Storylines: The impact grows

text size

RISING PGA TOUR WIN PERCENTAGE YET ANOTHER BAROMETER OF NATIONWIDE TOUR'S IMPACT -- A look at the year-by-year increase in PGA TOUR wins by Nationwide Tour alumni certainly supports the Tour's billing as the "official proving ground of the PGA TOUR". The number of PGA TOUR winners among Nationwide Tour alumni has increased fourfold between 1991-1995 and 2003-2007.

DONALD ROSS COURSE BRINGS STRONG FIELD TO ROCHESTER, AGAIN
In its fourth year, the Xerox Classic has built a reputation as a tournament the players love to participate in. One of the big draws is host Irondequoit Country Club, a quaint yet testy 6,720-yard, par-70 Donald Ross design that opened for play (nine holes) in 1916. It is the shortest course on the 2008 Nationwide Tour schedule. Once again, this year's Classic field reflects the players' respect for the event and venue. The top 13 on this week's money list and 66 of the top 75 are currently entered. The Xerox Classic is the 22nd of 30 Nationwide Tour events this year. Past champions include Rick Price, winner of the Nationwide Tour's first $1 million event last month, Kevin Stadler and Nick Flanagan. Flanagan, an Australian, became the first international member to earn a three-win promotion to the PGA TOUR.

SCOTT PIERCY: "WIN COULD BE WORTH MORE THAN $2 MILLION"
A year ago Scott Piercy won the Ultimate Game in Las Vegas and with it, $2 million. But he believes his Sunday win at the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open could be worth a lot more than that. "Getting my (PGA) TOUR card is worth a lot more than $2 million," he said. "Hopefully, I'm on my way." At 35th on the money list, the 2001 San Diego State University graduate has more ground to gain but is certainly headed in the right direction. The top 25 Nationwide Tour money winners at season's end will earn their PGA TOUR cards for 2009.

YOUTH IS SERVED
Tommy Tolles may have had the youngest caddie in Nationwide Tour history last week in the Preferred Health Systems Wichita Open. On his bag was 12-year-old Colton Delaney, son of Nationwide Tour rules official Matt Delaney. Young Colton, who lives in Jacksonville, Fla., has been traveling with his dad the last few weeks and expressed interest in caddieing for one of the Tour players. An idle conversation with Tolles led to an assignment in Wichita and at the end of the first round they found themselves atop the leaderboard after the Hendersonville, NC resident shot a nine-under-par 62. "All he wants is a club so he can clean it. I want to break it. Then you look up and see a smile on his face and it takes your worries away." Tolles followed up with rounds of 73-69-70 to finish T25. Earlier this summer, the former University of Georgia star had his teenage son caddie for him in Springfield, MO and West Virginia.

WATSON AND LEE NOW IN DEAD-HEAT IN DRIVING DISTANCE CATEGORY
A look at this week's "Driving Distance" stats shows Bubba Watson of the PGA TOUR and Korean-born Aussie Won Joon Lee of the Nationwide Tour have an identical "Driving Distance" stat of 314.1 yards. The Nationwide Tour has a slight edge over the PGA TOUR in the respective tour averages, 290.7 vs. 286.6. Lee posted his best Nationwide Tour finish in Wichita, a T7. He is 91st on the money list. At 21, Lee is the second youngest Tour member this year.

LEVIN TRACKING TOWARD "THE 25"
After a rough start to his first full season on the Nationwide Tour, Spencer Levin has really put his game in gear. The 24-year-old former University of New Mexico All-American missed the cut in seven of his first nine starts. Since the end of May, Levin has missed only one. During these 10 events, the Sacramento, CA native has three top-seven finishes and moved from 131st on the money list to 34th. He enjoyed his best Nationwide Tour finish last week, a T2, shooting 20-under par.

SEDGEFIELD CC CONNECTIONS -- The PGA TOUR returns to Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, NC this week for the first time since 1976. Sedgefield was also home to the Nationwide Tour's Greensboro Open in 1998-2000. The first year an aspiring young Spaniard named Sergio Garcia was in the field. Playing as an amateur he shot 72-67-65-68 to finish T3, six shots back of winner Joe Ogilvie. Two years later, another talented young man, also playing as amateur, Charles Howell III, shot 63-72-68-63. He finished T2, three shots off the pace of champion Kent Jones.

NEXT WEEK
The Nationwide Tour crosses into Pennsylvania for the Northeast Pennsylvania Classic (August 18-24). Elmhurst Country Club in Moscow, Penn. (Scranton area) is the new tournament venue.

THIS WEEK IN NATIONWIDE TOUR HISTORY
Aug. 11, 1991: John Daly becomes the first Tour alumnus to win a major championship when he captures the PGA Championship by three strokes at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Indiana.
August 16, 1988: At a meeting in Denver, CO the PGA TOUR Policy Board officially approves the concept of a new tour beginning in 1990 provided a corporate sponsor is secured. This sets the stage for the birth of what is now the Nationwide Tour.