NEWS
 
With this victory: Chris Couch
 

By Joan vT Alexander
PGA TOUR staff

Earns FIRST PGA TOUR victory in 65th career professional start at the age of 32 years, 11 months, 364 days.

PGA TOUR Career Victories: 2006 Zurich Classic of New Orleans

EXEMPT STATUS
Earns two-year exemption on the PGA TOUR that will take him through the 2008 season. Earns exemption into the several invitational tournaments in 2006, PGA Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the 2007 Mercedes Championships in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii.

ZURICH CLASSIC of NEW ORLEANS NOTES
First victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans comes in his third appearance at this tournament.

Becomes the 15th player to win his first PGA TOUR event at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the third consecutive, joining Bill Collins (1959), Bo Wininger (1962), Larry Hinson (1969), Jim Simons (1977), Lon Hinkle (1978), Bob Eastwood (1984), Ian Woosnam (1991), Mike Standly (1993), Scott McCarron (1996), Lee Westwood (1998), Carlos Franco (1999), K.J. Choi (2002), Steve Flesch (2003) and Tim Petrovic (2005).

2006 NOTES
Collects $1,080,000 first-place check, the largest of his career, which brings season earnings on the PGA TOUR to $1,102,278, ranked 24th. He becomes the 26th player to surpass $1 million in season earnings in 2006.

First player on TOUR to make the cut on the number and win the tournament since Brad Faxon at the 2005 Buick Championship.

Becomes the fourth first-time winner on the PGA TOUR in 2006 through 18 TOUR events. He joins J.B. Holmes (FBR Open), Arron Oberholser (AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro Am) and Aaron Baddeley (MCI Heritage).

CAREER NOTES
Surpasses the $1 million mark in career earnings in only his 65th professional start on the PGA TOUR, $1,420,979 total.

Previous top finish on the PGA TOUR was a T7 at the 1999 Sony Open in Hawaii, his first start as a member and professional of the PGA TOUR. He played as an amateur, after earning a spot in the field through the Monday qualifier, at the 1990 Honda Classic at the age of 15. He first earned his card on the PGA TOUR by finishing T17 at the 1998 Qualifying Tournament.