Brendan Gielow Will Make PGA Tour Debut At Wyndham Championship
8/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
GREENSBORO, NC - Former Wake Forest All-American Brendan Gielow has received a sponsor's exemption and will make his PGA Tour debut next week at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, NC.
"Once I saw that it was official today, I couldn't be more excited," said Gielow. "I am really looking forward to this opportunity to make my PGA Tour debut."
After graduating with a religion degree this past May, Gielow made his professional debut at the EGolf Tour's Bolle Classic in mid-June. He also played in the Bushnell Championship and the Southern Open but didn't make the cut in any of the three events.
He then Monday qualified for the Nationwide Tour's Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open earlier this month at the Crestview Country Club in Wichita, Kan. He rebounded from a tough opening round 74 to post two eagles in a round of 5-under 66 but missed the cut by a couple of shots.
Gielow, a 2010 Wake Forest graduate, turned professional this summer after completing a very successful senior season. He started the year by helping the US Walker Cup team to its third-straight victory and was then named the ACC Player of the Month in February after winning the JU Invitational at the famed TPC of Sawgrass.
On the year, he notched a total of nine top-20s in 11 events and had a team-best 71.9 scoring average. The Muskegon, Mich., native ascended to the No. 1 individual ranking by Golfstat at the end of March and was the only player on the team to have every round count towards the team score.
Gielow capped his Demon Deacon career in style as he earned his first All-America honors and was named the 2010 Byron Nelson Award winner. The Byron Nelson Award recognizes the top graduating senior and the selection committee also considered equally a nominee's entire collegiate academic and golf career as well as his character and integrity while in college. Particular consideration was also given to a nominee's good citizenship, as portrayed by Mr. Byron Nelson over the course of his life and golf career.
Over his career, Gielow played in 47 tournaments for the Demon Deacons with a stroke average of 72.74. He claimed a pair of victories (2008 VCU Invitational and 2010 JU Invitational), had 18 top-10s and nearly 91 percent of his 137 total rounds counted towards the team score. Since 1981, his 72.74 career scoring averaging is fifth-best in school history behind the likes of Bill Haas, Webb Simpson and Kyle Reifers.
Gielow will be joined by Haas and Simpson this week as the trio tees-it-up at the Sedgefield Country Club on Thursday, Aug. 19.
