INTRODUCTION:
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The
Sunbelt Senior Professional Golf Tour has emerged as the dominant
senior developmental tour in the country. Since its' inception in
1996, it has always placed the players needs first by operating
with honesty, integrity, and professionalism. With the high quality
of exempt players moving on to the Champions Tour from the PGA circuit
and formidable odds against securing a player's card from the Q-School
process, Sunbelt provides a professional, competitive environment
for seniors (age 47 & up) to fine-tune their skills.
The events are played mainly in the southeastern United States of
Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina, but
tournaments have been played in Virginia and Pennsylvania. The Resort
at Glade Springs in West Virginia has been added as a new event
for 2009. The Tour is headquartered in Myrtle Beach, SC and is owned
and operated by Carolinas PGA Professional, Don Barnes. Sunbelt
has paid over $3 million in purses over the past 13 years and by
2010, forecasts charitable donations to exceed $1 million.
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The
Sunbelt Tour has a proven record of accomplishments. Walter
Hall, who now has won nearly $7 million on the Champions
Tour, won 4 events on the Sunbelt Tour in 1996, before heading
for the big time, and added another win as late as 2007. James
Mason played on the Sunbelt for 3 years before striking
pay dirt with a win as a Monday qualifier in the Champions Tour's
NFL Classic. He has since won over $2 million and gained exempt
status again in 2009 by finishing 4th at the 2008 National Qualifying
School. Gene Jones was the leading money winner
on the Sunbelt Tour from 2005 through 2007 and was medalist in
the 2007 National Q-School finals. As a Monday qualifier, he finished
18th on the 2008 Champions Tour money list with over $1 million
in earnings and is fully exempt in 2009. Other notable accomplishments
include:
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Tom
McKnight, won his 1st professional championship on
the Sunbelt Senior Tour before making it onto the Champions
Tour. He finished 3rd in the Champions 2008 National Q-School
and is fully exempt in 2009.
Mike Goodes, is a 2007 Sunbelt Tour champion
who finished in the Champions Tour top 30 last year as a Monday
qualifier and is also fully exempt in 2009.
Steve Thomas, 5 time Sunbelt Tour winner
captured one of only five spots at the Champions Tour Q-School
Finals to be fully exempt in 2009.
David Ogrin, former PGA Tour winner, won
2 events on the Sunbelt Tour this year.
Tim Conley, two-time Nationwide Tour winner
(who led the 2008 Sunbelt Tour money list) and David
Ogrin both finished in the top 12 at the Champions
2008 Q-School final and should get their share of starts in
2009. 23 Sunbelt Tour members won money on the Champions Tour
last year. |
The Tour has consistently attracted many top professionals from
around the world including Australia, Africa, most of the European
countries and Canada. Sunbelt players with outstanding records
include Ryder Cup team member, Ken Green, and
three-time PGA Tour winners, Gary Hallberg, Kenny Knox
and Pat McGowan. Other PGA Tour champions include
George Burns, Frank Conner, Bill Britton, Lon Hinkle,
Rex Caldwell, Tony Sills, Dan Halldorson and Jim
Booros. The tournaments on the Sunbelt Senior Tour provide
a great opportunity for aspiring tour players to compete against
some of the best senior professionals in the country.
Companies are attracted to this Tour because many of the Sunbelt
tournaments include a charitable pro/am. "The Patriot,"
an invitational pro/am at National Golf Club in Pinehurst, NC,
in 2008 alone raised over $100,000 for families of our fallen
heroes from Fort Bragg. Another event, the South Carolina Senior
Open, which is annually held at Tidewater Golf Plantation in North
Myrtle Beach, SC, donated over $55,000 to two local charities
over the past two years.
For a recoverable $25,000, companies, charities, golf clubs
or other entities may sponsor a future event. The fee provides
added incentive in purses for the pros and can easily be more
than offset by income gained from pro/ams, co-sponsors, hole/flag
signage, program/pairing sheet sales, vendor co-op programs, etc.
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