There were three different leaders in the third round and the names atop the leaderboard were ones that will be remembered for many years to come. Blayne Barber, Jon Curran and Matt Hendrix battled each other – and the weather – incessantly on Saturday at Monticello Golf Club before Barber posted a pair of late birdies to take a two-stroke lead.

The intensity of the group had a final-round feeling, which proved apropos after heavy rains washed out the final round on Sunday, giving Barber his second NGA TOUR Pro Series victory in just his sixth start.

“I went out there on Saturday and approached it like it was the final round. That was my mindset,” said Barber, who finished at 9-under par and earned $28,000 for the victory. “It’s great to play with guys like Matt and Jon. Matt has experience on the PGA and Web.com Tours and Jon has two wins on the NGA TOUR this season and played on the PGA TOUR last week. Playing with other guys that are doing well certainly compels you to do well yourself.”

After Curran moved three shots ahead with seven holes left to play on Saturday, Barber, a former Auburn All-American from Lake City, Fla., would need a compelling finish to earn his first win of 2013.

“The first 11 holes today were a grind,” said Barber, who finished T24 in the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open. “The conditions were tough, the greens were firm and the pins were tucked. I really was struggling to stay patient. [My wife and caddie] Morgan just kind of reminded me of some truth and prayed for me and where we were. After that, I was able to stay patient, made a chip No. 16 and then birdied 17. It was a struggle, but patience paid off.”

The chip-in birdie on No. 16 gave Barber his first lead of the event and the birdie on No. 17 allowed the 2012 All-Nicklaus Team member to finish the third round with a 2-under 70 and a two-stroke lead over Hendrix.

While Barber was elated with his late-round rally, Curran undoubtedly felt the opposite about his play down the stretch. The two-time 2013 NGA TOUR winner held a two-stroke lead over Hendrix with six holes left in the third round, but three bogeys on the way to the clubhouse dropped the Vanderbilt alumnus three shots behind Barber and one stroke behind Hendrix at the finish. Curran of Tequesta, Fla., shot a 3-over 75 on Saturday and finished third at 6-under par, earning $9,000.

Greenville’s Hendrix used a hot start on Saturday to reach the top of the leaderboard. The Clemson alumnus birdied two of his first three holes of the day to take the outright lead. Unfortunately for Hendrix, three bogeys and 12 pars over the final 15 holes dropped him into second place. The former Tiger carded a 1-over 73 on Saturday and finished solo second at 7-under par. Hendrix earned $14,000 for the runner-up effort.

In just his second Pro Series start, James White, the co-winner of the 2012 Byron Nelson Award, rebounded from a 3-over 75 in the first round with a 65 on Friday and a 72 on Saturday to move into fourth place at 4-under par. White, a Georgia Tech alumnus from Arworth, Ga., pocketed $8,000 for his top-five finish.

Former University of Florida standout Dan Stone carded a 2-over 74 in the third round, but he actually gained a spot on the leaderboard, moving from sixth to fifth. Stone of St. Petersburg, Fla., finished at 3-under par.

After finishing T21 in the PGA TOUR’s Zurich Classic last week, Ken Looper continued his solid play in the Savannah Lakes Village Classic. The LSU alum from Mandeville, La., shot a 1-under 71 on Saturday to move into a tie for sixth with David Skinns at 2-under par. Skinns, a former NGA Player of the Year from Lincoln, England, shot a 1-over 73 in the third and final round.

Andrew Medley of Athens, Ala., was the only golfer in the field to break 70 in the Open-like conditions on Saturday. The Auburn alumnus shot a 4-under 68 in the third round to finish in a tie for eighth with Joseph Harrison (73), Seth Fair (75), Gregory Huxman (76) and Jonathan Fly (77) at 1-under par.

Travis Bertoni (72), Patton Kizzire (70), Will Dottley (73), Clayton Rask (73), Shawn Jasper (77) and Kelvin Day (79) finished in a tie for13th at even par for the event.

The NGA Pro Golf Tour is the No. 3 Men’s Professional Golf Tour in the United States after the PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour and is the No. 1 recommended developmental tour by more PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour Professionals.

The NGA has helped hundreds of professionals acquire their PGA TOUR, Euro, Web.com, and Champions Tour cards. In fact, NGA alumni have won an incredible Fifteen (15) “Major” Championships. On average over 60% of every Web.com Tour field and over 40% of every PGA TOUR field have spent time on the NGA TOUR.

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 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel; 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; 2003 Tour Championship winner Chad Campbell; 2010 NGA Player of the Year and 2013 Honda Classic champion Michael Thompson; and recent PGA TOUR winners Russell Henley, Kevin Streelman, Scott Brown, Brian Gay, Mark Wilson, George McNeill, Ted Potter Jr., Scott Stallings, Scott Piercy, Gary Woodland, and many, many more.

The NGA Pro Golf Tour, established in 1988, predates the Web.com Tour as the longest running developmental tour in golf. Since 2010, the NGA TOUR has received twenty Web.com Tour and two PGA TOUR event exemptions, the most in developmental golf, and in 2012 became the “Official Partner of the Reno-Tahoe Open,” one of just 45 PGA TOUR events worldwide, and now the only event on the PGA TOUR calendar with a Modified Stableford scoring format.

SLV Classic leader Blayne Barber (photo set). Day 3 leader from NGA Tour pro golf event. Barber is at 9 under, two strokes ahead of Matt Hendrix and three ahead of Jon Curran. 

Fueled by a missed cut in the PGA TOUR’s Zurich Classic last week, Curran shot a 5-under 67 in wet, windy conditions in the second round of the Savannah Lakes Village Classic at Monticello Golf Club on Friday to move from a tie for fifth into the outright lead at 9-under par for the event.

“I’m pretty disappointed with the way I played last week,” said Curran, who carded rounds of 74 and 71 in the Zurich. “It was a long course, and I’m not going to overpower a golf course, but I should have played better. I’m just glad I’ve got somewhere to play this week.”

The field in the $200,000 event might not feel the same if Curran, who posted at T24 in the PGA TOUR’s Puerto Rico Open earlier this season, continues his solid play. The Vanderbilt alumnus from Tequesta, Fla., has carded just three bogeys over 36 holes and appears to be in total control of his game.

“Today, I just continued to do what I’ve done all year,” said Curran, who is second on the NGA TOUR money list. “I hit the fairway, played solid with my irons and made some good putts. I had good speed and good feel.”

After starting on the back, Curran posted back-to-back birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 and added another on No. 17 to reach 3 under early in the round. A bogey on No. 18 was his only blemish of the day, but he quickly bounced back with birdies at Nos. 1, 2 and 4 en route to the second-lowest round of the day. Curran will start the weekend one stroke ahead of Greenville’s Matt Hendrix.

“I’m really confident in my game right now,” said Curran, a former high school teammate of PGA TOUR star and NGA TOUR winner Keegan Bradley. “I really felt like I could’ve picked up a few more shots out there. I was 4 under through five holes yesterday, and I finished at 4 under. The only time I get in trouble is when I feel like I have to make a putt. I’ve learned to overcome that recently by staying calm and not really caring. If I’m even par through 14 holes, I know I can still shoot 68.”

While Curran is definitely on a run right now, don’t expect Hendrix, or the rest of the field, to cower on the weekend.

After shooting a tournament-low 65 in the first round, Hendrix posted three birdies and two bogeys on Friday to shoot a 1-under 71. Hendrix will begin Saturday in solo second at 8-under par.

“It was very difficult out there today,” said Hendrix, a former Clemson standout. “The winds were blustery and changed directions. You kind of had to hit it at the right time. I could’ve posted three or four shots better. Conditions were tough, so anything under par was a good score today. I’ll take it and go.”

Blayne Barber of Lake City, Fla., also shot a 71 in the second round on Friday, but odds are the former Auburn All-American was less than pleased with his 1-under round. Barber, who opened with a 6-under 66 on Thursday, appeared to be headed to the top of the leaderboard after reaching 4-under par through 14 holes. Unfortunately for the former Tiger, two bogeys, a double bogey and a birdie over the final four holes left him at 7-under par and tied for third with Charleston Southern alum Kelvin Day, who shot a 69 on Friday.

Jonathan Fly, a former University of Memphis golfer, posted his second 69 in as many days to move into fifth place at 6-under par. Shawn Jasper (70), Gregory Huxman (72) and Dan Stone (72) will start Saturday T6 at 5-under par, while Seth Fair (72) and James White (65) start the third round T9 at 4-under par.

The third round of the Savannah Lakes Village Classic will start at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. As always, admission is free to the public.

The NGA Pro Golf Tour is the No. 3 Men’s Professional Golf Tour in the United States after the PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour and is the No. 1 recommended developmental tour by more PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour Professionals.

The NGA has helped hundreds of professionals acquire their PGA TOUR, Euro, Web.com, and Champions Tour cards. In fact, NGA alumni have won an incredible Fifteen (15) “Major” Championships. On average over 60% of every Web.com Tour field and over 40% of every PGA TOUR field have spent time on the NGA TOUR.

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 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel; 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; 2003 Tour Championship winner Chad Campbell; 2010 NGA Player of the Year and 2013 Honda Classic champion Michael Thompson; and recent PGA TOUR winners Russell Henley, Kevin Streelman, Scott Brown, Brian Gay, Mark Wilson, George McNeill, Ted Potter Jr., Scott Stallings, Scott Piercy, Gary Woodland, and many, many more!

The NGA Pro Golf Tour, established in 1988, predates the Web.com Tour as the longest running developmental tour in golf. Since 2010, the NGA TOUR has received twenty Web.com Tour and two PGA TOUR event exemptions, the most in developmental golf, and in 2012 became the “Official Partner of the Reno-Tahoe Open,” one of just 45 PGA TOUR events worldwide, and now the only event on the PGA TOUR calendar with a Modified Stableford scoring format.

Day 2 afternoon photos from the Savannah Lakes Village Classic on Friday at the Monticello Course in McCormick, S.C.

Day 2 photos from the NGA Tour’s SLV Classic in McCormick, S.C.

Hendrix, a former Clemson standout from Greenville, posted six birdies, one eagle and one bogey en route to a 7-under 65 Thursday and leads former Auburn All-American Blayne Barber by one stroke.

“I putt a new putter in my bag today,” said Hendrix, a veteran of 93 Web.com Tour starts. “It was a friend’s of mine from Greenville that I played with yesterday. I stole it from him, brought it down here today and rolled in a couple of 20-footers on the front.”

After a bogey on the opening hole, the lengthy putts helped Hendrix get back into red numbers early in the round and the former Tiger closed in style, shooting a 4-under 32 on the way to the clubhouse.

“I played pretty solid,” said Hendrix. “I turned in a 3 under, went to the back and got a birdie No. 11. On the 13th hole, I hit a wedge in there about eight feet and made it. I went to 14 and holed out a wedge. I had a few looks at it on the way in and didn’t make them, but overall it was a good day.”

Barber of Lake City, Fla., also had a good day, going bogey-free around the testy track in the opening round on Thursday. The Tiger alumnus, who started on No. 10, ran off three birdies over his first six holes and added back-to-back-to-back birdies on Nos. 4, 5 and 6 coming in to shoot a 6-under 66.

Dan Stone and Gregory Huxman both posted 5-under 67s in the morning wave and held the clubhouse lead for a few hours, but the duo eventually slipped into a tie for third, two strokes behind Hendrix.

Stone, a former University of Florida standout from St. Petersburg, Fla., made the turn at even par but rallied with five birdies over his final seven holes, while Huxman, a former Mississippi State stalwart from Pinecrest, Fla., went bogey-free and poured in five birdies in the first round on Thursday.

A week after making his second PGA TOUR start of the year, Vanderbilt alum Jon Curran returned to the NGA TOUR in fine fashion, posting a 4-under 68. The two-time 2013 NGA winner from Tequesta, Fla., finished the first round tied for fifth with Seth Fair, Hampton Ballard, Kelvin Day and Lee Chaney.

Shawn Jasper, Clayton Rask and Jonathan Fly carded 3-under 69s in the first round and ended the day tied for 10th, while Erik Barnes, Mathieu Gingras, Patton Kizzire, Kent Bulle and Billy Brozovich finished T13 at 2-under par.

The second round of the Savannah Lakes Village Classic at Monticello Golf Club will start at 7:30 a.m. on Friday. As always, admission is free to the public.

The NGA Pro Golf Tour is the No. 3 Men’s Professional Golf Tour in the United States after the PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour and is the No. 1 recommended developmental tour by more PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour Professionals.

The NGA has helped hundreds of professionals acquire their PGA TOUR, Euro, Web.com, and Champions Tour cards. In fact, NGA alumni have won an incredible Fifteen (15) “Major” Championships. On average over 60% of every Web.com Tour field and over 40% of every PGA TOUR field have spent time on the NGA TOUR.

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 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel; 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; 2003 Tour Championship winner Chad Campbell; 2010 NGA Player of the Year and 2013 Honda Classic champion Michael Thompson; and recent PGA TOUR winners Russell Henley, Kevin Streelman, Scott Brown, Brian Gay, Mark Wilson, George McNeill, Ted Potter Jr., Scott Stallings, Scott Piercy, Gary Woodland, and many, many more!

The NGA Pro Golf Tour, established in 1988, predates the Web.com Tour as the longest running developmental tour in golf. Since 2010, the NGA TOUR has received twenty Web.com Tour and two PGA TOUR event exemptions, the most in developmental golf, and in 2012 became the “Official Partner of the Reno-Tahoe Open,” one of just 45 PGA TOUR events worldwide, and now the only event on the PGA TOUR calendar with a Modified Stableford scoring format.

NGA TOUR Media Relations
Paul@NGATOUR.com

May 2, 2013

Expert Panel makes picks for NGA’s Savannah Lakes Village Classic

Leading Money Winner Lower, Defending Champion Narramore and last week’s PGA TOUR Cinderella Looper make two lists each

Lower, Malnati, Whitekiller picked to win

Myrtle Beach, S.C. – May 2, 2013 – To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the NGA TOUR, we have assembled a Panel of Experts who specialize in the golf industry and have the experience of covering the NGA TOUR for multiple seasons. This panel of experts will make their top five selections each week for the NGA TOUR 18 Pro Series events this season and they continue with this week’s Savannah Lakes Village Classic being held at Monticello in McCormick, S.C.

Not only did Justin Lower win last week’s NGA TOUR event in Seneca but in doing so helped to further prove that our experts know a thing or two about the NGA TOUR. Lower was picked on three of our experts’ lists and was the top pick on two of them. Lower returns to lead our experts picks this week as he is listed on two lists and is the top pick of Kevin Faigle from WRDW-TV CBS in Augusta, Ga. All five of Kevin’s picks last week made the cut, so we can expect big things from the NGA TOUR leading money winner this week.

While Chas Narramore wasn’t picked to win by any of our experts, there was no way the defending Savannah Lakes Village Classic champion could be left off the lists completely. Narramore bested 2012 NGA TOUR Player of the Year Brandon Brown by three strokes last year, proving he had what it takes to win against top-notch competition on the NGA TOUR’s biggest stage. Although Chas was not picked to win by our experts, he did match Lower by being selected on two of our experts’ lists.

Most people outside of the NGA TOUR and LSU golf circles may not have know who Ken Looper was, at least not until this past week. That was when the 2012 NGA TOUR Co-Rookie of the Year medaled at the Zurich Classic qualifier and contended at the PGA TOUR event all week long. Looper was the story of the Zurich, where he almost holed out his approach shot from the 18th fairway, which would have gotten him into this week’s Wells Fargo Championship. While he ended his first ever PGA TOUR event with a T21 finish, he finds himself back on the NGA TOUR this week in McCormick. Don’t think our experts didn’t notice as two of them are expecting Looper to ride that wave of momentum to a great finish this week.

While Lower was the only one of the three players listed on two cards to be picked to win this week, our others selections at the top of the charts are deserved to be there as well. Jesse Smithey from the Knoxville News-Sentinel is still riding the Peter Malnati train – and rightfully so.

Malnati has had a third-place and runner-up finish in back-to-back weeks. The natural progression from third to second would be to 1st, correct? If not for a final round rain out in Seneca, who knows, Malnati could’ve possibly found the winner’s circle a week early. All five of Jesse’s picks made the cut last week, including three inside the top 10 so he know s a thing or two about NGA TOUR players. Watch out for Malnati this week!

The other top pick to win this week, selected by Shorelines Magazine’s Greg Deal, is super rookie Trent Whitekiller. Trent currently sits fifth on the NGA TOUR money list and that’s with taking last week’s event off. He’s had six top 10s in seven tournaments on the tour so far this season. He’s come close to taking the top spot once this season already and, with the new greens at Savannah Lakes-Monticello taking away the advantages enjoyed by many NGA TOUR veterans, this could be the perfect time for the rookie to get his first NGA TOUR win. Greg was on the Lower bandwagon last week and won so could a repeat happen this week with Whitekiller? He’s been at the event all week so he must love his chances.

Here are our complete experts’ picks for the upcoming 2013 NGA Savannah Lakes Village Classic at Monticello Course in McCormick, S.C., (April 29 – May 5), the ninth event of the 2013 NGA TOUR Pro Series season:

1. GREG DEAL (@ShorelinesSC) is editor of Shorelines Magazine in Savannah Lakes Village, McCormick, S.C. He has been a journalism and marketing professional for 22 years, covering high school, college, professional and Olympic sporting events. He’s written articles on PGA tournaments and qualifiers, NGA events, and has covered the Masters twice (in 2000, with winner Vijay Singh; and in 2004, with winner Phil Mickelson) for daily newspapers.

Picks:

TRENT WHITEKILLER (Sallisaw, Okla.; College: Oklahoma State) – He has some of the best overall stats and average finishes on the tour, and this week seems ripe for his turn for victory. A win is simply waiting, and this is a great place to get one.

JON CURRAN (Hopkinton, Mass.; College: Vanderbilt) – one of the hottest golfers on the tour spent last week playing a PGA Tour event. We put him on our tournament edition cover, which I hope is not a curse.

CHAS NARRAMORE (Kingston, Tenn.; College: Middle Tennessee State) – I’m never counting out a past tournament winner — especially one who can play the Monticello Course well.

JUSTIN LOWER (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Augusta, Ga.; College: Malone) – Win two straight? If anyone can, it’s Lower. I find it ironic that the player who predicted mass parity on the tour this year is one of the two two-time winners (Curran being the other). I think either Lower is really humble or he verbal sandbagged the field before the season.

JEFF CORR (Longwood, Fla.; College: Jacksonville State) – There seems to be a small collection of players near the top of all NGA rankings who seem to be a potential winner each week. Can’t count out Corr.

2. KEVIN FAIGLE (@kevinfaiglewrdw) has been the Sports Director for WRDW TV CBS in Augusta, Georgia for seven years having covered the Masters plus numerous NGA Tour events during this time.

Picks:

JUSTIN LOWER (Canal Fulton, Ohio/Augusta, Ga.; College: Malone) – What a splash this guy has made. Coming off the rain shortened win and leads in a lot of categories. Not only is he a proven winner but he gets “home course” advantage this week. Not that he’s played in McCormick before, but he gets to sleep in his own bed seeing he’s now a resident of near by Augusta. Always an advantage when you get all the comforts of home.

BLAYNE BARBER (Auburn, Ala.; College: Auburn) – Has had a tremendous season already and has proven he can play at the next level with his success. He’s only played in two NGA events, but has two cuts made on the PGA Tour. Got to go low at Savannah Lakes and Barber will do just that.

MJ DAFFUE (Pretoria, South Africa; College: Lamar) – could he be the next great thing from South Africa? IF this year is any indication, he’s well on his way. The second year pro is 3rd in the BMW Charity Classic race and is poised to contend for a win. This could be the track for him

KEN LOOPER (Mandeville, La.; College: LSU) – Not sure his feet have come back to earth yet after a remarkable performance at the Zurich Classic. Probably will be flying high in McCormick as well and will use all that positive energy to make a run at the Savannah Lakes title

CHAS NARRAMORE (Kingston, Tenn.; College: Middle Tennessee State) – the defending champ is back so he knows what it takes to score here. While he hasn’t had a super year on the NGA Tour this season he is at a comfortable course. He does have two top 20 finishes so there is some momentum.

3. JESSE SMITHEY (@JesseKNS) has been covering golf for the Knoxville News Sentinel since 2006. He has covered three Masters (2006-07, 2012), a PGA Championship (2011) and the Web.com’s News Sentinel Open eight times.

Picks:

PETER MALNATI (Dandridge, Tenn.; College: Missouri) – Malnati knows I pick him, and he still plays well. He finished second last week, but weather prevented him from completing what could have been a special weekend. Expect him to finish his business this week.

KEVIN HALL (Cincinnati, Ohio; College: Ohio State) – I had the good fortune of doing a story a few years back on Hall when he played in Knoxville. His perseverence in life and in the Tour life is to be commended and will deliver a big dividend soon.

ERIC AXLEY (Knoxville, Tenn.; College: East Tennessee State) – Axley is a past PGA Tour winner who found some confidence last week on the Web.com Tour. A veteran golfer knows how to parlay a good week into more, and Axley should during this upcoming stretch.

KEN LOOPER (Mandeville, La.; College: LSU) – Looper captivated the hearts of all those who love to root for underdogs when he, a local and a Monday qualifier, contended at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He tied for 21st. Handling that stage can help Looper at McCormick.

MAJOR MANNING (Daytona Beach, Fla.; College: Augusta State) – I picked Manning a few weeks back, but he made his first NGA TOUR cut last week. I usually jump the gun on my predictions, so I’m back on the Manning bandwagon again. Because that’s what guys from Knoxville do.

GREG DEAL

KEVIN FAIGLE

JESSE SMITHEY

@ShorelinesSC

@kevinfaiglewrdw

@JesseKNS

TRENT WHITEKILLER

JUSTIN LOWER

PETER MALNATI

JON CURRAN

BLAYNE BARBER

KEVIN HALL

CHAS NARRAMORE

MJ DAFFUE

ERIC AXLEY

JUSTIN LOWER

KEN LOOPER

KEN LOOPER

JEFF CORR

CHAS NARRAMORE

MAJOR MANNING

http://www.flickr.com/photos/94048172@N04/

A link to photos from the NGA ProAm and the Putting Contest on Wednesday at Savannah Lakes Village.

McCormick, S.C. – (April 30, 2013) – Large galleries? Check. Pristine course? Check. Engaged community? Check. Top players from around the world? You bet.

Each year, nearly a month after the PGA TOUR players have finished their first major of the season in Augusta, Ga., the next generation of the PGA TOUR stars gather about an hour north in McCormick, S.C., for their version of a major, the NGA TOUR’s Savannah Lakes Village Classic.

Since its inception in 2005, the player-favorite event has become a staple of the NGA Pro Golf Tour and shows no sign of losing its title any time soon.

“When I joined the NGA TOUR, the players always talked about how it was one of the best tournaments of the year,” said Will Wilcox, the 2010 SLVC winner and most recent Web.com Tour victor. “Words couldn’t even describe how I felt after winning there.”

Given the caliber of fields that gather for the Savannah Lakes Village Classic every year, the winner typically leaves the event with a little extra confidence that comes for beating the best in the business.

Since 2005, six champions of the Savannah Lakes Village Classic have advanced to the PGA and Web.com Tours. McCormick winner’s Camilo Villegas (2005), Kris Blanks (2006), Michael Connell (2007) and Kevin Kisner (2008) went on to earn PGA Tour cards after tasting victory at the long-running event, while SLVC winners Matthew Harmon (2009), Wilcox (2010) and 2011 victor Philip Pettitt Jr. have status on the Web.com Tour in 2013.

A slew of top-10 finishers in the SLVC have also gone on to the secure their PGA TOUR cards, including Scott Piercy, Russell Knox, Billy Hurley, Casey Whittenberg and Steve LeBrun. Many more top 10-finishers have gone on to earn their Web.com TOUR cards.

After finishing T4 last season, Danny Ellis went on to secure his PGA TOUR card for 2013, while Nick Rousey and Jonathan Hodge, who both finished T6, earned status on the Web.com Tour in 2013. Zack Sucher, who finished third last season in the SLVC, earned his Web.com Tour status last week by finishing T2 in the South Georgia Classic.

Even with so many competitors moving to the upper echelon of the game, there will be no shortage of talent on display this week in McCormick with all but one golfer in the top 10 in NGA earnings teeing it up the Savannah Lakes Village Classic on Thursday.

Nearly 30 NGA TOUR winners will be in the field this week, but none enter the event with more momentum than Justin Lower, who earned his second victory of the season at the Mountain Lakes Village Classic in Seneca, S.C. The former Malone University All-American from Canal Fulton, Ohio, has five top 10s in eight starts and leads the NGA TOUR in earning with nearly $67,000 winnings.

A pair of golfers competing in this week’s event will be making a return to the NGA TOUR after spending last week on the PGA TOUR. Current members Jon Curran, who is second on the NGA money list, and Ken Looper, a 2012 NGA TOUR winner, both competed in the Zurich Classic a week ago. Looper nearly shocked the world in the Zurich Classic, flirting with the lead before finishing in a tie for 21st in the PGA TOUR debut.

Defending SLVC champion Chas Narramore, who carded a 22-under 266 total last season, will be in the field this week as well as 2009 winner Matt Harmon. The duo will be looking to do what no other winner has done in the history of the event – win again. Over the last 10 years, no player has been able to win the prestigious event more than once.

The 2013 field will also include: 2013 NGA TOUR winners M.J. Daffue, Clayton Rask and Daniel McCarthy; David Skinns a former University of Tennessee All-American and 3-time 2012 NGA winner; Jeff Corr, a 2012 Web.com Tour member; Hunter Hamrick, a former University of Alabama All-American who earned over $115,000 on the PGA TOUR in 2012; Rick Cochran III, the nephew of PGA winner Russ Cochran and a Middle Tennessee State alumnus; Jonathan Randolph, a 2010 All-Nicklaus team member and All-American selection from Ole Miss; Tyson Alexander, a former University of Florida All-American and 2012 NGA winner.

Others notable participants include: Stuart Anderson, a 2012 Web.com Tour member; T.J. Bordeaux, a BWS winner and four-time Big West All-Conference selection at the University of Pacific; Major Manning, a 2012 Web.com Tour member; Jack Newman, the 2008 U.S. Public Links champion; and multi-time NGA TOUR winners James Vargas and Mark Blakefield.

The first round of the Savannah Lakes Village Classic is scheduled to start at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday. As always, fans are encouraged to come out and enjoy the festivities. Admission is free to the public.

The NGA Pro Golf Tour is the No. 3 Men’s Professional Golf Tour in the United States after the PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour and is the No. 1 recommended developmental tour by more PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour Professionals.

The NGA has helped hundreds of professionals acquire their PGA TOUR, Euro, Web.com, and Champions Tour cards. In fact, NGA alumni have won an incredible Fifteen (15) “Major” Championships. On average over 60% of every Web.com Tour field and over 40% of every PGA TOUR field have spent time on the NGA TOUR.

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 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel; 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; 2003 Tour Championship winner Chad Campbell; 2010 NGA Player of the Year and 2013 Honda Classic champion Michael Thompson; and recent PGA TOUR winners Russell Henley, Kevin Streelman, Scott Brown, Brian Gay, Mark Wilson, George McNeill, Ted Potter Jr., Scott Stallings, Scott Piercy, Gary Woodland, and many, many more!.

The NGA Pro Golf Tour, established in 1988, predates the Web.com Tour as the longest running developmental tour in golf. Since 2010, the NGA TOUR has received twenty Web.com Tour and two PGA TOUR event exemptions, the most in developmental golf, and in 2012 became the “Official Partner of the Reno-Tahoe Open,” one of just 45 PGA TOUR events worldwide, and now the only event on the PGA TOUR calendar with a Modified Stableford scoring format.

Seneca, S.C. – After seeing an inordinate amount of first-time winners crowned during the first six events of the season, Jon Curran singlehandedly put an end to the streak two weeks ago in the Brunswick-Heritage Oaks Classic by becoming the first two-time winner this season on the NGA TOUR.

However, with Curran competing in the PGA TOUR’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans this week, the door is open for someone to join him as a two-time winner or another streak of first-timers could begin in the Mountain Lakes Classic presented by Mountain Lakes Convention and Visitors Bureau at Cross Creek Plantation.

Curran is the featured on the cover of May’s Shorelines Magazine Savannah Lakes Classic tournament edition, expected to arrive at SLV homes within the next week.

Although Curran, a former Vanderbilt standout of Tequesta, Fla., will spend his week in Avondale, La., the Mountain Lakes Classic will feature plenty of NGA TOUR standouts, Web.com Tour members, former PGA TOUR members and a slew of the best up-and-coming talent in the country battling for the lion’s share of the $150,000 purse.

After earning their first NGA TOUR Pro Series victories earlier this season, Clayton Rask, Justin Lower and M.J. Daffue have added incentive this week to earn their second victories in the Mountain Lakes Classic. The top NGA TOUR money earner as of July 14, 2013 earns an event exemption into the PGA TOUR’s 15th annual Reno-Tahoe Open.

Lower, a former Malone University stalwart from Canal Fulton, Ohio, won the Spring Hill Classic and enters the Mountain Lakes Classic trailing Curran, the leading money earner on the NGA TOUR, by less than $9,000. With a third-place finish or better, Lower, who has three top-five finishes this season, should move atop the order of merit this week.

Rask, a former University of Minnesota golfer from Otsego, Minn., earned a two-stroke win in the Killearn Country Club Classic and has stayed steady over the past two months, earning three finishes of T26 or better. Rask, who is fourth on the money list, could overtake Curran with his second victory of the season.

Daffue, a former Lamar University standout from Pretoria, South Africa, can’t overtake Curran in earning with a victory, but another victory could put the former Cardinal within striking distance.

While he’s yet to earn his first NGA TOUR victory, Seth Fair could close within earshot of Curran in the money standings with a win this week. Fair, a former All-American at the University of Indianapolis from Brownsburg, Ind., is sixth on the order of merit and has been a model of consistency this season, picking up four top-10 finishes and finishing T42 or better in every start this season.

Although they’ve been shut out of the win column this season, perennial NGA powerhouses David Skinns and Jeff Corr will also be a pair to keep an eye on this week.

Skinns of Lincoln, England, won a Tour-high three times in 2012 and made 11 of 11 cuts en route to earning over $100,000. After a brief hiatus, Skinns, a former University of Tennessee All-American, returns this week to play in the Mountain Lakes Classic, where he posted at T8 finish in 2012.

Corr, a 2012 Web.com Tour member, has earned over $650,000 on the NGA TOUR and will be looking for his fifth Pro Series win this week. Thus far in 2013, Corr’s best finish of the season is a T5 at Killearn.

Blayne Barber of Lake City, Fla., should also be on everybody’s radar this week. After graduating from Auburn in 2012, Barber made some noise late last season on the NGA TOUR, where he won four events in his first nine starts on tour. The former All-American seems to have carried the momentum into 2013, too. In addition to finishing T5 in his only start on the NGA TOUR this season, Barber has made the cut in two PGA TOUR events and one Web.com Tour event.

The field will also feature several players with ties to the upstate. Former Clemson golfers Brent Delahoussaye and Matt Hendrix are in the field as well as past Coastal Carolina linkster Drew Ernst of Seneca.

Also schedule to play this week are 2012 NGA Pro Series winners Rick Cochran, Jay Woodson, Jonathan Randolph, Phillip Choi and Chas Narramore. Others notable participants include: Stuart Anderson, a 2012 Web.com Tour member; T.J. Bordeaux, a BWS winner and four-time Big West All-Conference selection at the University of Pacific; Major Manning, a former Web.com Tour member; Jack Newman, the 2008 U.S. Public Links champion; and multi-time NGA TOUR winners Matt Harmon, Hudson Johnson and James Vargas.

The first round of the Mountain Lakes Classic is scheduled to start at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday. As always, admission is free to the public.

The NGA Pro Golf Tour is the No. 3 Men’s Professional Golf Tour in the United States after the PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour and is the No. 1 recommended developmental tour by more PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour Professionals.

The NGA has helped hundreds of professionals acquire their PGA TOUR, Euro, Web.com, and Champions Tour cards. In fact, NGA alumni have won an incredible fifteen (15) “Major” championships. On average, over 60% of every Web.com Tour field and over 40% of every PGA TOUR field have spent time on the NGA TOUR.

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 PGA Champion Shaun Micheel; 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; 2003 Tour Championship winner Chad Campbell; 2010 NGA Player of the Year and 2013 Honda Classic champion Michael Thompson; and recent PGA TOUR winners Russell Henley, Kevin Streelman, Scott Brown, Brian Gay, Mark Wilson, George McNeill, Ted Potter Jr., Scott Stallings, Scott Piercy, Gary Woodland and many, many more.

Lorenzo’s Wine Cellar

By Larry Russo

Definitions…

The mention of “Meniscus” to many of us here in SLV conjures up images of not-much-fun arthroscopic knee surgery.  In wine terminology however it translates to something altogether different.

Meniscus in wine parlance is the rim color of the wine, best seen by holding your partially-filled wine glass over a white background.  Holding the stem, tilt the glass to about a 45 degree angle.  The meniscus can be observed by looking at the very edge of the wine where it comes in contact with the glass.  You will see a thin, clear line of liquid at this point.  The thinner the Meniscus, the younger the wine.

For red wines, a Meniscus (rim color) that is lighter than the center indicates some aging of the wine.  Typically, the color of aged red wine Meniscus runs the spectrum from brick red to orange or even brownish.  Younger reds will show purple or pink rims.  Young white wine Meniscus color will generally run from colorless to yellow, with possibly a greenish tint.  As white wine ages, its color will deepen and become more golden to amber.

The reason for the Meniscus color change is because as the wine sits in the bottle small amounts of air seep in through the cork.  When wine comes in contact with air it begins to oxidize and thus begins bottle aging.

Observing Meniscus color is a good gauge of a wine’s age, except for those wines that were never intended to age, such as White Zinfandel, which will retain its natural liquid-pixie-stick color for as long as you have it.  (Hopefully, not too long).

Using the Meniscus check to gauge the true age of a wine is particularly useful when ordering wine in a restaurant to verify you’re getting the vintage you paid for (especially wine purchased by the glass)…Doesn’t work so well at home, once you’ve opened the bottle, the rest is academic.

Wine of the Month…

This month’s most enjoyed wine is a 2008 Simi Landslide Cabernet Sauvignon from California’s Alexander Valley in Sonoma.  This is a complex, elegant wine that exhibits depth and concentrated fruit flavor.  Abv (alcohol by volume) is 14.5%.  The color is a deep opaque red.

The unique “Landslide” handle had its origins in ancient geologic activity in the Alexander Valley.  A giant landslide and earthquake upheaval created three distinctly different “terriors” that have been developed into three indigenous Landslide vineyard sections that are additionally divided into 44 small blocks.  Each of the three sections produces a wine that is markedly different from the others.  This particular wine blends in merlot to add softness and suppleness, along with small amounts of malbec, cabernet franc, petite verdot and tannat to enhance the roasted coffee aromas and rich cherry, plum and blackberry fruit flavors.  Landslide cab is aged in mostly-new small-oak barrels for 26 months.  As you would expect for such a well crafted wine that is rated at 90 points by Wine Spirits, it normally sells for between $40 to $50 a bottle.  Our bottle was a gift, but through some research we found that Simi Vineyards will ship it to you at that price plus an additional shipping charge.

Worst Pun of the Month…

Two wrongs don’t make a right, but three rights make a left.