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The Mardi Gras festivities may be well underway in New Orleans, but you won't find Louisiana resident Scott Sterling reveling on Bourbon Street this year. After last week's victory at the Jacob's Creek Open Championship in Australia, Sterling will put the celebrating on hold in quest of a second straight win at this week's $600,000 HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship.

Scott Sterling's win last Sunday was his first on the Nationwide Tour. (Rivoli/WireImage)

A STERLING WIN

With his family cheering him on half a world away, Scott Sterling's dedication to the game of golf paid off Sunday in the form of his first Nationwide Tour win. As Dave Lagarde writes, good luck finding a happier, prouder family.  • Complete story,  click here

Incredible views of the surrounding Southern Alps mountain range provide a picturesque backdrop to host Clearwater Resort's 7,122 yard championship course. New Zealand golf legend Sir Bob Charles served as design consultant on the scenic par-72 that played to a stroke average of 73.87 last year, making it the fifth-toughest on Tour in 2006.

Topping the field is two-time former event winner (2002 & 2005) Peter O'Malley, an Australian native with only 10 Nationwide Tour starts to his name. While no player has ever successfully defended a title in the Nationwide Tour's 18-year history, O'Malley is one of just six players to win the same event twice.

Known for his booming drives down the fairway, Won Joon "Boom Boom" Lee became a crowd favorite after winning several prominent amateur events in Australia and New Zealand. The Korean-born Lee, who turned professional in November, will compete in his second Nationwide Tour co-sponsored event after a T35 finish at last week's event in Australia.

Three New Zealand natives are expected to appear regularly on the 2007 Nationwide Tour -- Steven Alker, Michael Long and Time Wilkinson. They are joined in this week's field by fellow Kiwi and former PGA TOUR member Grant Waite.

Others to watch in Christchurch include 2004 Nationwide Tour Player of the Year Jimmy Walker and Canada's David Hearn, the total driving leader on the PGA TOUR in 2005.

After a three-week hiatus, The Nationwide Tour returns to the United States on March 19 for the first of 30 domestic events in 2007 at the 18th annual Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by Dynamic Industries in Broussard, La.

THIS WEEK'S FEATURED FOURSOME

Steven Alker
Born in Hamilton, New Zealand...Resides in Scottsdale, Az...Age 35...Married with two children...Plays out of this week's host course, Clearwater Resort...Member of Nationwide Tour in 2002 and 2004-06 ... PGA TOUR member in 2003...Winner of Nationwide Tour's 2002 Louisiana Open...Best PGA TOUR finish was 17 at 2003 Buick Invitational...Led Canadian Tour in stroke average in 2000 (69.14) and 2001 (69.56)...Winner of 1995 Fiji Open, 1996 Tahiti Open, 1996 Queensland Open and 1997 South Australian Open...Plays golf with a condition called reactive arthritis...Former petroleum engineer who cites his father with getting him started in golf.

Scott Sterling
Born in Beaumont, Tex....Resides in Baton Rouge, La...Just turned 35...Married with one child...1994 Louisiana State University grad...Celebrated recent win at 2007 Jacob's Creek Open Championship in Australia...Member of Nationwide Tour from 2002-2005...Has logged two hole-in-ones on the Nationwide Tour...Finished T38 at his first career PGA TOUR start at the 2006 FedEx St. Jude Classic...Led the 2006 Tight Lies Tour money list...Earned All-American honors while at LSU...Medalist at 1993 U.S. Amateur Qualifying Tournament... Avid fan of the musical group Pearl Jam.

Michael Long
Born in Cromwell, New Zealand...Resides in Perth, Australia...Age 38...Single...Has been a Nationwide Tour member six years...Member of PGA TOUR in 2002 and 2005...Made 17 of 29 starts on 2006 Nationwide Tour and logged seven top-25 finishes...Two Nationwide Tour titles under his belt from 2001 Boise Open and 2003 Virginia Beach Open...Best PGA TOUR finish was T15 at 2002 SEI Pennsylvania Classic...1997 Member of New Zealand's World Cup team...Only player to win all New Zealand Golf Association titles including Under-19, Under-21, Amateur and Open...Considers himself lucking to be walking, let alone playing golf, after sustaining a broken neck in a 1999 boogie-boarding accident back.

Chris Nallen
Born in Queens, N.Y. ...Resides in Hackettstown, N.J. ...Age 24...Single...2004 University of Arizona grad...Member of the Nationwide Tour from 2005-06...His 2004 victory at the Gila River Classic at Wild Horse Pass Resort made him the first player to Monday qualify, win in a first career start and lead wire-to-wire in Nationwide Tour history...Best PGA TOUR career finish was T49 at 2004 Buick Championship...Was a four-time All-American at University of Arizona, including first-team honors his junior and senior seasons... Member of 2003 Walker Cup team and a two-time Palmer Cup participant...Lists his father, who gave him his start in golf, as his hero.