By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — Former UAB golfer and Trussville native Sam Love begins his play on the Web.com Tour this week.
Love will tee it up at the Panama Claro Championship on Thursday in Panama City, Panama. The tournament runs through Sunday.
The purse is $625,000, and the winner takes home $112,500.
The Web.com Tour is the developmental tour for the PGA Tour.
UAB and former Hewitt-Trussville golfer Sam Love
photo courtesy of www.uabsports.com
Love in June 2014 played in the U.S. Open, one of professional golf’s four major tournaments. He carded a six-over 76 and two-over 72 and missed the cut at Pinehurst in North Carolina.
Love last year at UAB had a 72.3 stroke average, ranking him fourth on the team. He totaled four top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the 2014 John Hayt Collegiate Invitational and a third-place finish at the 2013 Tony Cup in Tanagura, Japan. Love was the top finisher from an American university in the Tony Cup.
It was the best tournament of Love’s career, registering his best 18-, 36- and 54-hole scores of his college career. His 36-hole score of 8-under ranks second in UAB history, while his 18- and 54-hole scores rank seventh and 10th, respectively.
While on the Hewitt-Trussville golf team, Golfweek/Sagarin rated Love as the fifth-best high school golfer in the state of Alabama. Love was coached in high school by Chad Dahlke.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
