Brendan Jones secures another good finish on Nationwide Tour
BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2004 Knoxville Open | Wrap | 07 Jun 2004
Brendan Jones all but ensured a place on the 2005 USPGA Tour, if that is the option he chooses to take, with his fourth placed finish at this week’s Knoxville Open.
Jones’ closing round of 69 moved him from 12th overnight to 4th as many of those ahead of him leading into the final round, fell away. Having moved into contention for the lead through thirteen holes today when he reached twelve under for the tournament, Jones dropped a shot at the par four 15th and was not able to birdie the last which, given his length, was on the cards. He finished two shots behind the playoff featuring Hunter Haas, Steve Bertsch and Justin Bolli, with Haas going on to win.
Jones has moved to fourth on the money list courtesy of the $US19,600 that he picked up this week. At $173,000 he should only be fifteen to twenty thousand dollars away from ensuring that he will play the USPGA Tour in 2005, if he so chooses. He has great status in Japan having won there already this season and he enjoys playing there.
“I love playing in Japan,” Jones said last year in an interview I did with him, “mainly because I can live in Australian and commute very easily.”
The luxury he now has is that the time is rapidly approaching when he will have the option of either playing in Japan, the US or both. The temptation of playing the USPGA Tour however is a great attraction and once committed, it is likely he would focus on that tour as any rookie needs to do to be successful.
He has now had three runner-up placings and one fourth place in just five events on the Nationwide Tour this season.
Most talk this week was on whether or not money list leader Jimmy Walker, who headed into day four with a lead, would win and therefore take the Battlefield Promotion route to the USPGA Tour. A player with three wins on the Nationwide Tour in any one season gets automatic status on the PGA Tour and for Walker this looked a great opportunity as he took a two shot lead into the final day. With five holes to play he was still very much in the hunt although trailing Steve Bertsch at that stage by two. Disaster struck however when he took a triple bogey at the 14th and fourth place was the best he could do. Walker however has the comfort of knowing that it is just a matter if time as he already has enough money up to be guaranteed status on the USPGA Tour next season.
New Zealander Tim Wilkinson who Monday qualified for this tournament did remarkably well to finish in a share of seventh earning him a nice cheque and a start in next week’s La Salle Bank Open in Illinois.
Michael Long and Gavin Coles were 16th, Anthony Painter and Steve Alker 32nd after both had bad last rounds, David McKenzie 35th, with Nathan Green and Euan Walters 55th.
Paul Gow, who had trailed by one after 36 holes and was still well placed going into the last round, was disqualified after completing his final round in 73. He had inadvertently signed an incorrect scorecard.
