2014 Rex Hospital Open: Wednesday primer on what to expect

Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network
Peter Koutroumpis, Triangle Sports Network

Peter Koutroumpis – editor@trianglesportsnet.com

RALEIGH, N.C. – As the second day of practice rounds took place on Tuesday, the entire field for the 2014 Rex Hospital Open had been finalized the day before.

Two Monday-qualifier tournaments provided 12 more entrants into the 156-player field that will tee off in the Web.com Tour event at TPC at Wakefield Plantation on Thursday.

This year’s tournament features nine of the Web.com Tour’s current top 10 money list leaders (Carlos Ortiz, Andrew Putnam, Alex Cjeka, Jon Curran, Adam Hadwin, Jonathan Randolph, Justin Thomas, Max Homa, Daniel Berger), two past champions (Kyle Thompson – 2007, 2011; Kevin Johnson – 2009) as well as a major winner (Lee Janzen – 1993, 1998 U.S. Open).

The Rex Hospital Open Official Pro-Am takes place on Wednesday with morning and afternoon tee-offs and includes an honorary tee shot taking place at Noon by wounded veteran Staff Sergeant Alonzo Lundsford.

One of the survivors from the Ft. Hood domestic terror attack in 2009, Lunsford has been wounded seven times and is an advocate for American troops and a volunteer for the USO of NC resiliency programs.

By the end of the day, the field will be ready to tee it up early on Thursday and begin first-round play in the battle to make the cut in the competitive field by the end of second-round play on Friday.

Once the final cut is determined, the competition will heat up and the tournament’s supporting events will provide spectators a variety of things to do while watching the pros go low.

Saturday will feature Family Day at the Open presented by the Carolina Hurricanes and will include all-day events to include free face painting, bounce houses, a Canes Slapshot booth, mini-golf, rock climbing wall, snow cones, and more.

Sunday’s final round of play will highlight Service Appreciation Day presented by First Citizens Bank as the tournament will offer free admission for active and former military, police, fire and EMS personnel who will be part of the spectator gallery on the 18th hole that will cheer on the 2014 champion after he holes out to earn this year’s tournament title.

2014 Rex Hospital Open

BY THE NUMBERS
Field size 156 players
Web.com Tour champions 61 (123 total wins)
PGA TOUR champions 18 (34 total wins)
Major champions 2 (Lee Janzen)
Current year money list 9 of top 10
HOW THEY QUALIFIED
Tournament Winners
Steven Alker
Benjamin Alvarado
Mark Anderson
Alex Aragon
Kris Blanks
Alex Cejka
Jon Curran
Kevin Foley
Adam Hadwin
Max Homa
Edward Loar
Peter Malnati
Carlos Ortiz
Andrew Putnam
Will Wilcox
Past Champion of Current Week’s Event
Kevin Johnson
Kyle Thompson
Leading Money winner Latinoamérica/Canada & WCT QT Winner
Ryan Blaum
Mackenzie Hughes
Winner – Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament
Zack Fischer
Next 25 Money Leaders – Web.com Tour Finals
Andres Gonzales
Greg Owen
Tim Petrovic
Vaughn Taylor
Ryan Spears
Ben Kohles
Camilo Benedetti
Alistair Presnell
Bhavik Patel
Adam Crawford
Steve Wheatcroft
Byron Smith
Alexandre Rocha
Nick O’Hern
Hunter Haas
Tom Hoge
Roland Thatcher
Mathew Goggin
Top 75 Money Leaders from the Web.com Tour Regular Season
Alex Prugh
Matt Bettencourt
Daniel Chopra
Miguel Angel Carballo
Ashley Hall
Whee Kim
D.J. Brigman
Nick Rousey
Shane Bertsch
Kelly Kraft
Matt Davidson
Jason Gore
Brett Stegmaier
Fernando Mechereffe
Philip Pettitt, Jr.
Len Mattiace
Richard S Johnson
Hudson Swafford
Guy Boros
Aron Price
Ariel Canete
Scott Harrington
Oscar Fraustro
Finishers 2-10 & Ties Previous year’s Web.com Tour QT
Scott Pinckney
Milton Finau
Sung Joon Park
Steve Saunders
Bronson Burgoon
Jimmy Gunn
Chris Epperson
Carlos Sainz Jr
Former Fully-Exempt PGA TOUR Members
Nathan Green
Ryuji Imada
Steve Marino
Billy Mayfair
D.J. Trahan
PGA TOUR Members 48-49 Years Old
Lee Janzen
Kevin Sutherland
Skip Kendall
Top 25 Money Leaders Web.com Regular Season/Top 25 Finals
Scott Gardiner
Brad Fritsch
Lee Williams
Bobby Gates
Open Qualifiers (12)
Jason Allred
Fielding Brewbaker
Joshua Brock
Greg Doherty
Jack Fields
Patton Kizzire
Steve LeBrun
Ryan Nelson
Seamus Power
Grant Rappleye
Justin Regier
Chase Wright
Sponsor Exemptions (Members Not Otherwise Exempt)
Luke List
David Mathis
Sponsor Exemptions (Unrestricted)
Grant Houser
Alex Smalley
Sponsor Exemptions – Web.com
Brad Adamonis
Top 25 From Previous Event
Jonathan Randolph
Kyle Reifers
Zack Sucher
Gavin Coles
Justin Lower
Dominic Bozzelli
Mark Hubbard
David Skinns
Peter Tomasulo
Harold Varner III
Cliff Kresge
Matt Fast
Roger Sloan
Josh Broadaway
Special Members/Medical(Exempt)
Jonathan Kaye
Matt Weibring
Wil Collins
PGA TOUR – not Exempt for current Event
John Mallinger
Fabian Gomez
Tag Ridings
Dicky Pride
Doug LaBelle II
Justin Bolli
Reorder With $ Finishers 11-45 & ties as the prev year’s Tour Qua
Justin Thomas
Daniel Berger
Derek Fathauer
Manuel Villegas
Sam Saunders
Tom Gillis
Bill Lunde
Nathan Tyler
Cameron Percy
Casey Wittenberg
Ryan Armour
Henrik Norlander
Brad Schneider
Chris Wilson
Steve Allan
Jose de Jesus Rodriguez
Colt Knost
Trevor Murphy
Nick Taylor
Sebastian Vazquez
Rob Oppenheim
Andres Echavarria
Jin Park
Jeff Klauk
Jonathan Fricke
Roberto Diaz
Hugo Leon
James Nitties
Darron Stiles
Aaron Goldberg
Matt Hendrix
Timothy O’Neal
Albin Choi
Chris Baker
Jorge Fernandez-Valdes