SwingThought Tour Awarded Event Exemption into Newly Titled Digital Ally Open

Thirty-Eight major event exemptions awarded to the SwingThought Tour since 2010, more than any other tour in developmental golf. Digital Ally Open eighth awarded in 2015 alone

(Myrtle Beach, S.C.) – Over the past five seasons, the SwingThought Tour has secured more Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR event exemptions than any other tour in developmental golf. Today, that gap got even wider as the SwingThought Tour announced it has been awarded an event exemption into the 2015 Digital Ally Open to be contested August 6-9 on the championship Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate in nearby Overland Park, Kansas.

The event, formerly known as the Midwest Classic, features a $600,000 purse. The SwingThought Tour does not have any official affiliation with the PGA TOUR or Web.com Tour, however, this is the 38th major event exemption awarded to the SwingThought Tour (formerly the NGA/Hooters Tour) since the start of the 2010 season. And this is the first time the tour has been awarded an event exemption into the Digital Ally Open and SwingThought Tour president Robin Waters couldn’t be more excited about the new partnership.

“The No. 1 goal of the SwingThought Tour has always been and always will be to help professional golfers achieve their dreams of playing at golf’s highest levels,” stated Robin L. Waters, SwingThought Tour president. “Golf is a game of opportunities. By securing an exemption into the Digital Ally Open, our seventh major event exemption secured so far this year, we continue to do everything in our power to help them achieve those dreams. We cannot thank the Digital Ally Open enough for providing this opportunity.”

The Digital Ally Open is a Web.com Tour event that dates back to 2009 where it originated as the Christmas in October Classic. Michael Sim won that inaugural event, thus earning the Battlefield Promotion onto the PGA TOUR via his 3rd in-season win. The event was not held in 2010 but returned in 2011 as the Midwest Classic with the Kansas City Crusaders as the host organization. SwingThought Tour alum James Nitties won that year and still holds the record for the low aggregate score (258) and low to par score (-26). Multi-time SwingThought Tour winner Shawn Stefani won the event in 2012 and Jamie Lovemark in 2013. Long-time SwingThought Tour member Zack Sucher, who had just played on the SwingThought Tour last in 2013, won this past year’s event helping him to finish inside the top 25 money list and earn his PGA TOUR card for 2015. All five past winners have played or continue to play on the PGA TOUR.

So far, in 2015, the SwingThought Tour has gained Web.com Tour event exemptions into the United Leasing Championship, the Air Capital Classic, the Knoxville News Sentinel Open, four into the BMW Charity Pro-Am Championship, and, now, the Digital Ally Open. Since the start of the 2010 season, the SwingThought Tour has now secured 38 Major event exemptions including three into PGA TOUR events in 2012 and 2013; the Reno-Tahoe Open and Sanderson Farms Championship.

For more information on the new SwingThought Tour visit swingthought.com or call 800-992-8748. Follow on Twitter @TheNGATour and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ngatour.