Projo Sports Blog

Coming off a second-place finish over the weekend in the Puerto Rico Open that earned him $308,000 and a coveted spot in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill March 26-29, Brett Quigley will be playing this weekend in the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook Resort, near Tampa.

Also in the field will be Brad Adamonis, Billy Andrade, and Brad Faxon.

Quigley was disappointed in his final round at the Honda Classic two weeks ago, when he shot a 3-over 73 and fell from a tie for fourth to a tie for 13th.

Although, just as he did at the Honda, he bogeyed the first hole of his final round in Puerto Rico, Quigley quickly got his game on track with a birdie on the par-5 second and went on to rack up five more birdies -- including three in a row on holes 9 through 11 -- and never made another bogey.

"I missed a 4-footer for par on the first hole," he said. "But, instead of being upset, I was determined to hang in."

It appeared as if Quigley might get into a playoff and record his first PGA Tour victory when he birdied the par-5 18th to pull even with tourney leader Michael Bradley.

Although Quigley hit his drive on 18 into the palm trees, he still was able to hit his second shot over the green.

"I was trying to get it into the front bunker," he said, "but it went too far."

Fortunately, Quigley was able to chip from behind the green to within 6 feet of the hole and then sank the putt for birdie.

When Bradley, after reaching the green in two, left a putt for eagle 11 feet short, it seemed as if a playoff might be in the offing. Instead, he coolly rolled in his birdie bid to win the third PGA Tour event of his career. His last victory was more than a decade ago -- in 1998, at Doral.

What made the weekend in Puerto Rico even more enjoyable for Quigley was that his cousin Devon -- a former URI golfer and the son of Champions Tour star Dana Quigley -- caddied for him.

Dana's best round on the PGA Tour -- a 61 at Hartford in 1982 -- came when Brett, who then was only 12 years old, served as his caddy.

Adding the 308K from Puerto Rico to the $90,222 he won at the Honda, Brett has leaped to 43rd on the Tour money list, with earnings of $426,686.

Adamonis, despite missing the cut in Puerto Rico, remains in the top 100 on the money list, at No. 97, with earnings of $203,504 -- most of that coming when he finished tied for 9th at the Bob Hope in January, earning $127,500. He has made the cut in 5 of the 7 events he's played this year, his second on the PGA Tour.

It's been a tough year so far for Tour veterans Andrade and Faxon. Andrade has made just one cut in six tries, earning only $8,064. Still, that's better than Faxon, who, after missing almost all of last year while recuperating from knee surgery, has yet to make a cut in six events. He hasn't broken 70 in 15 rounds and six times has shot 75 or higher.

 Tags  Brett Quigley; Brad Adamonis; Billy Andrade; Brad Faxon

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