Nationwide back in US for Louisiana Open
BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2008 Chitimacha Louisiana Open | Preview | 26 Mar 2008
After events in Panama, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia, the Nationwide Tour is back on US soil this week when the Chitimaca Louisiana Open is played at the Robert Trent Jones designed La Triomphe Country Club in Broussard.
The event was first played in 1992 as the Ben Hogan Louisiana Open and has been played at this venue every year since. The defending champion is Skip Kendall, which in the modern day is unlikely, given that most winners on the Nationwide Tour find themselves on the PGA Tour the following year. Unfortunately for Kendall however he was narrowly edged out of the top 25 on last year’s Nationwide Tour money list and then finished 47th at the PGA Tour School so is back looking to consolidate his place on the 2009 PGA Tour.
Interestingly, Kendall has played four events on the PGA Tour this season via various categories, making only one cut and also played the first two Nationwide Tour events, making the cut in Mexico.
With such a gap (more than a month since the previous event in Australia) between Nationwide Tour events, a strong field is lining up as all Nationwide players look to stake their claim for a PGA Tour card in 2009.
Three of the four winners on this year’s schedule to date, Scott Dunlap, Darren Stiles and Ewan Porter are in the field although perhaps surprisingly the Nationwide Tour’s leading money winner, Jarrod Lyle, is not. Lyle will next play at the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship next week in California.
The field will also include several PGA Tour players looking to gain tournament play before gaining starts on the main stage. Those players include the likes of South Australian, David Lutterus, who despite having a full USPGA Tour card is entitled to a start this week. The South Australian has made just two cuts in five events on the PGA Tour this season. Lutterus was an alternate for the PGA Tour event not far away in New Orleans but it appears he will not make the field there.
15 Australasians get their chance this week including Lutterus, Paul Gow, Moonah Classic winner, Ewan Porter, David McKenzie, Andrew Buckle, Aaron Price, Scott Gardiner, Greg Chalmers, Gavin Coles who finished 15th in Puerto Rico last week, Michael Sim, Andrew Bonhomme, Won Joon Lee, Monday qualifier, Jason Moon and New Zealanders, Phil Tataurangi and Grant Waite.
