Mayfair making Nationwide Tour debut in Texas

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Billy Mayfair is making his first Nationwide Tour start of his career at this week's WNB Golf Classic.

Sep. 22, 2009
By Joe Chemycz, Nationwide Tour staff

MIDLAND, Texas -- Youngsters Rickie Fowler and Sam Saunders made their professional debuts at last week's Albertsons Boise Open, and this week another big name will step into the spotlight on the Nationwide Tour. The WNB Golf Classic will highlight veteran Billy Mayfair, somebody who certainly won't be mistaken for one of those barely-out-of-college faces.

Don't be deceived. Mayfair's resume is every bit as impressive as those who are hoping to make a career playing professional golf. He won the U.S. Amateur Championship, the U.S. Public Links Championship and the Fred Haskins Award as the nation's top collegiate player. The only difference is that he did it in the mid-to-late 80s and has been a member of the PGA TOUR for the last 20 years.

Mayfair is a five-time champion who has topped the $1 million mark five times and has earned more than $18 million in his career. He once shot a 9-under 27 at the Buick Open. Mayfair will join the field of 144 at Midland Country Club as they battle for a share of the $525,000 purse.

"This season hasn't been as good as I hoped it would be," said Mayfair. "Hopefully, I can use this opportunity in Midland to turn things around."

Mayfair turned 43 in August and has been struggling in 2009. He has made 11 cuts in 24 starts and has a pair of top-25 finishes to show for it. His only top-10 was a tie for ninth at the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open seven weeks ago. All of this, a year after finishing No. 23 on the 2008 FedExCup points list.

Mayfair had run off five consecutive cuts, but it wasn't enough to get him into this year's PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, which began following his 70th-place finish at the Wyndham Championship.

"I started playing better and seeing some results," he said. "It feels like it's coming back for me. I just want to keep the momentum going."

A few weeks in Arizona, and the former Sun Devil star figured there was no substitute for playing.

"After sitting out the last four weeks since Greensboro, I wanted to get out and play, and this is a wonderful opportunity to get back on the course," he said. "I'm hoping to use this event as a way to knock some of the rust off before we get started with Fall Series again at Turning Stone."

Rather than continue to keep practicing, Mayfair made the decision to tee it up for the first time in a Nationwide Tour event after 643 starts on the PGA TOUR.

"Anytime you tee it up, you want to win," he said. "Knocking the rust off is a goal, but the primary goal is to win. A win is a win, no matter which tour you're playing on or which country you're in."

Mayfair ranks 26th on TOUR in driving accuracy, 38th in total driving and his putting is about the same as it has been in years past. His greens in regulation is the stat that has suffered in '09. Mayfair ranked in the top-20 in the GIR category the past two years but is No. 102 this time around.

"I've been driving the ball well and putting well, but my confidence hasn't been as high as it needs to be," said Mayfair, who has dropped to No. 219 in the Official World Golf Ranking. "It really comes down to confidence. When you don't have it, it can mean the difference of one or two shots a round, and sometimes that makes the biggest difference in the world."