Playing on the Hooters Tour comes with price for golfers
Marion Dantzler is one of the top pro golfers on the NGA Hooters Tour, but like many of his colleagues, making ends meet on the third-tier circuit requires some creativity.
A veteran on the Tour since the mid 1990s, Dantzler drives his 1993 Toyota Camry between events, often staying with host families to limit expenses. When he's not competing, Dantzler lives with his parents in Orangeburg, S.C., and gives private golf lessons to replenish his finances.
At tournaments, he and a friend sell yardage booklets to fellow golfers, at a cost of $15, containing maps of each course with measurements.
"It's a way of life," Dantzler said. "You've got to find some way to make a little here and there."
Beginning today, Dantzler will be among about 168 golfers competing for a share of a $200,000 purse in the NGA Hooters Tour Classic at King's Creek in Spring Hill. The event is a PGA-style, four-day, walking tournament lasting through Sunday. The winner will earn $33,566.
