Selection #9 Lane "Turtle" Moore

Lane Moore - Drafted with the 1st pick of the 5th round, #9 overall by The Hunt Club

Lane Moore has a history of stepping up his game when the stakes are at their highest. As the only three-time major winner in TGA Tour history, "Turtle" has established a well-deserved reputation for making big shots when big events are on the line.

In 2008, Moore rose to new heights following his runner-up finish in the TGA Player of the Year race behind eventual champion Tommy Dugan. With the second place showing complimenting his three major wins, Moore seemed poised to be an early round selection in the 2009 King Invitational draft.

But as so many athletes have found out through the years, the off-season can sometimes be brutal. And for Turtle, this off-season has been nothing short of tumultuous. First, rumors began to surface that back problems that began over a year ago had re-surfaced. Then, he suffered a thumb injury before the '08 TGA campaign concluded. That injury led some insiders to whisper that his lackluster finish to the season was due to an injury that was worse than what Turtle and his handlers had previously reported.

Finally, internet message boards began to flutter with stories that Turtle's last two outings at the King Invitational had bruised his psyche and that Moore wasn't as mentally prepared for the grueling three-day invitational as he needed to be. After back-to-back disheartening match play losses to Tom Dugan, coupled with losing the Player of the Year title to Tommy Dugan, many golf observers had wondered if the Dugan family had finally chased Turtle into his shell for good.

The Hunt Club's captain, Wayne Hunt went to great lengths in today's King Invitational press conference to dispel any doubts about Moore's capabilities. "I don't care who you are," began Hunt's rant. "You don't get to be a three-time, that's right - three-time, major winner by running for cover when you don't win. Hell, I know better than anyone - you can't always hit it long and straight."

Hunt went on to say that, "if Turtle had one major title under his belt and never won another event, I'd begin to buy that argument. But that's not the case. This guy is a legitimate contender every time he steps on the course. He may not have his A-game every round. But, when he does, there's no need for anyone else to break open a new box of balls."

"Our scouts had him in at the draft-eligible combine and they came away pleased with where his game is right now. He tested well on the Wonderlic so we believe mentally, he's focused and will be course-savvy and sharp come tee time."

2009 will be Moore's third consecutive King Invitational event.

• Role on The Hunt Club: Ninja Turtle
• School: North Davidson High School
• Personal: Wife, Maggie. Dogs, Pepper, Max and Little Bit
• Other notable athletes drafted #9 overall: NBA All-Stars: Tracy McGrady (Orlando Magic, 1997), Dirk Nowitzki (Milwaukee Bucks, 1998), Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns, 1999) and Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns, 2002)
• Hobbies: Gardening, bowling, playing video games, karaoke, running
• Favorite teams: Duke Blue Devils, Washington Redskins
• Did you know? Lane is the captain of the Don Juan's Strikers bowling team
• Who would play Lane in the sports movie version of the King Invitational: Jerry Ferrara who plays "Turtle" on the HBO comedy Entourage