With birdie on final hole, Navy grad notches 25th and final slot on PGA Tour
Former Naval Academy golfer Billy Hurley III has qualified for the PGA Tour, and done so by the smimmest of margins. Hurley, 29, made a birdie on the final hole Sunday at the Nationwide Tour Championship to finish 18th in the 60-player field, then had to wait for the final group to finish to before celebrating his graduation.
In order to advance, Hurley needed Scott Brown, playing in the final twosome, to finish ahead of David Lingmerth. Brown was a stroke in front of Lingmerth going into the final two holes. Brown made a 12-footer for par at No. 17, then sunk a four-footer for birdie at No. 18, finishing alone in second place, two strokes clear of Lingmerth, and allowing Hurley to advance.
With his earnings in the tournament at Daniel Island, S.C., Hurley (72-71-72-73 – 288) retained the 25th position on the Nationwide Tour money list. The top 25 players graduate to the PGA Tour the following year.
This was the first season on the Nationwide Tour for Hurley, a Leesburg native, who completed his military commitment in 2010. The former Walker Cup player (2005) lives in Annapolis with his wife and two sons.
Others who advance to the PGA Tour include Nationwide Tour Championship winner and former PGA Tour player Ken Duke; former U.S. Amateur champion Danny Lee, 21; this year’s Prince George’s County Open champion Steve Wheatcroft; and Erik Compton, who has survived two heart transplant surgeries.
