Tag: APGA Farmers

Patrick Newcomb makes birdie on final hole to win by one at Torrey Pines as APGA Tour shines in TV debut

“It wasn’t my finest hour on the greens,” said Newcomb, “finally holed one there at the last.”

The APGA Tour sure didn’t disappoint in its first-ever nationally televised event.

Playing the South Course at Torrey Pines just a day after Luke List won the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open, veteran Tim O’Neal and Patrick Newcomb stood on the 18th tee tied for the lead at even par. Both found the par-5 green in three, setting up a putting contest from inside six feet for birdie and the win. Newcomb was first to play, curling  his putt into the bottom of the hole while O’Neal’s caught the left edge and missed.

“It was a long day. We’re out there for a long, long time. It’s a tough course, tested everybody,” said Newcomb after the round on Golf Channel. “It wasn’t my finest hour on the greens, finally holed one there at the last.”

The win is Newcomb’s first on tour and follows a strong 2021 season where in six starts the 31-year-old didn’t finish worse than T-10. O’Neal, winner of the 2019 APGA Scottsdale at TPC Scottsdale, finished runner-up with Marcus Byrd third at 4 over and three players T-4 at 5 over: Willie Mack III, Trey Valentine and Kevin Hall.

Since 2010 the APGA Tour, a non-profit organization, has been striving to help prepare African Americans and other minority golfers to compete and win at the highest levels of professional golf.

“I think it’s great. This tour has been fantastic, I’ve played it all year,” said Newcomb of the APGA. “This was a great spot for me. The guys are great and I’m just excited to get the win.”

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APGA Farmers at Torrey Pines expands to 36 holes; Sunday’s ‘historic’ final round will be live on Golf Channel for first time

The Advocates Professional Golf Association’s APGA Farmers golf tournament is expanding in more ways than one.

The Advocates Professional Golf Association’s APGA Farmers golf tournament is expanding in more ways than one.

The third rendition of this event is going from a one-day, 18-hole tournament to a two-day, 36-hole event. In addition, Sunday’s final round will be telecast live on Golf Channel for the first time.

“The first of many, that’s my hope for these players who love this game, who breathe this game, who live this game,” said Damon Hack, who will serve as the play-by-play announcer alongside analyst Notah Begay. Doug Smith and Jacques Slade will be the on-course reporters for the live coverage from 5-7:30 p.m. ET. (with streaming on the NBC Sports app).

Hack previously did play-by-play for the network during the Scottish Open when Terry Gannon was under the weather, and is excited to get back to his original love: calling sports.

“I did play-by-play in college. I love it. I love calling sports. Before I became a sportswriter it’s actually what I wanted to do, growing up in L.A. listening to Vin Scully and Chick Hearn, two of the greats,” said Hack. “It’s a great opportunity. I got great folks around me with Notah and Doug and Jacques, it’s gonna be quite a historic day and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.”

Farmers Insurance Open 2022
Golfers on the 16h hole during the first round of The Farmers Insurance Open on the North Course at Torrey Pines Golf Course on January 26, 2022, in La Jolla, California. (Photo: Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

The Torrey Pines event is the first of 11 tournaments on the APGA’s 2022 slate. With the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open playing a Wednesday to Saturday, the South Course opens up for the APGA final round.

Landon Lyons is the defending champion, with 2020 champion Tim O’Neal also in the field.

“They’ve got to get those first licks in, feeling the excitement, the emotions that maybe they haven’t felt very often, or maybe for the first time ever,” said Hack of the event’s significance. “I think these are important steps that hopefully they see is like part of the journey to getting to where they want to be.

“But it’s also about the businesses and the sponsors that will be watching and the folks that love golf. They may hear someone’s story about, ‘Oh, wow, that guy was sleeping in his car.’ Or, ‘that guy learned the game when he was 13 and this person has been chasing the dream for 20 years.’ That’s also part of it.

“It’s experience inside the ropes and its support outside the ropes.”

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