With only three weeks left, money race is tightening

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TOP 60: BATTLE IS ON
This week's Chattanooga Classic presented by Black Creek is the 28th of 30 Nationwide Tour events in 2008. Next week's Miccosukee Championship in Miami concludes the Tour's full-field event schedule, meaning those outside the current top 60 on the money list, as well as those just inside it, will have a lot on their minds over the next two weeks. Only the top 60 receive invitations to the season-ending $1 million Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.

Damron

Currently, Robert Damron is No. 60 -- $249 ahead of Chad Ginn, but he is sure to be overtaken this week as he remains sidelined following his August shoulder surgery. Right behind Ginn at Nos. 62-69 are Gary Christian, Esteban Toledo, David McKenzie, Fabian Gomez, Dustin Bray, Gavin Coles, Rich Barcelo and Sebastian Fernandez, with just $3,218 between them. Ranked 51-59 and headed to Chattanooga are Tee McCabe, Won Joon Lee, J.J. Killeen, Joe Daley, Henrik Bjornstad, Cameron Percy, Fran Quinn, David Hearn and Chris Smith. Only $5,336 separates these nine players.

JOHNSON CAPTURES NO. 234
Last week, Zach Johnson became the 17th Nationwide Tour alumnus to win a PGA TOUR event this year and 234th overall. The 2003 Nationwide Tour Player of the Year captured the Valero Texas Open for his fourth PGA TOUR win.

'BOOM BOOM' MOVES PAST 'BUBBA' IN TOUR DRIVING DISTANCE
The Nationwide Tour's second-youngest player Won Joon Lee moved ahead of Bubba Watson in the combined PGA TOUR/Nationwide Tour "Driving Distance" stat category last week. Lee, whose nickname is "Boom Boom," upped his average to 315.6 yards per drive in Midland while the idle Watson remained No. 1 on the PGA TOUR at 315.4. The Nationwide Tour holds a slight advantage over the PGA TOUR in overall average, 291.5 vs. 287.0.

Lee

GETTING HIMSELF IN GEAR
Lee has been making the most of his long belts the last several weeks. Since August, the Australian who was born in South Korea has three top 10s in his last seven starts (tie for seventh in Wichita, tie for second in Utah, tie for fourth in Midland). His solid play has moved him from 115th on the money list to 52nd and put him in great position to make the TPC Craig Ranch field next month. Once in the Nationwide Tour Championship, every player in the field has a mathematical chance of earning a 2009 PGA TOUR card via "THE 25". At 22, Lee is the second youngest member on Tour this year.

CAN'T SHAKE NO. 25
One would have guessed that a tie for eighth in Midland would have improved Ricky Barnes' No. 25 "bubble boy" status. Turns out that guess would have been wrong, so for the fourth time this year, the former University of Arizona All-American occupies the final money list spot in "THE 25" chase. Barnes came to Midland trailing Roger Tambellini by $7,928 and collected a check for $14,175 in Midland. Tambellini had a good showing (tie for 21st, $5,285), but Marc Leishman's WNB Golf Classic victory vaulted him into "THE 25" at No. 19. In the end result, Barnes stayed put at No. 25 while Tambellini dropped two spots to 26th.

WEIBRING GIVES ASSIST TO SON MATT'S WIFE
On Sunday, D.A. Weibring won what was arguably the biggest title of his lengthy TOUR career. The five-time PGA TOUR winner and now Champions Tour regular snared the Tour's fifth and final major of the year, the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship at Baltimore Country Club. Among those he credited with an assist was daughter-in-law Stephanie Weibring, daughter of Nationwide Tour player, Matt. The elder Weibring said he drew inspiration from a Sunday morning text message he received from Stephanie and wrote the words down on a piece of paper which he carried in his pocket en route to his victory.

"It's the basic stuff -- play with confidence and enjoy being in that position," Weibring said. "I complimented her that she should be an assistant captain for the Ryder Cup." Stephanie, who sends similar text messages to her husband on a weekly basis, will be looking to have a similar effect on Matt as he seeks to secure his 2009 PGA TOUR card over the next few weeks. The Georgia Tech grad is currently No. 20 on the Nationwide Tour money list.

Cotner

WELL WORTH THE DRIVE
Last week, Keoke Cotner was the WNB Golf Classic's first alternate. After a practice round on Tuesday, the Bedford, Texas, resident elected to drive home to Ft. Worth. When he got there, he was informed Chris Riley's spot in the field had become available, so he got back in his car the next morning and returned to Midland. Cotner's 10-hour round trip proved quite fruitful as he posted a second-place finish, his best since his last runner-up finish in 2005. A check for $56,700 put him 77th on the money list and in contention for a spot in the upcoming Nationwide Tour Championship, which will be played across the Metroplex in McKinney, Texas.

NEXT WEEK
The Miccosukee Championship in Miami is the final full-field event of the season. The top-60 money winners coming out of the tournament will earn a spot in the season-ending Nationwide Tour Championship which follows two weeks later. Miccouskee Golf & Country Club is the host facility for the fifth time.

THIS WEEK IN NATIONWIDE TOUR HISTORY
Oct. 17, 1993: David Duval closes with a birdie/birdie finish to win the inaugural Nationwide Tour Championship at Pumpkin Ridge in suburban Portland, Ore.