Las Vegas pros and tour golfers

Las Vegas, Nevada (December 2, 2011)--Las Vegas PGA Tour star Nick Watney thinks he is about to go down in history. He just probably wishes that wasn't the case. After round one of the Chevron World Challenge, Watney was in a tie for fourth place, five shots behind K.J. Choi, who was 6-under par. The harsh winds cost Watney a penalty stroke, leading to a ruling that will soon go away. --By Brian Hurlburt

Las Vegas, Nevada (November 20, 2011)--Another Tour player with strong ties to Las Vegas golf courses has helped the Unites States win a major international competition. Nick Watney was a part of the winning Presidents Cup team, but admitted that the nerves of team competition were unlike anything he has ever experienced. Watney joins the likes of Chad Campbell and Natalie Gulbis as Vegas golfers who have won on the big stage of team golf. --By Brian Hurlburt

Las Vegas, Nevada (November 18, 2011)--Nick Watney has lived in the Las Vegas Golf Region for several years. The PGA Tour star, who is making his debut in the Presidents Cup, moved to Las Vegas at the urging of fellow resident Butch Harmon, Harmon also serves as Watney's swing coach. Here, now are some notes and quotes from Watney's first two days in Australia.--By Brian Hurlburt

Las Vegas, Nevada (November 12, 2011)--Butch Harmon, the world's best teacher, is a veteran himself. And that is one of the reasons he spends a lot of time honoring them throughout the year. And in 2011, he took it up a notch with the playing of a benefit tournament for OperationFrontDoor.org, a new foundation he has started. The event took place at Las Vegas resort course Rio Secco Golf Club and featured several wounded veterans playing and greeting players. --By Brian Hurlburt

Las Vegas, Nevada (October 23, 2011)--Bill Lunde went to Disneyworld and didn't get a lousy t-shirt. What he got instead was a million dollars for winning the season-long Kodak Challenge. Entering the week, Cameron Tringale had a chance to tie with an eagle but at the 11th hour Fabian Gomez crept up and a deuce by him would have thrown Las Vegas Golf Region resident Lunde for a loop as well. See Lunde and the winning video now. --By Brian Hurlburt.

Las Vegas, Nevada (October 21, 2011)--I feel a little bad writing this, but it's a cool story to watch. Las Vegas PGA Tour star Bill Lunde is one hole away from cashing a check for a million bucks. If Cameron Tringale doesn't eagle the 485-yard, par 4 17th hole this week, Lunde will win the season-long Kodak Challenge and the million that goes with it. --By Brian Hurlburt.

Las Vegas, Nevada (October 16, 2011)--Ryan Moore became a true Las Vegas golfer when he won the 2004 U.S. Amateur and NCAA championship while playing for UNLV. He solidified it when he lived in the Southern Highlands community for a couple years after turning pro. After a brief stint in Arizona, Moore returned to Las Vegas (in addition to his home in his native state of Washington). A few weeks ago, Moore officially inked a sponsorship deal with Shift4, a Las Vegas company. --By Brian Hurlburt.

Las Vegas, Nevada (October 3. 2011)--Kevin Na lives in the Las Vegas Golf Region, and he just won Las Vegas' PGA Tour event, the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open (the first resident in history to do so). In 2006, he was living in Rancho Cucamonga and won a hometown Nationwide Tour event there. Those two tournaments are his only two victories in the last five years. So, minutes after his Vegas win on Sunday, Kevin Na was thinking about moving to Augusta, Georgia, the location of a little tournament called The Masters. --By Brian Hurlburt.

Las Vegas, Nevada (October 1, 2011)--When word started spreading that Las Vegas PGA Tour star Bill Lunde had made eagle on 16 at TPC Summerlin on Friday, his fellow pros were quick with a description. "That's nasty," a few pros said in a respectful tone to Lunde, whose stone-cold eagle could lead to a million-dollar Kodak Challenge prize in a couple weeks. The eagle moved him to 19-under par in the season-long contest, three shots ahead of his playing partner Cameron Tringale. The score came during the second round of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.--By Brian Hurlburt.