Lyle eyes PGA goldrush at Penn Classic
BY Bruce Young | Nationwide Tour | 2008 Northeast Pennsylvania Classic | Preview | 21 Aug 2008
The Nationwide Tour moves to Moscow in Pennsylvania for this week’s North East Pennsylvania Classic where yet another Donald Ross designed layout will feature in a Nationwide Tour event.
This year’s venue, the Elmhurst Country Club, is a departure from long time home of this event, the Glenmaura National Golf Club, that layout being used for the first eight years. Last week’s Irondequiot Golf Club in Rochester was a Donald Ross design and again the Nationwide Tour are blessed to play on yet another of the great designer’s layouts.
Despite measuring only 6810 yards, the Elmhurst Country Club is sure to be a good test of golf given the consistently high standard of Ross layouts.
As was the case last week, there are two golfers in this week’s field, Jarrod Lyle and Colt Knost who with a victory this week would be eligible to play the Viking Classic on the PGA Tour in two weeks time. They would also be eligible for all PGA Tour events following the Tour Championship and both Lyle and Knost have another chance at such status.
Lyle finished runner up last week in Rochester behind Brendon De Jonge while Knost has been brilliant at times but inconsistent of late. Both have won twice this season and are therefore on the verge of Battlefield Promotion to the PGA Tour.
De Jonge has already assured himself of a place in the big-time in 2009 courtesy of his win last week and he is in this week’s field also.
Other Australasians teeing it up are Steve Allan, Greg Chalmers, Andrew Bonhomme, Gavin Coles, Kim Felton, Scott Gardiner, Paul Gow, Won Joon Lee, Marc Leishman, David McKenzie, Cameron Percy, Aron Price, Phil Tataurangi, Monday qualifier Aaron Townsend and Grant Waite.
Lyle and Chalmers are assured of PGA Tour status in 2009 irrespective of what happens between now and then while Aron Price needs maybe another US$15,000 and the other Australian currently inside the top 25, Ewan Porter needs to reverse a downward spiral of late if he is to secure the remaining US$40,000 or so he needs to finish inside the top 25.
