'THE 25' earn PGA TOUR cards for 2009

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Nov. 10, 2008

McKINNEY, Texas -- Twenty-five members of the Nationwide Tour were awarded 2009 PGA TOUR cards Sunday at the Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch based on their season-ending finish on the money list.

Badz/PGA TOUR

Colt Knost will be playing on the PGA TOUR in 2009.

Matt Bettencourt birdied the 72nd hole to shoot a final-round 69 to win the Championship by one shot over Jeff Klauk. He collected a $180,000 first prize from the $1 million purse.

Bettencourt also captured the money title finishing $10,828 ahead of Brendon de Jonge, who had held the spot after the last seven tournaments.

"Congratulations to each and every one of this year's class of 25 players who in January will be teeing off on the PGA TOUR," said Nationwide Tour President Bill Calfee. "This is the 19th year we have graduated a group of players to the PGA TOUR.

"We thank them for the many spectacular and exciting finishes they have given us on the Nationwide Tour," he added. "We look forward to watching them on TOUR next year as they add to the successes and contributions of former graduates Jim Furyk, David Toms, Zach Johnson, Camilo Villegas, Boo Weekley and others."

Immediately after play, fans were invited to join Nationwide representatives and Salesmanship Club and TPC Craig Ranch members to meet "The 25" at the PGA TOUR Card ceremony. Transitions Optical, the PGA TOUR's newest official marketing partner, hosted the post-Card Ceremony party.

The "PGA TOUR Card Ceremony" special will air on Tuesday (Nov. 11) at 7 p.m. ET on GOLF CHANNEL as part of the final "Quest For The Card: Inside the Nationwide Tour" episode of 2008.

The Nationwide Tour Championship at TPC Craig Ranch featured the top-60 money winners through the Tour's last full-field event of the year, the recent Miccosukee Championship in Miami. The players who finished 26-60 on the final money list are fully exempt on the Nationwide Tour in 2009, in the event they do not secure their PGA TOUR card via the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament in early December. Those who finished 26-40 on the money list are exempt into the Finals of the Qualifying Tournament.

The 25 Who Graduated to the 2009 PGA TOUR

Pos.	Money	Name (wins)	Residence
1.	$447,863	Matt Bettencourt (2)	Greenville, SC
2.	$437,035	Brendon de Jonge (1)	Charlotte, NC (native of Zimbabwe)
3.	$407,418	Jeff Klauk (1)	St. Augustine, FL
4.	$382,738	Jarrod Lyle (2)	Shepparton, Victoria, Australia
5.	$341,446	Bill Lunde (1)	Las Vegas, NV
6.	$329,509	Colt Knost (2)	Dallas, TX
7.	$324,627	Darron Stiles (1)	Pinehurst, NC
8.	$321,930	Greg Chalmers (1)	Colleyville, TX (native of Australia)
9.	$320,187	Scott Piercy (2)	Las Vegas, NV
10.	$309,805	Greg Owen	Windermere, FL (native of England)
11.	$296,704	Peter Tomasulo	Long Beach, CA
12.	$284,922	Rick Price (1)	Jupiter, FL
13.	$280,588	Kris Blanks (1)	Bluffton, SC
14.	$276,412	David Mathis (1)	Raleigh, NC
15.	$271,919	Casey Wittenberg	Memphis, TN
16.	$266,696	D.A. Points (1)	Ocoee, FL
17.	$259,186	Arjun Atwal (1)	Windermere, FL (native of India)
18.	$249,144	Aron Price (1)	Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (native of Australia)
T19.	$244,224	Marc Leishman (1)	Warrnambool, Australia
T19.	$244,224	Brendon Todd (1)	Atlanta, GA
21.	$238,215	Scott Gutschewski (1)	Prosper, TX
22.	$236,185	Spencer Levin Elk	Grove, CA
23.	$234,651	Bryce Molder	Scottsdale, AZ
24.	$228,155	Matt Weibring	Dallas, TX
25.	$218,902	Ricky Barnes	Scottsdale, AZ