Lexington Herald Leader Logo

Former EKU star Brown wins Hooters Tour event in Georgetown | Lexington Herald Leader

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • All News
    • Business
    • Communities
    • Counties
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Lexington
    • Local
    • Most Wanted
    • Nation/World
    • News Photos
    • News Videos
    • Politics
    • Searchable Databases
    • State
    • Watchdog
    • Columns
    • Tom Eblen
    • All Sports
    • UK Sports
    • College Sports
    • Next Cats Recruiting
    • High School
    • Horses
    • Kentucky Speedway
    • Lexington Legends
    • Reds
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • NASCAR
    • NFL
    • Sports Photos
    • Sports Videos
    • Columns
    • John Clay's Columns
    • Mark Story
    • Next Cats Recruiting
    • All UK Sports
    • Next Cats Recruiting
    • Baseball
    • Basketball - Men
    • Basketball - Women
    • Recruiting
    • Ex-Cats
    • Football
    • UK Photos
    • UK Videos
    • More UK Sports
    • Columns
    • John Clay's Blog
    • Mark Story
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • All Entertainment
    • Books
    • Celebrities
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Events Calendar
    • Horoscopes
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Restaurants
    • Stage & Dance
    • TV
    • Visual Arts
    • Entertainment Photos
    • Entertainment Videos
    • News Blogs
    • Kentucky Weather
    • Photo Archive
    • Sports Blogs
    • John Clay's Blog
    • High School
    • UK Football
    • UK Men's Basketball
    • UK Women's Basketball
    • Lexington Legends
    • Entertainment Blogs
    • Walter Tunis on Music
    • All Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Joel Pett
    • Letters to the Editor
    • National Columnists
    • Op-Ed
    • Submit a Letter
    • All Living
    • Celebrations
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Fru-Gal: Deb Morris
    • Health & Medicine
    • Home & Garden
    • Paul Prather
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Readers' Choice
    • Kentucky Obituaries
    • Obituaries in the News
    • Submit an Obituary
    • Customer Service
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • E-edition
    • Page Reprints
    • Photo Reprints
    • RSS Feeds
    • Special Sections
    • Site Information
    • Advertise With Us
    • Archives
    • Mobile
    • Mobile Apps & eReaders
    • Newsletters
    • Social
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Google+
    • Today's Circulars
    • Classifieds
    • Jobs
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Homeseller
    • Legal Notices
  • Place an Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

Golf

Former EKU star Brown wins Hooters Tour event in Georgetown

By Mike Fields - mfields@herald-leader.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

May 23, 2011 12:00 AM

GEORGETOWN — The final round of the Cherry Blossom Classic turned out to be a fun-in-the-sun family reunion for Brandon Brown.

Cheered on by 18 relatives from his hometown of Shelbyville, Brown won the Hooters Tour event at Cherry Blossom Golf & Country Club Sunday afternoon.

"Whew, it feels amazing," Brown said after his second Hooters victory this year. The $28,000 first-place check puts him atop the tour's money list with $75,561.

The former Eastern Kentucky University star and Ohio Valley Conference player of the year had a final-round 68, good enough to edge Casey Wittenberg, Justin Smith and Scott Feaster by one shot.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Lexington Herald-Leader

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Former University of Kentucky golfer Andy Winings, who started the day in the lead, closed with a 72 and tied for fifth.

Mark Blakefield, another UK alum who won this tournament two of the last three years, tied for eighth.

It was an enjoyable week for Brown, who carded 21 birdies and two eagles while shooting 70-66-66-68—270.

Brown's followers Sunday included grandfathers, uncles, cousins and his beaming-proud dad Lloyd, the only guy who's ever given him a golf lesson.

Brown had to sweat out a tense finish because of Cherry Blossom's difficult par-4 18th hole, which has a lake in play from tee to green.

Brown, playing in the next-to-last group, came to the 18th with a one-shot lead.

He and Smith both missed the fairway off the tee, both found sand in front of the green with their approach shots, and both took bogeys.

Brown had to make a nervy four-footer to finish at 18 under, then had to wait to see how Wittenberg, playing in the last group, would negotiate the 18th hole.

Wittenberg, a former college star at Oklahoma State who finished 13th as an amateur in the 2004 Masters and played on the PGA Tour in 2008 and '09, needed a par to tie. He hit a good drive, but his second shot was off target. His 65-foot chip from in front of the green rolled 15 feet by, and he lipped out the par putt to drop to 17-under.

That sealed the victory for Brown, who was waiting by the clubhouse when he was relayed news that he had won.

"You don't pull against those guys; you want them to play well," Brown said. "It just worked out this week that 18 under was good enough."

Winings started the day at 16 under and still shared the lead midway through the back nine. But bogeys at the 14th, 16th and 17th dropped him out of contention.

"There were some tough pins, the wind was blowing and the rough was tough today," Winings said. "I played pretty well all week, but in the end it wasn't good enough."

Brown's game was good enough as he earned his third Hooters Tour win.

His first victory came in 2007, when his dad was his caddy. But two years later he found himself in a funk, not sure whether he wanted to continue to chase his dream of playing on the PGA Tour.

After putting away his clubs for several months starting in fall 2009, Brown returned to competition in spring 2010 and found golf could be fun again.

"Brandon has grown so much as a player and matured so much in the last year, it's unbelievable," his dad said as he watched his son being interviewed by TV reporters.

And Brandon Brown, 28, is once again focused on making it to the PGA Tour.

"You just keep plugging," he said, "and hopefully one day you get to the next level."

Lloyd Brown has no doubt about his son's future: "It's just a matter of time until he makes it."

  Comments  

Videos

Billy Horschel: Grounds crew did great job at rainy Barbasol

Josh Teater says good things ahead after play in Barbasol Championship

View More Video

Trending Stories

UK student got a chance to win $19,000 with a half-court shot. He nailed it.

February 16, 2019 12:41 PM

Teen brothers killed in accident on Harrodsburg Road

February 17, 2019 10:52 AM

Dontaie Allen honored at Rupp during Kentucky’s busy recruiting night

February 16, 2019 08:30 PM

Here’s what John Calipari had to say after Kentucky’s blowout of No. 1 Tennessee

February 16, 2019 11:47 PM

Even Tennessee’s players agreed: ‘Kentucky was totally kicking our butt.’

February 17, 2019 01:07 AM

Read Next

Golf

Justin Thomas squanders four-stroke lead at Riviera to blow chance at victory

By SAM FARMER Los Angeles Times

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 17, 2019 03:00 AM

Justin Thomas worked his way around the holes at Riviera on Sunday.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Lexington Herald-Leader

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE GOLF

Golf

Tiger Woods finishes Genesis Open at Riviera tied for 15th

February 17, 2019 03:00 AM
J.B. Holmes rallies to win a marathon finish at Riviera

Sports

J.B. Holmes rallies to win a marathon finish at Riviera

February 17, 2019 10:04 PM
J.B. Holmes outlasts Justin Thomas on long day at Riviera

Sports

J.B. Holmes outlasts Justin Thomas on long day at Riviera

February 17, 2019 08:44 PM

Sports

Miguel Angel Jimenez wins Chubb Classic

February 17, 2019 06:42 PM

Sports

New Zealander Ryan Fox wins European Tour’s Super 6 event

February 17, 2019 04:45 PM
Nelly Korda clinches genuine family Grand Slam in Australia

Sports

Nelly Korda clinches genuine family Grand Slam in Australia

February 17, 2019 03:22 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Lexington Herald Leader App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Place a Classified Ad
  • Local Deals
  • Digital Solutions
  • Media Kit
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story