Citi mentor program: Weekly PGA TOUR update

text size

Nov. 16, 2009
By PGATOUR.COM staff

Each year, Citi will select four recent graduates of q-school and, along with captain Paul Azinger, will help guide them through their first season on the PGA TOUR. This year's Citi players are Derek Fathauer, James Nitties, Brian Vranesh and Jimmy Walker. Check back each week to see how they're performing on TOUR:

Citi's Class of 2009

Derek Fathauer	James Nitties	Brian Vranesh	Jimmy Walker
Last week Missed the cut at the Children's Miracle Network Classic. This week Not scheduled to play.	Last week Finished fifth at the JBWere Masters in Australia. This week Not scheduled to play.	Last week Missed the cut at the Children's Miracle Network Classic. This week Not scheduled to play.	Last week Tied for 15th at the Children's Miracle Network Classic. This week Not scheduled to play.

About the mentor: Paul Azinger

Paul Azinger, one of the most respected figures in the game, medaled at q-school in 1984 and has 12 TOUR titles. He was also the captain of the winning 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup Team.

And now he captains Citi's mentor program.

"I am honored to be the captain of Citi's mentor program," said Azinger. "I look forward to helping these players reach their full potential on the PGA TOUR."

In an almost 30-year career, Azinger has achieved plenty. He spent nearly 300 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking between 1988 and 1994, and he still knows how to make it happen on the course. In 2006, he finished inside the top 125 on TOUR for the first time since 2002 thanks to a slew of top-25 finishes and a top-10 finish that season. His 12 wins took place over 13 years, with the first coming at the Phoenix Open in 1987 and the most recent coming at the 2000 Sony Open in Hawaii.

Due to injury, Azinger was limited to only 13 events in the 2007 season and did not play after the Travelers Championship in June. He was granted a Major Medical Exemption and has 14 events in 2008 in which to make $611,111 to maintain his TOUR status.

About the Citi Mentor Program

For many golfers, surviving q-school is just the first step in fulfilling their dreams ...

In 1998, Mike Weir, an unknown Canadian, took home medalist honors and hasn't looked back. Weir has eight TOUR victories, including the 2003 masters. He's not only his country's best-ever golfer, but one of its most popular athletes.

Woody Austin took top honors at the 1994 q-school. While his three TOUR wins are a highlight, the splash he made at the 2007 Presidents Cup just may be his defining moment. Following his swim at 14, Austin birdied the last three holes to gain a crucial half-point in his match. His performance helped Team USA get it done as they won the Presidents Cup in dominating fashion.

Paul Azinger won q-school in 1984, went on to win 12 PGA TOUR events and is now the 2008 U.S. Ryder Cup captain. But Zinger has not forgotten his q-school roots. In partnership with Citi, he will serve as a mentor for a foursome of the TOUR's aspiring newcomers.

Each year, Citi will select four recent graduates of q-school and along with captain Azinger, will help guide them through their upcoming season on TOUR. Last year, the foursome included Parker McLachlin, Jin Park, Todd Demsey and David Lutterus. McLachlin broke through with his first win at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open and eventually won more than $1.3 million.

Follow this year's Citi class of James Nitties, Derek Fathauer, Jimmy Walker and Brian Vranesh as they compete against the best golfers in the world on the PGA TOUR in hopes of turning their dreams into reality.