Chalmers makes it five on Nationwide
IN: News | Nationwide | Henrico County Open (2008) | Round Four | by Bruce Young | 28 Apr 2008
A par at the second extra hole of a playoff has seen Australian Greg Chalmers defeat Norway’s Henrik Bjornstad at the Henrico County Open and join a lengthy list of his fellow countrymen as winners on the 2008 Nationwide Tour.
Chalmers joins Jarrod Lyle, Ewan Porter, Gavin Coles and Aron Price as winners and all five have now given themselves the best opportunity to advance to the PGA Tour in 2009. Chalmers’ victory was the fifth by an Australian in eight Nationwide Tour events this season.
Chalmers started the final round of the event in Richmond, Virginia, in a share of third but three birdies on his front nine had him in the lead by two as he headed to the 10th tee. A birdie by Bjornstad at the 12th and a bogey by Chalmers at the 16th saw the pair finish at 14 under and it was off to the 18th to break the deadlock. It would not happen at the first extra hole after both players made par but at the par three 9th hole, the second of the playoff, Bjornstad took double bogey and it was all over.
Chalmers has been back and forward between the PGA and Nationwide Tour since first arriving in the US in 1999, having gained his PGA Tour card at the end of 1998, a year in which he won the Australian Open. His best finishes in the US have been when runner up at the 2000 Kemper Open and a very impressive 4th place at the 2000 USPGA.
He missed regaining his PGA Tour status late last year by just one shot at the Tour School but has now created a great opportunity to be back in the big time next year. Now with US$161,000, Chalmers is within perhaps US$45,000 of the figure he needs to be inside the top 25 at year’s end but with four top ten finishes this season, including this victory, his sights will be set much higher than that.
South Australian, Wade Ormsby, playing in only his third Nationwide tour event of the season, faded badly on the final day after being very much in contention going into the final round. His round of 77 would see him finish 25th while Andrew Buckle, who is mixing events on the Nationwide Tour with whatever starts he gains on the PGA Tour, was the next best of the Australians finishing 26th.
The Nationwide Tour now moves to Valdosta Georgia for this week’s South Georgia Classic.
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