NGA TOUR Secures Another Nationwide Tour Event Exemption

Myrtle Beach, SC, June 23, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Over the last few seasons, an inordinate amount of NGA TOUR members have successfully played their way onto the Nationwide Tour. The player ascension can be attributed to a myriad of reasons, but three standout.

First, NGA TOUR events mimic the Nationwide Tour more so than any other developmental tour with four-round, 72-hole walking events that include Pro-Ams and Shootouts. Second, the competition level on the NGA TOUR is every bit as good as what you’ll find day in and day out on the Nationwide Tour and PGA TOUR. Lastly, the NGA TOUR secures more PGA TOUR and Nationwide Tour event exemptions for its members than any other developmental golf tour in the country, giving players an opportunity to change their lives in the matter of a week.

Now, thanks to a partnership with the Utah Championship, the NGA Pro Golf Tour has secured a fifth Nationwide Tour event exemption for 2012 to go along with the tour’s PGA TOUR event exemption into the Reno-Tahoe Open. One well-deserved member will participate in the long-running event to be held July 9-15 in Sandy, Utah.

“We pride ourselves in being able to provide our players with ample opportunities to succeed at the next level,” said Robin L. Waters, NGA TOUR president. “Many of our players are ready for the next level and are just in need of that opportunity. With these event exemptions, we hope they can make that transition sooner rather than later.”

Matt Harmon, a 2012 NGA TOUR member, made the most of his exemption earlier in the season. The multi-time NGA TOUR winner finished second in the Nationwide Tour’s Stonebrae Classic playing on an event exemption secured by the NGA TOUR. With the runner-up effort, Harmon earned status for the rest of the season on the Nationwide Tour.

Longtime NGA TOUR member Roberto Diaz earned the NGA TOUR’s event exemption into the Nationwide Tour’s Rex Hospital Open. David Skinns, a two-time NGA TOUR winner this year, is playing in the Nationwide Tour’s Wichita Open this week on an event exemption he earned through the NGA TOUR, while the winner of the NGA TOUR’s event exemption into the Nationwide Tour’s Mylan Classic has yet to be determined. Brandon Brown, a six-time NGA TOUR winner, earned the NGA TOUR’s event exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Reno-Tahoe Open by being the Tour’s leading member money winner at the halfway point of the season.

One of the original tournaments of the Ben Hogan Tour, the Utah Championship is entering its 21st season and NGA TOUR alums have won the event 11 times since its inception.

The NGA has helped hundreds of professionals acquire their PGA TOUR, Euro, Nationwide and Champions Tour cards. In fact, NGA alumni have won an incredible 15 “Major” championships.

NGA alumni include: 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson; 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley; 2010 PGA TOUR Player of the Year and 2003 U.S. Open Champion Jim Furyk; 2009 British Open Champion Stewart Cink; 2009 U.S. Open Champion Lucas Glover; 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson; 2003 British Open Champion Ben Curtis; two-time U.S. Open Champion Lee Janzen; British Open and PGA Champion John Daly; British Open Champion Tom Lehman; PGA Champion David Toms; 2010 NGA Player of the Year Michael Thompson; and many, many more.

At this year’s PGA TOUR Qualifying School, 52 percent of those earning fully-exempt status on the PGA TOUR and 67 percent of those earning fully-exempt status on the Nationwide Tour were past NGA Professionals.

The NGA Pro Golf Tour, established in 1988, predates the Nationwide Tour as the longest running developmental tour in golf.

The NGA TOUR is the “Official Partner of the 2012 Reno-Tahoe Open.”

For more information on the NGA or the NGA Pro Golf Tour, please visit the website at www.NGATOUR.com or contact the Tour Office at (800) 992-8748.