Hayward, CA – April 19, 2010 – Kevin Chappell left the ranks of college golf in 2008 as an NCAA Individual Champion and one of the top amateur golfers in the world. A year and a half of inconsistent play since came to a screeching halt on Sunday afternoon when the former UCLA star notched his first professional win at the Nationwide Tour's Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae, besting one of the top fields of the 2010 season.

Chappell entered the final round in Hayward, CA trailing 36- and 54-hole leader David Hearn by one shot. With 17 players within six shots of Hearn's lead and just 18 holes to play, Chappell knew a fast start would be required to not only overtake the leader, but to hold off the bevy of players trailing him. 

"I knew I had to get off to a quick start because the back nine plays a lot tougher," Chappell said. "Getting those birdies early just kick-started me."

Birdies at Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 5 immediately vaulted Chappell to 4-under on his round and into the lead. He would bogey the par-3 sixth, but quickly backed it up with birdies at Nos. 7 and 9 to turn at a staggering 5-under 31. With Hearn making the turn at 3-under 33, Chappell had assumed a one-shot lead with nine holes to play.

A nine-hole match play showdown between Chappell and Hearn had developed.

"I didn't know if anyone was making a move. I didn't hear any roars out there but you never know," Chappell said. "I knew we were playing pretty good and I thought if I could beat him (Hearn) I thought I'd have a pretty good chance."

The two would trade shots throughout the back nine before arriving at the par-4 17th, where Chappell would roll in a 25-foot birdie putt to assume a two-shot cushion with just the par-4 18th to play.

First to play on the final hole, Hearn's approach threatened the cup and presented a possible dramatic eagle at the last, but neither player could tell what happened on the uphill approach.

"We couldn't see it but I thought he holed it," said Chappell. "There was a loud roar but it wasn't a 'holed it' roar. I kept telling myself to finish the race. The day wasn't over. I wasn't going to be done until I putted out."

With Hearn in close for a likely birdie, Chappell calmly hit an 8-iron from 178 yards to 25 feet to set up a two-putt par, in turn making Hearn's eventual birdie meaningless to the title chase and giving the one-time, can't-miss UCLA kid his first professional win.

"It's been a long time coming," said the 23-year old. "It's a surreal feeling but it's one I could use to."

With the win, Chappell moved from No. 18 to No. 2 on the Nationwide Tour money list. The top 25 players on the season-ending money list will earn their 2011 PGA TOUR cards.

Chappell's best finish in two years on the eGolf Tour came at the 2009 Bolle Classic, where he posted rounds of 72-65-67—204 to finish T11.

Former eGolf Tour players Justin Hicks, Jamie Lovemark and Chris Kirk finished tied for fifth, five shots behind Chappell at 15-under 269 on the week.

Hicks, a past champion on the eGolf Tour, used rounds of 68-68-68-65 to collect his first top-5 finish on the Nationwide Tour since winning the 2008 Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung. The finish moved the former University of Michigan star up to No. 36 on the tour's money list.

For Kirk, the T5 in Northern California was yet another good result in a 2010 season already bursting with potential. The 2007 Ben Hogan Award Winner at the University of Georgia now has three top-10s in just six starts thus far this year, with his best result being a playoff loss at the Moonah Classic in February. The soft spoken Kirk has amassed earnings of $112,899 and sits at No. 5 on the tour's money list.

Other current and former eGolf Tour players to make the cut in Hayward include Michael Clark II (T9), Luke List (T12), Rob Oppenheim (T12), Gary Christian (T17), Scott Brown (T26), Trevor Murphy (T26), Garth Mulroy (T30), Casey Wittenberg (T30), Aron Price (T30), Nick Flanagan (T40), Mike Welch (T44), Tommy Gainey (T44), Bryan DeCorso (T44) and Roberto Castro (T54). For complete results from the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae on pgatour.com, please click here.

• At the PGA TOUR's Verizon Heritage on Hilton Head Island, SC, local favorite Kris Blanks of Bluffton, SC led all former eGolf Tour players with a T5 finish – his second top-5 effort of the 2010 season following a runner-up finish at the Puerto Rico Open back in March. Blanks carded rounds of 70-68-69-68—275 at Harbour Town Golf Links and pushed his season earnings to $641,725. Blanks has already more than doubled the earnings he accrued in his rookie season of 2009, and currently sits at No. 46 on the PGA TOUR money list. Former player Will MacKenzie finished T32 at the Verizon Heritage, in turn marking his fourth made cut in his last five starts. MacKenzie entered the final round in a tie for 14th, but struggled to a closing 74 and fell down 18 spots in the standings. Charlotte resident and Zimbabwe native Brendon de Jonge notched a T35 finish. He is currently 51st in the FedExCup points race and has made 8 of 12 cuts thus far in 2010. Other former eGolf Tour players making the cut on Hilton Head Island include Blake Adams (T64), Tom Gillis (T64) and Matt Bettencourt (72). Adams carded the week's low round with an 8-under 63 in Friday's second round. For complete results from the Verizon Heritage on pgatour.com, please click here.