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 Jerod Turner was the Soboba Classic's unlikely winner (PHOTO: Eddie Meeks). Aside from showcasing the refurbished layout at San Jacinto’s Country Club at Soboba Springs to local spectators and a national television audience, the event marked the first time heralded youngster Rickie Fowler earned a professional paycheck. The 20-year-old Murrieta native slid down the leaderboard in the final round with a 6-over 77 but still earned $5,900 by tying for 31st. While that wasn’t the memorable finish he was looking for, lots of friends and family members attended throughout the week to at least make the experience as a whole memorable. Spectators donned orange “Rickie is my homeboy” T-shirts given out by Puma, Fowler’s new sponsor, and the golfer himself wore orange on Sunday for the first time in what he intends to be a final-round color tradition à la the red sported by Tiger Woods. If Fowler goes on to PGA Tour glory, his appearance at the Soboba Classic will resonate as one of the places where he gained traction as a pro. Similar sentiment can be expressed for the tournament, which offered a record-tying $1 million purse to a field focused on finishing inside the top 25 on the money list and earning 2010 PGA Tour cards. Almost all of the top 100 players on the money list competed, boding well for an event looking to become a fixture on the Nationwide Tour schedule. Its placement near the end of the season fostered intensity, and the golf course proved formidable thanks to steady breezes and fast conditions. While tournament champion Jerod Turner wasn’t a household name coming into the event, his $180,000 winner’s check vaulted him onto the PGA Tour next season and will give him a chance to attain further glory — a scenario that expresses what the Nationwide Tour is all about, that rags-to- riches, Hollywood-ending type of story that’s happened before to golfers like Valencia native Jason Gore. Should Turner wind up a PGA Tour sensation, it would be another feather in the Soboba Classic’s cap. Tournament Director Doug Hoffort was pleased with the inaugural edition of the event: “Overall, it was very good. PGA Tour officials expect little hurdles or stumbling blocks, but they said this didn’t feel like a first-year event.” The PGA Tour gave the event a choice of four or five dates for 2010, one of which was the place it held for 2009. Hoffort said it’s likely it will remain in the same slot next year. A larger question for next year is tournament sponsorship. The Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians served as title sponsor this year and could do so again in 2010, but Hoffort said the tournament is already actively seeking all levels of sponsorships. ALSO SEE: Turner wins Soboba Classic Notebook: Tidland cards low final round, Pate wears heart-rate monitor Complete results from PGATour.com Lamely upstages Fowler, grabs share of lead through three rounds at Soboba Classic Trio of players atop leaderboard after first round of Soboba Classic 5 things to watch at Soboba Classic |
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