Wichita Open tees off in Kansas
BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2009 Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open | Preview | 05 Aug 2009
The Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open is up next on the Nationwide Tour, however the event will be without several of this season’s leading money winners but is still important for those seeking to make progress in their quest for 2010 PGA Tour status.
Michael Sim, Tom Gillis and Roger Tambellini are notables missing this week but of the others already assured of being on the PGA Tour next season, Kevin Johnson and Blake Adams will play the event at the Robert Trent Jones designed Crestview Country Club in Wichita, Kansas.
Johnson actually won this event in 2006 and despite a drop of in form in recent weeks (he has missed his five cuts since winning in Knoxville) he is considered a chance to bounce back. Johnson is a workhorse having played all 17 of the events to date this season and it may be that he needs a break. This week would have been a good week to take one but given that he is a previous winner he no doubt wanted to play.
Blake Adams is having a great season with five top ten finishes in 11 starts. Adams had a good tournament when 12th in this event last year and is a very good chance to take his first Nationwide Tour title. Despite being 33 years of age he has made a lot of progress since joining the Nationwide Tour two years ago after several seasons on the Hooters Tour.
This is an event that has been good to Australians with both Jeff Woodland and Brad Hughes having won it in the past. As an ex champion, Hughes gets one of his few starts on the Nationwide Tour this season.
Included in the substantial Australasian line-up in addition to Hughes are Adam Bland, Andrew Bonhomme, Steve Bowditch, Andrew Buckle, Gavin Coles, Stuart Deane, Scott Gardiner, Paul Gow, Bradley Iles, Won Joon Lee, David McKenzie, Alistair Presnell, Andre Stolz and Grant Waite.
