Will Xerox reward Chalmer's consistency?
IN: News | Nationwide | Xerox Classic (2008) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 14 Aug 2008
The Xerox Classic at the magnificent Donald Ross designed Irondequoit Country Club in Rochester, New York is this week’s Nationwide Tour event and a field befitting the quality of the golf course will line up.
Many of the leading players left last week’s Wichita Open off their schedule but as the Tour heads into the last third of the season, the leading five money winners are in the field, as are most of those eligible for the event.
The Tour’s leading two players are Australians and both are here this week. Jarrod Lyle and Greg Chalmers are both on their way back to the PGA Tour but have an opportunity this week to repeat last year’s Australian success when Nick Flanagan won his third Nationwide Tour event and graduated immediately to the PGA Tour.
A win by Lyle would achieve a similar result following his two wins earlier in the season although the Victorian’s form has dropped off in recent weeks.
Chalmers on the other hand has recorded just the one victory but has eight other top tens in season 2008 and must be a big chance to win again. If he was to do so he would pass Lyle and take over the number one position on the Nationwide Tour money list.
Bill Lunde, Darron Stiles and the Tour’s hottest young rookie Colt Knost are in the field. A win by Knost this week would, as a result of two wins earlier in the season, have him on the PGA Tour just ten months after turning professional.
Any player winning three events in any one Nationwide Tour season gets immediate graduation to the Nationwide Tour. Knost is already guaranteed PGA Tour status in 2009 but it might even come earlier.
Australasians, other than Lyle and Chalmers, include Andrew Bonhomme, Kim Felton, the improving Scott Gardiner and Won Joon Lee, Paul Gow, Bradley Iles, Marc Leishman, David McKenzie, Ewan Porter, Michael Sim, Phil Tataurangi, Grant Waite, and Monday qualifier, Matthew Ballard. Brad Lamb still awaits a start from the alternate list.
