​The Professional Golfers Association Hackers Tour (PGAHT)

King of the Canyon   

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On Sunday, April 18th, history was made as the PGA Hackers Tour held its first-ever event at Franklin Canyon, and a new Players champion emerged. Eddie Murphy, fueled by eight pars, posted matching 44's on the front and back-9s, finishing with a remarkable 3-under round of 88. Despite some hiccups, including a snowman on the par-4 15th, Murphy managed to hold off the competition, securing his first PGAHT Championship and earning a coveted spot in the traditional "Champions Group" at The Memorial in July.

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Murphy's performance was lauded not only by himself but also by his sponsors at Titleist, who were thrilled with his victory and the positive endorsement it brought to their brand. "This is further proof that more champions choose Titleist than any other brand, and that we know how to back champion players," stated Murphy's sponsors, expressing confidence in his continued success on the PGA leaderboards throughout the year.

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Newcomer Rob Thomas, who took partial credit for Murphy's win in a lighthearted moment at the champions' press conference, will soon have his own chance to field questions as he competes in future tournaments. In the meantime, Thomas joined the rest of the field in congratulating Eddie Murphy for his outstanding performance and well-deserved title of The Players Champion for 2010.

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Gino Susim, who matched Murphy's 44 on the front-9 and put up a valiant fight, ultimately secured second place with a 2-under round of 90. Despite stumbling on the 15th hole with a triple-bogey 7, Gino's sponsors at Nike were pleased with his performance and expressed confidence in his abilities. "Gino is playing loose right now. He's crushing his drives and playing with a lot of confidence," said his sponsors, anticipating further success and more titles for Gino in the coming year.

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Cisco Bellez continued his impressive form after winning his first title last month in Brentwood, firing a remarkable 1-under round of 93, securing him a third-place finish. Bellez's round featured birdies on the challenging up-hill par-5 13th and the 18th hole, showcasing his skills and potential. With a first and third place finish in the first two events, Bellez is positioning himself well in the FedEx Cup standings (coming soon) and preparing for the upcoming Majors. Undoubtedly, sponsors are lining up to support this rising talent. Congratulations to Cisco Bellez on his outstanding performance.

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Three players, Ted Saguindel (85), Robert Holmes (105), and Steve Hom (93), all finished at 1-over par, tying for fourth place. Saguindel displayed consistent golf throughout the round but was unable to secure any birdies, which is unusual for him. Despite that, he managed to pick up a couple of skins and is gearing up to defend his Masters of Hack championship in June, with the U.S.Hackers Open next month as a crucial step towards his goal.

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Robert Holmes is still striving to break the 100 mark on tour, but he is closing in on his target. Although he was on track at the turn, setbacks at the 13th and 17th holes dashed his hopes. Nevertheless, it was an encouraging round, and his sponsors at Snake-Eyes and Callaway are confident that he will break through this year. Reflecting on Holmes' performance, they criticized Srixon for dropping him last year at Rio-Vista, just at the turn! Despite the setback, they believe that a sub-100 round is on the horizon and are looking forward to seeing it happen this year.

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Steve Hom was only one hole away from clinching the title! Unfortunately, a major blow-up at the 9th hole cost him dearly. However, he redeemed himself with a red-hot back nine, finishing in 42. Without the blow-up, he would have added a third PGAHT title to his already impressive resume, which includes titles at Memorial and Delta Classic. Steve Hom is definitely a player to watch at the upcoming U.S.Hackers Open. Congratulations to Steve Hom on his remarkable performance.