Former Fresno State golf standout and now PGA standout, Nick Watney, has accomplished a lot throughout his career.

He has traveled the world but this past weekend, he returned to his roots here in Fresno for the Save Mart Shootout.

The Save Mart Shootout is a yearly charity tournament that takes place at River Bend Golf Course in Madera. Proceeds from the event are given to local charities.

Watney, 26, spent four years at Fresno State at a history major and graduated in 2003.

“I wanted to play for my uncle for a really long time and that is a big reason why I chose Fresno State,â€Â Watney said of his uncle, Mike Watney, who has coached golf at Fresno State for 28 years.

In the summer of 2003, he went on the PGA Tour and said for now he is sticking to golf instead of pursing his degree.

In his career so far, Watney has compiled a variety of honors.

While at Fresno State, he was named Freshman of the Year in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in 2000 and in 2002, was a Ben Hogan Award finalist and a Palmer Cup team member.

During his junior year, he set a single scoring record with an average of 70.53.

Watney was also a three-time All-American golfer while at Fresno State and became the WAC̢۪s first three-time Player of the Year.

One of Watney̢۪s most memorable moments at Fresno State was during his freshman year, when he made it to the nationals.

During his senior year, Watney was ranked No. 1, winning five times during his senior year — more than any other player in the nation.

His first professional win was in August 2003 at the Lewis Chitengwa Memorial Championship on the Canadian Tour.

Watney won his first PGA title in 2007, at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

According to PGATour.com, Watney is No. 44 in money ranking, grossing nearly $1.7 million per year.

“We are all chasing Tiger [Woods], he is by far the greatest player,â€Â Watney said.

Although he has yet to win at the Save Mart Shootout, Watney took time out for his visit to Fresno, a place he said he loves to come back to because of the local support.

Watney has competed in the tournament for five years and said he plans to return next year.

“I want to become one of the greatest players in the world,â€Â Watney said.