Sim returns to Nationwide Tour
BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2009 Miccosukee Championship | Preview | 14 Oct 2009
The 2009 Nationwide Tour’s penultimate event, the Miccosukee Championship is played this week at the Mark Mahannah designed Miccosukee Golf and Country Club in Miami.
Despite only this week’s event and the Tour Championship next week in Charleston in South Carolina to play, there is still much at stake over these two weeks with several money list milestones up for grabs.
The top 60 players on the 2009 Nationwide Tour money list at the completion of this week’s event earn the right to play the Tour Championship with the leading 25 at the completion of that event presented with 2010 PGA Tour cards, those between 26th and 40th advancing to the final stage of PGA Q School and those between 26th and 60th with full access to the Nationwide Tour in 2010.
In its short five year history this week’s event has produced some quality winners including the likes of Chris Couch, Nick Watney and Boo Weekley. 2008 champion D.A. Points is this week playing the PGA Tour event in Las Vegas.
Unable to secure a start at this week’s PGA Tour event, the Justin Timberlake Shriners Children’s Hospital Open in Las Vegas, the Nationwide Tour money leader, Michael Sim, is playing this week and if unable to gain a start in next week’s Frys.com event in Arizona Sim is also likely to play the Nationwide Tour Championship.
The West Australian has already set a money earning record on the Nationwide Tour this season and seems likely to add significantly to that this week.
Blake Adams is the number two player in 2010 despite not recording a victory and a win before season’s end would be a fitting reward for a job well done in 2009.
Tom Gillis was playing beautifully until a missed cut in California two weeks ago but it would not surprise to see him again contending on a golf course he played well last year. Seven top tens in eight starts before his missed cut, gives an indication of just how well he has been playing.
The Australasian line-up other than Michael Sim is Steve Alker, Steve Allan, Adam Bland, Andrew Buckle, Gavin Coles (who finished 3rd in the event last year), Scott Gardiner (who was 6th last year), Paul Gow, Bradley Iles, Won Joon Lee, David McKenzie, Cameron Percy, Ewan Porter, Alistair Presnell, Phil Tataurangi, Grant Waite and Monday qualifier Stephen Dartnall.
Only Sim and Percy amongst the Australasians are guaranteed a PGA Tour card at this stage so for the likes of Presnell, Gardiner, Bland, Coles, Alker, McKenzie, Iles and others this and next week could make a big difference in their careers.
