Storylines: Potter takes unusual path to first win
By Nationwide Tour staff
To say Ted Potter Jr. traveled a long road to his first Nationwide Tour win is clearly no exaggeration. Potter Monday-qualified last week in Valdosta, Ga. to earn a spot in the South Georgia Classic presented by First State Bank & Trust Co. Six days later he accepted the tournament trophy and an exemption to play on the Nationwide Tour through 2012 after securing a three-shot win over leading money winner Mathew Goggin.
The South Georgia Classic was the Ocala, Fla. native's 56th start on the same tour he was a member of in 2004, 2007 and 2010. In 2004, the 27-year-old played 24 events and missed every cut. He combined to make six cuts in his next 31 Nationwide Tour starts in '07 and '10, with a T11 last year in Chattanooga his best finish.
Potter is a two-time NGA Hooters Tour Player of the Year (2006 & 2009). He has won twice on that tour this year. Potter became the fifth lefthander to win on the Nationwide Tour and the first player to win after earning a spot via a Monday qualifier since Kyle Reifers captured the 2006 Chattanooga Classic. Potter is now the 20th player to do so.
POTTER AND SIX PLAY WAY INTO STADION CLASSIC: Ted Potter Jr. was joined by six other Monday qualifiers who finished in the top 25 in Valdosta to get into this week's Stadion Classic at UGA -- Brett Long (T3), Matt Hendrix (T10), Matt Boyd (T24), Brian Harman (T24), Troy Kelly (T24) and Michael O'Neal (T24).
BUBBA WATSON GETS NO. 303, HEADS TO UGA TO MAKE $50K DONATION: For the third week in a row and 15th time in the 19 PGA TOUR events played this year, a Nationwide Tour alum was in the winner's circle on Sunday. Bubba Watson's victory in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans was the 303rd alumni win on the PGA TOUR. Following his Sunday media and sponsor obligations, the University of Georgia graduate departed for Athens, Ga. where he will spend Monday and Tuesday supporting this week's Nationwide Tour stop (Stadion Classic at UGA) as a Co-Honorary Chairman along with fellow Bulldog Chip Beck. As part of the Play Golf America University (PGAU) program, members of the 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup team were each given $50,000 to donate to colleges and universities of their choice to help support or start the organization's efforts at boosting golf education and engagement. Watson, a member of the 2000 SEC Championship team, designated UGA as the beneficiary of his gift.
JOHN SMOLTZ REFLECTS: John Smoltz admittedly had a rough go of it last week at the South Georgia Classic. "I learned a lot of things that were not fun to learn.....it was very humbling", Smoltz said on Golf Channel's Morning Drive on Tuesday. "After having a few days to let it sink in, it was the greatest thing to happen to me. I learned more through failure and times like that than if I would have never done it or never tried to tangle with some of the greatest guys in the world. If I thought this (84-87-171) was capable of happening, I never would have entertained it." Smoltz likened it to his first outing as a closing pitcher in baseball when he gave up eight runs. "Humiliating baseball experiences made me a better person and a better ball player. I will be a better golfer having gone through what I did and dealing with what I dealt with vs. coming out there and surprising the world. I will (do it again), absolutely, if the opportunity presents itself. But I've got a lot of work to do."
JAY HAAS, SR. AND JR. TO PLAY BMW HOME GAME: Nine-time PGA TOUR winner and Champions Tour stalwart Jay Haas has accepted an invitation to play in the Nationwide Tour's upcoming (May 19-22) BMW Charity Pro-Am. Haas lives at Thornblade Club in Greenville, S.C., host course for the popular celebrity pro-am event which is also played at courses in Spartanburg, S.C. and Mill Spring, N.C. Son Jay Haas, Jr., who plays on the eGolf Tour, successfully played his way into the event at a recent tournament qualifying event. The BMW Charity Pro-Am will be the second Nationwide Tour event for the elder Haas (same event/2001/missed cut). Jay Jr. played in 2007-2009, missing the cut all three years. His brother, Bill, played the Nationwide Tour full time in 2005, finishing 23rd on the money list (when only 20 cards were available) before going on to earn his PGA TOUR card at that fall's Qualifying Tournament. In 2006, Jay and Jay Jr. both played in the PGA TOUR's Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, their only other joint appearance in a TOUR-sanctioned event.
"WINNING ON THE NATIONWIDE TOUR": A second straight third-place finish in New Orleans on Sunday moved 2010 Nationwide Tour grad Tommy Gainey seven more spots up the FedExCup points race on the PGA TOUR to No. 23. Gainey specifically gives credit to the Nationwide Tour. "Winning on the Nationwide Tour," he said last week. "That pretty much told me if I could win on the Nationwide Tour I could compete and win on the PGA TOUR. It's just propelled me on the level I'm at right now." The South Carolina native earned membership via the Qualifying Tournament in 2008 and '09, making only 14 cuts in 40 appearances. Last year on the Nationwide Tour, Gainey made 20 cuts in 27 events, winning twice and finishing second once, third once and in the top 10 six times in all.
BIRTHDAY BOYS: There are lots of Nationwide Tour players celebrating birthdays in the first two weeks of May -- Camilo Beneditti (May 2nd), Richard Lee (4th), Travis Hampshire (5th), Bubba Dickerson (6th), Henrik Bjornstad (7th), Brenden Pappas (7th), Ted Brown (9th), Travis Bertoni (11th) and Jimmy Brandt (13th).
NEXT EVENT: The Nationwide Tour is idle during next week's PLAYERS Championship and resumes play the following week (May 19-22) at the BMW Charity Pro-Am, which has a celebrity format and three host courses which are located in Greenville and Spartanburg, S.C. and Mill Spring, N.C.
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