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Madison, MS- Former Tarheel Tour player and Greenville, NC native Will MacKenzie fired a final round 4-under-par 68 and defeated another former Tarheel Tour player Marc Turnesa and Brian Gay in a sudden death playoff to claim the title at the PGA Tour Viking Classic.
MacKenzie, who notched his first PGA Tour victory in 2006 at the Reno-Tahoe Open, moved up to 97th on the PGA Tour money list with the $648,000 first place check, but more importantly, he secured his playing privileges on the PGA Tour through the 2010 season. MacKenzie will look to continue his hot play in the PGA Tour Fall Finish. As for Turnesa, the PGA Tour rookie more than doubled his season earnings with his $316,000 check for his share of second place. The former N.C. State standout is now 130th on the money list and is making a late charge to retain his PGA Tour for the second consecutive year. Last season, Turnesa won the final full field event on the Nationwide Tour in Miami, FL to move into the top 25 on the money list and earn his PGA Tour Card. Turnesa, similarly to MacKenzie, will be playing the PGA Tour’s Fall Finish to try to move into the top 125 and avoid PGA Tour Qualifying School in December.
Another former Tarheel Tour player, Casey Wittenberg, recorded a tie for fourth in the event. The former U.S. Amateur Runner-up is 12th on the Nationwide Tour money list and has already earned his 2009 PGA Tour Card by finishing in the top 25 on the 2008 Nationwide Tour money list.
On the Nationwide Tour last week, former Tarheel Tour player Matt Bettencourt fired a 3-under-par 69 in the final round to win the Oregon Classic by two shots over another former Tarheel Tour player, Bubba Dickerson. The victory was the first in the journeyman’s career on the Nationwide Tour. Bettencourt, who is conditionally exempt on the Nationwide Tour, jumped from 53rd to 19th on the money list, which puts him in great shape to earn his PGA Tour Card for 2009.
Former Tarheel Tour player Matt Every and 2006 Charlotte National Open Champion Kyle Reifers continue to battle to move into the top 25 on the money list to earn their PGA Tour cards for 2009. Every, a former NCAA player of the year at the University of Florida, finished tied for 14th in Oregon and remained 29th on the money list. Reifers, who was an All-American at Wake Forest during his college days, finished tied for 29th and remained in 45th on the money list. Current Tarheel Tour member Jeff Curl made his fifth consecutive cut on the Nationwide Tour, but could only manage a 44th place finish in Oregon, as the Nationwide Tour’s West Coast swing came to a close.
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