Swing Thought Tour aims to make champions
The Swing Thought Tour proclaims that “Champions Start Here” and Brannan Hudson, fledgling golf professional, hopes to turn that promotional phrase into reality.
His journey gets a jump-start this week at the 2015 Woodcreek Classic, which unfolds for the ninth time at the Members Club’s Woodcreek course with a new name and new sponsors.
“But the competition will be the same high caliber” that has produced 17 major champions and a multitude of PGA Tour tournament winners, Swing Thought official Todd Barbee said in previewing the event that climaxes the season.
The Swing Thought Tour is a new name for the circuit that began under the TC Jordan name in 1988 and later became the Hooters Tour and the NGA Tour before Golf Interact acquired the circuit a year ago and introduced the Swing Thought name. And its strength should increase; the parent company recently acquired the Egolf Tour and brought more players under its umbrella.
The purchase “stabilized the industry,” Swing Thought Tour president Robin Waters said. “We’re the only professional developmental tour that offers the same format and activities that the PGA and Web.com tours do, and our goal is to prepare players for that level.”
Hudson, who played at Hammond School and recently graduated from Wofford, grew up playing at Woodcreek, caddied in this event a year ago and will be competing in his second professional event. Golf has been his passion, and, he said, “I knew I wanted to be involved in golf somewhere” after college. “We’ll see where this goes.”
He brings some nice credentials. He won the 2014 Columbia city title and he captured the individual championship in the Camden Collegiate Invitational that included South Carolina’s nationally ranked team. Overall, he had five top-10 finishes in 11 tournaments his senior year.
“(Professional golf) is going to be a learning process,” Hudson said. “It’s totally different from college; everything is new. You are depending on yourself and you are accountable to yourself.”
His golf prowess “took off” after teaching pro Fred Wadsworth became Hammond’s coach during his sophomore year. He still works with the former USC standout, and Hudson said, “His knowledge propelled me to where I am now. He taught me so many things, like thinking my way around the golf course. He gave me things I had never thought about. Basically, he took my game to the next level.”
This next level is a huge step. The Swing Thought Tour, under its different names, helped develop players such as Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson and Keegan Bradley. Woodcreek Classic “alumni” include recent PGA Tour winners Ben Martin, Robert Streb, Kevin Streelman and Chris Todd, among others. Nine who previously played in the Woodcreek event participated in the recent PGA Championship.
The tournament, with new sponsors BMW of Columbia and Mungo Homes this year, will offer a purse of $140,000 and the field will be expanded to include up to 150 players following the purchase of the Egolf Tour. Tournament play begins at 8 a.m. Thursday-Sunday, and there is no charge for admission. The big winner, in addition to the champion, will be the tournament’s charity, the Ronald McDonald House.
Chip shots
Ninety-six youngsters aged 7-15 will gather at Fort Jackson GC on Saturday to participate in the sub-regionals of the Drive, Chip and Putt competition. The players have advanced through local qualifying and the top three in each of eight age groups will advance to the regional finals at Congressional CC in Bethesda, Md. Winners there move to the finals at Augusta National GC the Sunday prior to the 2016 Masters.
“We’re looking forward to having them here,” Fort Jackson GC general manager and director of golf Mike Casto said. “This is our second year of hosting the Drive, Chip and Putt players and their parents, and we will assure them a first-class experience.”
Competition begins at noon. Spectators who wish to attend should enter the Fort Jackson facility through the Forest Drive gate and those without access cards must obtain a visitor’s pass that requires identification and vehicle registration.
This story was originally published August 22, 2015 at 6:47 PM with the headline "Swing Thought Tour aims to make champions."