E-notes: Rookie class impressive this season

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• The Champions Tour takes a week off this week before beginning the stretch run to the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Just four tournaments remain to qualify for the 30-man field at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship with Tom Purtzer holding down the 30th position with $509,618 in earnings.

• The Champions Tour has enjoyed a great rookie class this year with three first-year players among the top 10 money leaders including number one -- Bernhard Langer. Langer is followed by Jeff Sluman (5th) and John Cook (7th). Mark Wiebe is just one spot outside the Top 10 in 11th place while Gene Jones (24th) and Joey Sindelar (25th) are likely candidates to reach the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in late October.

• What close races for the top spots on the Champions Tour. Jay Haas leads the Charles Schwab Cup race by a mere 139 points over Bernhard Langer while Langer leads Haas by just $2,102 in the chase for the money title and the Arnold Palmer Award.