Its all on at Nationwide Championship
BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2011 Nationwide Tour Championship | Preview | 25 Oct 2011
The Nationwide Tour’s top sixty money earners to date in 2011, this week get the chance to add further to what they have already achieved in making it into this field by saving their best to last and contending in and possibly winning the lucrative end of season Tour Championship event.
The tournament is being played for the fourth consecutive year at the Rees Jones designed Ralston Creek layout at the Daniel Island Club near Charleston in South Carolina.
This week’s event is worth a not unsubstantial US$1 million, the biggest purse of the year and, as a result, the door is open for even the 60th ranked player to finish inside the top two this week and play his way onto the PGA Tour next season by finishing inside the money list’s top 25.
In order to be one of the lucky players who will participate in the graduation ceremony at week’s end and be handed one of the sought after 2012 PGA Tour cards, they must finish inside the top twenty five on the 2011 money list.
For those players perhaps outside the current top twenty or so on the money list therefore they have just so much to play for. Only US$10,000 separates 20th and 25th position. Even for those already assured of a card they have the incentive of finishing as high up the list in order to earn as many PGA Tour starts in early 2012 and ensure they are well placed when the first of the re-ranks comes around.
Five Australasians are in the field beginning with Mathew Goggin who is in third position on the money list, trailing the leader J.J. Killeen by US$45,000. A victory at the Tour Championship or sufficient money earned to finish ahead of Killeen while holding off those behind would give Goggin the all important number one position.
A player finishing atop the Nationwide Tour money list is fully exempt all season in 2012 and not subject to re-ranking.
New Zealander Danny Lee is in 6th position on the money list and played well last week in Jacksonville suggesting he might be a threat to win himself this week.
43 year old Gavin Coles handled the demanding layout at the Dye’s Valley Course at the TPC Sawgrass last week in great style, earning himself a PGA Tour card in the process. His job is not over yet and needs no reminding that a good start to 2012 offered by playing as many early season events as possible might just provide the launching pad to be able to retain his PGA Tour full playing rights for the first time.
James Nitties suffered from the flu last week and was forced to withdraw after 36 holes of the Winn Dixie Jacksonville Open when well positioned. That would eventually cost him two positions on the money list and he is now precariously poised in 23rd position.
Nitties needs a good solid week if he is to hold off those behind and return to the PGA Tour.
Victorian Alistair Presnell just hung on last week to take the 59th position of the 60 in the field. He needs to win or run second this week to earn his way to the PGA Tour before Final Stage Qualifying. He is already guaranteed of full status on the Nationwide Tour next season but it would appear his money list position on the Australasian Tour money list will allow him to avoid Stage Two. He would therefore get another chance to play his way onto the PGA Tour at the Final Stage where he effectively has everything to gain and nothing to lose.
The final tournament of the year on the Nationwide Tour has parallels with the drama of the Tour School and this Sunday there will be many nervous golfers and leaderboard watchers over the closing stages to see who can either enjoy the rest of the year or re-gather their thoughts for the final Stages of PGA Tour school.
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