19 Nov Blake Sattler wins Hooter’s Woodcreek Classic
Blake Sattler wins Woodcreek Classic
Elgin, SC September 1, 2013 – While Blake Sattler was the only one in the Woodcreek Classic playoff without a victory on the NGA TOUR, he felt the odds were in his favor to come out on top.
Blake Sattler wins at Woodcreek 2
“I was pretty relaxed,” said Sattler, who joined NGA winners Chas Narramore and Daniel McCarthy in extra holes on Sunday. “I was thinking, well, this is going to be my best finish ever, regardless of what happens. You play to win the game, and that’s the only thing that was on my mind.”
The laissez-faire attitude proved pivotal for the former University of Akron standout as he was the only one of the three to make par on the first playoff hole and earned his first NGA TOUR victory.
“It feels incredible,” said Sattler, who pocketed $22,000 for the victory. “I’ve been out here a long time and it can get frustrating not winning. But I’ve kept seeing improvements in my game. I picked up a top 10 and top 20 earlier this season. I took some time off and worked hard on my game, played well in Florence (S.C.) and couldn’t wait to get here this week.”
It showed.
Sattler of New Philadelphia, Ohio, torched the par-71 layout with an 8-under 63 in the opening round. The Zip alumnus posted a 66 in the second round and a 67 in the third round to earn a share of the lead going into Sunday. However, while he started – and ended – the day atop the leaderboard, Sattler spent much of the day chasing Narramore.
After starting the final round two shots behind Sattler and Chris Wolfe, Narramore wasted little time marching up the leaderboard on Sunday. The Middle Tennessee State alumnus from Kingston, Tenn., played his first four holes 3-under par to earn a share of the lead and took the outright lead with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 7 and 8.
Narramore, who played in the penultimate group, held the lead until posting a bogey on No. 18 to fall into a tie for the lead at 20-under par with McCarthy, who posted an 8-under 63 in the final round.
“I started the day thinking 22 under would be a sure-fire win and 21 under would be decent, but 20 under ended up being the number,” said Sattler, who carded a final-round 68. “I asked where I stood on No. 15 and I was two back. I made a 35-foot putt for birdie and thought I was back in the game. I heard Chas bogeyed No. 18 and I knew what I had to do. It sounds stupid, but when you’re practicing, you always tell yourself that you need to birdie the last three holes or the last hole to win. That was huge for my confidence to do it.”
Despite coming up short of their second NGA TOUR victories, Narramore, who closed with a 5-under 66, and McCarthy, of Syracuse, N.Y., earned $10,000 for their runner-up efforts at The Members Club at WildeWood and Woodcreek.
Jack Newman, the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion from Des Moines, Iowa, matched McCarthy for the low round of the day with a 63 of his own. The Michigan State alumnus posted nine birdies and one bogey in the final round to move into a tie for fourth with Wolfe, who carded a final-round 69, at 19-under par.
After holding a share of the lead on the backside, Leroux Ferreira’s double bogey on No. 16 left him with a 3-under 68 and tied for sixth at the conclusion of play. Defending champion Jonathan Randolph of Brandon, Miss., also posted a 68 on Sunday to join Ferreira in a tie for sixth at 18-under par.
Seven-time NGA TOUR winner Brandon Brown closed with a 6-under 65 to join Gregor Main (69) and Ben Silverman (69) in a tie for eighth at 17-under par, while Seung-Su Han (66), Shawn Jasper (67), Travis Hampshire (68) and Clemson alumnus Matt Hendrix (68) finished T11 at 16-under par.
Former University of South Carolina stalwart Mark Silvers shot a 3-under 68 on Sunday and finished the event tied for 15th with Will Mitchell (67), Philip Francis (67), Matt Harmon (68) and Travis Klutts (69) at 15-under par.
The NGA TOUR would like to thank all the staff, sponsors and volunteers at The Members Club at WildeWood and Woodcreek for being a gracious host and making the annual event one to remember. The NGA TOUR will return to action with its Carolina Series on Sept. 16 at Black Bear Golf Club in Longs, S.C.
The NGA Pro Golf Tour is the No. 3 Men’s Professional Golf Tour in the United States after the PGA and Web.com Tours and is the No. 1 recommended developmental tour by more PGA 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.
NGA alumni include: 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson; 2011 PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley; 2010 PGA TOUR Player of the Year and 2003 US 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 Michael Thompson; 2012 PGA TOUR winners Mark Wilson, George McNeill, Ted Potter Jr., Scott Stallings and Scott Piercy.
At this year’s PGA Tour Qualifying School, 52% of those earning full exempt status on the PGA TOUR and 67% of those earning full exempt status on the Web.com Tour were past NGA Professionals. Another 16 NGA Professionals advanced to the PGA TOUR for 2012 by finishing inside the Top 25 on the Web.com Tour money list, including 2011 NGA members Ted Potter Jr., Russell Knox and Billy Hurley III.
The NGA Pro Golf Tour, established in 1988, predates the Web.com Tour as the longest running developmental tour in golf. In 2012, the NGA TOUR became the “Official Partner of the 2012 Reno-Tahoe Open” and secured one PGA TOUR and six Web.com Tour event exemptions for its members, the most in developmental golf.