Brad Hughes wins maiden US title at Wichita Open
IN: News | Nationwide | Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open (2004) | Final Round | by Bruce Young | 02 Aug 2004
Brad Hughes looks set to return to the PGA Tour in 2005, following his playoff win today in the Nationwide Tour's Wichita Open.
Hughes, a member of the PGA Tour from 1997 to 2002, played a full schedule of Nationwide Tour events in 2003 and again this year. Last year, he played 20 events but he was struggling with his game and could only finish 139th on the Nationwide Tour money list and so it was back in 2004 for another go.
He put together some solid performances at the start of 2004 on the Australasian Tour, finishing 8th at the ANZ Championship, then was runner up to Gavin Coles at the New Zealand PGA. That event also happened to be a Nationwide Tour event, so he had made a good start to his 2004 campaign on that Tour. His form since however has been inconsistent, with 14th his best in his next thirteen starts.
This week the form returned, more especially in round two when a 65 saw him avoid the low cut mark of three under. His third round of 69 had him edging closer but his start today had him challenging for the top place from early in his round.
He made eagle at the near reachable par four third hole, then made another eagle at the par five last to joint the group at fourteen under. He was then forced to wait while several players had chances to break the deadlock but none were able to do so and it was into a playoff with Hunter Haas, Erik Compton and Scott Harrington. Hughes birdied the first hole, the par five 18th that he had eagled just an hour earlier, to grab his first ever win in the US and a cheque for US$85,000 which will see him move to tenth on the money list.
Australians Nathan Green and Anthony Painter tied for 12th and Gavin Coles was 14th.
