Nationwide Tour in Utah
BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2010 Utah Championship | Preview | 09 Sep 2010
Eight events remain on the 2010 Nationwide Tour schedule, the first of those this week in Sandy in Utah where the Utah Championship is to be played at the Willow Creek Country Club.
The tournament has been played at the William Howard designed layout since it was first staged in 1999.
Last year’s winner Josh Teater, despite narrowly missing making it to the third FedEx Cup Playoff event in Chicago this week will not be playing. Favourtism therefore lies with the leading money winner this season Chris Kirk who after a week off last week returns for his first event since a win in Knoxville.
A win this week would earn Kirk the right to play the Fall Series of events on the PGA Tour under the Battlefield Promotion category for the winner of three events in any one season on the Nationwide Tour. Kirk won earlier in the season in Arkansas and again two weeks ago at the Knoxville Open.
Current number two on the money list, Jamie Lovemark, is taking the week off perhaps in order to recharge the batteries for a busy end to the season.
Perhaps as many as 15 players have their passage to the PGA Tour in 2011 already confirmed but with still eight events to play the remaining 10 or so positions are still in the balance.
Unfortunately there are no Australasians inside the top thirty on this year’s money list, Alistair Presnell the best in 33rd position.
Adam Bland, Steve Bowditch, Andrew Buckle, Gavin Coles, Scott Gardiner, Mark Hensby, Brad Iles, Bronson la Cassie, Won Joon Lee, Jarrod Lyle, David McKenzie, Ewan Porter, Alistair Presnell and Phil Tataurangi do however get their chance this week to advance their cause.
