Numbers game at Nationwide Championship
BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2010 Nationwide Tour Championship | Preview | 27 Oct 2010
The Nationwide Tour Championship is played this week at the Ralston Creek course at the Daniel Island Club in Charleston in South Carolina with the immediate future of so many of the Nationwide Tour’s members on the line.
With various money list milestones determining just where players will play in 2011 – and for the matter in coming weeks – there is nearly as much interest in this week’s event as there is in the Final Stage of PGA Tour qualifying.
The Rees Jones layout, situated about 20 minutes to the north east of Charleston proved popular in its debut as this event’s venue last season but this event is not so much about the quality of the golf course but the heat of the battle and the repercussions of success or failure.
The leading 25 players at the completion of this week will secure a treasured PGA Tour card for 2011. The next 15 will gain direct access to the Final Stage of PGA Tour qualifying in December with those from 26 to 60th also assured of full Nationwide Tour status in 2011 should they fail at Q School.
The money leader, Jamie Lovemark, is US$10,500 ahead of Chris Kirk in the race for money list honours. With their being no cut in this 60 player field and Lovemark assured of at least another $3,500 for last place should he fall from grace, then it is still mathematically possible for a player as low as 14th on the current money list to steal the money list title with a victory. In order to do so however he would need a lot of some help from those above him at present.
The leading Australasian is Steve Bowditch in 13th position. Whatever happens this week Bowditch is assured of a return to the PGA Tour next year but for several other Australasians they face an agonising wait. Bowditch won’t be resting on his laurels however as he will be keen to advance as far up the money list as possible in order to gain maximum PGA Tour starts early next year.
Scott Gardiner slipped to 22nd last week and will need to watch his back. It would seem a top 30 this week would be enough for him to play his way on to the PGA Tour for the first time so in theory he should be reasonably comfortable but with so much on the line he needs to keep the recent momentum going. Dependant on how the numbers fall he might already be safe but things could still get tight.
Won Joon Lee made a big move last week and sits in 33rd position. He likely needs a top five to be assured of graduating.
Alistair Presnell is just a few places behind Lee and he too needs a top five finish, it would seem, before he heads off to next week’s HSBC event in China.
New Zealander Bradley Iles and New South Wales’ Gavin Coles need a top three finish to earn one of the 25 cards and Ewan Porter a top two. They are the only Australasians to make this restricted field of 60 so for the rest it is off to Stage Two of the PGA Tour School.
