Billy Hurley III

First Appearance Qualifying Win: Quicken Loans National

Another first-time player at the Sentry Tournament of Champions to watch this week is American Billy Hurley III, who is coming off of his best PGA TOUR season, finishing 55th in the FedExCup.

Hurley’s win at the Quicken Loans National was the first of his career and carried extra emotional weight, as it came near his hometown of Annapolis, Maryland. Furthermore, it was at the Quicken Loans National the year prior where Hurley made an impassioned plea to help find his lost father. Hurley, who was in the Navy, was a crowd favorite for the week and the support helped him achieve his first victory.

“I'm a little flabbergasted, I didn't know that many people cared that much about me," Hurley said following his win. "I've heard from so many grown men telling me they were watching golf and crying on Sunday. I had a friend from California leave a message and he was fighting back tears the whole time. So that surprised the heck out of me."

Hurley’s emotional victory earned him a spot in the Sentry Tournament of Champions for the first time.