have finished, and the cut (low 65 and ties) was sitting at plus one as darkness fell. The leader in the clubhouse was    
Jesse Hutchins of Kirkersville, Ohio, with 68-67-135, nine under. Hutchins won the Hooters Tour's first event of the season, the Shootout at Black Bear in Eustis. Yohann Benson was sitting in second with 67-70-137, along with Nationwide Tour player Will Claxton of Swainsboro, Ga., who shot 71-66.
    David Arnold shot 74-78-152 and will miss the cut, and Grant Waite was still on the course late last evening. Disney Classic winner Bob Burns will be around for the weekend after shooting 71-71-142, as will ex-Gator James Vargas, with 71-73-144. Casey Wittenberg won't be around after posting rounds of 71-76-147.  

Scoring Low at Rain-Delayed Harley-Davidson Of Ocala Classic
 
    (March 11, 2011) - Thursday morning's rain changed the complexion of the Harley-Davidson of Ocala Classic at Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club, with the difficult 7,301-yard course succumbing to the lift, clean and place rule. With play delayed by three hours in the morning, only half the field was able to finish, and, unlike last year's inaugural, par took somewhat of a beating.
    The early leaders were Tyler Brewington of Jonestown, Pa., who shot 33-34-67, and Matt Harmon of Grand Rapids, MI, last year's Hooters Tour money-leader, with 36-31-67. Kentuckian Mark Blakefield, the defending champion, opened with 77. Among those tied for third at three-under 69 was Lee Williams of Alexander City, AL, who held the halfway lead at last week's Killearn Country Club event in Tallahassee, only to fall to second behind Ted Potter's record-breaking 25-under-par performance
    Among the other finishers, Tyson Alexander turned in a one-under-par 71; Grant Waite posted a two-over 74; Monday qualifying leader Brett Stegmaier an 82; Tadd Fujikawa 73; Philip Pettit 70; and John Deere Classic winner David Gossett 69.
    Still on the course when play was halted as darkness set in around 6:30 were Potter, David Arnold, Danny Ellis, James Vargas, Disney winner Bob Burns, Casey Wittenberg and Hugh Royer. They will be back on the course at 8 a. m today, with the first wave of the second round beginning at 10 and the second wave scheduled for 3 p. m.
 
Stegmaier and Arnold Qualify for Hooters Tour's Harley-Davidson Classic
 
    (March 7, 2011) - They went about it in very different ways, but Brett Stegamier and David Arnold both qualified Monday for the upcoming Harley-Davidson Classic presented by the Ocala/Marion County Spotrts Commission at Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club.
     With 10 spots up for grabs, Brett shot a bogey-free 35-33-68 at Golden Hills to lead the qualifiers, making birdies on 1, 12, 15 and 16. He finished one stroke ahead of Juston Ahasic, the only other player to break 70. David, on the other hand, shot 2-over 74 and wound up in a four-man playoff for the final two qualifying spots. But he lobbed a wedge shot on the first hole to within six feet and drained it, assuring entry into the 72-hole event beginning Thursday.
 
The qualifiers:
-------------------
Brett Stegmaier . . . 68
Justin Ahasic . . . 69
Brian Richey . . . 70
Jeff Sorenson . . . 70
Michael Henderson . . . 72
David Suggs . . . 72
Hudson Johnson . . . 72
David McAndrew . . . 73
x-David Arnold . . . 74
x-Spenser Fulford . . . 74
First alternate - Garrett Jones . . . 74
Second alternate - Brennan Webb . . . 74
    x - qualified in playoff
 
    (March 11, 2011) - Will Strickler shot a two-over-par 74 Thursday and is tied for 103rd after the opening round of the Puerto Rico Open, the PGA Tour's satellite event opposite the WGC event at Doral. Former Gators Matt Every and Manuel Villegas are in a tie for 90th after rounds of 73, while Billy Horschel posted an eight-over 80. The cut stood at minus 1 at the Trump International course in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.

 

The Weekend's Heroes: Potter and Pappas
 
    (March 7, 2011) - Two of Golfer's favorite sons wound up as heroes over the weekend, and both moved to the top of the money lists on their respective tours. Ted Potter was a runaway winner of the Hooters Tour's Killearn Country Club Classic in Tallahassee, while former Ocalan Brenden Pappas survived four days of rain to win the Nationwide Tour's  rain-shortened Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open in Colombia.
    Ted shot a final-round 67 on Sunday, winding up with 66-66-64-67-263, an eye-opening 25 under par, for a seven-stroke victory over Alabaman Lee Williams. His last three rounds were either best of the day or tied for best and the check for $28,000 vaulted him to the head of the Hooters Tour money list after two events with $31,087. He is the second-leading money-winner in the history of the tour with more than $550,000 - Chad Campbell is the leader - and he'll try to increase that total this week on his home course, Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club, in the Harley-Davidson Classic presented by the Ocala/Marion County Sports Commission. Ted finished second by a stroke in the event last year behind Mark Blakefield.
    Tyson Alexander faltered in the final round in Tallahassee and finished with 66-70-70-75-281, earning a check for $3,285 and putting him 23rd on the money list. Tennessean Phil Pettit shot 75-67-72-70-284 and collected $1,848, while Danny Ellis of Heathrow shot 70-70-72-74-286 and picked up $1,524. All three are playing at Golden Hills this week.
    In Bogota, the $600,00 event was shortened to 36 holes after four days of rain, and Brenden was awarded the victory after he shot 67-66-133, nine under par. It was his second Nationwide Tour victory - he won the Rex Hospital Open in Raleigh a few years ago - although it won't be considered "official." But the $108,000 paycheck has been added to his bank account and it moved Brenden into first place on the money list with $110,585. At the trophy presentation, Brenden admitted his goal for the year is to end the season as the leading money-winner.
    Runner-up in the event was another Golfer stalwart, Matt Every, the former Gator who lived in Gainesville until last year. Matt shot a pair of 67s to trail Brenden by a stroke and take home $64,800. He's third on the money list with $71,058. Other former Gators who made the cut were Bubba Dickerson, 70-66, $17,400; Manuel Villegas, Camilo's brother, 68-71, $6,180; and Camilo Benedetti, 67-74, $2,560.
   
Potter Leads Hooters, Pappas Leads Nationwide
 
    (March 6, 2011) - Ted Potter blistered the Killearn Country Club course in the third round of the Hooters Tour event in Tallahasse Saturday, making nine birdies and a lone bogey for an 8-under 64 to take over the lead in the 72-hole tournament by four strokes. Ted has fired rounds of 66-66-64-196, 20 under par, while early leader Lee Williams of Alabama is second at 16-under 200. Tyson Alexander tacked on another 2-under 70 and is tied for fifth with 66-70-70206, 10 under.
    Ted birdied three par 5's, five par 4's and one par 3 during his round, which was the best of the day over the 6,998-yard course. Philip Pettit is tied for 45th after rounds of 75-67-72-214, 2 under; Danny Ellis is tied for 30th with 70-70-72-212, 4 under, and Casey Wittenberg is tied for 11th with 69-70-69-208, 8 under.
    In the Nationwide Tour's rain-drenched Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open in Colombia, many players were still competing their second rounds this morning and it was up in the air how many rounds would be played in the tournament. Former Ocalan Brenden Pappas and Matt Every, formerly of Gainesville, both completed their two rounds and were 1-2 on the leaderboard. Brenden shot 67-66-133 and was 9 under, while Matt shot 67-67-134, 8 under. Both players had an eagle 3 on their card. Brenden was two under for the day in his second round with four holes to play and birdied three of the four to move into the lead. Will Strickler is two over with six holes to play after shooting 73 in the first round, and the cut at the time was even par.
 
Potter Moves To Within One Of Lead
 
    (March 5, 2011) - Ted Potter closed in on the lead while Tyson Alexander slipped a couple of spots in Friday's second round of the Hooters Tour's Killearn Country Club Classic in Tallahassee. Ted fired a second straight 6-under-par 66 and is at 12-under 132 at the halfway point, while Tyson tacked on a 2-under 70 to his opening round of 66 and is tied for fifth at 8-under 136. Lee Williams, who blistered the par-72, 6,998-yard course with a sensational 10-under-par 62 on Thursday, added a 3-under 69 Friday and leads Ted by one stroke and Tyson by five at 13 under.  
    Beginning on the front nine, Ted birdied 6 and 7 and made the turn in 2 under. On the back, he made three birdies, one bogey, and an eagle 3 on the par-5 17th to come home in 32. Tyson made four birdies during his round but was derailed with one double bogey that kept him from inching closer to the top.
    David Arnold missed the cut with 77-73-150, as did Richard "Swifty" Swift, who shot 77-76-153. Danny Ellis made the cut with 70-70-140, and Philip Pettit rebounded from his opening-round 75 to shoot 67 and is tied for 41st at 2 under.
 
Potter, Alexander Tied For Third In Tallahassee
 
    (March 4, 2011) - Ted Potter and Tyson Alexander both were bogey-free in the opening round of the Hooters Tour's Killearn Country Club Classic in Tallahasee Thursday. Ted fired nines of 34-32-66, six under, while Tyson equaled that round with nines of 33-33. The local pair are deadlocked for third going into today's second round, four strokes behind leader Lee Williams. Bryce Ledford is second at 8 under.
    Ted and Tyson had contrasting rounds, with Ted making one birdie on a par 5, four on par 4's and one on a par 3. His usual strong point is birdies, and eagles, on the par 5s. Tyson, on the other hand, birdied all four par 5s, and added one each on a par 3 and a par 4.
    Richard Swift, wintering in Ocala, shot 37-40-77 and is tied for 144th, and David Arnold of Ocala posted the same nines. Tenneseean Philip Pettit, who tuned up at Golden Hills last week, shot 37-38-75.
    Former PGA Tour winner David Gossett shot 74 in the opener, youngster Tadd Fujikawa shot, 72, former PGA player Hugh Royer shot 72, Danny Ellis, winner of the Ocala Open two years ago, shot 70, and former U. S. Amateur runner-up Casey Wittenberg shot 69.
    The Nationwide Tour event in Bogota was dampened by rain and only half the field teed off on Thursday. Will Strickler shot two-over 74, but Brenden Pappas and Matt Every began this morning.
 
    (March 2, 2011) - Ted Potter, Tyson Alexander and Richard "Swifty" Swift (from Sydney, Australia and wintering at Golden Hills) are all in the field of 168 competing in the Hooters Tour's Killearn Country Club Classic in Tallahassee. Also entered are Danny Ellis of Heathrow, who won the Ocala Open at Candler Hills two years ago, and Philip Pettit of Murfeesboro, Tenn., who prepped for the event with a 69 at Golden Hills last week.  
    Former Gators Billy Horschel and defending champ Camilo Villegas are playing in the PGA Tour's Honda Classic at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, and Brenden Pappas, Matt Every, Will Strickler and Camilo Benedetti are in Colombia for the Nationwide Tour's Pacifico Rubiales Bogota Open, worth $600,000, with $108,000 to the winner.
 

 

 

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