Aussies' agony and ecstasy at finale
BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2011 Nationwide Tour Championship | Wrap | 31 Oct 2011
The season ending and future determining Nationwide Tour Championship is over and with it go several success stories and a few cases of what might have been.
Not only was the Nationwide Tour’s biggest purse of the year up for grabs but so too was chance for the leading 25 on the money list at the completion of the event to head to the PGA Tour in 2012.
As it turned out, only one player forced his way into the top 25 as a result of his effort this week and only one played his way out.
Tournament winner Ken Duke began the week in 36th position but the 42 year old former PGA Tour player produced a brilliant week to win the event and move to 7th on the money list.
Unfortunately for Australian James Nitties he would be the only player to play his way out of the top 25 having started the week in 23rd position and after finishing 35th in the event slipped to an agonising 26th on the money list.
Nitties finished US$5,350 from the 25th place Bill Hurley.
Nitties was forced to withdraw from last week’s Winn Dixie Championship in Jacksonville when well positioned after two rounds. It would be a circumstance that would cost ulimately him the chance to return to the PGA Tour.
Nitties does however get direct access to the Final Stage of qualifying where he has succeeded previously.
Mathew Goggin retained his third place on the money list by finishing 18th this week and is on his way back to the PGA Tour.
New Zealand’s Danny Lee finished in 8th position this week and in 6th position on the money list.
Gavin Coles dropped two places on the money list with his 47th place finish this week but his great win in Jacksonville last week had done enough for him to finish 17th overall and head back to the PGA Tour.
Alistair Presnell needed a top two finish this week if he was to have any chance of earning his PGA Tour rights. he was not able to do that but he did finish 8th this week and 49th on the money list. He has the security of full Nationwide Tour status next year but courtesy of the Australasian Tour money list is into the Final Stage at Tour School.
For the record J.J. Killeen finished on top of the money list with US$414,000, US$12,000 ahead of J.J. Potter.
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