Champions Tour

Top-5 Moments of 2015-16 PGA Tour Season: #5. Quicken Loans National

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 10:06 p.m. ET

Fansided, Brandon Musso/FanSided via Pro Golf Now

With a few weeks until the PGA Tour returns, here’s a look back at 2015-16 season’s top moments.

As the PGA Tour takes a few weeks off and won’t return again until January, now seemed like the perfect time to look back at the season that just passed.

This season has given us so many thrilling tournaments, and with them many thrilling moments.

Over the next few Saturdays, I will take a look back at the some of the top moments that have played out over this past season and just what made them so memorable.

Over the rest of December the countdown will reveal one of the best tournaments of the year. Today, I start with No. 5 on the countdown.

#5: Billy Hurley III’s Hometown Win At The 2016 Quicken Loans National

The 2016 version of one of Tiger Woods’ own events was held at Congressional Country Club just outside of Washington D.C. in Bethesda, Maryland. The Quicken Loans National has been held at several different courses but this year it came back to Congressional, a course that has been host to four major championships.

This event not only stuck out to me because I had the chance to see the tournament in person but also because of the guy who won it.

In the early parts of the final day of the tournament, much of the gallery could be found following the stars. Among those stars was Rickie Fowler, who undoubtedly gathered the biggest following. However, as the day wound down and Fowler was off the course, the gallery shifted its attention to the final pairing.

An up to that point win-less Billy Hurley III and veteran PGA Tour golfer Ernie Els, were the final pairing and working their way to the final hole. As the final few holes went on, Hurley III was ahead but had work to do with Els, Vijay Singh, and Jon Rahm all on his tail. However, Hurley III started to build a bigger lead by notching a birdie with a 35-yard hole out chip on the 15th hole, sending echoes of cheers throughout the entire course. At the next hole, he put it out of reach by draining a 27-foot putt for birdie.

Hurley III played it safe on the 18th hole as he laid up on the safe side, right of the peninsula green, with his second shot, avoiding the tough shot at the water surrounded left side tucked pin. From there, he could safely putt with a few strokes cushion.

After a couple of putts, he finally drained the final one, giving him his first career PGA Tour win. However, it meant more to him than just his first win. This was a hometown win. He grew up in nearby Leesburg, Virginia and graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland where he also currently resides.

Hurley III was able to get his first career win in front of the hometown crowd and that is why this tournament checks in at No. 5 on the countdown. Stay tuned for No. 4 on the countdown coming soon.