(RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA) – Nexbelt® PGA TOUR Staff Professional, Jim Furyk, turned 50 while golf took a break, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and made the most of the hiatus when the PGA TOUR Champions returned this past weekend, by closing with a 4-under par 68 to win The Ally Challenge on Sunday.
This victory came at a familiar place. Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club in Grand Blanc, Michigan was one of Furyk’s favorite stops on the PGA TOUR when it hosted the Buick Open until a decade ago. Furyk won there in 2003 and was a runner-up two other times.
“I’m the 19th person to come out and win their first event on the PGA Tour Champions,” Furyk said. “It sounds so ordinary when you say it that way. Wow, I’m amazed. It felt pretty darn hard to do.”
Furyk, a former U.S. Open champion with 17 titles on the PGA TOUR, kept his competitive edge sharp while he waited to turn 50 and become eligible for the Champions. He played five times on the PGA TOUR over the last two months, making three cuts.
“I guess the one thing I did miss all week was the fans,” Furyk said. “I remember this place would — it’s a tight, small piece of property, and they would pack a lot of fans in here from the Flint, Grand Blanc area. Miss the rowdiness at 17, but we’ll see it in the future and I’m anxious to be back and see that firsthand.”
Jim Furyk joined the Nexbelt Team of Staff Professionals in 2015 and is currently an ambassador for their Rowland Thomas Series of ratchet belts on Tour.