With TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes approaching, it’s worth noting the dozen local players who have won on the newly-named Korn Ferry Tour over its 30 years of existence
By Gary Baines – 07/05/2019
Last month, officials for the PGA Tour’s primary feeder circuit announced its new name — the Korn Ferry Tour, named for a Los Angeles-based consulting firm that specializes in executive recruitment.
For those keeping track, it’s the sixth name for the developmental tour, which debuted in 1990. It’s been known as the Ben Hogan Tour (1990-92), the Nike Tour (1993-99), the Buy.com Tour (2000-02), the Nationwide Tour (2003-12), the Web.com Tour (2012-2019) and now the Korn Ferry Tour.
This name or that, the tour will hold an event in Colorado next week for the first time since Riverdale Dunes hosted the Nike Colorado Classic in 1996 and ’97, with Stewart Cink and Pat Bates winning in front of sparse crowds.
This time around, it’s the new TPC Colorado course in Berthoud that’s doing the hosting, as the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes is set for July 11-14.
While the Korn Ferry Tour — or any of its predecessors — has contested just two events in Colorado in 29 1/2 years, players with strong Colorado connections are certainly no strangers to success on that circuit. So it’s worth taking a look back on the locals who have won events on the Hogan/Nike/Buy.com/Nationwide/Web.com tour since 1990.
For the record, a dozen golfers with major Colorado connections — meaning full-time Colorado residents for significant portions of their lives — have won such tournaments, accounting for 21 victories overall. Four “locals” — Shane Bertsch, R.W. Eaks, Kevin Stadler and Andrew Svoboda — have won three times each on what is now knowm as the Korn Ferry Tour.
Without further ado, here’s the rundown of the champions, alphabetically:
— Shane Bertsch (Colorado resident and grew up in the state)
2000 Buy.com Upstate Classic in Greenville, S.C.
2005 BMW Charity Pro-Am in Travelers Rest, S.C.
2015 Rust-Oleum Championship in Cleveland
— Rick Cramer (Grew up in Fort Collins and former CU golfer)
1996 Nike Wichita Open
— David Duval (Longtime Colorado resident as an adult)
1993 Nike Wichita Open (won on Aug. 22)
1993 Nike Tour Championship in Cornelius, Ore. (won on Oct. 17)
— R.W. Eaks (Grew up in Colorado Springs and former UNC athlete)
1990 Ben Hogan Quicksilver Open in Midway, Pa.
1993 Nike Louisiana Open in Broussard, La.
1997 Nike San Jose Open
— Gary Hallberg (Longtime Colorado resident as an adult)
2002 Northeast Pennsylvania Classic in Moosic, Pa.
— Eric Hoos (Grew up in Boulder, longtime Colorado resident)
1991 Ben Hogan Wichita Charity Classic
— Mark Hubbard (pictured above; Denver native and grew up in Colorado)
2019 LECOM Suncoast Classic in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. (won on Feb. 17)
— Martin Laird (Former CSU golfer)
2007 Athens Regional Foundation Classic in Athens, Ga.
— Scott Petersen (Longtime Colorado resident and former CU golfer)
2000 Buy.com Inland Empire Open in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
— Kevin Stadler (Part-time Denver resident and grew up in Colorado)
2004 Scholarship America Showdown in Hudson, Wis.
2006 Xerox Classic in Rochester, N.Y. (won on Aug. 13)
2006 Albertson Boise Open (won on Sept. 17)
— Andrew Svoboda (Lived in Golden as an adult)
2013 Price Cutter Charity Championship in Springfield, Mo. (won on Aug. 11)
2013 Chiquita Classic in Davidson, N.C. (won on Sept. 8)
2016 Brasil Champions in Sao Paulo Brazil
— Esteban Toledo (Lived in Castle Pines as an adult)
2005 Lake Erie Charity Classic in Findley Lake, N.Y. (July 3)
Of the aforementioned 12 players, Duval (13 times), Hallberg (three times), Laird (three times) and Stadler (once) have also won on the PGA Tour. And Eaks (four times), Toledo (four times) and Hallberg (once) have won on PGA Tour Champions.
It should be noted that of those listed above, Duval and Hubbard are expected to compete in the inaugural TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes next week.
For ticket information for the TPC Colorado Championship, CLICK HERE.
For general informational about the tournament, CLICK HERE.