Aloha 2006

Jun 17, 2006
Charles Durrenberger
Arizona Daily Star

It was a very, Merry Christmas for former Arizona golfer Ted Purdy. Ted's wife, Arlene, gave birth to the couple's second child, a baby girl, Andie Joanne, and his Masters invitation arrived in the mail. Ten he was off to Maui for the Mercedes Championship, reserved for winners on the 2005 PGA Tour. "It will be hard leaving, but hopefully I can win again this season and we can take the whole family next year," Purdy said. Purdy had his best year as a pro in 2005, racking up $2.19 million. He finished 24th on the money list, and is the big winner of the inaugural Charlie Awards, a list of the most compelling professional golfers with local ties. Purdy's first career victory at the Byron Nelson Open in Dallas means he is fully exempt on tour through the 2007 season. "I had some near-misses on tour, and I wanted to win so badly," Purdy said from his Phoenix home. "It was a very special win, in a very special place, with a very special host. "Not only that, it means job security," he quickly added. With a young family, the win also was important because Purdy now is fully vested in the tour's pension plan and qualifies for lifetime health insurance. Purdy's 2005 highlights included a top-10 finish at the PGA Championship, his first Masters appearance and 64th place in the World Golf Rankings. At No. 64, he would be matched with No. 1 seed Tiger Woods at the Accenture Match Play Championship in February. "I have a lot of mixed emotions about that, because that would mean I wouldn't get to play in Tucson — my favorite tournament on tour," Purdy said. The Chrysler Classic of Tucson is played on the same weekend as the match-play event, a setup that could change if Tucson begins to host the event in 2007. "Tucson deserves to have the Match Play," Purdy added. "It's perfect for it, and I hope it happens. "The Conquistadores do the best job on tour of taking care of the players, and putting on a great event."