E-Notes: Headed to the home of the Bulldogs

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• The Nationwide Tour returns to Georgia this week for the third annual Athens Regional Foundation Classic. International players have won both previous events?Paul Gow of Australia in 2006 and Martin Laird of Scotland in 2007. The early portion of the 2008 season has continued that trend with four Australians winning in the first six events of the year.

Cink

• Fifteen former Nationwide Tour players made the cut last week at The Masters. Former Nationwide Tour winners Brandt Snedeker and Stewart Cink led the way with tie-for-third finishes.

• Since the Nationwide Tour began in 1990, it has grown as an international destination. To date, players from 19 different countries have won on the Tour.

• After taking last week off, the Nationwide Tour will be in action for the next eight weeks before taking a one-week break following the Rex Hospital Open in Raleigh, N.C.

• Athens is not only home to this week's Nationwide Tour event but also home of the University of Georgia, where six current Tour members attended school. Former Bulldogs Franklin Langham, Scott Parel, Matt Peterson and Paul Claxton are in the field this week.

• Martin Laird enjoyed one of the finest statistical weeks in Nationwide Tour history last year. The 24-year old -- now a PGA TOUR rookie -- became the first player in Tour history to finish first in both Driving Distance (327.1 yards) and Driving Accuracy (80.6 percent) in a single event. His combined number for Total Driving (2) bettered the previous record of 3 first set by Joey Snyder at the 1998 Greensboro Open and later tied by Jonathan Byrd (2001 BMW Charity Pro-Am) and Anthony Rodriguez (2002 Jacob's Creek Open).

Kirk

• Former University of Georgia All-Americans Chris Kirk, Brendon Todd and Ryan Hybl are the sponsor's exemptions for this week's tournament. Kirk won the 2007 Ben Hogan Award as the nation's top collegeiate golfer. Hybl was a team captain for the Bulldogs his junior and senior years and collected 13 top-10 finishes in his career. He was also an assistant coach at the school for the past two years. Todd is a rookie on Tour this year but has not yet teed it up in 2008. He was a member of the Bulldogs' winning NCAA Championship team and was a four-time All-American selection.

• Being at the top after 54 holes has proven to be the successful formula at Jennings Mill. Paul Gow shared the third-round lead in 2006, and he went on to shoot a 69 in the final round to win by three strokes. Martin Laird was the outright leader by one shot last year and also posted a final-round 69, giving him a one-stroke winning margin.