Nationwide Tour Storylines: March 5, 2008

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The Nationwide Tour resumes its 2008 season March 24-30 with its first domestic event of the year, the Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by Dynamic Industries in Lafayette, La.

ELS' WIN IS NO. 222 -- Ernie Els' win at The Honda Classic on Sunday was the 222nd PGA TOUR victory by a former Nationwide Tour member. Els played the Nationwide Tour in 1991.

MATTHEW JONES ON HIS NATIONWIDE TOUR EXPERIENCE -- Australian Matt Jones is six for six in making cuts this year on the PGA TOUR. The 27-year old has finished T29 or better in every tournament but one. The 2007 Nationwide Tour graduate (7th on the final money list) was in contention all four rounds at The Honda Classic and had his best finish of the year, a T4 ($227,333).

After his opening-round 66, the 2001 Arizona State University All-American cited his four years on the Nationwide Tour for the growth of his game. "I think playing the Nationwide Tour the last few years was a blessing. I might not have been ready to come out here two, three years ago. It might have been hurtful. I think playing the Nationwide Tour was the best thing that could have happened."

JONES' PGA TOUR PLAY A CARRY OVER FROM 2007 -- Based on Matt Jones' performance last fall on the Nationwide Tour one may have been able to predict his good play thus far on the PGA TOUR. In one stretch from August into October, Jones had three runner-up finishes (which included two playoffs) and a T5 in five starts.

PGA TOUR IMPACT -- Two out of three PGA TOUR players are Nationwide Tour alumni. Consistent with that figure, 15 of the top-23 finishers (65%) in The Honda Classic formerly played the Nationwide Tour.

NATIONWIDE TOUR HISTORY -- In 1990, Frank Conner records the first hole-in-one in Tour history when he aces the 16th hole at NorthShore Country Club during the second round of the South Texas Open, the third event of the Nationwide Tour's inaugural season.