Former University of Kentucky golfer Mark Blakefield of Maysville, Kentucky carded a 67 at Cherry Blossom Golf and Country Club in the final round of The 2010 ADI Classic to capture his second NGA Hooters Tour title of the season and third of his career. 

Blakefield started the day tied for 1st at eighteen-under par after carding rounds of 68-65-65. Playing in the final group with Chip Deason (Lexington, SC) and Doug Ferris (Hernando Beach, FL), the former Wildcat started off strong with birdies on two of his first three holes and then added two more birdies on holes five and nine to go out in four-under par 32 to build a two stroke lead with nine to holes to play. 

“My goal today was to come out and get to at least twenty-three or twenty-four under par to give myself a chance,” said the twenty-seven year old. “I birdied the first and third holes and then got two more on 5 and 9 and thought I may as well keep trying to get lower because of the scores that everyone was posting this week.”

After opening with four straight pars on back nine, Blakefield rolled in another birdie at the par 5 14th hole to move to twenty-three-under par and extend his lead to three strokes over his nearest competitors.  With three more pars over his next three holes, the Kentuckian entered the 18th hole with a two shot lead and was assured a second ADI Classic victory after making a routine up and down from behind the green for par and his second $30,000 check of the season.

“It’s great to get my second win of the season, but it is definitely icing on the cake to do it in front of my friends and family and in my home state,” said Blakefield. “Knowing that I had forty people in my corner cheering every time I did something right was certainly worthwhile today.”

Blakefield’s twenty-three-under par 265 total was two better than Deason and Glen Ellyn, Illinois’ Andy Pope. Deason, who began the day tied with Blakefield, continued his solid play on Sunday with a bogey free three-under par 69, while Pope  notched back to back 66’s on Saturday and Sunday garner his best ever NGA Hooters Tour finish at a tie for second.  The pair earned $13,229 for their runner-up finishes on Sunday.

Former EKU golfer Brandon Brown, who held a share of the lead after rounds one and two, struggled with two bogies on Sunday after only making one the first three days but managed a three-under par 69 to finish in a tie for fourth with Doug Ferris. Ferris sandwiched two 65’s in between a 68 and final round two-under par 70 to take home $8,329 with Brown.

With his first place finish on Sunday, Blakefield returns to top spot on the season long money list with $62,763 in earnings through eight events.

While Blakefield and Brown had great tournaments for players with Kentucky ties, a handful of other Kentuckians had successful weeks in Georgetown. The list includes Rick Cochran (T-42), Trey Bowling (T-58), Matt Savage (T-62), Ryan Britt (72nd), Brad Doster (T-79) and Andrew Stephens (T-79).

With his T-47 finish Sunday, Will Wilcox (Birmingham, AL) captured the Race For The Fort Smith Nationwide Exemption. The Race For The Fort Smith Exemption was given to the NGA Hooters Tour member that accumulated the most money in the Hampton, GA, McCormick, SC, Edwardsville, IL and Georgetown, KY events. Wilcox was able to hold off Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Matt Harmon by a mere $260 for the closest race of the previous two Nationwide exemptions granted to the NGA Hooters Tour. 

The NGA Hooters Tour will take two weeks off from competition before swinging back into action June 7-13, 2010 in Bentonville, Arkansas for the Bentonville Open presented by Lindsey Management Company.

The 2010 ADI Classic at Cherry Blossom Golf Club Pro Tees, Georgetown, KY, May 17 - May 23, 2010 Final Scores (Par 72, 6842 yards)

1      T1      Mark Blakefield      Maysville, KY      -23      F       -5       68       65       65       67       265      $30,000.00              
T2     T8     Andy Pope     Glen Ellyn, IL     -21     F     -6     66     69     66     66     267     $13,229.00            
T2     T1     Chip Deason     Lexington, SC     -21     F     -3     67     67     64     69     267     $13,229.00            
T4     5     Brandon Brown     Shelbyville, KY     -20     F     -3     64     67     68     69     268     $8,329.00            
T4     T1     Doug Ferris     Hernando Beach, FL     -20     F     -2     68     65     65     70     268     $8,329.00            
T6     T20     Travis Bertoni     Paso Robles, CA     -19     F     -7     69     69     66     65     269     $5,679.00            
T6     T14     David Skinns     Lincoln, England     -19     F     -6     65     66     72     66     269     $5,679.00            
T6     T11     Jim Troy     Orlando, FL     -19     F     -5     67     66     69     67     269     $5,679.00            
T6     T1     Matthew Harmon     Grand Rapids, MI     -19     F     -1     66     66     66     71     269     $5,679.00            
T10     T20     Michael O Neal     Jacksonville, FL     -18     F     -6     69     68     67     66     270     $3,828.00            
T10     T14     Brent Long     Carthage, TN     -18     F     -5     66     69     68     67     270     $3,828.00            
T10     T8     Bob Sowards     Dublin, OH     -18     F     -3     68     67     66     69     270     $3,828.00            
T10     T8     Philip Pettitt Jr Murfreesboro, TN     -18     F     -3     68     67     66     69     270     $3,828.00            
T14     T20     Patrick Nagle     Pacifica, CA     -17     F     -5     64     68     72     67     271     $2,600.00            
T14     T20     Michael Schachner Libertyville, IL     -17     F     -5     67     68     69     67     271     $2,600.00            
T14     T20     Jeff Corr     Longwood, FL     -17     F     -5     69     67     68     67     271     $2,600.00            
T14     T6     Michael Thompson Birmingham, AL     -17     F     -1     67     68     65     71     271     $2,600.00            
T14     T6     Christopher Gold Haddonfield, NJ     -17     F     -1     68     67     65     71     271     $2,600.00            
T19     T33     Casey Crain     La Combe, LA     -16     F     -6     65     67     74     66     272     $2,123.00            
T19     T33     Justin Hueber     Fort Wayne, IN     -16     F     -6     70     70     66     66     272     $2,123.00            
T19     T14     Yohann Benson     Montreal, Canada     -16     F     -3     65     71     67     69     272     $2,123.00            
T22     T40     Garrett Jones     Madison, WI     -15     F     -7     68     68     72     65     273     $1,915.00            
T22     T36     Ryan Brehm     Mount Pleasant, MI     -15     F     -6     69     67     71     66     273     $1,915.00            
T22     T20     Bruno Buccolo     Oklahoma City, OK     -15     F     -3     67     70     67     69     273     $1,915.00            
T25     T40     John Ellis     San Jose, CA     -14     F     -6     67     69     72     66     274     $1,694.00            
T25     T33     Chris Baker     Brownstown, IN     -14     F     -4     66     70     70     68     274     $1,694.00            
T25     T29     Mark Harrell     Hazelhurst, GA     -14     F     -3     67     72     66     69     274     $1,694.00            
T25     T20     Chris Erwin     Brentwood, TN     -14     F     -2     72     59     73     70     274     $1,694.00            
T25     T14     Jeff Dennis     Ponte Vedra Beach, FL     -14     F     -1     66     68     69     71     274     $1,694.00            
T25     T11     Ben Briscoe     Old Colwyn, Wales     -14     F     E     72     69     61     72     274     $1,694.00            
T31     T29     Jonathon Hodge     Strawberry Plains, TN     -13     F     -2     69     68     68     70     275     $1,514.00            
T31     T20     Matthew Anderson Minneapolis, MN     -13     F     -1     66     69     69     71     275     $1,514.00            
T31     T14     Robert Streb     Edmond, OK     -13     F     E     69     67     67     72     275     $1,514.00            
T31     T14     Wes Homan     Cincinnati, OH     -13     F     E     71     66     66     72     275     $1,514.00            
T35     T40     Jim Renner     Plainville, MA     -12     F     -4     69     69     70     68     276     $1,398.00            
T35     T40     Chris Devlin     Ireland     -12     F     -4     69     69     70     68     276     $1,398.00            
T35     T40     Kyle Vasel     Greenville, IL     -12     F     -4     73     68     67     68     276     $1,398.00            
T35     T49     Matthew Swan     Montgomery, AL     -12     F     -5     71     67     71     67     276     $1,398.00            
T39     T36     Chris Naegel     Chesterfield, MO     -11     F     -2     71     66     70     70     277     $1,310.00            
T39     T49     Andy Winings     Brownburg, IN     -11     F     -4     68     68     73     68     277     $1,310.00            
T39     T29     Derek Bohlen     Scottsdale, AZ     -11     F     E     66     65     74     72     277     $1,310.00            
T42     T40     Patton Kizzire     Tuscaloosa, AL     -10     F     -2     70     70     68     70     278     $1,219.00            
T42     T49     Brennan Webb     Land O Lakes, FL     -10     F     -3     68     68     73     69     278     $1,219.00            
T42     T52     Rick Cochran     Paducah, KY     -10     F     -4     70     68     72     68     278     $1,219.00            
T42     T52     Adam Short     Vineland, ON     -10     F     -4     69     70     71     68     278     $1,219.00            
T42     T20     Kevin Larsen     Santa Barbara, CA     -10     F     +2     70     71     63     74     278     $1,219.00            
T47     T40     Parker LaBarge     St. Louis, MO     -9     F     -1     69     68     71     71     279     $1,164.00            
T47     T29     Todd Bailey     Spanish Fort, AL     -9     F     +2     67     68     70     74     279     $1,164.00            
T47     T52     Will Wilcox     Pell City, AL     -9     F     -3     71     69     70     69     279     $1,164.00            
T47     T59     Brent Witcher     Lawrenceville, GA     -9     F     -4     68     71     72     68     279     $1,164.00            
T51     T36     James Vargas     Miami, FL     -8     F     +1     71     70     66     73     280     $1,135.00            
T51     T52     Matt Parziale     Brockton, MA     -8     F     -2     67     71     72     70     280     $1,135.00            
T51     T52     Robert Taylor     Inverness, FL     -8     F     -2     69     70     71     70     280     $1,135.00            
T51     T59     Daniel McCarthy Syracuse, NY     -8     F     -3     70     68     73     69     280     $1,135.00            
T51     T59     Will Claxton     Swainsboro, GA     -8     F     -3     71     68     72     69     280     $1,135.00            
T51     T59     Jon Curran     Hopkinton, MA     -8     F     -3     71     69     71     69     280     $1,135.00            
T51     T11     Harold Wallace     Portsmouth, OH     -8     F     +6     69     66     67     78     280     $1,135.00            
T58     T40     Trey Bowling     Glasgow, KY     -7     F     +1     72     69     67     73     281     $1,083.00            
T58     T52     Marion Dantzler     Orangeburg, SC     -7     F     -1     71     68     71     71     281     $1,083.00            
T58     T59     Michael Lavery     Mission Viejo, CA     -7     F     -2     67     72     72     70     281     $1,083.00            
T58     T59     Matt Johnston     Winnipeg, Canada     -7     F     -2     68     67     76     70     281     $1,083.00            
T62     T40     Jason Dillard     Cullman, AL     -6     F     +2     69     69     70     74     282     $958.00            
T62     T36     David Denham     St Simons Island, GA     -6     F     +3     69     70     68     75     282     $958.00            
T62     T52     Neil Johnson     Riverfalls, WI     -6     F     E     72     67     71     72     282     $958.00            
T62     T59     Matt Savage     Louisville, KY     -6     F     -1     71     69     71     71     282     $958.00            
T62     T74     Michael Welch     Quincy , MA     -6     F     -3     72     69     72     69     282     $958.00            
T62     T74     HJ Wenger     Dalton, OH     -6     F     -3     67     73     73     69     282     $958.00            
T68     T59     Zack Sucher     Mobile, AL     -5     F     E     67     72     72     72     283     $806.00            
T68     T59     Hampton Ballard     Pearisburg, VA     -5     F     E     70     70     71     72     283     $806.00            
T68     T70     Luke Hart     Blythewood, SC     -5     F     -1     69     72     71     71     283     $806.00            
T68     T74     Bruce McDonald     Zimbabwe, Africa,     -5     F     -2     68     73     72     70     283     $806.00            
72     T70     Ryan Britt     Louisville, KY     -4     F     E     70     70     72     72     284     $600.00            
73     T77     Perry Moss     Shreveport, LA     -3     F     -1     69     71     74     71     285     $600.00            
74     79     Matt Miller     Bloomington, IL     -2     F     -2     70     71     75     70     286     $600.00            
75     T59     Jeremy Jeansonne     Shreveport, LA     -1     F     +4     70     71     70     76     287     $600.00            
T76     T70     David Miller     Daphne, AL     E     F     +4     71     67     74     76     288     $600.00            
T76     T77     Tyler Dice     Chapel Hill     E     F     +2     70     69     75     74     288     $600.00            
T76     80     Hamilton Wheeler     Bethany, OK     E     F     -1     67     74     76     71     288     $600.00            
T79     T59     Brad Doster     Winter Park, FL     +1     F     +6     73     68     70     78     289     $600.00            
T79     T70     Andrew Stephens     Union, KY     +1     F     +5     68     71     73     77     289     $600.00            
81     81     Simon Walsh     Manchester, England     +3     F     +1     69     70     79     73     291     $600.00