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GAINESVILLE, Va. (AP) — The father of PGA Tour player Billy Hurley III was found safe in Texas after he went missing for nearly two weeks, police said Friday.
Willard Hurley Jr., 61, was unharmed and told police in Leesburg, Virginia, he had simply been traveling. Police had traced him to Texarkana, Texas, before a citizen who'd seen his picture spotted him Friday and called local police.
The elder Hurley spoke briefly by phone to Leesburg police, but didn't provide many details, said Lt. Jeff Dube, a police spokesman.
"He's safe and sound and he wasn't very talkative," Dube said. "He's free to come and go as he pleases. He decided to take a trip for one reason or another. The big thing is that he's been located and his family's been notified that he's OK physically."
He didn't explain why he left his home without informing his family; he also didn't say why he was in Texas or whether he plans to come home, police said.
Billy Hurley played the first two rounds of the Quicken Loans National without knowing his father's whereabouts. He shot 70 on Friday to make the cut on the number and was informed after his round that his father had been located.
"Ironically, he was found in a public library watching me play golf on a computer," Hurley told Golf Channel.
Hurley broke down in tears Tuesday while announcing that his father was missing. He said his father got into his truck with some cash and clothes and drove away from his home in Leesburg on July 19. He was reported missing by Hurley's mother on July 27.
The decision to announce his father's disappearance made a big difference, Dube said. The photo of Hurley's father was widely disseminated, getting hundreds of thousands of views on social media.
"No doubt, who he was and who his son is played a part in that, and the fact that his son pleaded for his return," Dube said. "That obviously helped the person who recognized him."
The younger Hurley grew up in Leesburg, and his father spent more than 25 years as a police officer in the area. Hurley said his father didn't have any known mental health problems.
The 33-year-old Hurley is a Naval Academy graduate who earned his PGA Tour card after serving as a Naval officer for five years. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland.
Dube said police considered the matter closed.
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