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McKinney, TX - Matt Bettencourt could easily have been excused for entering the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship with a bitter taste in his mouth and a shrug in his shoulders. Bettencourt came to the 72nd hole of the Nationwide Tour's Miccosukee Championship in Miami the week prior one-shot ahead of playing partner D.A. Points. As Bettencourt looked on, Points holed a 125-yard wedge for eagle to force the once-leading Bettencourt to make a 15-foot birdie putt just to force a playoff. Bettencourt managed to hole the putt, but would go on to lose on the first extra hole after feeling as though the tournament was likely his just 30 minutes before.
The former EGOLF Tarheel Tour player entered the Tour Championship safely inside the vaunted top 25 on the money list, where all 25 players automatically earn their PGA Tour cards for 2009. Bettencourt, who won the Oregon Classic earlier in the season, was likely as surprised as anyone at his success after finishing No. 37 on the 2007 EGOLF Tarheel Tour money list after seriously contemplating taking a position as a manufacturer's rep. With one final tournament left to play, a win and some luck elsewhere would net him the No. 1 spot on the season-ending money list and a guaranteed start in THE PLAYERS Championship next May. Unfortunately for Bettencourt, luck would have to continue to wait.
Bettencourt was rushed to the hospital on Wednesday night with kidney stones and spent much of Thursday morning there as well, wondering if he would even be able to play.
“I called my caddie late Wednesday night and said, 'I think I'm dying,’” Bettencourt said. ``He came over to pick me up, punched hospital on the GPS and away we went.''
Bettencourt was forced to keep pain medicine close by his side all week after Wednesday's incident, but that didn't seem to sidetrack the California native who moved to South Carolina last year to compete on the EGOLF Tarheel Tour.
Bettencourt opened with rounds of 68-67-63 and found himself tied with four-time Georgia Tech “All American” Bryce Molder with 18 holes left to play.
He began the day in arguably the worst fashion any pro could envision, with a double-bogey on the par-4 first, but quickly offset that with four birdies in his next eight holes to turn at 2-under 34. Two bogeys against a lone birdie on the back nine brought Bettencourt to the par-5 18th needing birdie to win the tournament. He left himself a six-foot birdie for the Tour Championship title and the money title, and it never had a doubt. Elation was obvious for Bettencourt as he tossed his putter and jumped into the arms of his caddie J.J. Jakovic before being swarmed by fiancée Kelly Rush, their parents and a few friends.
“Yeah, it's so special to do it in front of my family. My parents and my fiancée, and her family. Wow. It's just, it couldn't have been any better,” quipped Bettencourt as he thought about all he had just accomplished.
By winning the money title, not only will Bettencourt get in to THE PLAYERS Championship, but he will get in to every PGA Tour event he chooses to play in – one of the many perks that comes with winning the Nationwide Tour money title.
“When the (2009 PGA Tour) schedule is released, I can look at it and make my own schedule. Every event that I want to be in. It's just, it makes it so much easier and stressless. It's just it's a dream. It's an absolute dream.”
Bettencourt is one of many players who used the EGOLF Tarheel Tour as a stepping stone to the PGA Tour. He played in 10 events in 2007 before earning Nationwide Tour status at the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School. In the end, Bettencourt realized that maybe his pain was a blessing in disguise.
“God is on my side this week," said Bettencourt. "That could have easily happened in the first round and I would have had to withdraw.”
A little divine intervention never hurt anyone, and it certainly didn't hurt Matt Bettencourt. |
