NEWS

Nationwide Tour Notes
 
Aug. 17, 2007
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  • Jason Day became the youngest winner in Nationwide Tour history with his win last week at the Legend Financial Group Classic. Day was 19 years-7 months-26 days old. The previous record holder was James Oh who was 21-5-7 when he won the 2003 Mark Christopher Charity Classic.

  • More on Day: His victory was the 30th recorded by players from Australia in the history of the Nationwide Tour. Aussies hold a big lead in the international category with Canada in second place with exactly half as many wins -- 15.

  • More on Aussies: Five men from the Land Down Under are among The 25 -- Nick Flanagan (2nd), Jason Day (8th), Scott Gardiner (18th), Greg Chalmers (20th) and Mathew Jones (24th).

  • For only the second time in Nationwide Tour history, three brothers will tee it up in an event. The Pappas brothers -- Brenden, Craigen and Deane -- will all compete this week in the inaugural Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational.

  • Chris Smith -- a five-time Nationwide Tour winner -- will be coming home this week to play at the same Scarlet Course where he starred for the OSU Buckeyes. The 2002 Buick Classic champion on the PGA TOUR earned All-American honors while at Ohio State during his senior season and was the individual medalist at the 1991 Big Ten Championship. Smith was inducted into the Ohio State Varsity Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of several former OSU standouts who have called the Nationwide Tour home at some point in their career, including Ryan Armour, Steve Gangluff, Craig Kanada, Greg Ladehoff, Gary Nicklaus, Chris Perry, Steve Runge, Ted Tryba and Chris Wollman.

  • Nationwide Tour President Bill Calfee, on the University of Maryland golf team, tied for 10th at the 1970 NCAA Championship played at the OSU/Scarlet Course. John Mahaffey of the University of Houston was the medalist, with Wake Forest's Lanny Wadkins finishing as the runner-up. Others in the top 10 were Texas' Tom Kite (fourth) and Tom Watson of Stanford and Florida's Andy Bean (tied for fifth).

  • A couple of former U.S. Amateur winners will be playing this week, including 2003 winner Nick Flanagan and 2002 champion Ricky Barnes. Flanagan will be back in action on the Nationwide Tour for the first time since June 10 when he missed the cut at The Rex Hospital Open. He had originally planned to go back home to Australia for a two-week break, but an ensuing doctor's appointment led to an unscheduled hernia operation and a four-week hiatus from the Tour. Should Flanagan win for the third time this season, he would immediately move to the PGA TOUR as the eighth player in Tour history to earn the three-win promotion. The first to do so was Chris Smith.

  • Tjaart van der Walt will be making his 118th career start on the Nationwide Tour this week in Columbus. On the other hand, Dawie van der Walt will be making his first appearance. Despite both hailing from South Africa, there is no relation between the Nationwide Tour pro and the Lamar University All-American. Tjaart van der Walt does have a family member in collegiate golf, however, as his younger brother, JP, will play for head coach Mark Immelman next year at Columbus (GA) State University. Immelman, the older brother of PGA TOUR player Trevor Immelman, also serves as Tjaart van der Walt's swing coach.