The agony and ectasy of Tour Championship week
BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2002 Buy.com Tour Championship | Preview | 24 Oct 2002
For all fifty five players lining up in this week’s end of season Buy.Com Tour Championship, this is the make or break week. At week’s end there will be fifteen very happy young, and perhaps a couple not so young, golfers who will have achieved their specific goal for the season, a 2003 USPGA Tour card.
It is conceivable that even the fifty fifth ranked player this week, Andy Sanders still has, with a victory here, a mathematical chance of coming from the clouds to grab one of the last spots available.
Last year the fifteenth placed card was secured by New Zealander Michael Long but it took a long and agonising wait on the final afternoon to ensure that he would join the USPGA Tour in 2002. Todd Barranger was the unlucky man in sixteenth place just $2000 behind with Paul Claxton just a few further dollars back.
With so many players still conceivably in contention there are just so many permutations thus ensuring an demanding and emotional week, more especially for those players sitting around the bubble. Currently the fifteenth spot is held by thirty four year old Todd Barranger who it would seem may be subject to another agonising Sunday at the Tour Championship.
It does appear that the figure required to get through will be around the $US185,000 mark although that could swing either way by as much as $US5000. That compares with last year’s fifteenth place (Michael Long) earnings of $US161,000.
From an Australasian perspective it would appear that both Aaron Baddeley and Steve Alker now appear safe. It is important however for both players to finish as high as possible on the money list to ensure as many starts as possible in the early part of the year. A good finish for them here will avoid some disappointment in some of next year’s early season events
The players we need to be worried about however are Gavin Coles, Anthony Painter and perhaps even Mark Hensby who still has a chance with a great week. Coles started the year well with a win in Adelaide but his form since has been somewhat inconsistent. At thirteenth as he heads into this week’s event, he needs at least a top twenty to be comfortable. Anthony Painter is is in twentieth place and the numbers are suggesting that he needs a top three here to have any chance. Fourth place will not get the job done so at least Anthony is full aware of the task at hand. For Mark Hensby the equation is simple, win or you are back again next year unless you can gain your card via the Tour School.
The course they will play this week is the longest played on any of the three tours in the US. Measuring 7650 yards, the Senator Course at Capitol Hill in Prattville Alabama, is one of the Robert Trent Jones designed Trail courses in the region.
In perfect conditions last year Pat Bates shot twenty under par to win from Pat Carter. Irrespective of the conditions or the course, this week is going to be a very difficult and demanding one for many in the field. Emerging at the end of the week with a tour card for 2003 has been the aim of all for the season 2002. There will be some filled with elation and some with despair but I guess that is professional sport at its best.
This event also signals the end Buy.Com as naming rights sponsors for the secondary tour. As from 2003 the tour will become known as the Nationwide Tour, the insurance giant takes over.
