July 14, 2008

Dear Don,

As the summer has moved on I have finally caught the hang of qualifying for the Champions Tour. I have now made three in a row shooting 67 on Long Island for the Commerce bank, 67 at Endicott for the Dick's Sporting Goods, and now 65 in Minneapolis for the 3M Championship. While I am doing that the other guys who were playing on the Sunblet Senior Tour have also heated up. All you have to do is check the record.

There is no doubt in my mind that the competition that we had early in the year has given us the edge when it comes to the Champions Tour. The only real way to get sharp is to play in good competition. When I am working on my game the only way to see if it really works is to play tournament golf. The only way to get good is to play. I have now seen enough to know that playing on a tour such as the Sunbelt Senior Tour is a real, viable way to gain confidence.

My lament of course is that we need to have even stronger fields with more of the better players. With the Champions Tour going back to a qualifying system that rewards the qualifying tournament with exempt spots, there is a real need for a high quality senior mini tour. It is with that all in mind that I wish you every success in finding corporate sponsors to pick up the ball and get involved with senior professional golf. Every day on your Sunbelt Senior Tour there are players displaying their talent that the very next week could be winning on the Champions Tour.

That is why I can say with total confidence that the Sunbelt Senior Tour is a professional golf tour that is worthy of corporate sponsorship. I give the Sunbelt Senior Tour and you Don Barnes a hearty endorsement. You are a man of integrity and you really do run a tour as well as a mini tour can be run. You pick great venues. You treat us well. Your heart is in the right place. I wish you all the best as you try to grow the Sunbelt Senior Tour.

Thanks for putting on great events and hopefully I can win as many Champions Tour events this year as I have won Sunbelt Senior Tour events.

Sincerely,

David Ogrin
1996 LaCantera Texas Open Champion
PGA / Champions Tour
Two Time Winner, Sunbelt Senior Tour