Jan. 24, 2011
As the first part of a two-part review of the Lobos’ 2010 prowess on the golf courses of America (and worldwide, as you’ll soon discover), GoLobos.com has published an update as to how our former Lobo golfers have fared on the assorted professional tours and, – in one special exception, – on the senior amateur circuit. The following is a list of the former Lobos playing on the various professional and amateur tours around the globe and how our alumni fared on tour…
Kent Jones (Class of ’90) – Jones played in 9 PGA Tour and 15 Nationwide Tour events in 2010, earning over a quarter million dollars in the process. He made the cut in six of the PGA events and seven times on the Nationwide, with a combined five top-25 finishes and four top-10 finishes. Jones has earned over $5 million on the combined tours since turning pro in 1992. Jones’ 16th-place finish at the PGA’s Tour School earned him full exemption for the 2011 tour.
D.J. Brigman (’99) – Brigman enjoyed a banner year on the Nationwide Tour, winning the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational in Columbus, Ohio in July and earning $246,769 in 2010. Brigman finished 18th on the tour’s money list, automatically earning a PGA Tour card for the 2011 season. He played in 25 Nationwide events this past year, making the cut in 15 times with nine top-25 finishes and four top-10 finishes to go with the win in the Children’s Hospital Invite. Brigman has earned $1.75 million between the two tours since turning pro in 1999.
Doug LaBelle (’98) – LaBelle played in 27 Nationwide Tour events, making the cut 19 times and earning $121,405. Labelle landed in the top 25 nine times and notched two top-10 finishes, ranking 57th on the money list. To date, LaBelle has earned a combined $1.7 million between the two tours since turning pro in 1998. LaBelle is fully exempt for the Nationwide Tour for 2011.
Spencer Levin (’05) – Levin had what can only be called a breakthrough year on the PGA Tour in 2010, climbing into the top 250 in the world ranking by season’s end and earning $1.2 million. He is currently ranked 67th on the Golfweek/Sagarin World Performance and 237th in the official World Golf Rankings among all professional golfers worldwide.
He took part in 31 events, making 24 cuts with eight top-25 and three top-10 finishes. He closed the 2010 season on a tear, finishing tied for fourth at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open with a 20-under-par 69-63-66-66=264. He capped the year with his best finish on tour, tying for third at the Children’s Miracle Network Classic with a 17-under 68-68-67-68=271.
Levin retained his tour card for the 2011 season, finishing 34th at the first event of the new season, the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Michael Letzig (’03) – Letzig also had a banner year on the PGA Tour, earning over $500,000 while taking part in 27 events. Letzig notched four top-25 finishes, including a tie for fourth at the RBC Canadian Open in July. He carded a 10-under 66-70-79-65=270 en route to the top-5 finish. Letzig has status on both the PGA and Nationwide Tours for the 2011 season. He’s pulled down roughly $3 million in earnings between the two tours since 2007.
Jay Choi (’06) – Choi had an outstanding rookie season on the Japan Tour, earning $533,039.05 and ranking 17th on the season money list. He is currently ranked 198 on the Official World Golf Ranking as of Jan. 17, 2011, tops among all former Lobos.
Choi notched 11 top-25 and five top-10 finishes on the Japan tour in 2010, including tying for second at the ANA Open and tying for third at the Vana H Cup KBC Augusta. Jay’s is 20th in scoring with an average of 71.10. His third round scoring average is 70.59 and his final round scoring average is 70.07. Jay’s 67.17% GIR is 7th on tour and he is 16th in driving distance with an average drive of 289.77 yards.
Tommy Armour III (’81) – Armour scorched his way though the 2010 PGA Champions Tour, with 10 top-10 finishes and over $1.1 million in earnings. Armour had three second-place finishes and one third-place showing , carding a 16-under 69-70-61=200 at the ACE Group Classic to start the season, a 10-under 70-69-67=206 at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic in May and then a 10-under 63-69-71=203 at the Principal Charity Classic in June. He finished tied for third at the 3M Championship with a 17-under 63-71-65=199.
Armour also finished tied for eighth at the Senior Open Championship and 11th at the U.S. Senior Open Championship. He made the cut in all 23 of the events he took part of on the Champions Tour, finishing in the top 25 in 16 of those events.
Brad Bryant (’76) – Bryant also had a strong season on the PGA Champions Tour in 2010, pulling down 13 top-25 finishes, five top-10 finishes and over $600,000 in earnings. Bryant’s top performance of the season came at the Administaff Small Business Classic last October, where he finished tied for 3rd with a 9-under 75-66-66=207. He also tied for 6th at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open, carding a 12-under 66-67-71=204. Bryant had earned over $10 million combined between the PGA and Champions tours since turning pro in 1976.
Paul Simson (’73) – Simply put, Simson made golf history in 2010. The 59-year-old from Raleigh, North Carolina, won the USGA Senior Amateur Championship in October, making him the first person ever to hold the British, Canadian and American senior amateur titles in the same year.
Simson dominated the British Senior Am, winning the title by five strokes in the final match. He claimed the Canadian title by a remarkable 15 strokes. He bested Pat Talent 2&1 to win the American crown. Simson had won the British Senior Am twice before, in both 2006 and 2008.
Tim Herron (’93) – Herron put together yet another impressive season on the PGA Tour in 2010, making the cut in 16 events and pulling down $391,502 in earnings. He completed the season with four top-25 finishes, including a tie for 13th at the Frys.com Open where he carded a 9-under 67-67-70-71=275. Herron has totaled over $16.7 million in earnings since turning pro in 1993.
Steve Saunders (’09) – Saunders completed his first year as a professional having competed in 10 events on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour. He made six cuts and had two top-25 finishes, including a season-best tie for 22nd at the 2010 Corona Mazatlan Mexican PGA Championship where he made his Canadian Tour debut. He finished the season with $8,811.87 in earnings.
Will Collins (`02) – Collins also spent the 2010 season on the Canadian Tour, playing in seven events and puling down $21,255.78 in earnings. He made five cuts and had four top-25 finishes, including a fifth-place tie at the Dakota Dunes Casino Open last June. He’s earned almost $200,000 combined on the PGA, Nationwide and Canadian tours since turning pro in 2002.
Madalitso Muthiya (’05) – Muthiya played in 14 Nationwide Tour events in 2010, making the cut in four of those events with three top-25 finishes and two top-10 finishes. His best finish was a tie for seventh at the Mylan Classic in early Sept., where he shot a 7-under 69-68-70-70=277. Madalitso also notched a five-way tie for ninth at the Mexico Open in June. He finished the season with $39,628 in earnings.