Minniola, Fla. – Thursday, February 3, 2011 – You don’t earn over $500,000 on the NGA/Hooters Tour without knowing how to close out a tournament. And Ted Potter showed that in final round at Sugarloaf Mountain Golf Club in the Bridgestone Winter Series.
Potter, of Ocala, Fla., carded a 67, the low round of the day, en route to a two-shot win over Jeff Corr. The win was his sixth win on the Bridgestone Winter Series, his 11th title on the NGA/Hooters Tour and pushed his career winnings to over $513,000.
“I figured I’d have to get to 10- or 11-under par to have a chance to win”, said Potter, who started the day T7 and two shots off the lead held by Canadian Matt Hill. Hill struggled to a 75 on the last day to drop into a tie for 12th place.
“Starting off with a bogey wasn t what I needed,” said Potter. “But I was able to make a couple of birdies and post a good front nine.
Potter’s 33 on the outward side was good enough to put him atop the leaderboard at 8-under par, but Corr, of Longwood, Fla., kept Potter honest down the stretch. Corr, a two-time winner this season on the Bridgestone Winter Series, went out in 32 and moved to 5-under par for the day and 9 under for the tournament with a birdie at No. 12.
“When I got to 16, I looked at the leaderboard and saw the Jeff was only one shot back, said the champion. “I knew that I couldn t make any mistakes coming in.”
Potter didn’t, but Corr did.
Needing a birdie to pull into a tie, Corr bogeyed the par-5 18th to slip to 8-under par for the tournament. Potter carded rounds of 71-68-67 for a 10-under 206 and earned $11,330. The win was Potter’s first victory of the season and comes on the heels of his first missed cut in the nearly two years.
Potter struggled in his last event but turned it around this week. “After missing the cut last week, I made a few adjustments in my game,” said Potter. “It worked this week, and I’m looking forward to this upcoming season.”
Corr took home $5,601 for his runner-up finish and moved atop the Bridgestone Winter Series money standings.
Korey Mahoney, Steve Saunders and Casey Wittenberg finished T3 and earned $3,870 each.
The low Canadian was David Markle of Shelburne, Ontario who finished in a tie for 7th place.
Marc-Etienne Bussieres of Gatineau, who was four back of the lead after the 2nd round, shot 74 on the last day and dropped from a tie for 16th to a share of 30th spot.
The Bridgestone Winters Series will return to action next week at the Forest Lake Golf Club in Ocoee, Fla.
