Rex Hospital Open Next for Potter

Monday, May 29, 2017

Golfer Magazine

Ted Potter warmed up for this week's Web.com task - the $650,000 Rex Hospital Open in Raleigh, N. C. - by recording a 7-under-par 65 at Stone Creek on Friday playing in the Circle S Cup skins game, making eight birdies and one bogey. Ted is set to play in the next three events after this week in his quest to remain in "the 25" and make it back to the PGA Tour later this season. The Web.com Tour will be in action for 14 consecutive weeks beginning with the Raleigh event.

Last year, Ted was in a good spot at the TPC Wakefield Plantation, shooting 68-69-68 in the first three rounds, 8 under par over the par-71 course. But a Sunday 3-over 74 dropped him to 5-under 279 and a tie for 19th, good for a check of $8,157.

Also entered this week is ex-Gator Dudley Hart, who is prepping for the Champions Tour - he turns 49 in August. Central Floridians Rob Oppenheim and Nick Lindheim are also playing.

The event was won in 2006 by Ocalan Brenden Pappas, who shot 16-under 268 to edge Charlie Wi by one stroke. In 2000, Mark Hensby won with 266, at the time the tournament scoring record until Chesson Hadley's 265 in 2013. Oddly enough, Hadley is in this week while Hensby is on the alternate list.

LANGER BREAKS JACK'S RECORD - Bernhard Langer's 4-under-par 68 Sunday edged him past Vijay Singh, who shot 70, and elevated Langer into the leadership in Champions Tour majors victories with nine. Langer had been tied with Jack Nicklaus with eight majors apiece, but his 18-under tour de force in the Regions Tradition broke the deadlock. Singh had gone into the finale holding a one-stroke lead. At age 59, and the way he is performing, Langer could easily add to his record and make it impossible to catch.

Miguel Angel Jimenez and Billy Andrade tied for third at 13 under, but neither was ever a threat to the top pair. Langer collected $540,000 for the victory, while Singh banked $320,000, and Jimenez and Andrade $172,500 each. Trilogy architect Tom Lehman finished at 5-under 283 and earned $50,890, while Gator Scott Dunlap was at 1 under, earning $20,808.

GATORS TACKLE JACK'S EVENT - The Memorial is next on the PGA Tour schedule with its purse of $8.7 million and three Gators are among the entries, struggling Matt Every, Billy Horschel and Camilo Villegas, while Brian Gay is on the alternate's list. Seminole Brooks Koepka is also playing. Horschel and Gay both finished the Dean & DeLuca Invitational at Colonial at 1-over-par 281, tieing for 34th behind Kevin Kisner's 10-under 270.

Kisner held on stubbornly by a stroke over a menacing trio of Sean O'Hair, Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm, all of whom had their sights set on the leader over the final few holes. Kisner collected $1,242,000, while the other three earned $515,200 each. Third-round leader Webb Simpson was at 9 under, three ahead of Kisner, entering the Sunday finale, but soared to a 71 and finished alone in fifth at 8 under, settling for $276,000.