Maginnes: Zurich champs, like New Orleans, prove their mettle  PGATOUR.com Contributor It seems appropriate that the last three winners of the Zurich Classic in New Orleans all climbed through the ranks to achieve their first PGA TOUR victories. As the city of New Orleans is trying to rebuild, three TOUR players have laid the foundations of their careers on the banks of the Mississippi.  David Toms played a key role in the continuing success of the Zurich Classic. (Stan Badz/PGA TOUR/WireImage)
The last pre-Katrina winner was Tim Petrovic. As defending champion, he became the player advocate for the Zurich Classic in 2006 and, with the help of David Toms, brought the first major sporting event back to New Orleans. The success of that tournament was solidified by Chris Couch's dramatic chip in from behind the green on the final hole. Chris, a five-time champion on the Nationwide Tour, had limited success in his intermittent stints on the PGA TOUR. After a rookie season in 1999 that saw Chris only make a handful of cuts and lose his card, he considered giving up the game. Before the 2001 season he even asked for a job as an assistant professional at Gainesville Country Club, which also happened to be the site of the season-opening Nationwide Tour event. Instead of a job, they offered Chris a sponsor's exemption ino the tournament. Chris made the most of that exemption and won the event, which gave him exempt status on the Nationwide Tour. For the next five years Chris went back and forth from the Nationwide Tour to the PGA TOUR. However, with the cross-handed hole-out from behind the 18th green at English Turn, Chris earned the stability of a two-year exemption on the PGA TOUR. Entering the final nine holes on Sunday, two other Nationwide Tour alums were deadlocked at the top of the leaderboard. Like the city around them, Ken Duke and Nick Watney were both in a career upswing after struggling at times during their careers. Duke, the 38-year-old journeyman, found success on the Nationwide Tour in 2006. Ken's career had taken him to the Asian Tour, the South African Tour and to the top of the Order of Merit on the Canadian Tour back in 1999. However, it was his Player of the Year season on the Nationwide Tour in 2006 that brought him back to the PGA TOUR. Even at the tender age of 25, Nick also has had to endure some of the bumps that come with pursuing a career in professional golf. After graduating to the PGA TOUR in 2004, Nick had a decent rookie campaign. However, the season ended on a dubious note. Going into the final two events, Nick was No. 123 on the official money list. He found himself on the alternate list for the second-to-last tournament. Needing to only make a cut to secure his playing privileges, Nick never got the call to the tee. The following week he missed in the final full-field event of the year and was sent packing for Q-School. It would have been understandable for the soft-spoken young man to allow this setback to damage his career. However, Nick overcame that disappointment with a fifth-place finish at golf's most strenuous test and earned his TOUR card for the following year. Nick took advantage of that opportunity, securing his card for the 2007 season with six top-10 finishes.
The battle down the stretch on Sunday between these two unlikely candidates will be remembered for the quality of play they both displayed. Too often we see players vying for their first victories succumb to the pressure and falter down the stretch. That was not the case for either Nick nor Ken. However, in the end, the consistent iron play of Nick was the difference. Congratulations to Nick Watney for proving himself a winner on the PGA TOUR. It is a well-deserved honor for the young man. Further congratulations are due to the city that once again hosted the Zurich Classic. No city has shown more heart over the last 18 months than New Orleans. In the wake of Katrina and the destruction that it wrought, a golf tournament seems insignificant. However, the spirit of this great city is to host. New Orleans hosts better than anywhere. It proved that once again this week. Copyright 2007 PGATOUR.com. All rights reserved. |
PGATOUR.com is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network