Tim
Conley, James Mason and Gene Jones
It
is with great pleasure and pride that I transmit this message
to our members, golfing friends and associates. When I look
back over the 13 years that Yvonne and I have run the Sunbelt
Senior Tour, I see a time period that has included many proud
moments and individual player accomplishments such as the ongoing
success of Walter Hall ($6,930,162) and the dramatic win of
James Mason ($2,136,605) in the NFL Classic. There have been
countless numbers of Sunbelt players who have successfully gotten
through Q-School or Monday qualified for Champions Tour events.
This year alone we have 23 players on the Champions Tour money
list (see below). We have also attracted many, many professionals
who had already carved out successful careers.
Probably
the most dramatic change in a Sunbelt Tour member's career took
place this year with the success of Gene Jones on the Champions
Tour. Gene was the leading money winner on the Sunbelt Tour
in 2005 with 6 tournament wins, in 2006 with 6 tournament wins,
and in 2007 with 7 tournament wins! While playing on the Champions
Tour this year, he still returned to play on the Sunbelt Tour
twice, and you guessed it, he won both events! Gene is now 2nd
on the Sunbelt Tour lifetime money list with $149,058.
Gene was co-medalist at the 2007 Champions Tour Q-School, but
still had to Monday qualify in 2008 because no exempt cards
were awarded. Through hard work and dedication, he was able
to play his way into a tour exemption late in the year after
the re-shuffle. He was eligible for the Charles Schwab Championship
in Sonoma by being 24th on the 2008 Champions Tour money list.
Those of you who watched on television this past week-end should
have been very excited to see Gene finish 2nd behind a red hot
Andy Bean. Gene rose to 19th on the final money list with earnings
of $1,022,061. We look for him to have a long and fruitful career.
To all of you, the players who have played in the past, or who
are currently members of the Sunbelt Tour, and to those of you
who will be playing with us in the future, this is what dreams
are made of. This is reality. Walter, James, Gene, and __________
(who's next?)
Yvonne and I started the Sunbelt Tour for people with vision,
drive and ambition. So, on behalf of Gene and us, we challenge
you to stretch the limits.
Letter
from David Ogrin
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
|
The 2008 Champions Tour Q-School graduates
(from left to right, in order of finish)
Robert L. Thompson, John Morse, Tom McKnight, James
Mason and Steve Thomas.
|
| Sunbelt
Tour members who earned money on the 2008 Champions Tour |
Gene
Jones
Gary Hallberg
James Mason
John Ross
Mitch Adcock
Steve Thomas
Jim Chancey
Kenny Knox
David Ogrin
Jack Ferenz
Dave Rummells
Tim Conley
Mitch Adams
Nick Job
Chris Tucker
Mike Smith
Mike Lawrence
Gary Trivisonno
Don Reese
Dewitt Weaver
Joe Stansberry
Graham Banister
Craig Marseilles
|
$1,022,061
378,738
160,009
98,994
86,682
86,562
85,182
54,211
47,391
45,521
39,878
36,190
28,716
22,140
7,651
7,008
6,643
3,760
1,955
1,260
1,190
1,155
1,120 |
|
Meet Your Competition.
Here are some of the most recent Sunbelt Tour
winners.
|
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©
1997-2008 - Sunbelt Senior Tour
Last Modified On:
December 13, 2008
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