Storylines: Nationwide Tour heads to Athens, Ga.

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Nationwide Tour alum Brandt Snedeker maskes Masters run
Brandt Snedeker, who became 2007 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year one year after winning two tournaments on the Nationwide Tour and earning his TOUR card, made a valiant run at the 72nd Masters last week. He finished tied for third, four shots back of champion Trevor Immelman of South Africa. With his ever-smiling demeanor, the 27-year-old Snedeker no doubt earned legions of new fans at Augusta. "The patrons" gave him a standing ovation after he putted out on the 18th green on Sunday. Earlier in the week, he was asked about how his Nationwide Tour experience prepared him for the PGA TOUR. "It was fantastic," he said. "I give the Nationwide Tour a bunch of credit for turning me from an amateur golfer to a professional golfer. I would not be here today without those two years I spent learning about myself and my golf game."

Gow

First two Athens winners reflect Tour's international scope
The first two winners of the Athens Regional Foundation Classic were Paul Gow of Australia and Martin Laird of Scotland, reflecting the truly international roster of players who compete on both the Nationwide Tour and PGA TOUR. This year's field includes 35 players from 13 countries other than America.

UGA reunion
Seven former University of Georgia stars will be in the Athens Regional Foundation Classic field. Athens is home to UGA. Sponsor exemptions have been extended to Chris Kirk (2007 Ben Hogan Award winner as nation's top collegiate player), Brendon Todd (four-time All-American) and Ryan Hybl (former team member and former assistant coach). Other Bulldogs entered are Matt Peterson (reigning Georgia PGA Section champion and UGA Golf Course head professional), Franklin Langham, Scott Parel and Paul Claxton.

Deaf golfer Kevin Hall to play in Athens
Kevin Hall, the professional golfer who has been deaf since age two, has been granted the fourth tournament exemption in Athens. The former Ohio State Academic All-Big 10 honoree won his first professional event in late January, a Hooters Winter Series event. Hall is playing in his 13th PGA TOUR-sanctioned event (two PGA TOUR, 10 Nationwide Tour events). He has made the cut twice on the Nationwide Tour.

Foundation honored
The tournament's beneficiary, the Athens Regional Foundation, was named 2007 Nationwide Tour Co-Charity of the Year last month, along with the Melwood Horticultural Training Center in Maryland. The Foundation will be in the spotlight this week at Jennings Mill. It will use the cash reward it received from the PGA TOUR to support its Cancer Care Services Campaign.

Laird

2007 champion, Martin Laird, was flawless
Martin Laird enjoyed one of the best statistical weeks in Nationwide Tour history last year when he won the Athens Regional Foundation Classic. The Scot, who is now a member of the PGA TOUR, became the first player in Tour history to finish first in both Driving Distance (1st/327 yards) and Driving Accuracy (T1/80.6%) in the same event. The 24-year-old who played collegiately at Colorado State University had a combined Total Driving number of two (Driving Distance plus Driving Accuracy) which bettered the previous record of three set by Joey Snyder (1998 Greensboro Open), Jonathan Byrd (2001 BMW Charity Pro-Am) and Anthony Rodriguez (2002 Jacob's Creek Open).

First re-order of 2008 comes on Sunday
The first re-order of 2008 will take place after the Athens Regional Foundation Classic allowing players to move up the money list and secure a higher number, which increases certain players' chances of getting into more events. The first re-order occurs after the fifth co-sanctioned event of the year. Athens is the seventh event of the year but only the fifth co-sanctioned event as February's HSBC New Zealand PGA Championship and Moonah Classic in Australia were not full-field events and thus not included.

Casey Wittenberg/making birdies
Nationwide Tour rookie Casey Wittenberg is the current Tour leader in Total Birdies. In 22 rounds, the Memphis native has carded 77 birdies, nine more than No. 2 Greg Chalmers. Wittenberg, 23, has made the cut in all six of his starts, is fifth in the All-Around Ranking and 29th on the money list.

Wagner is Tour's 100th winner
When Johnson Wagner won the Shell Houston Open a week ago on Sunday, he became the 100th different Nationwide Tour alumni to win on the PGA TOUR. Former Tour players have now won 225 PGA TOUR titles, including eight in 2008.

Next tournament
Next week, the Nationwide Tour travels to Richmond, Va., for the Henrico County Open at the Curtis Strange-designed The Dominion Club, site of the first of Nick Flanagan's three wins in 2007 that sent him to the PGA TOUR in August.