Thompson Tees Off - Subscriber

Issue 136 - July 30

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Thompson teesoff "Alabama's Golf Insider" teesoff Thompson teesoff 7.30.15 All the latest from across the state's golf scene. ...Next WEEK! Click our Icon to Subscribe! Former Jacksonville State golfer Danny Willett continues to fl y up the World Rankings With his win Sunday in the Omega European Masters in Crans-Sur-Sierre Switzerland, former Jack- sonville State golfer Danny Willett climbed to 24th in the O cial World Golf Rankings, a new high for him. He's certainly in the middle of a breakout year. For the JSU Gamecocks, Willett, who hails from She eld, England, was the 2006 Ohio Valley Confer- ence Freshman of the Year and won medalist honors at the 2007 OVC Champi- onship. He was a First Team All-OVC performer and a member of the OVC's All-Tournament Team in both seasons. As a freshman in 2005-06, he boasted a national ranking of 21, the lowest by a JSU player in school history. During his career with the Gamecocks, he won three times and his scoring average was a school-record 71.96. JSU counted all 72 rounds he played, making him the only Gamecock to have every round count in multiple seasons. He left after his sophomore year to move back home and focus purely on amateur golf and was rewarded with some very strong performances and he rose to be the No. 1 ranked amateur golfer in the world. Later on he would begin his professional ca- reer and had made steady progress until this year with one European Tour win. However, few could have predicted his mete- oric rise this year. It began towards the end of last year when he won his second European Tour event, the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa in December. This helped him move into the top 64 in the world and thus got him in the eld for the World Golf Cham- pionships Cadillac Match Play at TPC Harding Park. He made it all the way to the semi nals before bowing out to Gary Woodland, who would lose to eventual champion Rory McIlroy. Willett beat Jim Furyk in the third place match. This gained him enough money to play in the U.S. on a temporary PGA Tour membership, but he has continued to home and focus purely on amateur golf and was rewarded with some very strong performances and he rose to be the No. 1 ranked amateur golfer in the world. Later on he would begin his professional ca- reer and had made steady progress until this year with one European Tour win. However, few could Danny Willett with the Omega European Masters trophy.

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